Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-01-22"
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- Are Tesla’s Gigafactory and autonomous driving technology, automotive industry disruptors?Publication . Schöttle, Henrik Simon; Rajsingh, Peter V.Tesla's rapid development in recent years has attracted enormous attention in the automotive industry as well as from many other branches. This thesis explores Tesla's competitive advantage in the automotive industry, focusing on the role of autonomous driving technology and the Gigafactories. It explores the extent to which these two factors contribute to Tesla's disruptiveness. Although Tesla's innovations have already been groundbreaking, some of them are still in the development phase. The ADT might reach its full potential soon, while the Gigafactory concept has already made its mark on the industry. To analyse the extent to which these variables influence disruptiveness, a triangulation was applied in this academic paper. Qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with experts who hold relevant positions in the automotive and consulting industries. Quantitative data was systematically obtained by conducting a survey. The research question was created and built on the literature and is grounded on the basic theories of qualitative and quantitative research. Using triangulation, we concluded with this scientific paper that both variables are the reason for Tesla's disruptive success. The tech company's innovations are important components of the rapidly developing e-mobility market. The empirical results of the study in conjunction with the existing literature, underline the correlation and relevance of the Giga concept and the ADT. The outcomes of this study go beyond Tesla's current market position and provide insights for future research and findings on the adoption of electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and the disruptive impact on the automotive and the mobility market.
- Shaped by perceptions : the influence of extremely high anchors on consumer valuationPublication . Almeida, Álvaro Gil; Mendonça, CristinaSince the twentieth century, with the development of behavioural studies, there has been an uprising of research related to cognitive bias. Over the years, there has been an academic focus on the anchoring bias for a plethora of areas, ending up building a robust foundation in its results. However, when targeting a specific type of anchors - the most extreme ones -, the literature fails to reach a consensus, with some authors finding that extreme anchor present stronger effects, while other researchers find no differences when comparing with non-extreme anchors, whereas some results point towards an anchor losing influence when it is used with extreme values. To overcome this dissonance, my research portraits a price-based experiment that analyses the impact of a high anchor compared to an extremely high one, in three characteristically different markets: Consumer Goods; Luxury; and Charity. This approach aims to demonstrate that the main findings in the literature may not be mutually exclusive, but rather a phenomenon that alters within its context. Moreover, an additional analysis is performed to uncaptured the impact of an extreme high anchor on other perceptions of value besides price, namely quality, emotions, and social awareness. The results reveal that extreme high anchors leads to different results compared to high anchors, in the different markets. Furthermore, the additional analysis suggests that the exposure to an extreme high anchor affects different value perceptions depending on the context. All these results may have managerial strategic implications, for instance, when setting pricing strategies.
- AI recommendations : impact of product type and number of options on users’ purchase intention and attitude toward the brandPublication . Ribeiro, Francisca; Mendonça, CristinaIn a time of ever-growing options and information available, the introduction of AI recommender systems in brands’ websites emerged as a guiding tool for users’ decision-making process. While the complexity in consumer information is managed, still little is known about the impact of product type and the number of options of the recommendation in the users’ purchase intention and attitude toward the brand. To uncover the design that leads to a more successful AI recommendation, an experiment was ran with the manipulation of product type and number of alternatives provided. The results confirm the better adequacy of AI recommender systems for utilitarian products, in comparison to hedonic products, regarding purchase intention. As for the number of options, there is no one-size-fits-all rule for all products. However, for utilitarian products, this study suggests that providing larger choice sets of recommendations is beneficial to attain higher purchase intention in the website shops and to generate more favorable attitudes toward the brand. Both the familiarity and the expertise with AI recommender systems showed some positive influence on the findings above, however, much remains to be explored in this topic to understand how to boost the levels of purchase intention and attitude toward the brand.
- Hugo Boss : 2-brand strategyPublication . Duetz, Finn; Reis, RicardoThe area of business adaptive strategies can be applied to several industries. The fashion industry, as a large global industry, consists of a variety of players that choose brand strategies. This paper examines the dynamic brand management strategies of Hugo Boss, focusing on its 2-brand approach. The company has experienced a decline in brand relevance, forcing the company to react. The development of a dynamic strategic framework with a focus on dynamic capabilities implying reinvention and reorganization helped the company to overcome the difficulties. This research provides insights into adaptive strategies in the fashion industry in terms of brand management. The thesis contributes to the understanding of how companies can revitalize themselves in the face of challenges and declining relevance through strategic adaptability. The focus on Hugo Boss' 2-brand strategy serves as a valuable case study that demonstrates the potential for companies to succeed through flexible and dynamic brand management in a highly competitive market.
- Strategic reshoring : a case study of Kinnarps ABPublication . Stål, Lars Jonathan; Reis, RicardoThe beginning of the 2020s posed challenges to the Nordic manufacturing sector, primarily due to COVID-19 and events such as the blockage of the Suez Canal, leading to disruptions in the global supply chain. This thesis explores the strategic response to these challenges through a detailed case study of Kinnarps, a leading Swedish furniture manufacturer, focusing on their adoption of a reshoring initiative. The study highlights the need for reassessing their current manufacturing strategy, particularly regarding location. The case study showcases a step-by-step approach to the reshoring journey and provides insights on navigating this strategic move and achieving desired outcomes. Moreover, it underscores that a Nordic company can enhance operational control and simultaneously improve financial performance through this strategic approach. The findings of Kinnarp's reshoring initiative reveal that they were not only able to mitigate the impacts of supply chain disruptions, but also achieve better operational control, less transportation distances, reduced lead times, and create more efficient systems. This strategic shift also aligns with sustainable business practices, showcasing how companies can navigate modern challenges while improving their sustainable practices. This thesis contributes to understanding reshoring as a viable strategy in global supply chain challenges. The insights gathered from this thesis exemplify an approach for companies navigating similar challenges and are highly important for students in their preparation for the modern business landscape.
- Driving from awareness to purchase intent : Indie Campers’ strategy in the US RV rental marketPublication . Matos, Joaquim Santiago; Xavier, RuteThis dissertation examines strategies to enhance brand engagement for Indie Campers, a Portuguese motorhome rental company present in over 70 locations around the globe. It focuses on increasing brand awareness, consideration and purchase intent while minimizing customer acquisition costs in the US RV rental market. The research employs a blend of primary and secondary research, including data analysis from Indie Campers' database, Google Analytics, a survey, an expert interview, and a benchmarking of its competitors. The study delineates segments within the company's consumer-base through cluster analysis. Additionally, uncovers the company's challenges in influencer partnership, guiding the creation of an evaluation model. Moreover, a benchmark analysis provides insights on the performance of competitors’ strategies. Lastly, a linear regression helps to understand the marketing efforts that significantly enhance consumer engagement. Findings showed that Indie Campers has 4 segments inclined towards sports and outdoor activities. The study also revealed that competitors rely on providing content around influencer collaborations, UGC content, promotions and travelling tips, mostly on Instagram. Additionally, companies with more organic traffic compared to paid traffic performed better in terms of website traffic. Further, according to survey respondents, the most impactful marketing strategy in boosting consumer engagement is brand collaboration between companies from different industries. This paper finishes with recommendations for Indie Campers’ strategies according to the findings.
- Supply chain resilience and risk management : an industry analysis and strategic examination of how logistic companies are making their supply chains more resilient to crisis and disruptionsPublication . Klein, Franz Linus; Rajsingh, Peter V.McKinsey & Company (2023) has characterized the research objective by saying, that “Resilience is the ability to not only recover quickly from a crisis but to bounce back better – and even thrive”. Although it has become an inflationary term that is used in many different areas, it should still be given the utmost consideration, especially in the context of logistics and supply chains. This dissertation addresses aspects of resilience and supply chain risk management in the face of internal and external disruptors to the corporate and operational performance of logistics companies, a subject that has become a frequently debated concern, particularly following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, how can a crisis- proof management be established to ensure resilience against disruptions within the supply chain? To approach the overall subject, a broad examination of the literature served as an initial analysis, which was supplemented by the incorporation of expert assessments in a qualitative research design. A wide spectrum of strategic and operational approaches emerged, which are often driven by innovation, collaboration, and technology, but also include human and environmental aspects such as ethical sourcing and sustainability. Altogether, it has become apparent that only a holistic perspective can provide a promising approach and has potential for a closer examination beyond this dissertation.
- The power of social media : persuasion of greenfluencers regarding sustainable Home Décor in PortugalPublication . Rodrigues, Catarina Maria Malanho Semedo Cardoso; Costa, AnaSocial Media Influencers are believed to be one effective marketing strategy for brands, because they practice their influence on their audience by sharing creative content about their lives while showing products and how to use them, seeming to be regular consumers as well. These Influencers can specify their content in any topic, such as Environmental Sustainability, being called greenfluencers. This dissertation considers greenfluencers in the domain of Home Décor, being a field of recent exponential growth and trending on Social Media. These Influencers’ knowledge can be used to combat the sustainable consumption gap by influencing consumers to adopt more sustainable habits, by means of upcycle and buying environmental friendly products. Based on literature about Social Media Influencers and Sustainability, three characteristics were chosen to evaluate Influencers’ persuasion power: Positioning, Expertise and Popularity. It was expected that from the four created Influencers, the ones with a sustainable position, with sustainable knowledge and lower number of followers would be more persuasive towards Sustainable Home Décor. However, after analyzing the responses of the online survey answered by Portuguese consumers, the results demonstrated that there were no significant main effects on Commercial Impact, besides when adding the covariables Instagram Interactions and Sustainable Shopping, refuting all four Hypothesis. Other findings were valuable to determine the persuasion capacity of greenfluencers in the Home Décor field, and recommendations for future research on this matter were also made.
- Educação social e formação inicial : o lugar da pedagogia socialPublication . Vaz, Cindy Ribeiro; Baptista, Isabel Maria de CarvalhoA presente dissertação foi elaborada no âmbito do curso de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação, da Universidade Católica Portuguesa, área de aprofundamento da Pedagogia Social. A Pedagogia Social define-se como a Ciência da Educação que enquadra os processos de intervenção socioeducativa, sendo como tal reconhecida pelos educadores sociais, enquanto conhecimento profissional de referência. Partindo deste pressuposto, quisemos perceber qual o lugar que a Pedagogia Social ocupa atualmente na formação inicial dos educadores sociais, tendo por base a realidade portuguesa. Para tal, começámos por mapear as Instituições de Ensino Superior com oferta da licenciatura em Educação Social, analisando os seus planos de estudo, os documentos oficiais e os conteúdos de formação das respetivas unidades curriculares conforme surge exposto no primeiro capítulo/artigo. No mesmo sentido, num segundo momento interessou-nos perceber até que ponto a Pedagogia Social constituiu um requisito necessário no âmbito das habilitações para a docência nos cursos de licenciatura em Educação Social atualmente existentes no nosso país, atendendo ao que têm sido as recomendações da Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior (A3ES), conforme surge apresentado no segundo capítulo/artigo. Por fim, quisemos perceber de que forma os atores profissionais, os educadores sociais, reconhecem e valorizam a Pedagogia Social na sua formação inicial, conforme se expõe no terceiro capítulo/artigo. A análise cruzada dos dados recolhidos nos três momentos do estudo, permitem concluir que, em termos gerais a Pedagogia Social encontra uma expressão académica significativa na oferta formativa em Educação Social proporcionada pelas instituições portuguesas, evidenciada nos respetivos planos de estudo e nos perfis formativos do seu corpo docente, ainda que de forma por vezes inconsistente conforme surge assinalado. Concluímos também que esta formação é valorizada pelos atores profissionais que, na sua condição de técnicos de intervenção socioeducativa, se identificam como “pedagogos sociais” detentores de um saber específico, distintivo e relevante.
- Healthcare innovation : challenges and strategies for developing a financially sustainable health insurance product for the senior market in collaboration with AdvanceCarePublication . Arens, Katharina; Xavier, RuteThe Portuguese national health system is strained, causing many individuals to turn to private healthcare. About 20% of the population in Portugal has private health insurance, indicating a market gap for lower-income individuals, especially older people who struggle to find affordable coverage (OECD, 2022). AdvanceCare, a Portuguese healthcare company, provides services and health insurance policies and manages health insurance services between various insurance corporations, clients, and service provider. They aim to develop a health insurance product specifically tailored to the needs of individuals aged 65 and above. This thesis analyzes business opportunities and potential innovations for AdvanceCare in offering such a product. A preliminary framework, which was developed during the project in collaboration with AdvanceCare during September 2022 and January 2023, the "solution layer framework," guides the analysis based on literature and research. The analysis suggests potential in adopting a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) model, introducing a family policy, and utilizing telehealth and digital services to reduce costs and expand coverage. These strategies address the challenges faced by elderly individuals in accessing affordable healthcare while improving services.