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Project portfolio management (PPM) has been recognized as critical for the productivity of research and development (R&D) investments, but empirical research on PPM use and outcomes in non-commercial R&D environments is limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate PPM processes and outcomes in a unique R&D context within Brazilian electric power utilities.

An exploratory best practice survey was used to collect data on PPM processes, methods and performance results in the power sector. Analysis of the data employs descriptive statistics and comparative analysis in the light of the literature.

The findings emphasize the importance of strategic value and the need for PPM to be customized for the specific context. The results also demonstrate the importance of adopting selection criteria and measures in accordance with the organizations strategic goals.

The findings may help organizations better understand how PPM can be tailored for the environment. PPM managers in utilities and other non-commercial R&D environments may find guidance in tailoring and improving their PPM approaches.

The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, it provides empirical findings to support PPM concepts on strategic alignment and the importance of context by demonstrating how PPM works to deliver strategy in a unique environment. Second, it contributes to the management of R&D projects and portfolios in power utilities, providing an example and analysis that may offer guidance. The contributions from this study may also offer insights that are valuable for R&D management in other utilities, or for R&D management in general.

Increased competition and access to information are forcing companies to provide quality to their products and services, aligned with a growing society pressure for less harmful environmental practices. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the adoption of reverse logistics (RL) may contribute to the generation of competitive advantage and improved quality in a part substitution process of a household appliance company.

This paper carried out a single case study in a household appliance company. The study collected data through semi-structured interviews in addition to document analysis and observation.

The implemented practices enhanced service maintenance and customer services and provided a more effective monitoring of defective parts. Moreover, such practices reduced unnecessary part substitutions, consumer dissatisfaction and undesired disposal in the environment. RL in the studied company has offered a potential contribution to the company quality strategies by providing more part returns, assuring cost savings, and reducing time to solve field problems.

The study was limited to a single case study. Thus, the study findings are not subject to generalization for other similar organizations.

This paper is one of the few studies on RL in a household company in the context of an emerging economy. Such feature denotes in a singular scenario in RL investigations about recovering defective parts.

This study aims to support electricity distribution companies on measuring and predicting customer satisfaction.

The developed methodology selects and applies machine learning techniques such as decision trees, support vector machines and ensemble learning to predict customer satisfaction from service data, power outage data and reliability indices.

The results on the predicted main indicator diverged only by 1.36 per cent of the results obtained by the survey with company customers.

Social, economic and political conjunctures of the regional and national scenario can influence the indicators beyond the input variables considered in this paper.

Currently, the actions taken to increase customer satisfaction are based on the track record of a yearly survey; therefore, the methodology may assist in identifying disturbances on customer satisfaction, enabling decision-making to deal with it in a timely manner.

Development of an intelligent algorithm that can improve its performance with time. Understanding customer satisfaction may improve companies’ performance.

In this paper, empirical evidence is presented regarding the translation of the learning tactics inventory (LTI) instrument that measures learning versatility in entrepreneurs with four main learning strategies: acting, thinking, feeling or access to others. The purpose of this paper is to show how translating instruments from other languages and for cross-cultural studies is not sufficient to achieve instrument validity, and the use of structural equation modeling can help to strengthen the process.

After using iterative and multi-technique strategies that involved close translation and adaptation, structural equation modeling was also performed to validate whether relationships exist among the constructs and their variables using a confirmatory analysis.

After careful translation, the Spanish version of the LTI instrument does not measure the intended constructs. Such evidence was uncovered by contrasting the different dimensions of the English and Spanish translated versions.

Instruments in cross-cultural studies require more than translation strategies to adapt the instrument to the new context. This paper shows that, with the use of structural equation modeling, constructs may change in different international contexts and how misinterpretations of the instrument can occur if additional validity tests are ignored.

Consistent with the extant literature, the findings suggest that, when studying a complex phenomenon such as learning through a survey developed in a different country and language, cultural factors should be explained to maintain construct validity. Hence, in entrepreneurship and management research, instruments such as the LTI need to be validated with confirmatory analysis to accurately reflect the different learning strategies of entrepreneurs across cultures.

En este artículo se presenta evidencia empírica sobre la traducción del instrumento referente al Inventario de Tácticas de Aprendizaje, el cual mide la versatilidad del aprendizaje entre emprendedores con 4 principales estrategias: acción, pensamiento, sentimientos y acceso a los demás. El objetivo del artículo es el mostrar cómo la traducción en estudios multiculturales no es suficiente para lograr la validez del instrumento, y como el uso de Ecuaciones Estructurales puede fortalecer el proceso.

Tras utilizar múltiples técnicas e iterativas que involucran traducción cercana y adaptación, se utilizó la metodología de Ecuaciones Estructurales para validar relaciones entre constructos y variables mediante un análisis confirmatorio.

Se ha demostrado que, aún y con una traducción cuidadosa, el instrumento no refleja los constructos de la versión en inglés. Dicha evidencia se encontró al analizar las diferentes dimensiones entre las versiones en inglés y en español.

Los instrumentos en estudios multiculturales requieren más que una traducción para adaptarse a nuevos contextos. El presente artículo muestra con el uso de Ecuaciones Estructurales los constructos pueden cambiar en contextos internacionales diversos; así como que las interpretaciones erróneas del instrumento pueden acontecer si los estudios de validez de constructo son ignorados.

Alineado a la literatura existente, los resultados sugieren que al estudiar un fenómeno como el aprendizaje en un contexto diferente al de la creación del instrumento, los factores culturales deben tomarse en cuenta con el objetivo de mantener la validez de constructo. Por tanto, en investigaciones sobre emprendimiento y administración, instrumentos como el Inventario de Tácticas de Aprendizaje deben validarse con un análisis confirmatorio con el objetivo de reflejar adecuadamente las diferentes estrategias de aprendizaje entre culturas.

Transcultural, México, Emprendedores, Aprendizaje, Pruebas, Traducción

Artículo de investigación

Neste artigo, são apresentadas evidências empíricas sobre a tradução de um instrumento relacionado ao Inventário de Táticas de Aprendizagem, que mede a versatilidade de aprendizagem entre os empreendedores através de 4 principais estratégias: ação, pensamento, sentimentos e acesso a outros. O objetivo do artigo é mostrar como a tradução em estudos multiculturais não é suficiente para alcançar a validade do instrumento, de modo que o uso de Equações Estruturais pode fortalecer o processo.

Além de utilizar múltiplas técnicas e estratégias iterativas envolvendo tradução e adaptação próximas, a metodologia da Equação Estrutural foi usada para validar as relações entre construtos e variáveis, envolvendo análises confirmatórias.

Se demonstrou que, mesmo com uma tradução cuidadosa, o instrumento não reflete os construtos da versão em inglês. Essa evidência foi encontrada ao analisar as diferentes dimensões entre as versões em inglês e espanhol.

Instrumentos em estudos multiculturais requerem mais do que uma tradução para se adaptar a novos contextos. O presente artigo mostra que, com o uso de equações estruturais, os construtos podem mudar em diversos contextos internacionais; assim como as interpretações errôneas do instrumento podem acontecer se os estudos de validade de construto forem ignorados.

Alinhados à literatura existente, os resultados sugerem que, ao estudar um fenômeno como a aprendizagem em um contexto diferente da criação do instrumento, fatores culturais devem ser levados em conta para manter a validade de construto. Portanto, em pesquisas sobre empreendedorismo e administração, instrumentos como o Inventário de Táticas de Aprendizagem devem ser validados com uma análise confirmatória com o objetivo de referenciar adequadamente as diferentes estratégias de aprendizagem entre culturas.

Intercultural, México, Empreendedor, Aprendizagem, Testar, Tradução

Artigo de pesquisa