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The paper presents the concept of Solidarity Economy proposed by the Austrian-Brazilian economist and professor Paul Singer who passed away in 2018 at age 86 years in his home in São Paulo. Singer arrived at the concept of Solidarity Economy by mixing utopian socialist thought originated in Europe during the Industrial Revolution with the wisdom of Latin American working people to find alternative paths to the capitalist economic system. Following the teachings of Paul Singer, we, as practitioners and academics, report the first stage of the formation of a popular cooperative in the sector of recycling that occurred between 2019 and 2021 in the Town of Goiás, Goiás, Brazil. Our analysis of this collective endeavour leads to two main lessons: first, Solidarity Economy is an even broader proposal of an alternative to the capitalist economy than Paul Singer imagined, because its roots are not restricted to the European cooperativism of the nineteenth century, and second, economics must be taught in more popular way because the most urgent economic problems affect primarily the working people.

The main goal of this paper is to study the specific characteristics of the performance of companies in the metallurgical sector, in the northern region of Portugal.

To achieve this aim, the authors have used data from 325 companies manufacturing metal products, except machinery and equipment (CAE Rev.3 25) and 27 companies that manufacture machinery and equipment (CAE Rev. 3 28). The models were estimated by using the panel data methodology for the period between 2011 and 2019. Specifically, the estimation method of the generalized method of moments system (GMM system) proposed by Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998) was used.

The results show that the main decisions on the performance of metallurgical companies in Northern Portugal depend on the dimensions of sales in the domestic market (SDM), sales in the community market (SCM), and sales in the foreign market (SFM) and also highlight that the signal and significance of the specific variables depends on how the different stakeholders understand performance.

As far as the authors know, this is the first study to comparatively analyze the two metallurgical databases in Portugal. Despite the huge difference in the size of the sample, this study’s results show that in an era of paradigm shift about what business objectives should be, stakeholders are still not environmentally aware and the social dimension is only considered by shareholders, but not yet by the manager and the general community.

This paper aims to explore brain-based differences in national and own-label brands perceptions. Because price is a differentiating characteristic, able to discriminate between national and own-label brands, its influence is also studied.

The study uses the Save Holdings Or Purchase (SHOP) task with functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the differences in brain functioning for national versus own-label branded products.

For the same product, the higher priced national brands and the lower priced own-label brands lead to more buying decisions. It is also found that there are brain structures that are more active/deactive for national than for own-label brands, both marked with real market prices. Price is a powerful driver of buying decisions and has its neural correlates. Parietal regions activate when brand information is subtracted from brand-plus-price information. The most surprising finding is that visual and visual associative areas are involved in the contrasts between branded products marked with switched prices and marked with real market prices.

The activation/deactivation brain patterns suggest that accepted models of brain functioning are not suitable for explaining brand decisions. Also, to our knowledge, this is the first time that a study directly addresses the brain’s functioning when subjects are stimulated with national versus own-label brands. It paves the way for a new approach to understanding how such brand categories are perceived, revealing the neural origins of the associated psychological processes.

This study aims to analyze the university environment’s role in the intention–action gap (IAG)of highly successful startup founders in an emerging market.

Using multiple regression analysis, this study analyzed data collected from 314 founders representing 99 successful startups (289 valid observations), renowned for their high funding and value operating in an emerging market, Brazil.

The results demonstrate that extracurricular activities and exchange programs lead to a reduced IAG while living in a significant economic center extends it. Computer science and industrial engineering students show reduced IAGs. Studying together with future co-founders also leads to reduced gaps.

The study contributes to the microfoundations theory by presenting new interactions between students and the university environment that influence entrepreneurial action. Limitations are related to the sample, limited to Brazilian founders and selected only through venture capital firms’ filters.

This study also provides practical insights to the universities’ leaders on how they can create programs that improve the rate of startup creation, potentially leading to successful companies.

This study investigates the association between the university role and the entrepreneur’s IAG in emerging markets. The entrepreneur’s IAG is still a relatively new phenomenon explored in entrepreneurship. Even less understanding and limited empirical data exist on successful startups from emerging markets. This study drew on the microfoundations literature to answer how universities in emerging markets could address specific resources and entrepreneurship programs to reduce the IAG among students and alumni.

This study identifies and analyzes practices related to declarative knowledge of organizational learning in the product development process (PDP) that uses the Stage-Gate (SG) system.

The field research was conducted with a qualitative approach through a case study. The study object was a multinational company in the automotive sector that is highly competent in truck chassis design with a PDP based on the SG system.

The authors identified PDPs associated with the elements of declarative knowledge of organizational learning in intra- and inter-development teams. Rather than merely being a checklist, each gate in the SG system has the potential to become a more effective and robust intra-team learning practice and promote inputs for continuous improvement in the process through its use as a checkpoint of the five elements of declarative knowledge during the development activities.

The case study was conducted in a multinational company in the automotive sector, whose business units are divided by competencies. The unit studied is a reference in truck chassis and is located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

The research model presented can be used to evaluate how companies exploit their activities and practices to leverage organizational learning in PDP. That is, the model can be used as a diagnostic reference for declarative knowledge in companies that apply the SG system to manage PDP.

The study focuses on a model of PDP analysis, aspects of organizational learning and declarative knowledge, in that the model it assists in the collection, distribution and use of information to the development team members with a view for products with greater innovation potential.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar e analisar práticas relacionadas ao conhecimento declarativo da aprendizagem organizacional no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos que utilizam o sistema Stage-Gate (SG).

A pesquisa de campo foi realizada com abordagem qualitativa por meio de um estudo de caso. O objeto de estudo foi uma empresa multinacional do setor automotivo de alta competência em projeto de chassis de caminhões com processo de desenvolvimento de produto baseado no sistema Stage-Gate.

A descrição das práticas já existentes no PDP de uma empresa multinacional do setor automotivo e que estão associadas aos elementos do conhecimento declarativo da aprendizagem organizacional nos ambientes intra e inter equipe. O gate ao invés de ser apenas um checklist, tem potential de se tornar uma prática de aprendizado intra-equipe mais efetiva e robusta e promover inputs para melhoria contínua do PDP através da utilização dele como um ponto de verificação dos 5 elementos do conhecimento declarativo que foram conduzidos pelo time de projeto durante as atividades de desenvolvimento.

O modelo de análise apresentado pelo artigo pode servir como base de avaliação de como as empresas exploram suas atividades e práticas de desenvolvimento de produtos durante as revisões de fase para garantir a aprendizagem organizacional, ou seja, como referencial de diagnóstico do conhecimento declarativo em empresas que aplicam a sistemática de stage-gates para o gerenciamento de PDP.

O artigo une em um modelo para análise de PDP, aspectos de aprendizagem organizacional e conhecimento declarativo, na medida em que ela auxilia na coleta, distribuição e utilização de informação aos membros do PDP com vistas a produtos com maior potential de inovação.

There is a lack of investigation on three areas of competence in the Individual Competence Baseline 4 (ICB4) (IPMA). Furthermore, some studies pointed out the importance of soft skills over hard skills, but this relationship was not explored from the project manager’s competence perspective. This paper aims to analyze the influence of project manager competencies on project success.

The survey involved 100 Brazilian project management professionals. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using a partial least squares (PLS) approach was employed for data analysis.

The competence people was the protagonist of all project success. It affects practice with indirect effects on the impact on the customer. The paper highlights the project manager’s soft skills in reaching customer perception. Besides, the competence people also impacts perspective and, indirectly, preparation for the future.

Personal and interpersonal skills enable the project manager to interrelate with the project environment (organization strategy, governance, structures, processes, standards, power and interest, culture and values) and, therefore, to open a panorama for opportunities as a new market, product or technology. Thus, the new competence area perspective introduced in ICB4 brings an important insight for this research and future studies.

Besides investigating the effect of behavioral competencies on project performance, this research addressed the importance of looking at the indirect effects when exploring models and testing hypotheses for a complete understanding of the relationship between variables.

Hay una falta de investigación en tres áreas de competencia del ICB4 (IPMA). Además, algunos estudios han señalado la importancia de las habilidades blandas en las habilidades duras, pero esta relación no ha sido explorada desde la perspectiva de la competencia del gerente de proyecto. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la influencia de las competencias del director de proyectos (ICB4) en el éxito del proyecto.

La encuesta involucró a 100 profesionales brasileños de gestión de proyectos. Para el análisis de datos se empleó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales utilizando un enfoque de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS).

La competencia “Personas” fue la protagonista de todo el éxito del proyecto. Tiene efectos sobre la “Práctica” con efectos indirectos sobre el “Impacto en el Cliente”. El artículo destaca la influencia de las habilidades blandas del gerente de proyecto en la percepción del cliente. Además, “Personas” también incide en “Perspectiva” y, con efectos indirectos, en “Preparación para el Futuro”.

además de investigar el efecto de las competencias de comportamiento en el desempeño del proyecto, esta investigación abordó la importancia de observar los efectos indirectos al explorar modelos y probar hipótesis para una comprensión completa de la relación entre las variables.

Las habilidades personales e interpersonales permiten al director del proyecto relacionarse con el entorno del proyecto (estrategia organizacional, gobierno, estructuras, procesos, estándares, poder e interés, cultura y valores) y, por lo tanto, abren un panorama de oportunidades como nuevas mercados, productos o tecnología. Así, la nueva “Perspectiva” del área de competencia introducida en ICB4 trae una visión importante para esta investigación y para estudios futuros.

The purpose of this study is to address the extended travel time caused by dwelling time at stations for passengers on traditional rail transit lines. To mitigate this issue, the authors propose the “Non-stop” design, which involves trains comprised of modular vehicles that can couple and uncouple from each other during operation, thereby eliminating dwelling time at stations..

The main contributions of this paper are threefold: first, to introduce the concept of non-stop rail transit lines, which, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has not been researched in the literature; second, to develop a framework for the operation schedule of such a line; and third, the author evaluate the potential of its implementation in terms of total passenger travel time.

The total travel time was reduced by 6% to 32.91%. The results show that the savings were more significant for long commutes and low train occupancy rates.

The non-stop system can improve existing lines without the need for the construction of additional facilities, but it requires technological advances for rolling stock.

To eliminate dwelling time at stations, the authors present the “Non-stop” design, which is based on trains composed of locomotives that couple and uncouple from each other during operation, which to the best of the authors’ knowledge has not been researched in the literature.

While broader property-type categories of real estate markets have been scrutinized at microeconomic level in some segments – namely, residential, retail, industrial and hospitality, there is limited evidence showing that local office markets can be viewed as monolithic and economically integrated entities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how occupiers differ in their willingness to pay for principal office rent determinants in the corporate and non-corporate sectors.

A sample of properties located in the largest office market in Latin America is partitioned based on the average size of leasable units. This approach captures interactions between different groups of investors and occupiers, and is commonly adopted by local market practitioners due to lack of detailed information on market participants. The pricing schedules for these two groups of buildings are then empirically compared through hedonic regression analysis and parameter stability tests.

The regressions show that corporate and smaller occupier properties form distinct spatial and non-spatial submarkets, but that their temporal patterns are quite similar. Thus, these property-type segments can be classified as imperfect substitutes with distinct pricing schemes, but not as a unique market, as their pricing schedules are not generalizable.

The results imply that “office properties” are too complex and disparate to be reliably examined with a simple aggregate approach as practiced in developed office market research since the 1980s. The fragmented reality of office properties has important implications for investment decisions and real estate valuation.

This paper shows that the corporate office market exhibits distinct characteristics and key determinants of office price and rent valuation differ significantly between the corporate and non-corporate segments. The corollary of these findings is that market studies that require reliable estimates of price drivers may be enriched by modeling these two segmented markets separately. It is also important to note that this distinction cuts across the established A/B/C office space quality classification.

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) promise great benefits, including improving safety, reducing congestion, and providing mobility for elderly and the disabled; however, there are discussions on how they should be programmed to respond in an ethical dilemma where a choice has to be made between two or more courses of action resulting in loss of life. To explore this question, the authors examine the current academic literature where the application of the existing philosophical theories to ethics settings in AVs has been discussed, specifically the utilitarianism and the deontological ethics. These two theories are widely regarded as rivals, and are useful in demonstrating the complex ethical issues that must be addressed when programming AVs. We also look at the legal framework, specifically normative principles in criminal law used to regulate difficult choices in an emergency, which some have suggested as a plausible defence for manufacturers who seek to program AVs using a utilitarian framework. These include the doctrine of necessity, the sudden emergency doctrine, and the duty of care. The authors critique each theory, highlighting their benefits and limitations. The authors then make a case for programming AVs using a randomized decision system (RDS) and propose that it could be a viable solution in dealing with certain moral dilemmas. Finally using our assessment, the authors suggest certain objectives for manufacturers and regulators in designing and programming AVs that are technically viable, and would make them morally acceptable and fair.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of transitional shelter provision for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urban informal settlements. While there has been considerable research on postdisaster transitional shelters, less is known on shelters for IDPs in urban informal settlements.

A case study is presented based on field research at the communities in Olaria and City in São Paulo, Brazil. Collection of data included personal communication with the dwellers, surveys and interviews with representatives from Techo, one of the few organizations that provide transitional shelters for IDPs. A review of documents regarding the construction, design and users' adaptation of transitional shelter was also undertaken. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis.

The study found that Techo's program impacts positively on the nonphysical aspects of shelter, such as physical and mental health, security, household responsibilities and community participation. However, Techo's transitional shelter for IDPs in urban informal settlements and most postdisaster transitional shelters share similar problems. These programs respond to the needs of a small proportion of the affected populations with shelters of minimum quality and low durability.

This paper is limited to a single case study of the NGO Techo and further case study research is recommended to further develop and validate the study results in other urban development contexts.

This research contributes to describing and understanding the context and the provision of transitional shelters to IDPs in urban informal settlements and impacts in the community. With increasing numbers of IDPs settling in urban informal settlements in many parts of the world, this paper is valuable to policymakers, NGOs and researchers operating in this field to facilitate community development.