Resumo: A presente tese aborda o processo de pesquisa/criação do espetáculo unipessoal Meus caros amigos, no qual se registra o exercício do ator que passa de intérprete a autor da cena. Trata-se de um estudo sobre as potencialidades do espetáculo unipessoal na consolidação de uma busca pela autoria para o caso do ator. Para conseguir esse propósito, esta tese parte de uma série de pressupostos teóricos que envolve assuntos relacionados com as noções de interpretação e de autoria no contexto da arte teatral e com o que se entende habitualmente como monólogo ou solo, termos também usados para descrever o tipo de experiência cênica que aqui se nomeia como espetáculo unipessoal. A partir disso, empreende-se um processo de criação cênica, o qual se traduz em uma busca pela autonomia do ator que prescinde de outras figuras habituais na tradição teatral, como o dramaturgo ou o encenador, para a criação de um espetáculo do qual ele mesmo possa se considerar o autor. Esse caminho faz com que o pesquisador/criador absorva as funções das figuras dispensadas e fortaleça um discurso próprio construído a partir dos materiais fornecidos pelo seu próprio imaginário. Partindo desse conceito e alimentado pela necessidade de falar sobre suas próprias inquietações, o artista dá início a um processo criativo que encontra na teoria da formatividade de Luigi Pareyson elementos chave para o desenvolvimento das particularidades do seu fazer. Novas associações teóricas acompanham esse percurso, entre elas, o método cartográfico e o princípio de multiplicidade como apresentado por Italo Calvino. A tese conclui com a reflexão sobre as estratégias autorais desenvolvidas no processo criativo e com o reconhecimento de um projeto autoral que extrapola a realidade da cena. Finalmente, o estudo oferece possíveis caminhos para definir as categorias de espetáculo unipessoal e ator-autor no contexto do desenvolvido nesta pesquisa. Resumen: La presente tesis aborda el proceso de investigación/creación del espectáculo unipersonal Meus caros amigos, en el que se registra el ejercicio del actor que pasa de intérprete a autor de la escena. Se trata de un estudio sobre las potencialidades del espectáculo unipersonal en la consolidación de una búsqueda por la autoría en el caso del actor. Para conseguir ese propósito, esta tesis parte de una serie de presupuestos teóricos que envuelve asuntos relacionados con las nociones de interpretación y autoría en el contexto del arte teatral y con lo que se entiende habitualmente como monólogo o solo, términos también usados para describir el tipo de experiencia escénica que aquí se denomina como espectáculo unipersonal. A partir de ahí, se emprende un proceso de creación escénica, el cual se traduce en una búsqueda por la autonomía del actor que prescinde de otras figuras habituales en la tradición teatral, como el dramaturgo o el director, para la creación de un espectáculo del que él mismo pueda considerarse el autor. Ese camino hace que el investigador/creador absorba las funciones de las figuras eximidas y fortalezca un discurso propio construido a partir de los materiales suministrados por su propio imaginario. Partiendo de ese concepto y alimentado por la necesidad de hablar sobre sus propias inquietudes, el artista da inicio a un proceso creativo que encuentra en la teoría de la formatividad de Luigi Pareyson elementos claves para el desarrollo de las particularidades de su hacer. Nuevas asociaciones teóricas acompañan este trayecto, entre ellas, el método cartográfico y el principio de multiplicidad tal como lo presenta Italo Calvino. La tesis concluye con la reflexión sobre las estrategias autorales desarrolladas en el proceso creativo y el reconocimiento de un proyecto autoral que extrapola la realidad de la escena. Finalmente, el estudio ofrece posibles caminos para definir las categorías de espectáculo unipersonal y actor-autor en el contexto de lo desarrollado en esta investigación.

The construction industry is well known to have many uncertain events during its construction process. Projects within this industry are exposed to a higher degree of risk, being vulnerable to achieving the project’s objectives in terms of time, cost and quality. For this reason, risk must be managed to minimise possible adverse impacts. The process of managing risk requires human judgement, thus being influenced by a construction professional’s risk attitude and perception. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of a construction professionals risk attitude in their bid decision making. For this purpose, this study will consist of a primary data source obtained through a literature review and a secondary approach through a mixed research method, involving semi-structured interviews with professionals involved in bid decision making to collect new data. The study indicated that an individual’s professional experience and company’s culture are the two main factors to affect an individual’s risk attitude, though it was found the recession in 2008 had a great impact in these. The recession reshaped the whole construction industry’s risk attitude, as the market condition and the global economy became the dictators as to the risks a company had to take to survive. It was established risk attitude is a cyclical aspect influenced by external and internal factors, both being greatly affected by the market and the country’s economic condition. The research findings provided an in-depth exploratory study of an individual’s risk attitude and behaviour under competitive bidding, leading to understand the relationship between these two aspects.  

Coastal areas are among the most productive ecosystems, and are also heavily populated. They offer different benefits to society, known as Ecosystem Services (ESS). However, an unsustainable ecosystem management reduces their capacity to provide such benefits. The ESS flow decrease has repercussions in human well being and, in order to prevent it, is necessary to identify key areas generating key benefits. This ESS evaluation can be done using monetary and non-monetary methodologies. This evaluation was done with a non- monetary evaluation, considering that intangible benefits like cultural ESS are difficult to quantify only in terms of money. While non-monetary evaluations demonstrate the multi- dimensional nature of human well-being, being monetary value just one important aspect amongst others, e.g. symbolic, cultural, ecological and spiritual (Kelemen et al. 2014). In this thesis, coastal ecosystem types were identified to evaluate their capacity to generate a variety of ESS in the Buenos Aires province, Argentina. To make the ESS assessment, a group of experts was selected and interviewed, using an ESS matrix including different coastal types and ESS of interest, in order to estimate ESS flow. They valuated the ESS in each coastal type using a scale form 0 to 5, additionally, they were asked which ESS they believe are of priority for coastal communities and their conservation. In order to protect other important ESS supply and enhance the human well-being, sustainable tourism and recreation practices, as well as integrated management plans should be implemented in the region.

This thesis provides a description of political conflicts derived from differences in perspectives of environmental management and governance for Northwest Amazonia (NWA). A chapter is devoted to analysing the impact of State security policy in the development of indigenous’ territorial rights. The chapter concludes that the Colombian and USA government discourses of security coincide that the derived policies increase environmental risks and hinder indigenous peoples’ rights. Survey forms are treated as an additional source of discourse and are used to illustrate different perspectives with respect to governance and territorial ordering in Amazonia. It is argued that inhabitants of the industrialised countries with access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in many senses share the responsibility for the actual state of affairs in NWA, as well as other parts of the developing world where there is precarious access to ICT. Central to the thesis is the idea that we are passing through a moment of conceptual ‘dissolution’: dissolution of the divide ‘Indigenous Knowledge’ / ‘Western Sciences’, of the distinction between ‘Social Resistance’ and ‘Social Adaptation’, and of the differentiation between ‘Corporate Management’ and ‘State Security policy’. The thesis describes how this dissolution is occurring at the same time as cultural identity is mutating. The thesis goes beyond discourses surrounding the governance of NWA, by offering a contemporary critique of the concept of ‘globalisation’, and an attempt to locate it in the a 21st century cultural context.

From an economic point of view, the bad loans have been considered as a key factor in banking crises. In recent years, the European debt crisis and the following recession, have increased loans defaults, specifically in Spain and Italy, causing significant losses for banks. In this analysis the main macroeconomic determinants of Non-Performing Loans (NPL) will be studied over the period from January 2004 to March 2012. Separate analyses will be conducted for Spain and Italy considering that these countries have one of the largest amounts of bad loans in Europe, as well as deteriorated macroeconomic indicators during recent years. The paper has been organised in the following way: in the chapter entitled ‘literature review’, the most important facts about the macroeconomic variables will be analysed focusing on NPL for Italy and Spain. I will move on to describe the main literature on determinants of Non-Performing Loans. Econometric literature will also be discussed, with special emphasis on time series procedures for macroeconomic variables. This section is important in order to determine the variables and to be aware of atypical data in the time series. Previous research in this field using the same or similar methodology additionally corroborates its efficiency and aptness for use in this paper. Secondly, the variables used in this analysis will be explained bearing in mind the literature before mentioned. The econometric methodology and procedures used to obtain econometric results will then be presented in detail. Lastly, the results will be carefully analysed for Spain and Italy respectively, and conclusions regarding the determinants of Non-Performing Loans in these two countries will be drawn.

Lately, the Colombian government has opted for military oppression as the main route towards national security. However, recent events have shown that new post-conflict regions in Colombia are not necessarily violence- nor conflict-free scenarios. The institutional, social and economical instability of these post-conflict zones, as well as the high profitability of drug production, have promoted the reappearance of violent groups, generally led by previous mercenaries. In addition, under the actual Colombian peace-policies, the environmental security in post-conflict regions is not as secure as it should be. Many authors have argued that the economic reactivation in post-conflict scenarios could impose more threats to natural ecosystems than the economic stagnation typical of times of war. Then, it is important to look for new and effective alternatives to development, seeking to promote “sustainable peace” (i.e. social, economic and environmental long-term peace-conditions) in post-conflict regions in Colombia. This exploratory research suggests that natural resources in Colombia -besides bolstering belligerent groups- could be the medium for facilitating and maintaining peace. It proposes, for instance, that the correct management of natural resources through Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes have a threefold potential. Firstly, to provide social, environmental and economic stabilization in post-conflict regions in Colombia. Secondly, to displace illegality and violence; and thirdly, to promote environmental citizenship for the alleviation of marginalization and as an alternative way toward national security.

This professional dissertation aims at understanding and questioning the present supremacy of the densification paradigm in urban planning. After presenting the theoretical bases of urban spatial structures, the paper studies the urban growth dynamics in Colombian cities. It focuses on a special category of cities where the densification paradigm proves to be especially inefficient: intermediary rapidly growing cities in developing countries. On the light of these findings, the paper analyses an alternative experience of urban development in Colombia by presenting the Urban Expansion Initiative conducted in Valledupar. Finally, the paper discusses the relationship between densification, urban poverty and urban sustainability. 

Despite the large amount of research on aid effectiveness, there is still no consensus about the impact of international aid on economic growth, especially of the World Bank assistance. Empirical studies are characterised to be limited on its methodology and present diverse conclusions. Moreover, the World Bank’s contribution to economic growth in developing countries has been questioned to the point to rethink its role as a source for development. Colombia is not external to these contradictions; however, this situation arises from perception surveys and national figures. This research evaluates the impact of the World Bank’s lending on Colombia’s economic growth by estimating a model using as a reference the Solow’s model, extended to include a World Bank lending variable. It is expected a positive relationship between the World Bank disbursements and Colombia’s economic growth, which highlights the importance of updating the borrowing strategy with the World Bank in order to take the best advantage of this multilateral finance source.

This thesis considers the most current knowledge of the importance of investing in early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs with a focus on the economic benefits: higher rate of returns to education, higher productivity, lower crime rates, higher government savings and breaking up intergenerational poverty. Although the evidence suggests significant short-term effects in terms of educational benefits (e.g. lower repetition rates and special education), the empirical evidence for the economic benefits is still not as significant as it is desirable for their generalization. Therefore, it shows the need for more reliable information to construct a stronger argument leading governments to decide ipso facto increasing the educational expenditures in early childhood education programs.

Thought the years, there have been improvements in the management of construction projects; however, the problems of cost overruns are still a critical issue in the construction industry. For this reason, this paper attempt to identify the main causes of cost overruns in construction projects in the United Kingdom and the Critical Success Factors [CSFs] that can help prevent these causes. This research carried out a literature review which helped to find the main causes of cost overruns in construction projects. In addition, the author also reviews some existent literature regarding CSFs. Most of this literature is concentrated on the Factors that influence the overall cost performance of projects; however no many studies have been conducted to identify the CSFs that have an influence in the cost performance of construction projects. For this reason, this dissertation aims to fill this gap, attempting to identify those factors that can prevent poor cost performance of projects. Though a positive approach, a multi-case study method was performed in this research. The multiple case methods was constituted of 6 different projects in the construction industry constructed by companies from the UK. Hence, two different hypotheses were tested and the conclusion suggested that there are certain Critical Success Factors that can help prevent the occurrence of cost overruns in construction projects in the UK. This exploratory research has not only filled the gap in the CSFs’ literature, but it has also suggest a list of CSFs that can be used to improve the cost performance of construction projects in construction companies and in this way avoid or reduce the occurrence of cost overrun.