Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is widely used for project management in real world applications. The aim of this paper is to simulate and analyze a PERT network under conditions of uncertainty though a hybrid model. The basic assumption is that a project under extreme conditions of uncertainty can be satisfactorily modelled by using simple fuzzy linguistic variables to estimate activities durations, and a probability distribution function randomly selected in order to measure the activity times. Fuzzy linguistic expressions are used to estimate the activity time. Activity parameters are calculated by using basic operations between triangular fuzzy numbers and centroid method with classical Beta PERT definition. For each activity time a probability distribution function is randomly selected from a set of four possible distributions commonly cited in the literature. Hypothetical projects with 4, 40, 400 and 4000 activities using the proposed model are analyzed; the project duration is estimated through Monte Carlo Simulation. Finally, results are analyzed and compared with classical Beta PERT technique.

With the bounded rationality hypothesis, the psychological deviation of managers often leads to non-efficient investment decision-making practices. The study examines the impact of manager’s overconfidence, risk-preference and herd behavior on non-efficient investment using the Chinese A-shares listed company data as the research object, and finds that: (1) managers’ overconfidence and herd behavior would lead to more non-efficient investment in Chinese listed companies; and (2) managers’ risk preference restrains the increase of non-efficient investment to some extent. Meanwhile, the influence of the manager’s psychological deviation on the actual investment decision is a complicated process and can have a comprehensive effect resulted from the interaction of the above psychological biases, we also find that (3) managers' overconfidence is an interactive term in the effects of herd behavior and risk preference on non-efficient investment. That is, managers’ overconfidence can significantly reduce the positive effect of herd behavior on non-efficient investment; and can also significantly relieve the inhibition effect of risk preference on non-efficient investment. These findings reveal that it is important to understand managers’ irrational behaviors in enterprise investment decision-makings.

The framework of this research is based on the discovery in the clues of former researches that Innovation-driven is the pre factor for the firm to grow up or to gain the competitive advantage, and among them, market orientation and technological opportunity are two of the major determinant factors for the firm’s gaining the competitive advantage and improving the performance and profits. Based on knowledge-based theory, a questionnaire survey of 220 Internet firms in China was conducted to empirically analyze the relationship between innovation driven, absorptive capacity, and new product innovation performance. The article found that: the absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between innovation-driven and new product performance, and market turbulence negative adjusts the relationship between market orientation and absorptive capacity. It is possible to understand more clearly the process of firms acquiring and digesting information, transforming and mining knowledge to achieve new product innovation performance by analyzing the process of knowledge absorption and conversion.

The purpose of this research was to analyze factors that influence Generation Y’s complaint behavior in online shopping. In general, Generation Y’s consumer of this research have a good perception of consumer rights. In contrast, the result showed that Generation Y in this research had a low complaint behavior. The research found that gender, strivers lifestyle, and number of social media account were influence Generation Y’s complaint behavior in online shopping. The result showed that male student did more complaint than female student. Generation Y who had strivers lifestyle will increase complaint behavior. The more Generation Y had social media account, the more Generation Y prefer to did a complaint.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to provide a fuzzy model for evaluating the performance of cement industry manufacturing companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange in 2013, 2014 and 2015 using financial ratios and considering the preferences of different decision makers.MethodologyThis study was based on FAHP and TOPSIS, in which the FAHP was used to determine the weight of different criteria of the decision makers. Finally, the cement industry companies were ranked using the TOPSIS approach. In this study, different financial ratios such as liquidity ratios, leverage ratios, activity ratios, profitability ratios, and growth ratios were used for evaluation.Results & FindingsEleven findings and nineteen results were presented that three Soufian Cement Company, Ghadir Capital and Industry Development Cement Company, and Hegmatan Cement Company from Three East Azarbaijan, Tehran, and Hamedan provinces and from three different geographic regions of Iran have had the most similarity with the ideal solution in the ranking of options (alternatives) by the TOPSIS method. Also, in the light of core values and by maintaining their market share and competent corporate governance, they have gained the highest output of the cement industry by obtaining the first rank respectively in 2013, 2014, and 2015, which, in turn, can be a good representative of the country's cement industry. By modeling the top companies and with the help of science along with analyzes in other sectors of the cement industry, the firms with weaker performance can strengthen their performance. This can become a strong strength for the Iranian cement industry.

The key objective of this study was to select Oil & Gas projects contract strategies. The ANP method was used in order to achieve this objective. The candidate strategies had multiple, interrelated consequences and generated a series of impacts (technical, commercial and environmental). The study carried out by using the ANP added significant value to the company by making the evaluation and selection processes more transparent and efficient as well as by reducing environmental impacts and optimizing the use of natural resources. A working group was formed to analyze the possible contract strategies for a particularly complex project and an ex post facto analysis was performed. The case study was therefore developed in a setting of investment review by the working group including professionals from different subareas. Those professionals were responsible for recommending the most adequate contract strategy. The working group focused on four possible alternatives (A, B, C and D). However, A and B were discarded for not attending to the restrictions related to the necessary cash and debt impact. Therefore, only C and D were analyzed, taking into account the five criteria with greater relative weight: cost, performance, deadline, control, and number of interfaces. Besides those, other criteria had also a significant contribution to the study. A sensitivity analysis took into account the independence of clusters and did not change the ranking of the alternatives, leading to a robust solution of the problem.

After the stabilization of inflation rates in Brazil, Monetary Correction for financial data was extinguished. Since then, the distinct reflections of prices variations on monetary and non-monetary variables presented on balance sheets are no longer considered. From 2004 to 2013, however, the cumulative inflation reaches 226%. In this situation, questions about the reliability of the greatest tools we have in the finance research world - financial data of companies - emerges. This work compared financial indicators and empirical models built with data adjusted for inflation and original data issued by firms. A database of 143 Brazilian companies traded on Bovespa were adjusted for inflation, from 2004 to 2013, on the precepts of the extinct Monetary Correction. We obtained two different samples: the first containing financial data adjusted for inflation and the second corporate data originally released. Statistical tests showed that financial indicators such as ROI, Asset Turnover, Debt and Market-to-book are significantly higher when we do not consider the effects of inflation. In addition, the panel regression models, when adjusted, had higher predictable power (greater R²) and representative changes of significance on the variables and coefficients. The results indicated that inflation is essential in the analysis of financial data and must be considered in the preparation of reliable databases, although assumed as stable in recent years. 

This article aims to investigate the nature and effect of talent management strategies on customer satisfaction in Jordan’s banking sector, as well as the mediating effect of knowledge management in this relationship. Based on the extant literature, the author developed indicators and multi-item measures for the independent variable, dependent variable, and the mediator using a survey instrument (sample N=1189, with an 89% response rate). The results show those employees’ perceptions of Talent Attraction Strategy, Talent Development Strategy, Succession Planning Strategy, and especially Talent Retention Strategy are the most important contributors to Talent Management. They also suggest that Talent Management Strategies contribute to enhancing customer satisfaction through improvements in knowledge management. Overall, the Study Equation Model demonstrates that knowledge management mediates the relationship between talent management strategies and customer satisfaction. As a rule, Talent Management Strategies have a positive relationship with knowledge management, which in turn has a positive influence on customer satisfaction.

Brazil is one of the most important agricultural growers worldwide, however, faces many logistics and distribution issues due to the size of the country. Therefore, it is known that local producers are essential to Food Supply Chains because they are near to the consumers and reduce the logistics impacts. In order to understand the role of local food producers, this study analysis the Local Food Production Mogi das Cruzes city. It is considered the center of Sao Paulo metropolitan area green belt. Data were collected from Municipal Secretary of Agriculture. The results suggest that the local government performs technical and legal actions and there is a concerning in supporting the local food producers, keep on this economic activity in a good level of efficiency. 

More and more universities are striving to provide competitive education programs to help graduates integrate into market areas. In this fight, universities need to have strong communication and support in the business world. The purpose of this article is to identify the main factors that would improve the quality of the doctoral program and facilitate the integration of students into the labour market in Romania. A questionnaire was applied to PhD students from the universities in Bucharest, and the data collected were interpreted.The linear regression model developed shows that the library facilities, school infrastructure, access to Doctoral Theses, dialog between academia and students, doctoral coordinator and committee proficiency, staff attitude and multiple way of communication are some important factors that have positive influence over the quality of the higher education in the PhD program and the students’ integration on labour market in Romania. The open questions of survey revealed new interesting suggestion for improving PhD programs in Romania.