Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Supervisor call'

Call center customer service occupations represent a growing proportion of the U.S. economy in the digital age. These roles are characterized by low control, high levels of emotional labor, and burnout. Turnover rates in call centers are often twice as high as in other industries. To combat these challenges, I delivered a supervisor-focused mental health training intervention targeted at improving supervisor supportive behaviors and employee outcomes. The indirect effect of supervisor training on employee outcomes related to perceived supervisor support, problem-focused coping, burnout, turnover intentions, and withdrawal behaviors were evaluated. A waitlist control design (N = 74) was used to assess the effectiveness of the training up to six weeks after the intervention. Additionally, a weekly diary study evaluated the process of behavior and attitude change for employees. Results indicated that the intervention did not impact the hypothesized employee outcomes up to six weeks following training. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Sociologia das Organizações e Trabalho
A liderança é um tema muito importante a nível das organizações, pois é vital para o seu sucesso. Pode ser definida como um processo de influência social através do qual o líder procura obter a participação voluntária dos outros elementos do grupo no sentido de atingirem a causa comum. O enquadramento deste trabalho orientou-se para a definição das várias teorias da liderança e conceitos correlatos, no sentido de permitir contextualizar a liderança num ambiente organizacional particular: o call center, ambiente que já foi sociologicamente descrito como um caso notório de neo-taylorismo terciário. Com apoio na teoria situacionista, constatou-se que existe a expectativa teórica da relação entre tarefas simples, repetitivas e rotineiras (como as que caracterizam o call center) com uma adequação e sucesso particulares da liderança autocrática. O estudo empírico que empreendemos desenvolveu-se em torno dessa premissa, orientado para o teste da seguinte hipótese: Existe uma predominância do estilo de liderança autocrático por parte dos supervisores no call center. Para a testar recorreu-se ao inquérito por questionário aplicado a supervisores (auto-avaliação) e comunicadores (hetero-avaliação). Os resultados do estudo invalidaram a hipótese pois mostram que a maioria dos líderes analisados tem um estilo democrático e nenhum tem um estilo autocrático.
Leadership is a very important topic at the level of organizations because it is vital to its success. It can be defined as a process of social influence through which the leader seeks the voluntary participation of other group members in order to achieve the common cause. The framework of this dissertation was directed toward the definition of the various theories of leadership and related concepts, in order to allow a deep understanding of leadership in a particular organizational environment: the call centre, an environment that has been described sociologically as a notorious case of tertiary neo-taylorism. With support in the situationist theory, it was found that there is a theoretical expectation about the relationship between simple, repetitive and routine tasks (such as those that characterize the call centre) with a particular suitability and success of autocratic leadership. The empirical study we have undertaken has developed around this premise, aimed to test the following hypothesis: There is a predominance of autocratic style of leadership among supervisors in the call centre. For testing we used the survey questionnaire administered to supervisors (self assessment) and communicators (hetero-evaluation). The study results invalidate the hypothesis because they show that most leaders have a democratic style and none has an autocratic style.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:12:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Carolina Barros de Almeida.pdf: 587288 bytes, checksum: c7205e0d988ff7c0f7f9a2aed0748c36 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-29
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Introduction: The telephone operator has the telephone as the only means of contact with others, therefore has only verbal communication to represent the company he/she works for and thus guarantee customer satisfaction. Clarity, credibility and naturalness, aspects necessary when speaking on the telephone, can be obtained and improved by means of working with oral expressiveness. Given the relevance of the subject at present, the focus of interest of this research was to investigate oral expressiveness from the point of view of different professionals that work in the same sector that of teleservices. Objective: to characterize oral expressiveness from the perspective of the speech therapist, supervisor and telephone operator. Method: semi-directed interviews were held with three phonoaudiologists (F1, F2, F3) about the practice they conducted with telephone operators, as well as their views and manners of working with oral expressiveness. Each phonoaudiologist indicated a supervisor and a telephone operator from the same company in which he/she works to participate in the present research. The interview with the supervisors (S1, S2, S3) covered their expectations as regards phonoaudiological training with telephone operators, their views about the subject of oral expressiveness and the its impact with regard to the customer. The telephone operators (T1, T2, T3) replied to the interviewer that investigated the phonoaudiological practice for performing his/her work, his/her perspective about the subject of oral expressiveness and the its impact on his/her relationship with the customer. Afterwards, all the material was transcribed, submitted to various readings, and thematic analysis performed according to Minayo (2004), from which the points of feelings were denominated thematic axes according to common aspects of speech that were emphasized in the context. Results and Discussion: For F1 and F2, expressiveness was related to interaction with the other person and communication, and the expressive resources appeared as determinants for more expressive speech, the term voice continues to be present in their speeches. F3 hardly mentioned the relationship with the other person and was shown to dissociate language, speech and voice. The supervisors, especially S1 and S2 showed difficulty in defining oral expressiveness and associated it with the voice, so that this term was mentioned as the only means by which expressiveness was effected. However, S3 spoke little about voice, and mentioned communication and the relationship with the other person. With regard to the telephone operators, for T1 and T2, emotions have a strong link with expressiveness, which T3 related to positive characteristics in communication. As regards the practice the phonoaudiologists conducted, it was perceived that although the work of improving communication forms part of the speech of F1 and F2, care of the voice continues to permeate their work. The manner of working expressiveness shows that phonoaudiological action continues to be linked to the clinic, as the voice is has an outstanding part in the actions, whether by means of vocal warming up or cooling down, or working with pitch, loudness and articulation, or for questions of vocal health, in detriment to practice with the goal of verbal communication. With regard to the impact of expressiveness on the customer, supervisors and telephone operators recognized that the different resources used in speech confer various feelings both on telephone operators and customers. Final considerations: It was observed that phonoaudiologist, supervisors and telephone operators found oral expressiveness a difficult term to define. The subject had interaction with the other person as a common link, with expressiveness by means of the voice being most mentioned by phonoaudiologists and supervisors, and feelings and emotions, mentioned particularly from the perspective of telephone operators
Introdução: o teleoperador tem o telefone como único meio de contato com o outro, por isso possui apenas a comunicação verbal para representar a empresa em que trabalha e dessa forma garantir a satisfação do cliente. Dessa forma, faz-se necessário uma comunicação clara que ao mesmo tempo aproxime e sensibilize o cliente, assim como, transmita credibilidade e naturalidade. Aspectos estes que podem ser obtidos e aprimorados por meio do trabalho com expressividade oral. Dada a relevância do assunto atualmente o foco de interesse dessa pesquisa é investigar a expressividade oral na visão de diferentes profissionais que atuam em um mesmo segmento, o de telesserviços. Objetivo: caracterizar a expressividade oral na perspectiva do próprio fonoaudiólogo, do supervisor e do teleoperador. Método: foram realizadas entrevistas semi-dirigidas com três fonoaudiólogos (F1, F2, F3) sobre a prática realizada por eles mesmos com teleoperadores, assim como a sua visão e forma de trabalho com expressividade oral. Cada fonoaudiólogo indicou um supervisor e um teleoperador da mesma empresa em que trabalha para participar da presente pesquisa. A entrevista com os supervisores (S1, S2, S3) abrangeu as suas expectativas em relação ao treinamento fonoaudiológico com teleoperadores, a sua visão sobre o tema expressividade oral e o impacto desta na relação com o cliente. Os teleoperadores (T1, T2, T3) responderam à entrevista que investigou a prática fonoaudiológica para a realização do seu trabalho, a sua perspectiva sobre o tema expressividade oral e o impacto desta na relação com o cliente. Posteriormente, todo o material foi transcrito, submetido a várias leituras e realizada a análise temática segundo Minayo (2004), a partir da qual os pontos de sentidos foram denominados eixos temáticos de acordo com aspectos comuns do discurso que se destacaram no contexto. Resultados e discussão: para F1 e F2 a expressividade foi relacionada com a interação com o outro, com comunicação e os recursos expressivos apareceram como determinantes para uma fala mais expressiva, embora os aspectos relacionados a voz como instrumento ainda estejam presentes em seus discursos. F3 pouco mencionou a relação com o outro e demonstrou dissociar a linguagem, fala e voz. Os supervisores, especialmente S1 e S2, apresentaram dificuldade na definição do termo expressividade oral e fizeram uma forte associação entre expressividade e voz, de modo que o termo voz foi citado como único meio pelo qual a expressividade se efetua. Porém, S3 pouco utilizou o termo e fez menção à comunicação e relação com o outro. Quanto aos teleoperadores, para T1 e T2, os sentimentos e emoções tem uma forte ligação com a expressividade que é relacionada por T3 a características positivas na comunicação. Quanto à prática efetuada pelas fonoaudiólogas, percebeu-se que, embora o trabalho com o aprimoramento da comunicação faça parte do discurso de F1 e F2, os cuidados com a voz ainda permeiam o seu trabalho. A forma de trabalhar expressividade oral mostra que a atuação fonoaudiológica ainda tem fortes ligações com a clínica, na medida que a voz tem um destaque nas ações seja por meio de exercícios de aquecimento e desaquecimento vocal ou pelo trabalho com pitch, loudness,articulação ou pelas questões de saúde vocal, em detrimento a uma prática voltada para a comunicação verbal. Com relação ao impacto da expressividade sobre o cliente, supervisores e teleoperadores reconhecem que os diferentes recursos utilizados na fala conferem variados sentidos tanto para teleoperadores como para clientes. Considerações finais: observou-se que a expressividade oral foi um termo difícil de ser definido tanto para as fonoaudiólogas, quanto para supervisores e teleoperadores. O tema teve como elo comum a interação com o outro e a expressividade por meio da voz mais citadas por fonoaudiólogos e supervisores e os sentimentos e emoções, principalmente na perspectiva dos teleoperadores

The broad aim of this study is to understand and model the nature of the psychological contract and its breaches within the relatively un-researched context of the Chinese banking call center industry, and uses the results to arrive at recommendations for improving supervisor-subordinate relationships in these and similar situations, with a particular focus on responding to the questions regarding how employee work attitudes remain positive when negative experience arise (i.e., breach of psychological contract) within high-quality of social exchange relationship. The thesis builds upon two studies, each having its own objective: Study one seeks to investigate the contents and the structure of the psychological contract of banking call center employees in China; Study two contains two parts. In the first part, it first redefines the indigenous concept supervisor-subordinate guanxi (SSG) in the context of Chinese banking call center, and then to examine the relationship between SSG quality and its effects on employee work attitudes. Based on this, it develops and tests a mediation model in which perceived breaches of psychological contract (PCB) is hypothesized as partially mediating such a relationship; The second parts of Study two intends to investigate the moderating effect of SSG quality in the relationship between perceived PCB and employee work attitudes. The main results of this investigation suggest that the structure of psychological contract in Chinese banking call center employees exhibits three-dimensions, namely, interpersonal, development, and normal. Moreover, perceived PCB is found to partially mediate the effects of SSG quality on affective commitment, organizational identification, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Our results also reveal that SSG quality moderates the relationship between contract breach and employee work attitudes. The findings of the present study highlight the interconnection of SSG quality and psychological contract processes. Additionally, this study also shed light on several important issues for managerial practice in the same or similar contexts.

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.
Made available in DSpace on 2012-10-19T08:16:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2013-07-16T18:40:38Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 178888.pdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5)
A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo a caracterização da situação de trabalho no âmbito da organização das atividades desenvolvidas por uma equipe de líderes de um Call Center e/ou Central de Atendimento de uma operadora de telecomunicações brasileira. O estudo realizado constituiu-se de uma tentativa de diagnosticar a organização do trabalho dessa equipe frente a um momento de reestruturação intensa, quando há apenas dois anos, passou pelo processo de privatização da empresa e se deparou com a necessidade de quebra de paradigmas e consequentemente, mudança de comportamento originada pelas novas tendências do mercado de telecomunicações. A pesquisa, que aconteceu entre os meses de fevereiro e dezembro do ano de 2000, é do tipo exploratória-descritiva-avaliativa e procurou combinar aspectos da dimensão objetiva e subjetiva. O método estudo de caso está fundamentado na análise intensiva de uma única organização, denominada ficticiamente de Alfa. Trinta e cinco indivíduos que exerciam as funções do cargo de Supervisor no segmento Serviços Básicos do Call Center da Alfa em Florianópolis formaram a amostra. A coleta de dados deu-se por meio de questionário elaborado pela Beta Telemarketing e validado num estudo semelhante realizado em outro Call Center da empresa em outro estado. Além dessa, as técnicas de entrevista, análise documental e a observação também foram utilizadas. A partir da coleta de dados, os mesmos foram objeto de análise comparativa de acordo com o que foi inicialmente proposto, o que fez pressupor significativas mudanças na organização do trabalho dessa equipe estratégica e nos seus padrões culturais, objetivando práticas de trabalho mais eficazes e modelos de gestão voltados para um desenvolvimento contínuo das pessoas e da organização
Abstract The present research had as great objective the characterization of the situation of work in the scope of the organization òf the activities developed by a team of leaders of a brazilian telecommunications call centers company. The carried through study one consisted of an attempt to diagnosis the organization of the work of this team by a moment of intense reorganization, when just two years ago, it passed for the process of privatization of the company and if it came across with the necessity of paradigm in addition and change of behavior originated for the new trends of the market of telecom. The research happened between February and December - 2000 and looked for to match aspects of the objective and subjective dimension. The method case study is based on the intensive analysis of an only organization. Thirty five individuals that exerted the functions of the position of Supervisor in Serviços Básicos Alfa's Call Center in Florianópolis had formed the sample. The information was collected given by a questionary elaborated by Beta Telemarketing^and validated in a carried through similar study in another Alias's Call Center in another state. Beyond this, the techniques of interview, documentary analysis and the comment had been also used. From the collection of informations, the same people had been object of comparative analysis in accordance with what initially it was considered, what made to estimate significant changes in the organization of the work of this strategical team and in its cultural standards, looking for practical of work more efficient and models of management to a continuous development of the people and the organization.

Ce travail a pour objet le développement d’un système combinant un algorithme génétique d’optimisation multiobjectifs avec des outils de thermodynamique prédictive de type calphad (calcul des diagrammes de phases) et de fouille de données permettant l’estimation des propriétés thermochimiques et thermomécaniques d’alliages multicomposants. L’intégration de ces techniques permet l’optimisation quasi-autonome de la composition d’alliages complexes vis-à-vis de plusieurs critères antagonistes telles les résistances mécaniques et chimiques, la stabilité microstructurelle à haute température et le coût. La méthode est complétée d’une technique d’analyse décisionnelle multicritères pour assister la sélection d’alliages. L’approche est illustrée par l’optimisation de la chimie de deux familles d’alliages multicomposants. Le premier cas d’étude porte sur les superalliages à base de nickel polycristallins corroyés renforcés par précipitation de la phase 0 destinés à la fabrication de disques de turbines dans l’aéronautique ou de tuyauteries de centrales thermiques. L’optimisation résulte en la conception d’alliages moins onéreux et prédits plus résistants que l’Inconel 740H et le Haynes 282, deux superalliages de dernière génération. Le second cas d’étude concerne les alliages dits « à forte entropie » dont la métallurgie singulière est emblématique des problèmes combinatoires. À l’issue de l’optimisation, quelques alliages à forte entropie ont été sélectionnés et fabriqués ; leur caractérisation expérimentale préliminaire met en évidence des propriétés attrayantes tel un ratio dureté sur masse volumique inédit
The present work revolves around the development of an integrated system combining a multi-objective genetic algorithm with calphad-type computational thermodynamics (calculations of phase diagrams) and data mining techniques enabling the estimation of thermochemical and thermomechanical properties of multicomponent alloys. This integration allows the quasiautonomous chemistry optimisation of complex alloys against antagonistic criteria such as mechanical and chemical resistance, high-temperature microstructural stability, and cost. Further alloy selection capability is provided by a multi-criteria decision analysis technique. The proposed design methodology is illustrated on two multicomponent alloy families. The first case study relates to the design of wrought, polycrystalline 0-hardened nickel-base superalloys intended for aerospace turbine disks or tubing applications in the energy industry. The optimisation leads to the discovery of novel superalloys featuring lower costs and higher predicted strength than Inconel 740H and Haynes 282, two state-of-the-art superalloys. The second case study concerns the so-called “high-entropy alloys” whose singular metallurgy embodies typical combinatorial issues. Following the optimisation, several high-entropy alloys are produced; preliminary experimental characterisation highlights attractive properties such as an unprecedented hardness to density ratio

This is a portfolio of academic, therapeutic practice and research work. The portfolio consists of three dossiers that demonstrate my personal and professional development during my three years of training. The academic dossier contains three selected essays : ' that were compiled through the course of my studies. The first essay explores the concept of resistance within psychodynamic theory and practice. This essay describes the expressions and functions of resistance, highlighting how client and therapist resistance shapes the therapeutic relationship. The second essay draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) theory and practice. This essay attempts to highlight the complexity, challenges and benefits of using CBT with older adults. In particular, this essay examines how CBT influences the therapeutic relationship when working with this specific client group. The third essay considers how a person-centred approach understands and conceptualises human distress, whilst critiquing the use of classification systems such as the . DSM-IV-TR and the ICD-lO. This essay also illustrates how a person-centred practitioner would engage therapeutically with a client presenting with obsessive compulsive personality disorder traits. The therapeutic practice dossier focuses on my clinical experience. It contains a description of my three clinical placements and includes my 'Final Clinical Paper'. This paper provides a personal account of my journey towards becoming a counselling psychologist, explaining how theory and practice have shaped the practitioner and individual that I am today. Finally, the research dossier is comprised of a literature review and two qualitative research reports. The literature review addresses the psychodynamic phenomenon of countertransference within the supervisory relationship and discusses how supervisee and supervisor styles of relating colour the supervisory relationship. The first research report is an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) that examines how psychodynamic supervisors experience countertransference in supervision. The second research report uses Thematic Analysis (TA) to explore how trainee practitioners experience the psychodynamic supervisory relationship.

碩士
元智大學
管理研究所
98
Customer relationship management has became an important topic in recent years, many companies began to shift the focus to the customer services, and customer service outsourcing to the outsourcing of call center, in order to emphasize the division of labor and lower costs; Agents are exposed to different issues every day advice and complaints, how effective leadership to staff satisfaction and thus maintaining a high quality of service is outsourced call center efforts. The main purpose of this study is to understand the customer service center director''s leadership style, influence customer perceptions of supervisors to support and work experience and the relevance of organizational commitment empirical analysis, expected to provide practical reference value. The questionnaire was used in this study, a total of 220 questionnaires sent, 201 valid questionnaires, using SPSS statistical software to conduct statistical analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, ANOVA and regression analysis to verify this hypothesis. The results of this study show that: 1. Compassionate leadership style, will negatively affect their emotional exhaustion; and competent support through the intermediary role of perceived negative impacts of emotional exhaustion. 2. Compassionate leadership style will positively affect employees perceived supervisor support and organizational commitment; and through the intermediary role of perceived supervisor support, positive effect on organizational commitment. 3. Institutional leadership style, and will not positively affect their emotional exhaustion; and perceived supervisor support, through the intermediary role, it will not positively affect the emotional exhaustion. 4. Institutional leadership style, and will not negatively affect their perceived supervisor support and organizational commitment;, through the intermediary role of perceived supervisor support, it will not negatively affect the organizational commitment. 5. Compassionate leadership style, leadership style and system of management in the call center is not much difference.

The research describes how post-training supervisory support enhances training transfer in the private sector. Transfer of training principles were identified, after which the participants were interviewed to determine which transfer of training criteria were used by supervisors to enhance training in the work environment. The study population for this research was comprised of call centre supervisors and call centre agents from a company in the private sector in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The study methodology involved qualitative interviews and document reviews. Themes and sub-themes were identified from the data collected. The findings of the study reflected how post-training supervisory support enhances transfer of training. Recommendations were provided that could have a significant impact on organisations’ approach towards ensuring successful transfer of training to the work environment. Suggestions for further studies were made. The study concludes by suggesting a transfer of learning strategy aimed at enhancing transfer to the work environment that should be implemented by organisations.
Adult Basic Education (ABET)
M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Internship Report presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics
In recent years, artificial intelligence and cognitive technologies are actively being adopted in industries that use conversational marketing. Workforce managers face the constant challenge of balancing the priorities of service levels and related service costs. This problem is especially common when inaccurate forecasts lead to inefficient scheduling decisions and in turn result in dramatic impact on the customer engagement and experience and thus call center’s profitability. The main trigger of this project development was the Company X’s struggle to estimate the number of inbound phone calls expected in the upcoming 40 days. Accurate phone call volume forecast could significantly improve consultants’ time management, as well as, service quality. Keeping this goal in mind, the main focus of this internship is to conduct a set of experiments with various types of predictive models and identify the best performing for the analyzed use case. After a thorough review of literature covering work related to time series analysis, the empirical part of the internship follows which describes the process of developing both, univariate and multivariate statistical models. The methods used in the report also include two types of recurrent neural networks which are commonly used for time series prediction. The exogenous variables used in multivariate models are derived from the Media Planning department of the company which stores information about the ads being published in the newspapers. The outcome of the research shows that statistical models outperformed the neural networks in this specific application. This report covers the overview of statistical and neural network models used. After that, a comparative study of all tested models is conducted and one best performing model is selected. Evidently, the experiments showed that SARIMAX model yields best predictions for the analyzed use-case and thus it is recommended for the company to be used for a better staff management driving a more pleasant customer experience of the call center.

Retaliation is a well-established response to abusive supervision. Leading edge research explains the occurrence of supervisor-directed retaliation through processes associated with the strength model of self-control (Baumeister, Vohs, & Tice, 2007). The present research builds on these ideas by considering the role of emotions in the retaliatory processes. 407 participants completed an online survey that included questionnaires measuring personality traits associated with self-control and emotional experiences. Findings indicate that a predisposition to negative emotional experiences predicts retaliatory behavior in response to abusive supervision, even for individuals with a high capacity for self-control. It is suggested that future research should determine whether emotion-driven retaliation is mediated by a desire for revenge.

Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia Electrotécnica (Informática) apresentada à Fac. de Ciências e Tecnologia da Univ. de Coimbra
Nesta Tese apresentamos um contributo para o estudo do comportamento dinâmico dum forno rotativo de cal, para a sua identificação e controlo, e para a monitorização e diagnóstico das condições de operação. Numa primeira fase, desenvolvemos um modelo matemático de parâmetros distribuídos do processo e, numa segunda fase, utilizamos uma abordagem por redes neuronais para a sua modelização, controlo multivariável e diagnóstico industrial. O forno rotativo de cal é essencial para o sistema de caustificação do processo kraft da indústria de pasta de papel, no caso particular, o centro fabril da Portucel de Viana do Castelo. É um processo multivariável, fortemente não linear, com tempos de atraso e está, muitas vezes, sob a influência de perturbações externas ou processuais. Quer por razões económicas e de qualidade do produto, quer por razões de protecção ambiental, as condições de operação do forno devem ser controladas, por forma a que o correcto perfil de temperaturas dentro do forno seja obtido e estabilizado. Os objectivos do seu controlo são, por um lado, a obtenção de cal de elevada qualidade, com tamanho de partículas uniforme e consistente, e, por outro lado, a manutenção da regularidade da produção, devendo ser possível compensar as perturbações do processo, sem necessidade de atenção por parte do operador. Para atingir estes objectivos, a estratégia de controlo utilizada manipula o caudal de fuel para controlar a temperatura dos sólidos na zona de queima e o caudal de gases de exaustão para controlar a temperatura dos gases à saída. A estratégia de controlo adoptada utiliza redes neuronais para modelizar não só o processo, mas também a sua inversa, numa estrutura conhecida por controlo por modelo interno, IMC (Internal Model Control), que apresenta boas características de robustez e de estabilidade. Na impossibilidade de experimentação no processo real, estudamos o comportamento dinâmico do forno e efectuamos a sua simulação computacional. Para isso, desenvolvemos um modelo matemático às derivadas parciais com condições de fronteira repartidas por ambas as extremidades que resolvemos por dois métodos numéricos: colocação ortogonal em elementos finitos e diferenças finitas. Neste trabalho estudamos duas arquitecturas de redes neuronais, considerando várias topologias e algoritmos de treino. Comparamos os desempenhos das redes utilizadas, com base em critérios de erro, visando seleccionar as redes adequadas para os modelos directo e inverso. Apresentamos os resultados de identificação do forno, bem como do controlo não linear, e é demonstrado que o neurocontrolador funciona bem nos casos práticos testados. A monitorização das condições de operação e o diagnóstico de anomalias foram realizados, recorrendo a uma rede neuronal que foi treinada de modo a reconhecer padrões de entrada correspondentes a situações de anomalia no forno. A rede pode ainda reconhecer falhas múltiplas e generalizar, podendo vir a constituir um excelente apoio, em tempo real, ao operador, na condução do funcionamento deste processo industrial.

Tese de doutoramento em Sociologia, apresentada à Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra
A presente tese consiste em um estudo sociológico a partir do caso da Usina Hidroelétrica Belo Monte, em construção no Estado do Pará, na Amazônia brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi dedicar um olhar para a questão da saúde a partir da perspectiva das populações atingidas pelo megaprojeto hidroelétrico. O trabalho inicia com uma apresentação do histórico dos projetos de barramento do rio Xingu, em meados dos anos 1970. Dos primeiros estudos da bacia hidrográfica do Xingu até o início da obra de Belo Monte passaram-se aproximadamente trinta anos e, durante esse período, muitas polémicas e disputas envolveram as populações atingidas, políticos, intelectuais, artistas, cientistas, ativistas e movimentos sociais. Também é discutido nesta tese o modelo de desenvolvimento económico brasileiro, para se compreender como se dá a opção pela construção de grandes projetos de infraestrutura, como é o caso de Belo Monte. A partir dessa primeira abordagem ao megaprojeto, passo a dar ênfase à perspectiva das populações atingidas por Belo Monte. Para tanto, foi necessário, primeiramente, conhecer melhor o universo de populações atingidas, compostas por populações urbanas, rurais, comunidades ribeirinhas e indígenas. Através do trabalho empírico realizado em Brasília/DF e Altamira/PA, foi possível conhecer e reconhecer a diversidade dessas populações e, assim identificar algumas questões importantes que não foram objeto de debate com o poder público e o empreendedor. É o que Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2006) chama de produções de não existência, ou invisibilidades. A utilização da matriz teórica das epistemologias do Sul (Santos, 2002) permitiu o reconhecimento dessas invisibilidades, isto é, permitiu ver como as alterações no ambiente e nos modos de vidas das populações atingidas por Belo Monte afetam a saúde e a qualidade de vida destas. É a partir dessa lente que se dedica o olhar para a saúde das populações atingidas, e a problematização dessa questão é realizada nesta tese tendo como protagonistas as próprias populações atingidas. Assim foi identificado como um dos problemas relevantes decorrentes da construção da Usina Hidroelétrica Belo Monte a relação entre o sofrimento sentido pelas populações atingidas e o surgimento de agravos à saúde. O sofrimento difuso é um conceito desenvolvido por Valla (2001) que será discutido nesta tese na medida em que é constatado como uma consequência de Belo Monte invisibilizada. Isto porque não foi previsto ou discutido como uma possibilidade, nem no Estudo de Impacto Ambiental (EIA), nem no seu respectivo Relatório de Impacto Ambiental (Rima). Também não foi percebido como uma situação merecedora de atenção por parte do órgão fiscalizador responsável pela conceção das licenças que permitiram Belo Monte ser construída, o Ibama. Ainda, a relação entre o sofrimento e os agravos à saúde das populações atingidas não foi alvo de políticas públicas na área da saúde pública. Dessa forma, pretende este trabalho contribuir para a discussão sobre a saúde das populações atingidas pelo megaprojeto Belo Monte, a partir do reconhecimento das populações atingidas como detentoras e produtoras de conhecimento relevante. ~This thesis consists of a sociological study from the case of Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant, under construction in the State of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon. The aim of this study was to dedicate a look at the issue of health from the perspective of the people affected by hydroelectric megaproject. The work begins with a presentation of the history of the Xingu River dam projects in the mid-1970s From the first studies of the watershed of the Xingu to the early work of Belo Monte it took about thirty years and during this period, many controversies and disputes involving the populations concerned, politicians, intellectuals, artists, scientists, activists and social movements. It is also discussed in this thesis the Brazilian model of economic development, to understand how is the option for the construction of large infrastructure projects, such as the case of Belo Monte. From this first approach to megaproject, then I give emphasis to the perspective of populations affected by Belo Monte. Therefore, it was necessary, firstly, to know the universe of affected populations, composed of urban, rural populations, coastal communities and indigenous people. Through the empirical work done in Brasilia / DF and Altamira / PA, it was possible to know and recognize the diversity of these populations and thus identify some important issues that were not subject to discussion with the government and the entrepreneur. It's what Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2006) calls invisibilities. Using the theoretical framework of South epistemologies (Santos, 2002) allowed the recognition of these invisibilities, allowed to see how changes in the environment and ways of life of the populations affected by Belo Monte affect the health and quality of life of that people. It is from this lens that is dedicated to looking at the health of the populations, and the questioning of this issue is carried out in this thesis having as protagonists the affected populations themselves. Thus it was identified as one of the relevant issues arising from the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant the relationship between the suffering experienced by the affected populations and the emergence of health problems. The diffuse suffering is a concept developed by Valla (2001) which will be discussed in this thesis since it is found as a result of Belo Monte. This is because it was not planned or discussed as a possibility, or the Environmental Impact Study (EIA), or in their respective Environmental Impact Report (RIMA). It was also not perceived as a worthy position of attention by the supervisory body responsible for the design of the licenses that allowed Belo Monte is built, the Ibama. Also, the relationship between suffering and health problems of the affected population was not the target of public policies in the field of public health. Thus, this work aims to contribute to the discussion on the health of populations affected by Belo Monte mega-project, from the recognition of the people affected as having relevant knowledge.
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) - Nº BEX 1749-13-7