Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-01-26"
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- Employee share ownership plans in start-up companies : motivations, challenges and implementation issuesPublication . Gottmann, Luise Regina Marie Wilhelmine Hedwig; Lancastre, FilipaIn the ever-evolving landscape of modern business and entrepreneurship, start-ups have emerged as dynamic and innovative enterprises that challenge traditional norms. Despite their potential for disruptive innovation and agile adaptation, start-ups face many challenges, particularly in attracting and retaining talent. To meet this challenge and compete with established companies for highly skilled employees, start-ups are increasingly turning to Employee Stock Ownership Programmes (ESOPs). These ESOPs are a compensation option for companies that allow employees to become shareholders in the company, often issued as part of their overall compensation package. Building on the existing literature, this study confirms established motivations for the adoption of ESOPs, such as employee motivation, the use of ESOPs by start-ups to supplement resource constraints, and the desire to align corporate interests. The study provides new theoretical insights and perspectives, with regard to the challenges faced by founders in adopting ESOPs. In particular, knowledge asymmetry among employees and the complexity of achieving transparent practices play an important role. By providing insights into the standard of vesting periods and the size of the ESOP pool in the start-up landscape, the study also allows for managerial input. Based on nine semi-structured interviews with founders actively involved in the design of ESOPs, the study offers nuanced insights into strategic choices, challenges and potential impacts on start-up culture.
- Harmonising migration : an analysis of points based systems adapting the best practices from Canada, Australia, and the UK for a unified European Union immigration frameworkPublication . Gonçalves, António Maria Paiva e Silva Pinto; Matias, Gonçalo SaraivaThis thesis delves into the intricate landscape of immigration policies, specifically focusing on the Points Based Systems (PBS) employed by Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Each of these countries has pioneered unique PBS mechanisms, reflecting their socio-economic needs and migration objectives and I hope that by dissecting the strengths and disadvantages of each system it will be possible to extract the best practices and potential pitfalls. The ultimate aim is to utilise these insights into a proposal for a unified European Union Points Based immigration system. I will attempt to comparatively analyse these three systems, while drawing parallels and contrasts between distinct national contexts and the diverse socio-political landscape of the EU, aspiring to provide a roadmap for EU policymakers. By combining the advantages of established systems and circumventing the identified challenges, the envisioned EU PBS seeks to foster efficient, equitable and strategic immigration policies that align with the EU’s broader objectives and values, in the light of articles 79 and 80 of the TFEU.
- The impact of artificial intelligence on the banking and financial sector’s strategic decision-makingPublication . Carvalho, Mariana Pereira Pinto de; Lancastre, FilipaThis dissertation explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on decision-making processes within the banking and financial sector. The investigation delves into the potential of AI, its existing constraints, and the imperative human skills and considerations for its integration. This research collected data from 15 in-depth qualitative interviews, after which resulted numerous findings. Evidence shows that AI has an influential role in reshaping decision-making in the banking industry by addressing operational efficiencies and redefining the roles within the sector. Moreover, it is noticeable AI’s dual impact on streamlining operations and boosting human strategic knowledge by allowing people to focus more on challenging tasks instead of routine and repetitive chores. While data suggests AI’s instrumental role in data analysis and process automation, also underscores the complementary collaboration between humans and AI, since the technology serves as a supportive tool rather than a replacement. Further, the research also identifies technological constraints, data limitations, and ethical considerations as critical challenges in AI implementation, emphasizing the need for transparent communication, quality data, and AI-focused education for professionals. Some of the highlighted ethical and regulatory challenges include privacy concerns, data bias and veracity, and accountability, which shape the evolving landscape of decision-making in the industry. According to the findings, the future outlook of AI in the banking and financial sector delves into the integration of both human expertise and AI capabilities as the optimal approach for maximizing benefits. New skillsets will emerge and grant a faster evolution and effective collaboration.
- Millennials’ purchase intention of cruelty-free cosmetics : the mediating and moderating effects of attitude, altruism and knowledgePublication . Gris, Mariana; Bicho, MartaCruelty-free cosmetics tend to evoke highly favourable attitudes and behaviours. Indeed, the millennial generation, recognised as the largest and most influential consumer segment, has driven a shift towards more conscientious consumption, notably in the demand for ethical cosmetics. Consequently, to enhance consumer appeal, companies are increasingly exploring certification label attributes that symbolise their abstaining commitment from animal testing. This research strives to understand millennials’ intention to purchase cruelty-free cosmetics, emphasising the mediating effect of attitudes towards cruelty-free cosmetics, and the moderating effects of both consumers altruism and knowledge of such cruelty-free labels, utilising a moisturiser cream as an example. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed method, combining a focus group for stimulus development with an online questionnaire featuring three stimuli randomly assigned to each respondent. Key findings indicate that the presence of a cruelty-free logo significantly influences consumers’ purchase intention, with certified cruelty-free logos yielding more positive intentions to purchase compared to uncertified logos. However, the results suggests that neither attitude serves as a mediator nor knowledge and altruism act as moderators in the model. In conclusion, this study provides cosmetic brands’ managers and marketers with valuable insights on enhancing consumers purchase intention, by incorporating cruelty-free labels, particularly those certified by independent entities.
- Trustworthy artificial intelligence : the impact of certification labels on end-users’ trust and intention to usePublication . Glaum, Joana; Almeida, Filipa deWith the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, concerns about their trustworthiness have emerged. Therefore, this dissertation explores the critical issue of trust in AI and introduces certification labels as a method to enhance end users' trustworthiness perceptions of AI. To uncover whether a certification label for trustworthy AI (TAI) has the potential to increase end-users’ trust in and the acceptance of AI systems, two experimental studies were conducted in the scope of this research. Study 1 found that a certification label for TAI can have a positive impact on end-users’ trust in and the acceptance of AI systems. Study 2 identified that transparently communicating the requirements used for the certification on the certification label translates into higher levels of trust in the AI system. Moreover, it was examined that the requirement Transparency was perceived as most important regarding AI trustworthiness. The results from these studies have clear implications for policymakers, developers, and organizations that seek to enhance the trustworthiness of AI, suggesting that certification labels for TAI are an effective method to communicate trustworthiness of AI systems to end-users and thereby to increase the acceptance of their AI-based products and services. Considering the potential competitive advantage of embedding TAI in products and services, the dissertation underscores the relevance of TAI in shaping the future landscape of AI technologies. Further, the findings also complement the knowledge on labels (in general) and the effectiveness of different label designs.
- The influence of leaders’ life cycles and their surroundings on their use of transformational leadershipPublication . Lourenço, Diogo; Saldanha, Maria FranciscaThis thesis investigates the influence of a leader’s life cycle and their surroundings on their use of transformational leadership. The purpose of this work was to understand whether relevant personality and life cycle variables impact leaders’ engagement in transformational leadership behaviour. Using a mixed methods research, findings suggest that there are some relevant life cycle variables, such as having a mentor and moments of higher caring for another individual, that are related to leaders’ use of a transformational leadership style.
- Sustainable business model innovation and the barriers of implementation within the manufacturing landscape in GermanyPublication . Langejürgen, Maximiliane; Lancastre, FilipaThis thesis examines the challenges that hinder the successful implementation of sustainable business model innovation (SBMI) within the manufacturing industry in Germany. The focus on Germany is motivated by its robust manufacturing sector, offering a distinctive context for exploring the complexities of adopting SBMI. As sustainability continues to gain traction in all areas of life, including in business, adopting sustainable practices becomes more important than ever. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, including 14 in-depth interviews with sustainability managers and CEOs of German manufacturing companies, provided valuable insights. Continuing with a textual analysis, the study reveals a multifaceted landscape of barriers across various dimensions. Identified challenges include human-centered issues like cultural beliefs, shareholder pressure and resource constraints. Additionally, the study identifies organizational barriers related to holistic culture integration and process improvement. Furthermore, challenges emerging from dynamic market conditions and regulatory issues at both national and global levels were recognized. The research also highlights supply chain complexity and impact measurement challenges, in particular software, metrics and reporting structures. The findings confirm the existing literature while also making new contributions to the area. New contributions are among others the relevance of human-centric challenges such as diverse beliefs and norms. Additionally, the research reveals the importance of establishing appropriate long-term partnerships. To overcome these barriers, organizations must move beyond incremental approaches to embrace holistic change across the enterprise and consider its broader context. Achieving this transformation demands a fundamental shift in the organization's conceptualization of business purpose, requiring a comprehensive reengineering of business processes.
- TikTok's influence on entertainment consumption intention in PortugalPublication . Medeiros, Ana; Borges, MónicaCurrently, the presence of the internet and, more specifically, social media, plays an important role in consumers' day-to-day lives. Marketing strategies have had to evolve to better adapt/adjust to social media and subsequently communicate effectively with their target audience. This phenomenon gained even more importance when, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new communication/social media platform emerged, gaining prominence: TikTok. Despite the vast literature on social media, the specific approach to TikTok, especially in Portugal, is quite limited, particularly concerning studying its influence on the entertainment consumption intention of its users. This study explores the relationship between 5 influencing factors of TikTok and the intention to consume entertainment products in Portugal. Based on 7 research hypotheses and their subsequent testing, primary data was collected through a survey divulged online. The hypotheses were tested using the multiple linear regression model and Andrew F. Hayes' PROCESS v4.1 macro. The results indicate that viral content and the influencers' knowledge (expertise) influence the intention to consume, and, on the other hand, time spent on the platform, emotional content, and trust in TikTok's influencers are not statistically significant. Gender, although not statistically significant, as a moderating variable, reveals behavioral trends. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of TikTok in influencing the consumption of entertainment products, identifying key factors that impact this relationship.
- Optimizing innovation through collaboration : key success factors in strategic alliances of multinational corporationPublication . Seyfarth, Verena; Lancastre, FilipaIn the dynamic landscape of multinational corporations, the effective management of strategic alliances is important to unlock the full innovation potential. However, the reality reveals that over half of all strategic alliances fail. While existing literature has examined various factors contributing to successful alliance management in general, none of the literature discusses the particular type of strategic alliance. This study contributes to the literature by narrowing down the focus on strategic alliances between multinational corporations for innovation. Given the complexity of these alliances and the highly specialized nature of the subject, it can be beneficial to further discover this topic. To address this gap, this study conducted 19 in-depth, qualitative interviews with representatives from different multinational corporations actively engaged in strategic alliances for innovation. The research identifies key success factors for managing these special alliances, surpassing existing findings, and uncovering additional practices. These include the time intensive process of building trust, the significance of fostering awareness of the alliance's benefits within corporations, active engagement of all stakeholders, and understanding each partner's strengths and contributions to the collaboration. A notable novelty lies in the assessment of collaboration, demonstrating the importance of a holistic measurement approach and practical implementation. Furthermore, the study presents a framework for the successful management and maintenance of strategic alliances among multinational corporations for innovation.
- Introducing a modern milk man in Germany? : drivers and barriers for the adoption of reusable packaging systems in Germany : the case of the reusable packaging platform LoopPublication . Hamphoff, Carola Marie; Rita, Miguel FontesThis thesis investigates the potential adoption of a reusable packaging system, exemplified by Loop, on the German market. With the increasing importance of sustainability awareness on the rise, the study aims to determine the attitudes and preferences of German consumers towards the introduction of Loop. The platform Loop offers a circular economy approach and represents an innovative solution in line with a regulatory environment that emphasizes the reduction of single-use plastic in Germany. To measure consumer acceptance and improve the adoption process, the study examines the drivers and barriers, as well as the profile of German consumers considering Loop as an alternative. Through in-depth interviews and an online survey, German consumers express awareness of the importance of sustainability, but highlight challenges such as limited alternatives and cost issues. The initial impressions of Loop are positive, although with concerns about convenience, hygiene, and costs. What drives the adoption of Loop forward is the pro-sustainable attitude of Germans, their willingness to pay for that and their familiarity with existing return systems. The study provides insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and potential barriers. These findings provide valuable guidance for companies and policymakers looking to introduce sustainable packaging, specifically, reusable packaging systems, with the awareness of consumer expectations and addressing concerns about the adoption process.