Luiz Antonio Joia

Measuring intangible corporate assets

Since the beginning of this decade research has been conducted in order to define a feasible and reliable path to measure the intangible assets of a company, also called its intellectual capital. Several models have been defined, though problems still remain to be solved. In this article a heuristic frame addressing the link between intellectual capital and business strategy is developed, according to the author’s proposed intangible corporate asset taxonomy. This model is then applied to a company within the magnesium industry. The “time‐lag trap” issue is presented showing the misconceptions arising from the static rather than the dynamic intangible asset valuing approach. Future trends such as the creation of the IC elasticity concept and some conclusions in this realm are also presented.

Relevant factors for tacit knowledge transfer within organisations

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the pertinent factors for tacit knowledge transfer within a major state‐owned Brazilian oil company – Petrobras.Design/methodology/approach – The research analyses the literature concerning tacit knowledge transfer within organisations and, using a quantitative approach based on exploratory factorial analysis, seeks to collect facts in order to identify relevant factors for tacit knowledge transfer within the organisation in question.Findings – It is seen that idiosyncratic factors, the knowledge management strategy adopted by the company, and its organisational structure are relevant elements for the success of tacit knowledge transfer within the organisation.Research limitations/implications – The study was conducted just in the Sales and Marketing division of Petrobras. Therefore, its external validity cannot be tested and any attempt to make a statistical generalisation would be flawed. Another limitation is related to the acuity of perception of the employees inv...

Organizational structure and ICT strategies in the Brazilian Judiciary System

Abstract In this case study, we analyze the influence of the organizational structure in the definition and implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) strategies in the Brazilian Judiciary System. The analysis shows that the existing organizational structure favors uncoordinated actions, though the role of the National Council of Justice (NCJ) as protagonist in the process of coordinating the strategic planning of the Brazilian Judiciary System (and strategic ICT planning) might change this reality, allowing the Brazilian Judiciary System to reap the full benefits of ICT.

Using intellectual capital to evaluate educational technology projects

Intellectual capital has been used to measure the intangible assets of corporations. Intellectual capital can also be used to assess and evaluate the outcomes of social projects, i.e. ones that do not have either a book or a market value. This article aims to present a framework to evaluate the intangible outcomes generated by the deployment of Informatics in Education, measuring the human and innovation capital associated with this enterprise. The PROINFO, a Brazilian nationwide program to deploy 100,000 computers in the public K‐12 schools, is analyzed as a case study in order to apply the developed methodology. Some conclusions are presented to policy makers, educational researchers and practitioners in order to enable them to better understand the dynamics and the overall mechanism of a nationwide intervention aiming to deploy information and communication technologies in education.

Assessment of digital inclusion via the actor-network theory: The case of the Brazilian municipality of Piraí

This paper presents the results of the analysis of processes aimed at digital inclusion in the municipality of Pirai in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. This city was chosen for this purpose due to the notoriety achieved by the Digital Pirai program, the origins of which date back to 1996. An approach based on the actor-network theory (ANT) was applied to evaluate the program. ANT was used to develop a model of digital inclusion, as well as investigate the formation of heterogeneous networks of actors around the components of the aforementioned model in Pirai. After collecting data in Pirai related to its digital program, interviewing several inhabitants, public administrators and merchants based in the municipality, with respect to their perceptions regarding this endeavor and analyzing this material vis-a-vis the digital inclusion model developed via the actor-network theory, it can be concluded that digital inclusion is a reality in Pirai, despite the fact that its effects do not benefit all segments of the society equally. The municipality presents different levels of appropriation of the advantages of information technology (IT), from the municipal executive body, students and teachers of the public school system - who have already progressed with the incorporation of IT in their daily lives - to the general public, including tradespeople and entrepreneurs, who are still far from reaping the full benefits of the digital inclusion movement. Lastly, some managerial and academic implications accrued from this research as well as the limitations of the study are set forth.

Internet-Based Reverse Auctions by the Brazilian Government

The scope of this paper is to discuss the use of Internet Technology in the process of procurement currently employed by the Brazilian Federal Government. The focus of this analysis is on the Internet‐Based Reverse Auction system employed by the Federal Administration to purchase goods and services from the standpoint of efficiency, efficacy and accountability. An explanatory single case study methodology addressing web‐based purchase of pharmaceutical products by the Ministry of Social Security is used to answer the research questions raised in this paper. Technical, human and structural obstacles, as well as legal constraints that must be overcome, are also addressed. Conclusions detailing some findings and the advantages and disadvantages of this new modus operandi are also presented in this work.

Development and Testing of an E-Commerce Web Site Evaluation Model

The scope of this research is to develop and test a model for evaluating B2C e-commerce Web sites. Consequently, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between the Web site interface of B2C e-commerce and virtual customer behavior, concentrating on purchasing attitude and intention. The objective of this article is, therefore, to research which features of a virtual store effectively influence the user purchasing process via the Internet. In order to achieve this aim, the technology acceptance model was adapted for pertinent theoretical references about consumer behavior on the Web. The model developed was then tested and validated through a structural equation modeling approach. An empirical analysis of the CD e-retailing industry in Brazil was then conducted. The study concludes that, for the electronic commerce of CDs, ease of use, trust, pleasure, and attractiveness as perceived by visitors to CD e-retailing Web sites are key issues for understanding customer attitude and purchasing intention.

The impact of government-to-government endeavors on the intellectual capital of public organizations

Abstract This paper draws on sources from two bodies of knowledge: eGovernment and the strategic role of intangible assets in public agencies. It was elaborated in order to measure the variation of the intellectual capital in public organizations involved in government-to-government (G2G) endeavors. In order to achieve this, a heuristic frame was developed to evaluate the impact of G2G endeavors on the components of the intellectual capital of a public agency, namely its human capital, organizational capital, external capital, and innovation capital. Applying this heuristic frame to a G2G endeavor in Brazil linking the Brazilian Central Bank and the Justice Department, a positive impact on the intellectual capital of the Courts of Justice associated with it was detected. Moreover, it was concluded that this G2G undertaking influenced all the components of the intellectual capital of the Courts of Justice alike. Thereafter, the model was validated through a positive and strong statistical correlation between the intellectual capital variation in the Courts of Justice and the value perception of the employees both accrued from the G2G undertaking. Finally, in addition to the research limitations, some concluding remarks are set forth for public managers, practitioners, and academics to help them grasp the potential of using the intellectual capital theory to assess eGovernment initiatives.

Are frequent customers always a company's intangible asset?

Since the early 1990s research has been conducted in an attempt to establish a viable and reliable manner of measuring the intangible assets, also referred to as the intellectual capital, of companies. Several models have been devised, most of them using indicators to evaluate the intangible assets of a given undertaking. In this article, exploratory single case study methodology is used to analyse the behaviour of the “customer retention” indicator, which has been widely used to evaluate a companys relationship capital. One of the largest Brazilian retailing groups is analysed, in order to obtain an in‐depth insight into the behaviour of its frequent customers via its digital channel. Conclusions are presented indicating that the role of the frequent customers in an e‐retailing company can sometimes be widely divergent from that presented in existing academic literature. Some managerial implications of these conclusions are also presented.

A new model for workers’ retraining in Brazil

Presents a framework for retraining Brazilian workers from industry, commerce and services activities, in order to make them useful for the new knowledge society in which we live. The approach presented is an alternative to the traditional retraining models which are solely based on training the workers in the fundamentals of information technologies, without going further on the essential skills and expertise that allow the workers to own a professional laterality degree. The model discussed in this article is based on field research undertaken by the author among employers and employees within the Brazilian productive environment, to analyse why the implementation of new technological innovations, mainly based on information technology, has barely leveraged their companies’ productivity. Based on this survey, a new information technology‐based training framework is presented to be deployed within the companies, through the development and use of a Web‐based instruction system.