https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/18852 Sun, 13 Sep 2026 03:49:45 GMT 2026-09-13T03:49:45Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/50222 Title: Manufatura Classe Mundial em Pequenas e Médias Empresas: Uma Proposta de Adaptação para o Contexto Brasileiro Abstract: Brazilian industrial small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face structural difficulties in adopting continuous improvement models originally designed for large corporations, such as World Class Manufacturing (WCM). This dissertation aims to propose guidelines for adapting WCM to the context of Brazilian industrial SMEs, based on the identification of causal configurations that explain their operational performance. The research combined descriptive analysis, configurational analysis (fsQCA), and qualitative content analysis, applied to a sample of 24 respondents from the industrial sector. The results identified two central causal configurations: one associated with high operational performance, defined by the joint presence of Critical Success Factors, Work Organization, Quality Control, and Maintenance, regardless of perceived Barriers and without requiring the Managerial Pillars or the Golden Triangle as preconditions; and another associated with low operational performance, defined by the joint absence of all these conditions. The findings invert the canonical hierarchical sequence of WCM and indicate that, in the SME context, organizational barriers can be neutralized through the development of operational capabilities rather than through their prior removal. As its technical-technological product, the dissertation presents a set of adaptive guidelines organized into progressive implementation stages, along with the diagnostic tool, designed to support managers in assessing maturity levels and defining improvement priorities. Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/50222 2026-07-28T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/49604 Title: Sustentabilidade energética: o processo de destinação das placas fotovoltaicas - um estudo na região de Uberlândia Abstract: The growth of photovoltaic energy imposes the challenge of sustainable disposal of end-of-life (EOL) or early-discarded panels. This research examines how the principles of Short Supply Chains (SSC) can be mobilized to structure regional reverse logistics and enable the reuse of photovoltaic waste in the context of Uberlândia (MG). An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted, comprising 15 qualitative interviews with integrators, distributors, waste managers, and recyclers, analyzed through content analysis. The results indicate that traditional reverse logistics faces severe bottlenecks, such as the geographic dispersion of systems, high transportation costs, and a lack of initial economic attractiveness, leading to waste accumulation and environmental risks from heavy metals. As the main theoretical contribution, the study expands the SSC concept—historically restricted to the agri-food sector—to the management of technological waste and high-value-added reverse logistics. As a practical contribution, a framework was developed, consisting of a Transition Matrix and proposed Strategic Actions that guide companies and public policies in structuring profitable regional business models. This framework focuses on the regionalization of recycling, the use of mobile units, functional/energetic reuse, and the integration of local markets. Practical implications demonstrate that SSCs drastically reduce the total cost of ownership in disposal, eliminate long-distance freight, and enable a viable regional recycling ecosystem. In conclusion, SSCs constitute an indispensable operational and economic mechanism to strengthen the circular economy and prepare the studied supply chain for the exponential growth in discards predicted for the coming decades. Notes: Ao CNPq, pelo apoio por meio dos Projetos número 307856/2025-9 e 406420/2023-8. Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/49604 2026-07-14T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/49017 Title: Benchmarking da eficiência financeira no setor de telecomunicações brasileiro Abstract: The telecommunications sector is one of the strategic pillars of the Brazilian economy, characterized by high capital intensity, rapid technological evolution, and strong regulatory oversight. In this context, the ability of operators to convert economic and financial resources into operating results becomes a determining factor for the sector's competitiveness and sustainability. This dissertation estimates the relative efficiency level of EBITDA in Brazilian telecommunications companies using an econometric frontier approach, analyzing 98 firm-year observations from 12 operators over the period from 2011 to 2024, based on financial statement data standardized in accordance with IFRS norms. The core methodology adopts Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA), specified in the Cobb-Douglas functional form and estimated by Maximum Likelihood. The model decomposes the error term into two components (random noise and technical inefficiency), enabling a more precise assessment of firm performance relative to the best-practice frontier, while isolating uncontrollable external factors. The inputs considered were Permanent Assets, Net Revenue, Operating Costs, Commercial Expenses, and Administrative Expenses, with EBITDA as the output variable. Model validity was assessed through formal statistical tests: the Jarque-Bera Test confirmed residual normality, the Breusch-Pagan Test found no evidence of heteroscedasticity, and the Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT) did not identify statistical evidence of systematic technical inefficiency, suggesting relative performance homogeneity across the sector, with the random component accounting for the majority of observed variance. The estimated parameters indicate that approximately 28% of the variability in operating results is attributable to the technical inefficiency component. The estimated efficiency scores, ranging from 0.86 to 0.96, were segmented into three groups using the K-means algorithm, validated by the Kruskal–Wallis Test and Dunn's post-hoc procedure, confirming the existence of statistically distinct performance groups: high, intermediate, and low efficiency. The results indicate that Net Revenue expansion is the primary driver of EBITDA growth, with an estimated elasticity of 1.63, while Operating Cost management exerts a more significant impact than Commercial and Administrative Expenses in determining financial performance. The estimated returns to scale of 1.0014 indicate that the sector operates under conditions close to technological equilibrium, suggesting that additional performance gains depend more on managerial improvements than on simple scale expansion. To strengthen analytical rigor, the SFA results were compared with those obtained through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), using the CCR model with output orientation. The Spearman correlation coefficient of 49.85% between the efficiency scores of both methods indicates moderate convergence, superior to that observed in similar studies in the banking sector, reinforcing the relevance of SFA as a benchmarking tool in contexts where exogenous factors and accounting volatility may distort diagnostics based on deterministic methods. As a practical contribution, a Technical-Technological Product (PTT) was developed in the form of a computational script in Python, published on the Code Ocean platform to ensure reproducibility and public access, constituting a practical decision-support instrument for sector managers and analysts. The study contributes to the literature by applying SFA with financial variables to the Brazilian telecommunications sector, demonstrating the methodological viability of the parametric approach relative to traditional non-parametric models, and offering concrete managerial implications for efficiency diagnostics, resource allocation, and competitive benchmarking. Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/49017 2026-03-31T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/48688 Title: Caminhos para a inclusão da pessoa idosa na graduação pública: uma análise do concurso seletivo para o ingresso na Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Abstract: The main objective of this study was to analyze the 60+ Selection Process promoted by the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) in 2024, aimed at enabling older adults intended for the admission of older adults into the institution's undergraduate courses. The literature review indicated that initiatives for the inclusion of older adults in organizations are still not widely established. With regard to education, it is observed that Youth and Adult Education programs and extension activities promoted by open universities for older adults provide benefits in several respects. However, the absence of public educational policies directed at this population, particularly concerning access to and retention in higher education, remains a challenge to be overcome. In this context, the public university may represent a means of changing this paradigm. In line with this objective, a documentary study with a qualitative and descriptive approach was conducted. The analysis of the selected documents, using the open coding method, revealed that the first 60+ Selection Process promoted by the UFU was implemented after the approval of an internal resolution by the Undergraduate Council, which established the of two positions for older adults within the scope of unfilled vacancies in undergraduate programs. The content of the analyzed documents indicates that among the main justifications presented for the institutionalization of a selection process aimed at the 60+ population are: the difficulty older adults face in accessing higher education and the university’s mission regarding this segment. The analysis also revealed that by conducting a selection process specifically aimed at older adults for undergraduate programs, the UFU positioned itself among the pioneering universities in implementing this initiative. However, the low number of filled positions relative to the total offered indicates the need to develop institutional actions that take into account the specificities of older students, particularly for the construction of a more inclusive university culture. Based on the research findings, opportunities for improvement related to the studied process were identified. From these, a technical guideline was developed outlining complementary actions aligned with expanding access and increasing participation in future 60+ selection processes offered by the institution. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/48688 2026-03-30T00:00:00Z