Search results

Evaluates the applicability of ultrasonic sensors in a welding environment and reports on experimental measurements carried out with a sensory head containing ultrasonic transducers with different frequencies. Analyses the effects on the sensors of factors such as noise, temperature and shielding gas flow and concludes by suggesting appropriate protective measures for the sensors for them to operate effectively in a welding environment.

Is it possible to consider organizational entrenchment (OE) and continued commitment (CC) as the same phenomenon? Are there enough differences between CC and affective commitment (AC) to defend that they cannot be part of the same construct? The objective of this study was to examine the convergence of validated measures between OE and CC and their discrimination to AC. The authors’ aim was to compare two models of antecedents and their consequences: the model that includes OE and AC, and the one that includes CC and AC.

An extensive cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 1,648 respondents (the majority lived in the Northeast region of Brazil, worked in private services companies, were female, single, under 35 years old, had, at least, begun college studies and received up to five times the minimum wage). A six-point Likert scale was used in this study. To measure OE, CC and AC, the authors used reduced versions of validated measures. To test the hypotheses, first, the authors used Pearson's correlation analysis and then, structural equation modeling, comparing two models of antecedents and consequences (one including OE and AC, and the other, including CC and AC).

As expected, affective commitment had a positive impact on the desired behavior (intention for commitment, defense, staying), whereas entrenchment and continuance commitment had a negative or non-significant impact on these behaviors. Results show the existence of a conceptual and empirical overlap between organizational entrenchment and continuance commitment and indicate that the continuance dimension is not part of commitment but rather part of organizational entrenchment.

The fact that this is a cross-sectional study sets a limitation on the results, for not allowing greater understanding of the dynamics and the causal direction of relationships. Additionally, it follows the trend of studies in the organizational behavior field of utilizing self-reported data, which results in problems related to perceptual bias (Morrow, 2011).

The practical implications of this study regard a greater clarification on which behaviors are expected from either committed and entrenched workers, and which drivers may lead to each of these bonds. Therefore, a better understanding of the phenomenon contributes to the training of managers and to the design of organizational policies and practices.

The clarity of bonds also allows its application to different contexts beyond business organizations, as a step to reach better understanding of commitment and entrenchment in different settings, economical and national realities.

It is expected that these findings add a higher precision to the research on commitment, thus contributing to the validity of the measures. Given these results and confirmation that OE and CC represent the same bond, it is considered appropriate to designate this type of bond simply as OE. Additionally, the results of this study represent a further argument in favor of prioritizing the AC than CC in research and in management of organizational commitment.

Underground parking projects are expensive. The capital cost of underground parking projects has been, and still is, one of the promoter’s main economic concerns. Therefore, the capital cost estimation is an essential task in the early stages of underground parking projects. In this context, the promoters mainly use cost estimation models, most of them produced by methodologies with lack of precision and with low performances. Over the last years Portugal has embarked on a large programme of underground parking projects in the major cities. The present research work is based on data and knowledge colleted from that programme. This paper presents an analysis of the underground parking projects built and underway in Portugal. It discusses the main variables influencing the capital cost of under‐ground parking projects. Finally, it presents a mathematical model for estimating capital cost of this type of project during the planning phase.

The objective of this study was to assess the incorporation of polyunsaturated omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in the eggs of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed with soybean, flaxseed and shark liver oils, as well as to assess their effects on the chemical composition and lipid quality of the yolks.

The total of 252 units of quails were distributed in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and six replications, totaling 42 experimental design units. The sources of oils and their inclusions in the experimental diet were 2% of soybean oil (S), 2% of flaxseed oil (L) and 2% shark liver oil (T), obtained from the species Carcharhinus acronotus, and the mixtures of 1% S + 1% L (SL); 1% S + 1% T (ST); 1% L + 1% T (LT) and 0.67% S + 0.67% L + 0.67% T (SLT).

The proximate composition of the egg yolk was not changed to the supplementation of lipid sources added in quail diet. The total replacement of soybean oil by shark liver oil reduced the cholesterol content in the yolk by 19% (T = 282.97 mg cholesterol/100 g egg) and the addition of flaxseed oil produced eggs with greater amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (LS = 18.32%). The treatments with flaxseed oil and its mixtures (soybean oil + flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil + shark liver oil) effectively contributed to reducing the ω-6:ω-3 ratio and enriching the quail eggs with PUFAs, especially linolenic acid (18: 3n3c) and EPA (20: 5n3c).

Thus, manipulation in the diet of quails enriched the content of essential PUFAs and reduced the cholesterol content in the yolk. The flaxseed oil was the lipid source that influenced to improve the quality of the egg yolk. These results have practical applicability for the quail egg industry.

The purpose of this paper is to explore work‐family conflict antecedents in four Latin American countries by studying whether marital status and number of children impacted values.

A convenience sample of 3,529 working adults in major cities in Argentina (n=1,198), Brazil (n=186), Colombia (n=989) and Mexico (n=1,156) were surveyed using the Rokeach Value Survey.

There were statistically significant differences in values depending on marital status for the terminal values an exciting life, national security, and pleasure, and also differences between respondents depending on having or not, and number of children for the terminal values pleasure, national security, and for the instrumental values logical, and polite.

This study fills a research gap, as no previously published studies have explored whether marital status or number of children impact values.

This study aims to focus on sustainable supplier selection in a construction company considering a new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on dominance-based rough set analysis. The inclusion of sustainability concept in industrial supply chains has started gaining momentum due to increased environmental protection awareness and social obligations. The selection of sustainable suppliers marks the first step toward accomplishing this objective. The problem of selecting the right suppliers fulfilling the sustainable requirements is a major MCDM problem since various conflicting factors are underplay in the selection process. The decision-makers are often confronted with inconsistent situations forcing them to make imprecise and vague decisions.

This paper presents a new method based on dominance-based rough sets for the selection of right suppliers based on sustainable performance criteria relying on the triple bottom line approach. The method applied has its distinct advantages by providing more transparency in dealing with the preference information provided by the decision-makers and is thus found to be more intuitive and appealing as a performance measurement tool.

The technique is easy to apply using “jrank” software package and devises results in the form of decision rules and ranking that further assist the decision-makers in making an informed decision that increases credibility in the decision-making process.

The novelty of this study of its kind is that uses the dominance-based rough set approach for a sustainable supplier selection process.

Brazilian federalism was important in the political game of combating the pandemic for three reasons. First, Brazil's public health system depends heavily on intergovernmental relations between Union, states, and municipalities because there is a policy portfolio based on federative cooperation. Second, the subnational governments' autonomy to act against COVID-19 was constantly questioned by the Federal Government – the conflict between the President and governors was a key piece in all health policy. Finally, states and local governments were primarily responsible for policies to fight against pandemic, but the absence and/or wrong measures taken by the Federal Government (such as the delay in purchasing vaccines) generated intergovernmental incoordination, increased territorial inequality, and reduced the effectiveness of subnational public policies, especially those linked to social isolation. In this context, Brazilian federalism played a dual role in the pandemic. On the one hand, the federative structure partially succeeded in averting an even worse scenario, mitigating the impact of mistaken presidential decisions. The role of subnational governments, especially of the states, was critical as a counterweight to federal decisions. On the other hand, the President actively acted against governors and mayors and, above all, sought to weaken intergovernmental articulations within the Unified Health System (SUS), the federative model designed three decades ago. One could say that the federative actors, such as the Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal – STF) and subnational governments, were the main obstacles for the Bolsonarist antiscientific agenda. The success of this reaction to President Bolsonaro's negationist populism was partial, but the results of the fight against COVID-19 would have been much worse without these federalist barriers.