Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2021-10-19"
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- Exploring the many sides of environmental engagement and how they relate to personality and socio-political viewsPublication . El Azhary, Ahmed Amine; Moreira, Sérgio Paulo de JesusObjective: This dissertation aims to gain a better understanding of the concept of Environmental Engagement and how it is influenced by Personality and Socio-Political views. Settings: The dataset used for this study was collected through a self-administered survey distributed online in April 2021. Participants: 140 participants took part in the survey Measures: The questionnaire contained seven different sections divided as follows: “Demographics,” “Attitudes towards science,” “Big Five personality traits,” “Socio-political orientation,” “Sustainability endorsement,” “Ecology Endorsement,” and “Sustainable and environmental behaviors.” Results: Environmental Engagement is linked to higher levels of “Agreeableness,” “Openness,” “Conscientiousness,” and “Neuroticism,” while no significant relationships were observed with “Extraversion.” Right-wing ideologies and with pronounced Authoritarianist tend to show less consideration for nature due to their support to individualist policies promoting Capitalism and economic liberal policies with little regard to the environmental consequences of such policies. Environmental engagement is generally associated with a strong belief in science. Those showcasing this characteristic are more likely to accept and be aware of the scientific arguments and thus be more willing to engage and support environmental actions. These results suggest that Socio-political views are better determinants of environmental engagement compared to personality. A confirmatory factor analysis indicates a partial mediation process through Socio-political views regarding Environmental Engagement with personality still having some direct effects on the variable of interest. Conclusion: Treating Environmental Engagement as a politically polarized issue only delays the needed collective action to deal with the issue
- Augmented reality and live racing : the future of the F1 Broadcasting IndustryPublication . Plini, Federico; Rajsingh, PeterThis dissertation investigated how Augmented Reality (AR) can disrupt F1 broadcasting in the next 5 to 10 years. It analyzed what factors affect its implementation, how customers will react, and their Willingness to Pay (WTP). Qualitative data were gathered through experts interviews and aimed at identifying the main factors and stakeholders affecting the implementation process of this technology in F1 Broadcasting, as well as identifying the most probable scenario in the near future. Quantitative data were gathered through a survey sent out to potential customers, that aimed to identify their WTP, factors/characteristics of people affecting it, and which bundle of features broadcasters should launch first. F1 Broadcasters have the technical and financial capabilities to implement this technology. The development phase is influenced by initial investments and organizational costs. Other factors to consider are Interactivity and the creation of a Cross-Functional Agile Team. The stakeholders to build relationships with are the FIA, FOM and F1 Teams, with customers and technology providers still playing an important role. This dissertation also identified the AR features package adding the most value to consumers, and the persona to target in order to maximize broadcasters’ revenues as a passionate F1 Fan with familiarity with AR, enthusiast about new technologies and who prefer to use interactive technologies.
- The future is living in a cube : building sustainable modular constructions through contributing to a circular economy : the case of Acondo & ContainerwerkPublication . Müller, Alice Isabella; Bicho, Marta Liliana NunesWaste is becoming an increasing issue globally while the concept of a circular economy as a sustainable solution to it has gained attention in the past years among governments, researchers and businesses. As the construction industry accounts for 40% of waste in Europe, this study particularly showcases this industry’s challenges and outlines how modular construction can tackle them by shifting a major part of the construction process off-site. Exemplary, the case of the general contractor for modular buildings Acondo and its collaboration with the modular constructor Containerwerk are introduced to highlight their contribution to a circular economy through Containerwerk’s business model of converting used sea-freight containers into sustainable living modules. The two questions analysed within this study examine Containerwerk’s economic, environmental and social objectives and how the company can generate a competitive advantage through contributing to a circular economy. As a theoretical basis, literature on sustainability, the Triple Bottom Line, circular economy, hybrid organizations and Porter’s Generic Strategies are reviewed. For the first question, the Triple Bottom Line aligned with the concept of a circular economy is applied, showing that Containerwerk fulfils all elements of the economic and environmental dimension but only partly the social one. Thus, this study questions whether an achievement of all three objectives to the same extent is required to contribute to a circular economy. The analysis of the second question based on Porter’s Generic Strategies highlights that Containerwerk generates a competitive advantage in the narrow segment of tiny houses but not in the entire industry.
- Development of responsible packaging for cheese slicesPublication . Ramos, Ana Rita Morgado; Poças, Maria de Fátima dos Reis Filipe TavaresThis report presents the work done during a curricular internship, at Fromageries Bel Portugal, as a conclusion of a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and Food Innovation in Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (Universidade Católica Portuguesa). The report contains a detailed description of the entire process when developing new packages for cheese slices produced in Fromageries Bel Portugal (referred to along the document as “Bel”). The study was carried out by comparing two packages (made of different materials) for cheese slices, aiming to understand which one is more suitable for the product. This was accomplished through experimental trials where the same number of packs of each material was produced. These packages were monitored over the product's shelf life by following specific parameters such as microbial growing, physico-chemical parameters, visual and texture properties, and sensory properties. This aimed to understand if the product's behavior changed according to the type of package. The results of this study revealed that the product behavior does not change when packed in the different materials tested. Although, this report does not include the totality of results obtained in this study because the internship duration was shorter than the monitoring plan duration. The label for easy opening and reclosing the package after the first opening was also studied. In this test, two types of labels made of different materials were tested. Results showed that both labels are suitable for reclosing the package several times between uses. The work also included a study on the appearance of holes and microholes in the packages. Results seem to indicate that the contact between the primary package and the transportation box might be damaging the package and promote the appearance of holes and microholes.
- Financing the green transition and banking exposure to climate relevant sectors in Europe and in PortugalPublication . Anjo, João Paulo Soares; Bonfim, Diana Carina Ribeiro GuimarâesClimate change will undoubtedly pose risks to the financial system in general, and for the banking system in particular. Two main risks are being studied by organizations, regulators and central banks alike: transition risk and physical risk (Park and Kim, 2020). Methodologies and frameworks are being developed to understand and control the risk that banks sustain in their balance sheets due to the climate transition. Institutions, such as the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the European Banking Authority (EBA), are being active in the discussion on what these processes may look like and which information is important. While data on banking exposure related to climate risk is still scarce, this dissertation uses the database from the EBA on exposure by NACE sectors to perform an analysis on which countries and banks are more exposed to the most emitting sectors (MES). Based on data from EBA, it is estimated that 51% of the total EU banking exposure is related to the MES. Also, the emission intensity of each country’s economy (emission of CO2 equivalent per value added) is a good indication of the country’s banking system exposure to the MES. Sweden is the country less exposed to the MES (25%), as opposed to Romania (78%). Portugal’s share is 56%. Regarding the Portuguese banking system, the sector that contributes the most to the MES exposure is the manufacturing sector (16,9%), followed by wholesale and retail trade (14,9%) and construction (11,3%).
- Electric autonomous vehicles in shared ownership : perceptions of swedish consumersPublication . Eriksson, Karl David; Rajsingh, PeterDue to the vehicular trends over the last decade, it becomes more and more evident that the future of mobility is electric. According to The European Environment Agency (2020) penetration of electric vehicles are already growing in all European countries and Goldman Sachs (2021) predicts that in 2025, 25% of all cars sold will be EVs, 70% in 2030, 80% in 2035 and 95% in 2040. At the same time of electrification of vehicles, many scholars and experts agree that autonomous vehicles will play a significant role in the future generation of mobility. Additionally with the increasing usage of carpools and shared mobility, a future business model that combines electric autonomous vehicles with shared ownership of cars could drastically disrupt and change the industry. This thesis investigates the case for Sweden, how consumers perceive such a business model. With a consumer survey and interviews with experts in the field, the thesis aims to give insights into what perceived barriers exists for Swedish consumers to participate in said business model, and what inflection points exists for them to overcome their perceived barriers. The paper found already existing issues regarding owning electric vehicles the most powerful ones - limited charge points and price. Further, the main inflection point to overcome the barriers and participate in said shared, electric & autonomous carpool is economic.
- Revisiting the relationship between CRM, business strategy and firm performance by complementing the sources-position-performance framework with value curve analysis : an empirical study of the competitiveness in the industrial and small business segments of the liberalized electricity market in PortugalPublication . Osório, Maria Ana Avides Moreira Pinto; Rebelo, Luís Francisco de Gouveia Durão PinaIn Portugal, the Electricity Market is characterized by assuming strategies strongly anchored in its external competitive environment (Raimundo and Domingues 2021) and by having a low degree of innovation of the product. Although there is still a significant presence of the ex-monopolist company in the sector, companies increasingly seek to adopt an attractive position in the market, capturing the attention of the stakeholders in a different, unique and innovative way, that is, defining a positioning strategy. According to several studies, an effective positioning allows companies to respond to the needs of their customers, differentiating themselves from competitors and, thus, improving the company's financial performance, as well as customer loyalty and satisfaction (McAlexander et al. 1993; Porter 1996; Pham and Muthukrishnan 2002; Fuchs and Diamantopoulos 2010, 2012). In addition, different studies have been identified that analyse the differential impact of CRM on company performance, through the application of the sources-position-performance framework (Day and Wensley 1988; Reimann et al. 2010). However, no article was found that analysed the link between CRM, positioning strategies and performance in the liberalized electricity market in Portugal. This study also presents as a complementary element the analysis of the value curves, for the definition and study of the perception of value of the customers of the electricity sector in the respective segments. This tool will later allow to analyse and compare the perception of customers with the positioning strategies defined by the different energy companies. That said, the main objective of this study is to analyse the relationships between CRM, business strategies and performance of the four largest companies in the electricity sector in Portugal, in particular, in the small business segment and in the industrial segment, through the sources-position-performance framework and further, analyse through the value curve tool, developed within the scope of the Blue Ocean Strategy, the perception of value of customers in the different segments under study. This study is divided into six parts: in the first part there will be a literature review of the key concepts for the development of all the work; in the second part, a brief contextualization of the Portuguese electricity sector will be presented; the third part consists of defining the different hypotheses; the fourth part consists of the methodology adopted in the study, as well as the presentation of the variables present; in the fifth part the results and the discussion are presented; and finally, in the sixth part, the final conclusions of the study are reported, as well as the limitations and suggestions for future research.
- A consumer-based approach to hybrid organizations : the role of political orientation and perceived organizational legitimacyPublication . Gregorec, Christian; Bicho, Marta Liliana NunesThe goal of this study was to analyze the role that political orientation and perceived organizational legitimacy, together with the theory of planned behavior’s predictor variables of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, have on consumers' purchase intentions with respect to hybrid organizations. To this end, a quantitative study using structural equation modeling was employed based on the data obtained from a non-probability sample of American consumers. The findings support the notion that consumers’ attitudes affect their purchase intentions, with perceived organizational legitimacy mediating the relationship. The results also indicate there to be insufficient support for the idea that political orientation, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence consumers’ purchase intentions. This study adds to the growing body of academic literature on hybrid organizations and is relevant in that it provides a quantified foundation of the extent to which factors impact consumers’ purchase intentions for products of hybrid organizations.
- Imago : internationalization roadmap of a young portuguese clothing companyPublication . Mata, João Pedro Costa Pereira da; Lino, Rute Sofia Barbosa XavierImago is a Portuguese apparel company founded in 2017 whose mission is to provide unique and trendy garments that evoke a lifestyle of traveling tales and endless summer days. Four years after its inception, the firm has grown; business processes were redesigned, logistical partnerships signed and marketing strategies polished. Having successfully established a brand and created an initial customer base, Imago’s founders have decided to assess their growth opportunities in foreign markets knowing that Spain, due to its geographical and social proximity is a prime candidate to start an internationalization. While “going global” may seem a logic decision from a strategic standpoint due to the increase in revenue streams, the process is far from being straightforward and often investing in local markets will yield better results. To assess the viability of such endeavor, the Spanish macroeconomic environment and apparel industry were characterized. Mentions were made to the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the transformation it has catalyzed. The Spanish target market was quantified and potential customers characterized and personas drafted to illustrate niche segments. Finally, a market entry strategy and roadmap were drafted and the financials of the expansion assessed. Altogether, the collected information was used to elaborate a set of recommendations about the feasibility of a market-entry and the associated operational requirements. Conclusions were made about the potential added value of the operation versus continuing to rely solely on the national market.
- A circular economy in electric vehicle batteries : a european perspectivePublication . Walz, Phillip Niklas; Rajsingh, PeterElectrification of the automotive industry is an imperative for achieving the sustainability goals of various multilateral agreements. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have advantages over internal combustion engines, but lithium-ion batteries, the major component of the BEV powertrain, have significant environmental footprints. Circular economy concepts can mitigate these negative impacts and externalities via closed loop resource systems and second life applications for lifetime extension. The Circular Economy is still in its infancy, but regulation and moves towards decarbonization are strong drivers. This thesis discusses how second life applications associated with the Circular Economy are hindered by technical and economic factors. They compete with closed loop ambitions of recycling activities and market opportunities in the energy storage area are immature. In particular, less than 20-30% of batteries will have a second life. According to experts, battery recycling may become more tenable as increasing numbers of spent batteries enter the market. Scenario planning has shown that the prognosis for Circular Economy in electric vehicle batteries 5 to 10 years from now is optimistic. This scenario is characterized by the highest adoption of Circular Economy levels possible at this time. A consumer survey indicated that consumers fully support the transition to a Circular Economy and are not an impediment to this transition.