Resumo em Inglês:

In the competitive wireless market, there are many drivers behind customer defection. Switching barriers, service performance, perceived value in carriers' offers, satisfaction and other constructs can play a pivotal role in customer switching processes among carriers. This study attempts to compare the influence of these factors, taking into account cultural similarities and dissimilarities, between Brazilian and German mobile users. A survey was conducted on two samples, comprising 202 users in Brazil and 200 users in Germany, with culture being employed as a context variable to compare their behavior. Analysis by means of multi-group structural equation modeling suggests that, in both countries, customer satisfaction, service performance and perceived value have important roles in defining customer switching intentions, while switching barriers did not prove to have significant effects upon switching behavior. The results also suggest that the two cultures are sufficiently similar (considering the sample and the variables involved in the model) to not present differences in the studied consumer behavior, except for the effect of service performance upon satisfaction.

Resumo em Inglês:

This paper investigates if regional differences are able to influence trust-based relationship with suppliers. It presents the results of a survey of 338 processing plants located in Western and Asian countries using structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that supplier involvement in quality is taken for granted, but it is not related to trust or partnership. Regional differences may also affect the development of partnership in the supply chain. The two main aspects are the levels of trust and timeliness in Asian companies. These aspects bring implications for managers dealing with international supply chains.

Resumo em Inglês:

The purpose of this article is to identify and analyze social representations of femininity and masculinity, as reported by women business executives in Brazil. For that, the research resorted to semi-structured interviews of sixty-four executives from seven Brazilian cities. As a technique for data analysis, this research utilized the theoretical and conceptual basis of French discourse analysis. When gender issues become related to the specific qualities of being a woman and a business executive - or to the interfaces that gender may establish with an individual's work - contradictions may emerge from the construction of a particular thematic. Also, positive and negative aspects of being a female executive exist, namely: (a) representations of an executive; (b) feminine competency and incompetency; (c) dilemmas regarding sensitivity; (d) conflicts involving seduction power; (e) omissions, prejudice and violence suffered by women at work; and (f) motherhood.

Resumo em Inglês:

This study aims at contributing to the analysis of the evolution of apparel industry in Brazil by answering the following questions: (a) Does global sourcing still explain the value upgrading process in the apparel production chains?; (b) Are there new sources of value upgrading to be considered?; (c) Is the dynamics of the apparel production pervaded by a phenomenon that is strongly related to a cultural and creative know-how? Two theoretical approaches are considered to unveil the value upgrading process in the apparel production: (a) theory about global value chains and (b) studies about cultural and creative industries. To investigate the research questions we analyzed the case of the Brazilian apparel industry evolution through the use of a methodological perspective nurtured by aspects of grounded theory. The findings of this study indicate that companies are able to upgrade not only through improvements in manufacturing steps but also by means of incorporating elements of cultural distinction in the apparel production. Analysis of the Brazilian case led us to propose an integrative theoretical approach where elements of the global apparel value chains are combined with studies of cultural and creative industries. We consider that an integrative approach can better explain value creation in the apparel industry in a context of new markets, where there is not only the development of apparel manufacturing clusters but also the emergence of a unique and local fashion apparel chain.

Resumo em Inglês:

This paper examines the role of financial covenants as substitutes for short-term debt and a possible trade off between short-term debt and long-term debt, especially for companies with growth opportunities. Using a sample of 159 corporate bonds issued on the Brazilian Market, we found evidence that: first, financial covenants and short-term debt are substitute tools to minimize agency conflict, as per literature confirming that stronger financial covenants could limit the possible expropriation of debt holders and in exchange debt holders may be willing to lend at longer terms and; second, companies with growth opportunities are willing to exchange short-term debt for long-term debt under the presence of covenants. Most importantly, this does not seem to be a restriction for financing growth opportunities.

Resumo em Inglês:

This research investigates the determinants of the capital structure of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) using a unique database that includes over 19,000 Brazilian firms and spans 13 years of data. The econometric analysis employs the System Generalized Method of Moments estimator (GMM-Sys) and two strong results emerge: (a) profitability is negatively related to leverage, and (b) asset growth is positively related to leverage. Both results are consistent with the pecking order theory of capital structure and suggest that SMEs tend to finance their expansion with debt only after exhausting their internal resources. Additionally, we find weaker evidence for the following: (a) size is positively related to leverage, which can be interpreted as evidence that larger firms have more access to credit markets; (b) riskier SMEs tend to be less financially leveraged, consistent with the bankruptcy cost arguments from trade-off theories; and (c) the age of the firm is negatively related to financial leverage, suggesting that older SMEs may be slightly more conservative in their financing choices. Finally, the magnitude of the coefficient of lagged leverage shows the high persistence of this variable and is compatible with the hypothesis that SMEs adjust their debt/equity ratio towards a target value, although at a low speed.