Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-07-05"
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- Determinants and outcomes of luxury fashion “store coolness”Publication . Moreira, Sofia Alves Marinho de Freitas; Elmashhara, Maher GeorgesLuxury fashion brands follow distinctive strategies to boost the customer experience. Making the store perceived as “cool” is one potential tactic, according to the positioning and main strategy. This thesis aims to determine the main factors that influence the luxury “store coolness”, examine the direct and mediating impact of “coolness” on purchase intention and positive Word-of-Mouth (WOM), and test the moderating role of price consciousness and credibility on the path from “coolness” dimensions to the studied outcomes. Consequently, first, a qualitative pilot study with 16 luxury fashion brand customers was carried out to define the determinants of “store coolness”. Second, a survey-based study (n = 213) was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. The first study’s findings indicated five main factors that influence the “store coolness”; store atmosphere, service quality of employees, store design, display, and creativity. However, the second study demonstrated that only store creativity influences all studied “coolness” dimensions (extraordinary, high status, subcultural, and iconic), while service quality, store atmosphere and display impact some and not all dimensions. Interestingly, the store design effect was positive on the high status and iconic, but negative on the extraordinary and subcultural dimensions. The results also revealed a mediating effect of “coolness” between some of the antecedents and outcomes and demonstrated the relationships in which price consciousness and credibility play a moderating role. Based on the findings, we discuss the contribution to theory and provide managerial implications on how to make a luxury store perceived as “cool”, but in a profitable way.
- Can the level of sustainability impact firms’ credit risk? A study on European firmsPublication . Silvestri, Marco; Meira, Mário Henrique MachadoSustainability has become a topic of increasing relevance. This dissertation investigates the impact of sustainability on the credit risk of European firms over the period of 2005 to 2021, aiming to answer the research question of whether the level of sustainability can impact firms‘ credit risk. Firms' Total ESG Scores and their corresponding Pillar Scores are used as sustainability measures for the analysis. To proxy credit risk, S&P ratings, converted into default probabilities using European transition matrices, are employed, thereby circumventing the problem of non-equidistant scaling of credit ratings. The final dataset consists of 412 European firms. The multivariate regression results show that a higher level of sustainability can reduce a firm's credit risk. However, these results are conditional on the rating category. Only firms with an investment-grade rating seem to benefit from a higher level of sustainability. Yet the impact of sustainability on their credit risk is not particularly large. Furthermore, the results of a sectoral analysis show that sustainability only has an impact on credit risk in certain industry sectors and that not all firms in the respective industries benefit equally. Finally, a temporal analysis shows that the impact of sustainability varies over time.
- Finding Nemo (in a sea of options) : an analysis of catalog size and movie concentration on a Video-on-Demand platformPublication . Donne, Chiara Thérèse Dalle; Matos, Miguel Godinho deRecently, the media industry has undergone a significant transformation, expanding its offering to include blockbusters and niche titles. Consequently, catalog managers face the challenge of deciding which products to include on their platforms and striking the right balance in terms of catalog size. This study aims to examine the influence of catalog size on consumption concentration. To investigate this relationship, we analyze secondary data from a two-month period provided by a Video-on-Demand platform, during which the catalog size varied. While previous studies supported that catalog size significantly impacts the concentration of views, our findings reveal that the relationship between catalog size and view concentration is not statistically significant. Instead, we find that factors related to the nature of titles, such as genre and position on the platform, have more substantial explanatory power in understanding viewership concentration. These results emphasize that there are other critical factors to consider when examining the concentration of views, which outweigh the significance of catalog size.
- The effect of credit rating discontinuity on firms’ capital structurePublication . Haverkamp, Christian; Meira, Mário Henrique MachadoThis dissertation compares rated and formerly rated firms regarding their capital structure. Using a panel dataset from 1991 to 2014, I estimate the effect of credit rating discontinuity on firms’ debt-to-equity issuance, leverage, net debt issuance, and cash holdings as proxies for their capital structure decisions. I use a set of OLS regressions with established control variables and employ time, firm, and industry fixed effects. The results suggest that we do observe rating discontinuity within this sample and that firms experiencing periods without S&P rating and continuously rated firms present differences in capital structure. Firms with rating discontinuity show lower debt-to-equity issuance, lower leverage, less net debt issuances, and higher cash holdings than continuously rated firms. These effects strengthen over time. However, this work cannot finally prove the existence of rating discontinuity. Without assuming that ratings from other CRAs are perfect substitutes for S&P ratings, there is still the possibility of other aspects, like issuer shopping, causing those differences in capital structure. Further, the findings suggest a small reputation effect on net debt issuance and leverage levels. The results are robust to changes in leverage definitions and the addition of rating and investment grade information to the models.
- Impact of renewable energy use on development in Sub-Saharan AfricaPublication . Elhamdaoui, Kawthar; Karpa, M. WaldemarThe population of SubSaharan Africa with double by 2050. This population already has limitations when it comes to energy access and electrification, but with this growth, we are looking at 16% of the world’s population entitled to only 3.3% of the global primary energy available. The targeted electrification is not only essential but crucial to help build and improve lives within the continent. Whether it is health, education, or even the economy, access to energy is a must. Affordable and clean energy: UN’s seventh Sustainable Development Goal ensures that by 2030, universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services will be achieved through the expansion and upgrade of infrastructures better to serve modern and clean energy for all developing countries. This study's major goal is to determine whether employing sustainable energy sources may aid SubSaharan African countries in achieving their development and growth objectives. Access to electricity is crucial to sustaining the requirements of connectivity and belonging that today's African youth have for the global community. Furthermore, in nations where traditionally the usage of renewable energy sources is not always accessible, electrification is paving the door for better education and employment prospects.
- Green hydrogen for the road transportation sector in the European Union : a technological innovation system analysisPublication . Haase, Johannes; Oliveira, José António Puppim dePurpose: This thesis aims to identify the key challenges and opportunities associated with implementing green hydrogen (GH2) in the European Union (EU) road transportation sector. The research used the Technological Innovation System (TIS) framework as an analytical tool to analyze the implementation of GH2 and explore its potential for contributing to a decarbonized future. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish the theoretical foundation of the TIS framework and gather insights into the existing literature on GH2 technology. Expert interviews were also conducted with stakeholders from the road transportation sector, GH2 sector, and policy sectors to gain practical insights and support the findings from the literature review. Findings: Findings underscore the challenges in GH2 implementation across all TIS functions. These highlighted technological and infrastructural challenges, elevated costs, regulatory limits, and the necessity for increased public acceptance. Specific challenges identified include fundamental financial requirements, lack of awareness about the availability of resources, supplydemand dynamics, and public acceptance. Furthermore, several development opportunities have been identified, including developing safety standards, increased collaboration initiatives, and government support. Implications: Despite its complexity, the transition to GH2 was identified as a potential long term alternative, promising cleaner energy, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, potential economic growth, and enhanced energy security. The research concludes that a coordinated, multistakeholder effort is crucial to overcome the identified challenges, and the EU can learn from countries with more mature GH2 sectors to support the transition.
- A responsabilidade social empresarial e o papel do serviço social de empresa na preparação da reforma dos trabalhadoresPublication . Alves, Patrícia Alexandra Gaspar; Vieira, Isabel Maria Paula Amado de FreitasA Responsabilidade Social Empresarial é uma temática cada vez mais estudada não só pela comunidade académica, mas também no contexto empresarial. Na atualidade, são cada vez mais as empresas em que a sua única preocupação não é, meramente, a obtenção de lucro, mas, sim, um alargamento para as questões da sustentabilidade, ambientais e sociais, numa ótica de responsabilidade social interna e externa. O Serviço Social é uma profissão de intervenção, promotora da qualidade de vida e dos direitos humanos, que pretende almejar a mudança social e contribuir para o bem-estar social. Neste sentido, se alocarmos a sua intervenção ao contexto empresarial – Serviço Social nas Empresas – os assistentes sociais podem assumir diversas funções, de entre as quais, no apoio psicossocial direto aos trabalhadores e às suas famílias, como forma de reduzir o absentismo e quaisquer outros problemas que comprometam o bom desempenho laboral dos mesmos. Contudo, devido ao crescimento exponencial do número de pessoas idosas no nosso país e aos desafios que tal outorga, não só para com as próprias pessoas, como para as sociedades e as organizações, torna-se basilar uma maior consciencialização por parte das entidades empregadoras, nomeadamente, na forma como acompanham os trabalhadores para a preparação da reforma, enquanto responsabilidade social. A investigação assenta numa pesquisa qualitativa, com base na realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas, a um total de catorze assistentes sociais que exercem as suas funções laborais em empresas, em Portugal. Desta dissertação emergiu, assim, a necessidade de uma maior intervenção dos assistentes sociais em contexto empresarial, concretamente, no âmbito da responsabilidade social tanto interna, como externa, bem como de as empresas terem mais preocupações para com o planeamento e a preparação da reforma, como etapas promotoras de um envelhecimento ativo e saudável, assente num quadro de sustentabilidade.
- The effects of a brand logo’s visual characteristics on consumer attitudes in sports shirt sponsorshipPublication . Khrabrovskaia, Mariia; Martins, Carla Sofia Carvalho; Machado, Joana Pinto Leite CésarThe present study aims to explore how the visual logo characteristics affect consumer responses in the context of shirt sponsorship in sports. It uses a quantitative experimental approach, manipulating congruence, descriptiveness, and frame of a fictitious brand’s logo placed on a shirt of FC Porto. The findings suggest that congruent and descriptive logos tend to generate higher levels of goodwill perceptions about the sponsor and more favourable attitudes towards sponsorship, while framed logos tend to generate lower values of both than open logos. This study also shows that the relationship between goodwill and attitude is moderated by fan identification and that goodwill is also significantly affected by demographics. The limitations of the study include using a fictitious brand and only one real football club, as well as manipulating only three design characteristics. In the future, this study could be replicated with a larger sample and/or larger variability in brands, teams, and design.
- Syllabus proposal for a self-paced, modular e-learning platform aiming to empower young European agrifood entrepreneursPublication . Xavier, Pedro; Nowacka, Małgorzata; Cardoso, Eduardo Luís; Silva, Cristina L. M.
- From hand craft to global trade : the internationalization of Portuguese utilitarian and decorative ceramicsPublication . Mateus, António Leitão; Reis, RicardoThis dissertation explores the internationalization process of Vasicol, a family company that has been in existence for over a century and successfully transitioned from a domestic-only presence to an international player, exporting 99% of its production to more than 35 countries. The case study examines the firm's entry strategies, the rationale behind its decision to expand abroad, and how it has managed to compete with other players in the market that employ unmatchable low pricing strategies. Through a comprehensive analysis of its strategy, this study identifies Vasicol's unique capability in working with terracotta and stoneware materials, portfolio adaptation to align with local preferences, establishment of an international network, and investment in innovation and design as key drivers of its international success. The case study also highlights some notable changes in the company's international strategy over time, with Vasicol exploring new ways of sustaining growth and identifying new emerging markets of strategic importance. Lastly, this case study offers insightful information on how Portugal, the leading European exporter of ceramic tableware, can preserve its competitiveness in the global market for utilitarian and decorative ceramics. It offers ideas of strategies for effectively compete against countries such as China and India, which employ low pricing strategies.