Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-01-23"
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- Unraveling the complexities of the role of district managers : an ethnographic studyPublication . Nogueira, Inês; Parada, PedroWithin the contemporary business sphere, the many-sided challenges facing District Managers remain significantly underexplored. Despite the diversity of management portfolios embracing management variables and fundamental functions, a comprehensive understanding of the various obstacles encountered by District Managers in their complex roles remains a considerably understudied domain. Although ethnographic methodologies have demonstrated potential in diverse research contexts, their application to uncover the complexities embedded in the role of in the District Manager in the specific organizational context of a fashion retail business has confront with significant limitations. This study required direct observation involving immersive practical engagement and interactions with a diverse of participants within the company's hierarchical structure. Engagements included interactions with the country manager, two area managers, multiple district managers, saleswomen, and store managers, all situated across varied locations in the central and northern regions of Portugal. Adopting an ethnographic model as an observational sample provides several advantages. This approach enables a profound immersion in scientific documents, facilitating a complete and contextualized comprehension of organizational processes and interactions. Furthermore, participatory observation, promoting greater empathy and understanding of interpersonal dynamics in the work environment. Utilizing a reflective qualitative model, data through observational methods and a diary, this study aims to improve the knowledge of aspiring professionals in the field. Its main objective is to investigate the fundamental dynamics, operational complexities, and organizational challenges encountered by District Managers and other management professionals.
- Modernizing performance appraisal practices : a consulting project for Teixeira Duarte Engenharia e Construções, S.A.Publication . Salgueiro, João; Xavier, RuteA company's performance appraisal model is vital for effective human resources management. In Teixeira Duarte Engenharia e Construções, S.A., the appraisal practices have remained unchanged since their implementation, therefore, there is a need to modernize and improve the appraisal practices within the company. Ensuring it keeps pace with contemporary standards and effectively supports its workforce's growth and development, is extremely important. This study aims to offer insightful recommendations to modernize TDEC's performance appraisal model for its corporate functions. To structure this research, five key questions were formulated, with the initial question exploring the various components and actors involved in performance appraisal models. The study culminates with its most crucial question: "What should TDEC implement and improve in their performance appraisal model?" This question guides the research towards practical, actionable recommendations for modernizing TDEC's appraisal model. This study is sustained by extensive research, focusing on high-quality literature and journals, and complemented by a benchmark analysis of companies both within and outside the construction industry. The methodology primarily involves conducting interviews to collect qualitative data. The study concludes that the current performance appraisal model, based solely on four main criteria, is inadequate. It suggests the introduction of specific sub criteria within each main criterion. Also, the integration of mandatory self-assessment is recommended, recognizing its significant impact on employee evaluations. Furthermore, the implementation of a formal feedback mechanism is advised, addressing a gap in the existing model. These enhancements aim to create a more effective, modern, and comprehensive appraisal model.
- Sustainable mobility in Germany : a spatial approach to integrating photovoltaic installations and parking areas for electric vehicle chargingPublication . Reuter, Ella; Bertani, NicolòThis thesis examines the integration of photovoltaic systems with electric vehicle charging stations in Germany, with the aim of enhancing sustainable mobility and contributing to environmental goals. The study focuses on the strategic placement of charging infrastructure in public and semipublic areas, considering recent regulatory changes that favour photovoltaic-powered stations. In collaboration with Wirelane, a German electric vehicle charging provider, a data-driven approach is employed to identify optimal locations for charging stations, balancing profitability and sustainability. The methodology involves collecting and analysing data from the German Federal Network Agency and OpenStreetMap, covering photovoltaic installations and parking spaces. The study employs the unsupervised learning algorithm K-means clustering, to manage the large datasets and optimise the placement of charging stations relative to photovoltaic installations. This approach enables strategic decision making by identifying locations that are most suitable for the use of solar energy. The results show significant improvements over traditional site selection methods, increasing the profitability and efficiency of Wirelane’s operations, which aligns with Wirelane’s business objectives and contributes to sustainable urban planning. The thesis provides valuable findings into the importance of data-driven strategies in the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and demonstrates how spatial analysis and visualisation techniques can streamline the process, ensuring precision and strategic insight.
- The impact of chocolate limited editions on purchase intention : a study of the sense of exclusivity and perceived quality rolePublication . Fradinho, Madalena; Romeiro, PauloIn the dynamic world we live in, consumers tend to become overwhelmed with the quantity of products available in the market. Limited editions, as the name suggests, are products that have limited availability and could be a good strategy for a company to differentiate its products from its competitors. The aim of this study is to prove and acknowledge how these products could be a good initiative for a company to launch and in which way they influence consumer decision-making. This study only focuses on chocolate limited editions since this was the category chosen from the pre-survey when compared with categories such as beverages, household hygiene, food, and personal hygiene. The main purpose of this master's thesis is to understand if limited editions are perceived differently by shoppers when compared to normal products. To gather information and data for the study, a pre-survey was formulated, followed by a focus group, and finally ending up with the main survey. The main conclusion that all the readers can take from this study is that the communication behind a product with limited quantities of availability doesn´t directly affect the way the consumer is willing to pay for the product. I concluded that limited edition products are not seen as products that offer the customers a sense of exclusivity. Other factors are taken into consideration at the moment of making the purchase decision. Moreover, I also found that chocolate limited editions are not seen as products of higher quality when compared to regular products.
- O artista autodidata no contexto artístico e cultural : uma experiência no estúdio de Killa Was HerePublication . Moita, Carolina Makoldina Brites; Castro, Laura Lucinda OliveiraEste relatório consiste numa síntese do estágio realizado no estúdio do artista plástico Killa Was Here, no âmbito do Mestrado em Gestão de Indústrias Criativas da Universidade Católica Portuguesa do Porto. O estágio teve a duração de 27 semanas. Focou-se no desenvolvimento de diversas ações que incluíram o apoio à criação, produção, gestão e assessoria mediática. Para lá da descrição das ações desenvolvidas, este relatório desenvolveu uma reflexão com vista à compreensão e à problematização do artista autodidata no mercado da arte contemporânea, o processo de legitimação artística, que incluiu uma análise do contexto em que o artista Killa Was Here e a suas obras são validadas. Foi ainda explorada a conceção do artista como uma marca nas indústrias criativas, através de uma análise relativa à construção da respetiva identidade visual.
- The impact of packaging elements on willingness to pay for packaged potato chips and the mediating effect of perceived healthiness and premiumnessPublication . Aguiar, Maria Palma de; Romeiro, PauloThis dissertation investigates the role of packaging elements in influencing consumer healthiness and premiumness perception of packaged potato chips and its impact on willingness to pay. This study has increased importance in an intensely competitive food retail sector, where more than 70% of purchase decisions are made at the point of sale, making packaging a pivotal factor in shaping purchase decisions (Rettie & Brewer, 2000). Drawing on the extensive literature on the effect of verbal and visual elements on consumer behavior, the study proposes to understand how can packaging design choices increase willingness to pay, to what extent it is possible to communicate a product as premium and as healthy with packaging elements and how can those elements influence consumer perception of the product. To address this problem, a mixed research approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research, was employed. Qualitative research was aggregated through a focus group that guided the creation of stimuli for quantitative research – an online survey. Key findings highlight the significant impact of packaging elements on willingness to pay and the importance of the presence of darker colors and verbal elements in packaging design to increase potential money spent. Dark-colored packaging positions the products as premium in consumers’ minds, and lighter and verbal packages convey perceived healthiness. The research contributes to managerial decision-making by providing insights into enhancing profitability, leveraging margins, and effectively positioning products. It offers valuable knowledge beyond the packaged potato chips category, extending implications for a broader snacking industry.
- A responsabilidade dos profissionais de saúde pela utilização de equipamentos potencialmente perigosos : a presunção de ilicitude do médico gastrenterologista na realização de colonoscopias no âmbito do direito privadoPublication . Mendes, Ana Sofia Baeta; Macieirinha, Tiago Meneses MoutinhoO presente estudo tem como objetivo a análise crítica da adoção de uma presunção de ilicitude da conduta do médico gastrenterologista pela doutrina e jurisprudência, no âmbito da responsabilidade civil médica, quando, durante a realização de uma colonoscopia numa clínica privada, se verifica a perfuração do intestino do paciente, sem que tenha sido provada a violação das leges artis. A presente dissertação circunscreve-se à apreciação da responsabilidade civil no âmbito da relação privada da prestação de cuidados de saúde. Não nos debruçaremos sobre os casos em que o paciente recorre a hospitais públicos para efetuar a colonoscopia. Procuramos analisar o procedimento de realização da colonoscopia, a importância que assume no diagnóstico e prevenção do cancro do cólon e do reto, o risco de complicações associadas, bem como os profissionais envolvidos na realização do procedimento. Uma parte da nossa doutrina e jurisprudência considera que a presunção de culpa do artigo 799.º, n.º 1 do Código Civil é assimilável aos demais pressupostos da responsabilidade civil, nomeadamente, a ilicitude. Em sentido contrário, vários autores defendem que o paciente terá de provar a ilicitude da conduta do ato médico, devendo o médico ilidir a presunção de culpa que impende sobre ele. Até 2015, era pacífico na nossa jurisprudência que, se não fosse provado o incumprimento dos deveres objetivos a que o médico está vinculado, não estaria verificada a ilicitude da conduta do profissional. No entanto, seguindo a jurisprudência do Acórdão do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça de 01 de outubro de 2015, relatado pela Conselheira Maria dos Prazeres Beleza, os nossos tribunais tendem a considerar que a ocorrência de uma lesão à integridade física é suficiente para dar como verificada a ilicitude da conduta do médico, sem que tenha sido provada a violação das leges artis. Para ultrapassar esta tendência, procuramos analisar eventuais mecanismos de facilitação da prova da ilicitude do ato médico e identificar formas alternativas de compensação do dano, através do enquadramento da responsabilidade do médico gastrenterologista num mecanismo coletivo de responsabilização.
- The dynamics of corporate leverage in Europe : speed of adjustment across macroeconomic statesPublication . Marques, Rodrigo Afonso; Bonfim, DianaIncorporating economic fluctuations into dynamic capital structure has proven to be predominantly relevant for understanding how these can influence firms’ debt-equity choice. Recent events such as the Global Financial Crisis, the Eurozone Sovereign Debt Crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to intensify volatility in equity markets, government bond yields and inflation, reinforcing the need to consider variations in macroeconomic states when determining firms’ optimal leverage. Recent literature highlights that firms set leverage targets, to which managers realign debt-levels back at different paces, in response to macroeconomic conditions. This paper estimates the speed of adjustment (SOA) towards a target leverage for European firms across 25 countries from 2000 to 2022. Utilizing book and market debt ratios, the sample is divided into different economic states based on GDP growth, term spread, and inflation rate. Through an integrated partial-adjustment model, this study finds that European firms adjust their book-valued ratios faster compared with their market-leverage ratios. The outcomes also indicate that, when using market debt ratios, firms adjust faster during economic expansions marked by GDP growth. Accounting for the potential zero-leverage firms bias, this effect extends to the book-valued sample. The study also reveals that, with market-valued leverage, the SOA was slower during the Global Financial Crisis. Conversely, firms adjusted faster towards their target when employing book debt ratios during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a two-stage model, incorporating a quasi-maximum likelihood estimation method to determine the target leverage, suggests that, when using book debt ratios, firms adjust faster under inflationary pressure.
- Trust in transit : unravel the strategies of peer-to-peer sharing economy firms in emerging marketsPublication . Zirngibl, Lea; Parada, PedroThe research explores effective trust-building mechanisms for peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing economy firms intending to expand to emerging markets. By adopting a qualitative research approach consisting of primary and secondary data, the study combines expert interviews across different fields with a content analysis of existing research on trust-building mechanisms and institutional voids in emerging markets. The study concludes by developing a model illustrating the process of addressing institutional voids within emerging markets and leveraging them as strategic advantages for the P2P sharing firm. Findings underline four essential trust-building mechanisms in emerging markets: reputation systems, localisation, technical in-app mechanisms, and educational content. The study highlights the synergy between the mentioned mechanisms and the strategic filling of institutional voids as part of the business model, maximising consumer trust and consequentially enhancing potential market success. This research contributes theoretical insights by introducing a new perspective that combines trust-building mechanisms with the strategic filling of institutional voids in the peer-to-peer sharing economy. Seeing the significant cultural differences within emerging markets, the research recommends that industry practitioners adapt their business models and strategies to local preferences and needs. Notably, the study underlines the implementation of pilot projects in different areas of the emerging country to establish more effective, culturally aligned services, thereby diminishing risks associated with entering new markets.
- A importância de uma metodologia adaptada sustentada numa transição natural na iniciação ao clarinetePublication . Canudo, Ângela Fidalgo; Magalhães, José Gil Pacheco SoaresO presente relatório foi desenvolvido no âmbito das unidades curriculares Prática Profissional I e Prática Profissional II, incorporadas no Mestrado em Ensino de Música da Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Porto. Encontra-se dividido em duas partes, nomeadamente a primeira, onde se evidenciam as aprendizagens conquistadas ao longo da Prática Profissional (PP), nas áreas de classe de conjunto (M32) e instrumento – clarinete (M04), e a segunda, onde se apresenta toda a informação referente à avaliação e implementação do Projeto de Intervenção Pedagógica, intitulado: A importância de uma metodologia adaptada sustentada numa transição natural na Iniciação ao Clarinete. A prática profissional foi realizada no decorrer do ano letivo de 2022/2023, no Conservatório Artallis, sob a orientação científica do Professor Doutor Gil Magalhães, e sob a orientação cooperante do Professor Ricardo Torres. A escassez de recursos didático-pedagógicos adaptados à iniciação do clarinete, que auxiliem na promoção de autonomia e desenvolvam competências emocionais, sociais e técnico-artísticas, permitindo uma transição mais acessível, quando necessário, de instrumentos alternativos, para clarinete em Si bemol, foi a razão predominante que levou à seleção da problemática para objeto de estudo do presente PIP. De modo a atenuar esta realidade cada vez mais presente no ensino do clarinete, foi concebido um compêndio de exercícios e músicas tradicionais, intitulado O meu primeiro livro Clarinetástico, destinado aos alunos de Iniciação Musical e aos alunos do 1.º Grau do Curso Básico em Instrumento. Com o presente projeto, procurou-se investigar se os alunos que utilizaram o método se sentiram mais motivados no que se refere ao estudo do clarinete em casa, se consideraram o compêndio proporcionador de uma acessível aquisição de aprendizagens e, se realmente conseguiram aprender com maior qualidade e facilidade as aprendizagens essenciais da disciplina de clarinete, desenvolvendo ainda, o gosto pelo instrumento e pela música. O projeto contou com a participação de 4 alunos, que frequentam o curso de Iniciação Musical em clarinete, com idades compreendidas entre os 7 e os 10 anos de idade e com diferentes níveis de iniciação, nomeadamente: aluno A (Iniciação I – 1º ano), alunos B, C (Iniciação II – 2ºano), aluno D (Iniciação IV – 4ºano). A estratégia de investigação empregue foi, fundamentalmente de natureza qualitativa e, consistiu numa abordagem metodológica de aproximação à Investigação-ação (I-A), focada num estudo de caso do CALL. Como técnicas de recolha e produção de dados foram privilegiados a observação direta e participante, os inquéritos por questionários, as notas de campo (registadas no diário de bordo da investigadora) e a análise documental. Anteferiu-se a análise estatística e a análise de conteúdo para interpretar e analisar os dados qualitativos e quantitativos recolhidos durante a investigação.
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