ECEO - Centros de Investigação

URI permanente desta comunidade:

http://hdl.handle.net/10437/11087

Navegar

Percorrer ECEO - Centros de Investigação por data de Publicação

Filtrar resultados por ano ou mês
A mostrar 1 - 10 de 10
  • Item
    Scenario Planning and Evaluation of Pricing Strategies in the Portuguese Bulk LPG Market
    (Systems Dynamics Society, 2004-07) Capelo, Carlos; Dias, João Ferreira; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    Portugal has the largest LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) share of primary energy demand in the EU (about 5%). Due to the increasing international cost of LPG in the last years and the high price sensitivity of the consumers the preference for substitute energy sources in new and existing consumers has been increasing. To select the kind of energy, some consumer estimate and compare the total costs while others follow agents (equipment sellers) recommendations. It takes time to build agents perception about the most advantageous source of energy, which is seen as an important resource that drives client resource accumulation and retention. Marketing strategies have to take into consideration some market dynamic effects derived from the accumulation and depletion of these resources. A simple system dynamics model was built, combined with Economic Value Added framework, to evaluate some pricing strategies under different scenarios of LPG international cost.
  • Item
    Strategy Lab Experiences: Bathtub Dynamics
    (Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2005-07) Capelo, Carlos; Dias, João Ferreira; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    As the world changes ever faster, managers increasingly recognize the complexity and turbulence of the business systems in which they are embedded. The management problems are dynamic, while the dynamic complexity comes frequently from few variables with circle and delays interrelations that introduce nonlinearities.The present paper describes a research conducted in Portugal with two different groups - one, academic; the other, professional - where we explored the subjects’ understanding of some basic systems thinking concepts such as stock-flow relationship, feedback processes and time delays.
  • Item
    The East Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries: Stock Collapse or Recovery?
    (University of Chicago Press, 2006) Brasão, Ana; Bjorndal, Trond; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    A discrete time, multi-gear, and age structured bio-economic model is developed for the East Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries, a paradigmatic example of the difficulties faced in managing highly migratory fish stocks. The model is used to analyse alternative management strategies for the Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) managing this fishery, and to investigate some of the policy implications. For the various scenarios, the optimal stock level varies between 500–800,000 tonnes, which compares with a stock level of 150,000 tonnes in 1995. In other words, there is a very strong case for rebuilding the stock. Moreover, the sustainability of the stock is threatened unless a recovery programme is implemented; indeed, the alternative may be stock collapse. Second, to rebuild the stock, Draconian measures are called for: either outright moratoria over fairly lengthy periods, or possibly a more gradual approach to steady state given by a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) at a low level for an extended period of time. Third, the cost of inefficient gear structure is very high indeed.
  • Item
    Systems thinking: learning or driving?
    (ISTCE Business School, 2007-04) Capelo, Carlos; Dias, João Ferreira; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    The ability to foresee how behaviour of a system arises from the interaction of its components over time - i.e. its dynamic complexity – is seen an important ability to take effective decisions in our turbulent world. Dynamic complexity emerges frequently from interrelated simple structures, such as stocks and flows, feedbacks and delays (Forrester, 1961). Common sense assumes an intuitive understanding of their dynamic behaviour. However, recent researches have pointed to a persistent and systematic error in people understanding of those building blocks of complex systems. This paper describes an empirical study concerning the native ability to understand systems thinking concepts. Two different groups - one, academic, the other, professional – submitted to four tasks, proposed by Sweeney and Sterman (2000) and Sterman (2002). The results confirm a poor intuitive understanding of the basic systems concepts, even when subjects have background in mathematics and sciences.
  • Item
    A system dynamics-based simulation experiment for testing mental model and performance effects of using the balanced scorecard
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2009-01) Capelo, Carlos; Dias, João Ferreira; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    This study develops a theoretical model that explains the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard approach by means of a system dynamics and feedback learning perspective. Presumably, the balanced scorecard leads to a better understanding of context, allowing managers to externalize and improve their mental models. We present a set of hypotheses about the influence of the balanced scorecard approach on mental models and performance. A test based on a simulation experiment that uses a system dynamics model is performed. The experiment included three types of parameters: financial indicators; balanced scorecard indicators; and balanced scorecard indicators with the aid of a strategy map review. Two out of the three hypotheses were confirmed. It was concluded that a strategy map review positively influences mental model similarity, and mental model similarity positively influences performance.
  • Item
    A Feedback Learning and Mental Models Perspective on Strategic Decision Making
    (Springer, 2009-04) Capelo, Carlos; Dias, João Ferreira; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    This study aims to be a contribution to a theoretical model that explains the effectiveness of the learning and decision-making processes by means of a feedback and mental models perspective. With appropriate mental models, managers should be able to improve their capacity to deal with dynamically complex contexts, in order to achieve long-term success. We present a set of hypotheses about the influence of feedback information and systems thinking facilitation on mental models and management performance. We explore, under controlled conditions, the role of mental models in terms of structure and behaviour. A test based on a simulation experiment with a system dynamics model was performed. Three out of the four hypotheses were confirmed. Causal diagramming positively influences mental model structure similarity, mental model structure similarity positively influences mental model behaviour similarity, and mental model behaviour similarity positively influences the quality of the decision
  • Item
    Balanced Scorecard dinâmico
    (Escolar Editora, 2010-04) Capelo, Carlos; Dias, João Ferreira; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    O Balanced Scorecard (BSC) tem vindo a revelar-se um conceito popular como ferramenta de suporte à descrição e implementação da estratégia organizacional. Esta abordagem propõe que os gestores se foquem no desenvolvimento e utilização dum número reduzido de indicadores críticos de desempenho, financeiros e não financeiros, que combinam diferentes disciplinas e perspectivas da organização e que estão articulados numa cadeia causal que explica de forma consistente o desempenho futuro de acordo com a estratégia formulada. Contudo, diversas dúvidas e críticas tem emergido relativamente à qualidade do processo de desenvolvimento do BSC e que colocam em causa a consistência e a validade da estrutura de indicadores que constitui o instrumento fundamental para o controlo da implementação da estratégia. Com o propósito de ultrapassar estes problemas, uma abordagem baseada na modelação e simulação dinâmica (dinâmica de sistemas) é proposta como suporte ao processo de desenvolvimento do BSC. Esta abordagem permite acelerar e melhorar a aprendizagem dos gestores acerca do processo de criação futura de valor que está associado à estratégia formulada e respectiva implementação, contribuindo assim para a validade e consistência da estrutura de indicadores do BSC.
  • Item
    Modeling the Diffusion of Energy Performance Contracting
    (Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2011-07) Capelo, Carlos; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    The Portuguese Energy Policy considers the development of a commercially viable and competitive market for energy performance contracting (EPC) as a main mechanism to achieve the objectives of energy efficiency improvement. This paper proposes a study to investigate how to achieve widespread adoption of energy performance contracting by means of system dynamics modelling and simulation. To explore and gather insights on this question, a system dynamics model representing the system of the Portuguese EPC market at industry level will be created. The simulation of that model will provide a helpful basis for analysing and explaining the development of key variables, and accelerating learning on the managerial, organizational and political adaptation processes that foster the diffusion of EPC adoption. The first phase of this research project aims at identifying and analysing the key factors and critical cause-effect relations that drive the adoption of EPC. With this purpose, a qualitative content analysis on relevant documents was performed and a set of interviews was conducted. That data was analysed to capture the critical variables and its interrelation to formulate a preliminary representation of the system structure as stock and flow diagrams.
  • Item
    The challenges of the IS/IT projects in the healthcare sector
    (IGI Global, 2019) Gomes, Jorge; Romão, Mário; Escola de Ciências Económicas e das Organizações
    Essentially, the purpose of investment in information systems and information technology (IS/IT) is to improve the operational efficiency of the organizations, reducing costs and improving levels of quality. Thus, many traditional appraisal techniques are used to evaluate tangible benefits, which are based on direct project costs. Since the 1980s, IS/IT has positioned itself as a strategic tool that through flexibility and innovative ways can produce superior performance. The health sector has sought to improve its effectiveness and efficiency by adopting IS/IT solutions to increase the quality of services, namely patient safety, organizational efficiency, and end-user satisfaction. Hospitals are complex organizations, and this complexity magnifies the opportunity for inevitable human errors. A poorly integrated system can decrease operational efficiency and reduce the quality of healthcare services. The issue remains controversial, as evidenced by several articles. The authors noticed that emergent technologies may offer opportunities to those who can exploit them effectively.
  • Item
    Public sector shared services and the lean methodology : implications on military organizations
    (Elsevier B.V., 2020-09) Costa, Renato Lopes da; Resende, Tiago; Dias, Álvaro Lopes; Pereira, Leandro; António, Nelson Santos; TRIE - Centro de Investigação Transdisciplinar para o Empreendedorismo e Inovação Ecossistémica
    During the economic and financial crisis, private and public organizations were subject to a constant reduction in costs and resources. Public shared service models felt compelled to adopt the Lean methodology with the aim of reducing costs, reducing waste and increasing employee satisfaction with the provision of quality services. Against this background, this article aims to evaluate the impact of the implementation of Shared Services and the inherent benefits of lean management in the Military Store, Contact Center, Post Office and Internal Portal used by the Portuguese Air Force. Using a case study methodology, this study portrays the elimination of waste and the optimization of existing human and financial resources. After the implementation in 2015, it is still possible now to verify that there is some resistance to change, and the fact that we are dealing with a hierarchical organization justifies this disadvantage. The implementation and operation of all services in their entirety allowed the optimization of resources and the simplification of processes, resulting in the elimination of duplicate tasks.