Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2015-04-17"
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- Can family ownership influence firms' capital structure decisions?Publication . Medeiros, Catarina Lobo Moutinho Melo; Bonfim, DianaThe purpose of the present study is to endeavor the explanatory capacity of family ownership in determining the capital structure of the firms. Having this purpose in mind, we collect and analyze information for the period 2005-2013, regarding a sample of 194 family and non-family businesses, whose headquarters' location is in either European or North American countries. We obtain empirical evidence to conclude that i) non-family firms present higher leverage ratios compared to their family peers; and ii) non-family firms rely more on long-term debt than their family peers. Our study adds value to previous research since it compares companies from two different continents, (North) America and Europe, it analyzes how different firm characteristics may influence both leverage ratio and long-term debt to total debt and finally because it studies the impact of the financial crisis on the firms' financial results.
- CGI : reaching out for new sources of revenue in a B2B market contextPublication . Pato, Madalena da Rocha Vaz; Marcos, Paulo Gonçalves A.The case study “CGI: Reaching out for New Sources of Revenue in a B2B Market Context” aims to expose a different side of Marketing – Relational Marketing or Reputation Management – in a Business to Business (B2B) market context. Since it is an area of marketing sometimes overlooked in the classrooms around the world, this case study intends to be an introduction tool for students to the marketing management rationales in B2B services companies. The case study also introduces the outsourcing matters of Offshore and Nearshore, as a way to clarify their relevance and implications in the corporate world. Finally, it intends to be a practical mean for students to develop their critical thinking, as well as information processing, with imperfect and scattered data. Given the unfavorable conditions of the Portuguese market presented in the case, it allows students to grasp the possible constraints a company may face, and what alternatives exist to overcome them.
- The international strategy of Coca-Cola Sabco in AfricaPublication . Sarmento, Tomás Maria Monteiro Leite de Morais; Collin, BéatriceLes entreprises multinationales ont une influence considérable dans notre monde actuel. Elles font le lien entre les différents marchés, environnements, cultures et nations, tout en ayant la capacité de rapprocher ces extrêmes dans une scène étendue et globalisée. Bien que cela semble très philanthrope et avec des résultats positifs, il n'est pas toujours évident de connecter ces points et de les étendre à un nouveau pays, et plus particulièrement en ce qui concerne les pays en voie de développement . Dans ce document de recherche, il est proposé d'analyser la stratégie d'internationalisation de l'usine d'embouteillage et distributeur multinationale sudafricaine, connue comme Sabco. Celle-ci opère sous le nom de The Coca-Cola Company, l'une des entreprises les plus accomplie de tous les temps. L'objectif principal de cette recherche est de contextualiser les différents types de difficultés, les obstacles et les défis auxquels une multinationale peut être confrontée, et de relier les stratégies respectives mises en oeuvre par cette société pour surmonter ces problèmes. Cela se fera par l'introduction du plan de Sabco d'action en Éthiopie, au Mozambique et en Ouganda. Enfin, il sera fourni un modèle de matrice composé de trois principales variables macro-économiques qui pourraient être utiles, pour une multinationale, comme un outil complémentaire à l'appui d'une décision de la stratégie d'expansion . Dans la dernière partie, il sera présenté les limites de ce travail de recherche et les futures propositions d'études.
- Userlike and the quest for growth : choosing the right growth option based onPublication . Taufig, Timoor Sadran; Cardeal, Nuno César de Jesus GuerraThe thesis that is presented in the form of a case study aims to focus on the challenges and opportunities a german software startup, Userlike, faces upon choosing a path for further growth in the future. Since this case study allows students to apply strategic frameworks and especially the theory of resources and capabilities, it serves as a teaching instrument. Userlike is a customer support live chat software which was developed by the company Userlike UG (haftungsbeschränkt) that was founded in June 2011. Despite a successful start and reaching more than 400 customers, Userlike has to deal with a high level of competition and knows that it has to decide on a next strategic step to escape this situation. Userlike has to come up with four growth options that they could follow. A main constraint for choosing the right option is the lack of financial resources. The business was mainly bootstrapped. The case is based on a real life situation of a software startup’s quest for growth while it competes on an international level. The case concentrates on the analysis of core capabilities. These core capabilities of the team should guide students to the solution of the case. Students will have to discuss whether it is better to follow a growth path that is financially more attractive or the one that meets capabilities that have delivered a competitive advantage so far.
- A corrupção no desporto e a problemática das suas soluções legislativasPublication . Prates, Miguel de Carvalho e; Cunha, José Manuel Damião da
- Launching an e-commerce platform : competition or collaboration with retailing?Publication . Castro, Sónia Maria Oliveira; Marcos, Paulo GonçalvesThis case is inspired by a real situation felt by the Portuguese non-alcoholic beverage company Sumol+Compal. If refers to a moment when Sumol+Compal managers realized that retailers were retaining a great amount of margin, when all the risk and investment is made by them. With the launching of Compal Essencial in Portugal, Sumol+Compal only retained 20% of its profit. In order to prevent future similar situations and to reinforce their position in the market, Sumol+Compal managers found a need to develop a new business model that would (1) reinforce brand loyalty, (2) improve consumer experience with the brand; (3) create a direct relationship with the consumer and (4) increase long term profitability. This case is, therefore, about the introduction of a new service – an online platform, analysing its positioning in the market and regarding their biggest partner – retailing. During the case I present a brief introduction about the company, the context of its industry as well as highlights over the new trends of e-commerce, and pros and cons of the platform positioning as a competitor or a collaborator of retailers.
- The role of internal communication in the companies’ strategy : the case of AdvanceCarePublication . Ribau, Ana Maria Costa Nunes; Lino, Rute Sofia Barbosa XavierThe master thesis Project consists of an applied consulting Project in AdvanceCare, with the focus on the internal communication and its influence in the company’s performance. AdvanceCare is responsible for the management of the services of several health insurance companies. The goal of this Project is related to the business rules that are implemented in the IT systems of the company. The project conducted started by the analysis of how the process is done in the present, followed by a detailed analysis of the improvement opportunities that will originate a set of recommendations. The whole process was focused on the importance of the internal communication in the accuracy of the information that flows between functional areas, regarding the business rules, as well as on its influence in the overall performance of the company, regarding the strategy. The first part of the work was the collection of data related to the creation of the business rules, as well as the understanding of the whole process, before, during and after their implementation. This information was collected through meetings in the company with all the areas involved, and the analysis of information provided by the sponsor. The sponsor is the supervisor of the functional area responsible for the configuration of the rules in the main system the company uses. The main challenges of this Project are understanding how information works in the company, what are the processes and how is that reflected in the IT systems, since they are complex. The following work will also focus the risks of the company’s actual situation, which are the unnecessary costs that the company is incurring by having processes and developments that are not used afterwards.
- Customer behavioral segmentation in utilities industry : the Galp Energia casePublication . Barata, Catarina Isabel Castanheira Carvalho Nunes; Lino, Rute Sofia Barbosa XavierTwo of the greatest marketing techniques in order to a company/brand to find which are its best customers among the all existing ones and posteriorly to prepare an efficient marketing campaign are the Lifetime Value and the Customer Segmentation. This dissertation aims to help Galp Energia, one of the most important energy companies in Portugal, to deal with the recent change in the utilities market from regulated to liberalized by creating a tool that segments behaviorally the company’s customer data base taking in the consideration the Lifetime Value of each client. To do so, a model of Lifetime Value based on three different figures – Current Value, Potential Value, and Customer Loyalty – was adapted and applied and a three-dimensional Customer Behavioural Segmentation process (with eight segments) was posteriorly designed. It is expressed the importance of coordinating different types of Segmentation, instead of basing the total process in one type only. Indeed, analysis and recommendations are also done to the all eight segments.
- How to Launch Cork & CO in Australian market : defining strategyPublication . Lucena, Filipa Maria Salgado de Sousa; Xavier, RuteCORK&CO, a Portuguese micro company in the cork fashion design area intends to expand its business to Australia. To analyse that internationalization process and advise the better strategy three different scenarios were built: for a typical investment mode (through a store fully owned by CORK&CO), for a contractual mode (implementing a franchise) and for a traditional export mode (selling directly to resellers). CORK&CO lacks of equity funds to support some of the investments that these operations require. Thus, financing solutions from banks and from the European Union were studied to see which alternatives the company could pursue. The high investment needed, the market uncertainty and the lack of support from the European funds make the first scenario strongly unadvisable, leaving the company with only two possibilities for expansion: either through franchising or exports.
- SUMOL : leading brand in a changing marketPublication . Santos, Eduardo Paradinha de Macedo; Marcos, Paulo Gonçalves; Assunção, Paulo Borges deSUMOL+COMPAL is a Portuguese beverage company founded in 2009 as a result of a merger of two major competitors within the beverage industry, SUMOL and COMPAL. This case study portrays the carbonated flavoured soft drinks (CFSD) industry in Portugal, where SUMOL+COMPAL compete with others through their brand SUMOL – leading brand. During its lifetime, SUMOL tackled several challenges, but in the last couple of years, another one has emerged– private labels such as Continente and Pingo Doce. Firstly these private labels started selling their own-branded “niche” products and as time passed they became mainstream brands. Due to the current economic crisis established in Portugal, people look for more economical solutions for their food needs and assume that private labels give them more economical options. Years passed and in 2012, it was clear it is no longer a cyclical reaction to the economic crisis; it is the new market landscape. Sílvia Rebelo, SUMOL+COMPAL strategic marketing manager for soft drinks, and her team are responsible for addressing this issue and decide which strategy they should adopt: compete against private labels or cooperate with them. In a fast moving consumer goods industry, retailers are a key player and CFSD industry is no exception but besides that SUMOL, as a leading brand, have been able to keep their market share intact in the last few years without any direct effort towards the matter.