Humberto Elias Garcia Lopes

Comparação entre os modelos norte-americano (ACSI) e europeu (ECSI) de satisfação do cliente: um estudo no setor de serviços

The central objective of this study is to compare the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI), preserving the structural relations between the latent variables as originally established. For both, it has been chosen a quantitative approach, focused on structural equation modeling through confirmatory factor analysis. The sample was formed by 2,145 customers of companies in the service sector, working in the State of Minas Gerais. The main results indicated that the ACSI can measure the satisfaction of more accurately than the ECSI. Another aspect is that the complaint had a significant effect on satisfaction and loyalty with the service provided.

Cooperação e Alianças: Perspectivas Teóricas e suas Articulações no Contexto do Pensamento Estratégico

As one surveys the field of cooperative strategies and alliances, some misconceptions are discernible concerning which are the main theoretical frameworks and how they can be articulated among themselves when they focus upon issues such as the strategic process, cooperation and the environment. This article offers a theoretical contribution to this subject. It uses, as a methodological approach, an extensive study and review of the contextual literature. Seven main theoretical outlooks are advanced: military theories; the game theory; the transaction cost theory; the positioning approach; the social networks theory; the resource-based theory; and learning theories. Each one holds a particular set of premises and is derived from specific foundations. Some are compatible with one another, while others are not. The results allow both a more comprehensive view of the whole and an outlook on the possibilities for articulations among the different perspectives and their repercussions on empirical research.

ESTRATÉGIAS “CONSTRUÍDAS” NAS MICRO E PEQUENAS EMPRESAS: UM ESTUDO NO MERCADO CENTRAL DE BELO HORIZONTE

Resumo As discussoes acerca das peculiaridades da administracao estrategica nas micro e pequenas empresas (MPE s) se intensificaram nos ultimos 05 anos. Porem, ainda sao poucas quando comparadas com o volume de pesquisa que trata de grandes empresas. O presente trabalho, nesse contexto, e marginal, no sentido de que volta os seus olhos para um universo com o qual convive-se muito intimamente no cenario atual, mas do qual se conhece, ainda, muito pouco, as micro e pequenas empresas. Junto a isso, buscou-se explorar as redes organizacionais como caminho estrategico para as MPE s. Assim, a proposta deste trabalho foi de identificar e analisar se as MPE’s pertencentes ao Mercado Central de Belo Horizonte desenvolvem acoes estrategicas individuais e, ainda, que atributos da organizacao Mercado Central sao capazes de influenciar a construcao de estrategias nas empresas individualmente. Para isso, utilizou-se a analise de conteudo para entender as relacoes existentes entre as decisoes estrategicas individuais e as acoes dos gestores da rede em questao. Os resultados apontaram para acoes estrategicas mais emergentes, sem um processo formal. As estrategias desenvolvidas sao consideradas timidas e sem uma estruturacao em funcao da percepcao dos gestores das empresas. Entretanto, a historia e a tradicao do Mercado interferem no desempenho das empresas estudadas. Assim, entende-se que a rede influencia de forma indireta as acoes estrategicas das MPE s do Mercado Central e ha no processo, minima participacao dos cooperados nos processos decisorios da rede.

Theoretical reflections about the concept of social networks

The recent literature on organizational theory has been dedicating a considerable attention to the relationship networks. In spite of this, however, it is possible to notice that there are many theoretical problems concerning this subject matter. In fact, dealing with relationship networks can be considered as one of the most complex challenges to be faced by researchers in organizational theory. This paper intends to contribute to clarify some of those theoretical problems. Through a review of part of the literature on organizational theory this paper tries to propose new analytical paths to understanding the complexity of the relationship networks.

O autoritarismo em cooperativas e empresas privadas: uma investigação com dirigentes e gerentes por meio de uma escala baseada na Escala F de Adorno

Authoritarianism in cooperatives and in private-sector enterprises: an investigation with directors and managers, using a scale based on the F Scale of Adorno This paper compares authoritarian personality traits between two groups, high-level managers of private companies and of cooperatives. The analysis was based on Adorno’s F scale, which represents an original contribution to the studies about organizational power in Brazil. In theoretical terms, the focus is on the links between the critical theory of the Frankfurt School and Freudian psychology. Those links are expressed by the F scale, developed in 1950 by the German philosopher Theodor Adorno and his associate researchers in California, USA. The methodology of this paper is based on a quantitative perspective and the data were analyzed using a graphic comparison and the t test of equality of means of two independent samples: one group formed by directors (75 from cooperatives and 140 from private companies), and the other by high-level managers (158 from cooperatives and 650 from private companies). The results show that the cooperatives’ directors tend to be more authoritarian than their private sector colleagues, who, however, are less authoritarian than both groups of managers.

Relações de poder e mudanças pós-aquisição internacional na rede de relacionamentos da adquirida

Based on the industrial network perspective and the distribution channel literature, this article deals with power and international post-acquisition changes that occurred in the relationships of the acquired firm with suppliers and buyers. Specifically, we investigate if and how the power variable affects international post-acquisition changes at the network level of the acquired firm. To do so, we developed a case study based on semi-structured interviews with a number of individuals from the acquirer, the acquired firm, suppliers and buyers. The main results point out that the acquisition triggered economic and non economic organizational practice changes at the supplier and buyer levels. Furthermore, they indicate that the acquirer used coercive and non coercive sources of power in order to introduce these changes. The use of these sources of power, in turn, was associated with the degree of dependence of suppliers and buyers in relation to the acquirer. Based on these results, we have developed a model with five new hypotheses that can be tested in future empirical studies.

Authoritarianism in cooperatives and in private-sector enterprises: an investigation with directors and managers, using a scale based on the F Scale of Adorno

Neste artigo, investiga-se comparativamente a expressao de tracos autoritarios de personalidade em dirigentes de cooperativas e de empresas privadas, utilizando uma escala baseada na Escala F de Adorno. Nessa perspectiva, apresenta-se uma contribuicao impar na literatura sobre poder no Brasil. A pesquisa desenvolvida neste estudo esta fundamentada na interface entre a teoria critica dos frankfurtianos e a psicanalise freudiana, expressa por uma escala desenvolvida por Adorno em associacao com pesquisadores da California (ADORNO et al., 1982). Realizou-se pesquisa quantitativa por meio da comparacao de graficos e do teste t de igualdade de medias. Ao todo, essa escala foi aplicada em 75 dirigentes de cooperativas e 140 de empresas privadas, e em l58 gerentes de cooperativas e 650 de empresas privadas. A analise dos resultados revelou a maior expressao de tracos autoritarios entre os dirigentes de cooperativas, quando comparados os quatro grupos, sendo os dirigentes de empresas privadas os menos autoritarios, mesmo se comparados com os dois grupos de gerentes, que ficaram no nivel intermediario.

Tréplica - riscos e desafios do pesquisador no país das maravilhas: reflexões sobre trajetórias de investigações em alianças estratégicas

E mais atraente fica se, alem da densidade e originalidade das contribuicoes e argumentacoes, e capaz de expor alguns dos tracos elegantes que regem a arte da conversacao. Salientamos, de inicio, que os autores Jorge Ferreira e Ângela da Rocha – que enfocam o problema da estrutura intelectual da producao cientifica na area - e Sandro Cabral e Sergio G. Lazzarini – que abordam o tema da integracao das perspectivas teoricas – contribuem, de maneira rica, para as reflexoes em curso. Os comentarios e pontos de vista por eles levantados, nao os compartilhamos de todo. Ao refletirmos sobre nosso tema de interesse, lembramo-nos da sabedoria do gato Cheshire, quando diz para Alice: se voce nao sabe para onde quer ir, entao qualquer caminho serve. A arte, assim como a ciencia, ajuda a ampliar a nossa compreensao das coisas. Ferreira e Rocha comentam que nosso trabalho contribuiu para a identificacao de algumas teorias relevantes aplicadas a pesquisa sobre aliancas estrategicas’. Mas consideram que seria ainda prematuro qualquer esforco de classificacao na area, o que levaria, na visao deles, a abordagens