Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-01-31"
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- Rethinking work : the influence of a four-day workweek on job performance in the construction industryPublication . Struck, Bennet; Rajsingh, Peter V.This study examines the four-day workweek (4DWW) and its effects on job performance in the German construction industry. The aim is to assess the impact of this innovative working schedule on employee performance in a sector known for its demanding working conditions. We used a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews based on a literature review. This allowed us to examine employee perceptions in the industry and provided insights into the impact of the 4DWW. The results showed that the 4DWW improves task and contextual performance, but the impact on adaptive performance remains uncertain. Notably, counterproductive behaviors are reduced, leading to an overall improvement in job performance. Although responses to work-related stress varied, they consistently showed positive effects on job performance. The impact of a 4DWW on work-life balance was mixed but generally positive for job performance. In addition, job satisfaction was significantly improved, and various implementation strategies and recruitment opportunities were identified. Overall, the 4DWW offers several benefits but also has complex effects on construction worker performance.
- Dupes versus original luxury products : the impact of product similarity and opportunity costs on consumers’ purchase behaviors and perceptionsPublication . Breser, Emily Sophie; Colaço, Vera HerédiaThe luxury market has grown steadily in recent years and is expected to continue to grow over the next five years (Statista, 2023b). However, not everyone who wants to consume luxury goods can afford them. As a result, there is a market for counterfeits and dupes. Unlike counterfeits, dupes (the short version of duplicates) are legal and particularly popular on social media. The impact of counterfeits on the economy, governments, and the original brand, as well as the reasons for consumers to buy counterfeits, have already been investigated. However, limited research about dupes exists in these areas. This research focuses on the impact of the product similarity between the dupe and the original product on consumers’ purchase behaviors and perceptions and the moderating role of opportunity costs. The findings of an experimental study show that a high level of product similarity and a low level of opportunity costs lead to a greater willingness to pay. Perceptions about the dupes’ quality also increase when faced with lower opportunity costs. However, results show that price perceptions and purchase intention for the dupe increase with higher opportunity costs. Consumers’ status motive also influences the results. Furthermore, theoretical, and managerial implications are considered. These relate primarily to the marketing activities that brands should focus on for their various target groups.
- Potential digital transformation of the art market : the application of AI machine learning to art authenticationPublication . Kampik, Oskar Konstantin Wilhelm; Rajsingh, Peter V.This thesis explores Machine Learning (ML) for authenticating art. Interpol treats art forgery as a serious crime with the number of forgeries threatening the growing field of art as an investment asset class. Present authentication methods appear to lack efficacy, reducing their ability to address this challenge. The literature review outlines the current state of art authentication, ML and digital transformation. A questionnaire explored the current state of authentication, the diffusion status of AI art authentication as per Rogers (2003), its disruptive potential according Si & Chen (2020), and its potential acceptance according to Venkatesh and Bala (2008). Responses from 65 participants were collected. The findings revealed a growing demand for AI art authentication, with the art market showing awareness and preliminary adoption but not full implementation. Although currently not a disruptive technology, ML has the potential to complement traditional authentication methods but will face acceptance resistance that can be mitigated through strategic interventions. According Hanelt et al's (2020) framework, AI art authentication has the potential to digitally transform the artworld. Conflict of interest: The author is associated with ARTTRD, a company involved in AI art authentication. Despite this, efforts have been made to maintain academic integrity and prevent bias in the research due to this affiliation.
- Estágio BAP Animation Studios : PercebesPublication . Terra, Ana Rita da Silva; Gomes, Sahra Ursula KunzEste documento tem como objectivo o relato de todo o percurso feito, no contexto de estágio curricular, no estúdio BAP Animation Studios. Este foi realizado no contexto da produção da curta-metragem “Percebes”, produzida por Laura Gonçalves e Alexandra Ramires, onde a maioria dos esforços foram aplicados no auxílio da pintura do projecto. Teve como duração 6 meses: de 6 de setembro de 2022 a 17 de março de 2023. Pretende reflectir e descrever todas as tarefas delineadas durante o estágio pelas realizadoras e a integração na equipa multidisciplinar do estúdio. Assim como, a reflexão sobre os processos de construção visuais dos projetos do mesmo. Teve como alvo principal a experiência única de uma dinâmica de trabalho profissional inserida na indústria de animação portuguesa. Aborda também as expectativas iniciais e opiniões finais de quem escolheu estágio como forma de conclusão de Mestrado. Passando pelas ferramentas adquiridas em contexto curricular, na Universidade Católica Portuguesa, que se puderem desenvolver ao longo da estadia no estúdio, assim como as novas ferramentas que acompanharão o percurso profissional futuro.
- Quiet luxury : a new sustainability approach or a modern luxury fashion trend? : examining the influence of quiet versus loud luxury on consumer valuations and adoption of luxury fashion brandsPublication . Kooli, Kenza; Colaço, Vera HerédiaIn the era preceding mass production, individuals possessed considerably fewer clothing and fashion items than in contemporary times. The advent of mass production marked a significant change in the luxury fashion landscape and gave rise to a concern for sustainability, motivated by an expanding recognition of the environmental and ethical challenges associated with the fashion industry. At a time when environmental and social responsibility are paramount, quiet luxury can be a reflection of today's financial climate, unflashy, aesthetically appealing, logo-free, timeless design with high-quality fabrics. Based on previous academic literature, an experimental study was carried out to examine the correlation between the concept of quiet fashion luxury and sustainability, as well as the influence of quiet versus loud fashion luxury on consumer valuations, namely aesthetics, quality, and purchase intention. A moderated-moderation effect of sustainability and conspicuous consumption orientation-CCO was tested on the relationship between the type of fashion luxury (quiet vs. loud) and consumer valuations. Overall results show that quiet and sustainable luxury fashion products are rated more positively than loud and sustainable luxury fashion products. Moreover, moderated-moderation findings show interesting results, which suggest that consumers with high conspicuous consumption orientation levels seem to have higher aesthetic perceptions when exposed to quiet and sustainable luxury fashion products than loud and sustainable luxury fashion products. This research adds a noteworthy and significant contribution to the status, conspicuous consumption orientation, and ethical consumerism literature, highlighting how quiet luxury fashion perceptions are impacted by such traits.
- The WTO fisheries subsidies agreement and ocean sustainabilityPublication . Seabra, Ana Margarida Ferreira Gaspar Pinto de; Campos, Manuel António FontaineThis work starts by analysing the disciplines of the new World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Agreement and then delves deeper into the provisions that did not make it into the final Agreement. Most subsidies granted by governments to the fishing sector encourage overfishing and overcapacity. The agreement includes a prohibition of subsidies to illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, to the fishing of overfished stocks, and a more general prohibition of subsidies to fisheries on the unregulated high seas. Our primary aim is to analyse the contours of the contribution by the WTO to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. This is one of the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations, and the WTO and its Members have been entrusted to reach an agreement to achieve SDG 14.6, contributing to ocean equity and sustainability.
- Como responder a um briefing numa empresa em crecimentoPublication . Romão, Carolina Anjos Teixeira Restani; Sá, Cristina Fernandes Alves deEste relatório apresenta uma descrição das atividades realizadas ao longo do estágio que cumpri na empresa Openbook, no âmbito do Mestrado em Gestão de Indústrias Criativas da Universidade Católica Portuguesa. O estágio decorreu ao longo de 24 semanas, em Lisboa, e focou-se na minha adaptação à dinâmica empresarial, destacando as necessidades de um briefing evidente, capaz de transparecer a identidade de marca empresarial sólida. A compreensão e desenvolvimento desta entidade revelam-se fundamentais para explicar a necessidade de um briefing. Com o objetivo de melhor compreender o tema em análise, os trabalhos desenvolvidos neste âmbito levaram-me a uma análise aprofundada sobre a forma como um briefing bem elaborado desempenha um papel essencial na comunicação da identidade empresarial, contribuindo diretamente para o seu crescimento, impulsionado pela inovação, em adaptação aos mercados desejados. Ao longo do estágio, foram consolidados conhecimentos fundamentais para a construção de um plano estratégico com uma estrutura sólida e eficiente. Associado a este tema, a relevância da Cultura Organizacional é discutida, evidenciando como os valores e práticas internas influenciam diretamente os resultados desejados, bem como, a existências de departamentos como recursos humanos e marketing, duas contribuições diretas na dinamização organizacional. A análise avança para a discussão sobre os Projetos Desenvolvidos, onde se exploram as ideias e conceitos resultantes da aplicação prática do briefing. Destaca-se o impacto do design gráfico, demonstrando como a comunicação eficaz contribui para a coesão interna e perceção externa da marca.
- Fashioning body positivity : consumer perceptions and purchase behaviour in the realm of body positive fashion brands, considering body image and body acceptancePublication . Kowald, Vanessa; Colaço, Vera HerédiaThe rise of the body positivity movement within the fashion industry causes shifting consumer beliefs and attitudes. Evaluating self-appearance and acceptance emerges as a compelling and integral facet of consumer behaviour in this context. Consequently, this dissertation aims to ascertain the influence of the type of advertisement (body positive vs. stereotypical) on consumer perceptions, and purchase behaviour toward brands. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of body image and the mediating role of body appreciation on the relationship between the type of advertisement and consumers’ perception and purchase behaviour. The results derived from an experimental study, indicate a positive impact of body positive advertisement on brand perceptions and purchase behaviour. With decreasing levels of body image, increased differences between stereotypical and body-positive advertisements emerge on perceived ethicality, purchase intentions, and WTP. Specifically, the positive effect on the variables is strongest at low levels of body image when presented with body positive advertising. However, body acceptance falls short in terms of mediating consumer perceptions and purchase behaviour. Yet, belief congruence has shown to be an alternate mediating factor that influences brand perceptions and purchase behaviour, advocating for aligning consumers' beliefs with advertising messages within the context of body positivity. These results yield insightful perspectives on purpose-driven branding and consumer behaviour, which highlights the influence of body positivity in advertising. Furthermore, it shows the interplay between the evaluation of one’s own appearance and decision-making, emphasizing the imperative for marketers to consider this aspect when developing campaigns targeted at final consumers.
- Agricultural commodities reimagined : the disruptiveness of blockchain technologyPublication . Keblikaitė, Aistė; Rajsingh, Peter V.Agricultural commodities not only feed the world’s growing population but are also essential for building the economy. This thesis explores the disruptive potential of Blockchain technology in the agricultural commodity industry. It examines industry challenges and analyzes how Blockchain can revolutionize this commodity market. A mixed methods approach, including quantitative and qualitative data gathering, provided insights into industry perspectives and readiness for Blockchain technology adoption. The findings showed very low adoption levels due to persistent doubts about the technology and lack of overall readiness. Despite recognizing potential benefits, experts identified numerous barriers such as technological immaturity or unclear regulatory environments. Nonetheless, experts confirmed its potential for transforming post-trading, risk management and trade finance processes. Finally, although Blockchain technology has transformative potential, it is unlikely that it will be a short-term disruptor in the agricultural commodity industry. Instead, it more likely will take the role of being more of a sustaining innovation with early majority or late majority adopters.
- Difficulties implementing continuous improvement initiatives in SMEsPublication . Baier, Robin; Rajsingh, Peter V.Constant Improvement initiatives offer a significant potential to improve quality and operational efficiency in enterprises but often fail to be implemented effectively to achieve desired results. Since enterprises of different sizes face different problems with implementation, small- to medium-sized companies are looked at in more detail within this thesis. The most common theoretical approaches used for implementation are Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, and Lean Manufacturing. These frameworks have a high failure rate, which enterprises should analyze and minimize before implementation. Specialists in the field of continuous improvement from different organizations have been interviewed, questioning the reasons for failures in their enterprise. The main issues that cause an initiative to fail are divided into Motives and Expectations, Culture and Environment, Management Leadership, Implementation Approach, Training, Project Management, Employee Involvement Levels, and Feedback and Results. Employee involvement level, Motives and Expectations, and Organisational Culture and Environment have been analyzed as the most impactful. The actions to decrease the failure rate depend on the individual enterprise. Although three different categories are mentioned, most failures in small- to medium-sized enterprises can be traced back to the education and knowledge of employees and managers.