Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-05-02"
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- Robotics in neurosurgery activity : impact in the workforcePublication . Monteiro, Ana Sofia Vinhas; Martins, HenriqueRobotics and Artificial Intelligence are gaining relevance in various industries and healthcare is not different. Even though neurosurgery shows some constraints to the implementation of technology, its demanding nature can also be considered as an opportunity to incorporate more innovation in the workflow, taking some pressure off neurosurgical teams. By reviewing existent literature and conducting interviews with neurosurgeons from different countries, this study aims to explain the impacts of robotics in the human resources and to improve its management when facing these trends. It’s noticeable that surgical teams are evolving, becoming more multidisciplinary. Nevertheless, it was verified that performance management systems are undeveloped what makes unclear how the task distribution will evolve. Apart from that, the need to expedite the synergy between healthcare and external factors that influence it is clear. Keeping this into consideration, implications and recommendations were made, focusing on the development of regulation and on the innovation in the education and management of the “doctor of the future”, with the main goals of not only improving patient care but also the work experience of surgical teams.
- The impact of emotional appeals on consumer behavior depending on collectivism levelsPublication . Lopes, Madalena Maria Vieira; Mendonça, CristinaNowadays, consumers are daily exposed to numerous advertisements. As a result, organizations are becoming more interested in understanding a society’s cultural values and adapt their advertising campaigns accordingly, to enhance the persuasive appeal of their message. To better understand whether different cultural orientations influence consumer behavior in response to emotional appeals, an experimental study was conducted. First, the study investigated whether people with stronger collectivist ideals would react more favorably to emotional appeals focused on society rather than the self, compared to individuals with stronger individualistic ideals. The results contradict established assumptions regarding the relationship between culture orientation and advertising preferences. In addition, despite Portugal’s transition towards lower collectivism levels, Portuguese consumers still prefer advertisements that focus on social values. Secondly, the study examined the impact of age on consumer behavior towards persuasive messages, suggesting that younger consumers would be less impacted by emotional appeals, due to the increase of individualism, than older consumers who have stronger collectivist values. The results validated this hypothesis, suggesting that age ranges significantly influence responses to emotional appeals. The thesis’ results highlight the significance of customized advertising strategies in multicultural situations, especially within the Portuguese market, and deepen the understanding of the diversity in consumer responses to emotional appeals. Additionally, they highlight alternative mechanisms that may influence consumer’s reactions to advertisements beyond cultural orientations.
- Eco-anxiety’s role in information avoidance induced by climate change communicationPublication . Ene, Irina; Carvalho, Rui Filipe Gaspar deFraming messages so that their effectiveness is increased is a crucial “art” in today's world, where the information environment is often overloaded, being increasingly difficult to “catch” individual’s attention and motivate them to act. This is often the case with climate change communication. Hence, this research aimed to analyse how communication framing as a climate crisis or emergency, could reduce or increase the probability of individuals avoiding related information or engage in sustainable behaviour, as a strategy to adapt to climate change. Moreover, the role of eco-anxiety as a moderator of such relationship was also studied, namely as a motivator for defensive information avoidance. To study this, a quantitative method with an experimental design was implemented with 215 participants. Contrary to initial expectations, globally, eco-anxiety did not exhibit significant moderating effects on information avoidance. However, findings indicated that while urgency (crisis / emergency) in climate change messaging did not directly influence information avoidance, it significantly impacted behavioural engagement, particularly among individuals with lower eco-anxiety. The results seemingly indicate that individuals' anxiety levels may need to be taken into consideration, when framing information highlighting the urgency of climate change, to“catch” individuals’ attention and motivate them to act.
- Beyond bias : exploring gender expectations for AI leadershipPublication . Deniz, Medya; Almeida, Filipa deWith the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, the implementation of AI in hierarchical roles is no longer a futuristic scenario, as organizations are beginning to incorporate AI robots into leadership positions. These robots typically possess a human-like appearance, being anthropomorphized and often gendered as female or male. The dissertation aims to investigate whether gender stereotypes, as evidenced in existing literature on gender and leadership, are applied onto potential AI leaders. Addressing this research gap, a survey was conducted in an experimental manner with a sample size of N = 502. The study particularly explores whether the acceptance of an AI leader is influenced by the perceived gender of the AI leader and the workplace setting, while observing the mediator variables communality, agency, trust, and competence. For analysis, partial structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on Smart PLS was utilized. The results indicate that the gender of the AI does not significantly influence its acceptance; rather, acceptance is influenced by mediator variables. This thesis marks a crucial step in addressing a research gap in a burgeoning field, offering a positive outlook for future studies in this area.
- Exploring through uncertainty : the effect of digital and collaborative capabilitiesPublication . Mathues, Emma; Ilseven, EkinThroughout the years, digital technologies significantly changed knowledge management for innovation, as well as communication systems for successful collaboration, both of which contribute to the ability of organizations to operate under uncertainty. Accordingly, in this thesis, I empirically investigate the influence of digital and collaborative capabilities of an organization on its resilience. More specifically, I discuss resilience in the light of exploration, focusing on the development of adaptive and innovative capabilities to thrive in crisis by leveraging opportunities toward strategic renewal. I tested my hypotheses using OLS and FLM regression models with data collected on Fortune 500 companies. The dependent variable, exploration vs exploitation orientation, was acquired through textual content analysis based on Uotila et al (2009). I find a positive influence of digital capabilities on both exploration and collaboration extent, which also has a positive effect of collaborative networks on relative exploration. Findings indicate that external knowledge acquisition through partnerships could lead to enhanced innovation processes and both cultural and structural improvements within the organisation, generating both resources (knowledge base, human and financial sources) and capabilities (anticipation, adaptation and preparation) for resilience. Furthermore, I conducted an exploratory analysis to factor in the exposure to risk due to opening up the organisation’s boundaries to partners. In our dynamic and rather unpredictable environment, it is crucial that managers pay increased attention to the development of resilience capabilities and systems, especially in large corporations like those in Fortune 500, that play a pivotal role in society’s resilience.
- Attrition in weight loss programs : a Bayesian statistics approach for predictive insightsPublication . Menezes, Maria Teresa Cardoso de; Bertani, NicolòIn today’s service-oriented business landscape, client acquisition and retention are imperative, given the significant influence clients wield over service outcomes. This influence is particularly pronounced in prolonged services like weight loss programs, where client motivation towards program completion is crucial for achieving desired outcomes and ensuring customer satisfaction. This thesis investigates factors contributing to attrition in a three-phase weight loss program, leveraging a comprehensive dataset encompassing client registration details, progress tracking, and demographic information. However, the challenge of missing data arises when clients discontinue the program, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the weight loss journey. To address this challenge, a causal approach to missing data imputation is adopted, utilizing Bayesian Statistics to harness the inherent information within the data. Through extensive literature review and methodological exploration, the study sheds light on the reasons for attrition and proposes practical insights into addressing churn issues. Age and weight emerge as significant predictors of program completion, with older individuals exhibiting higher completion rates across all phases. Additionally, the study highlights the nuanced impact of previous program attempts on completion rates. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of attrition in weight loss programs and offers valuable insights into leveraging Bayesian imputation models for predictive analytics in service-oriented contexts.
- The impact of change at management level on job satisfaction : an analysis of takeover by generation Y and ZPublication . Auer, Caroline Maria; Mendonça, Cristina Soares PachecoThis dissertation aims to investigate the impact of a change in management, particularly when there is a generational change to managers of Generations Y and Z, as these two generations will form the majority of available workforces in the labor market in the near future. It also explores whether this changes in the generation of management has a special impact in family-run businesses (FBs) and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which are the drivers of the economy and are characterized by their unique structures. To investigate the effects of a change in management on employee satisfaction, a study was conducted in which participants who had experienced a change in management were asked to report their job satisfaction before and after the change. With a specific selection of ten work aspects of employee satisfaction, an attempt was made to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of FBs and SMEs and ultimately to examine the extent to which such a generational change has an impact on employee satisfaction. The results of the study show that a change in management increases employee satisfaction, but a change in management by Gen Y and Z does not have any particular effect on employee satisfaction. Furthermore, the positive effect of a change in management is more evident in FB than in non-FB, whereas no such difference was found between SMEs snd non-SMEs.
- The impact of interacting with AI in the workplace on employees’ job and life satisfactionPublication . Metzger, Olivia Sophie; Almeida, Filipa deGiven that AI is being implemented in the workplace, it is crucial to understand its impacts on employees’ well-being. While previous research has focused on the negative consequences of AI related to stress and job insecurity, this thesis contributes to research by focusing on the positive implications. Thus, this research aims to investigate the impact of interacting with AI on employees’ job and life satisfaction while considering their attitudes towards AI and applying the JD-R model. The proposed model was tested using a PLS-SEM analysis with 268 participants in a correlational research design. The results showed that interacting with AI is positively and directly correlated with job satisfaction and indirectly influences life satisfaction through the mediating role of job satisfaction. The same can be said about attitudes towards AI and job resources which are positively directly correlated with job satisfaction and indirectly with life satisfaction. No statistically significant effects regarding job demands were found. Moreover, none of the moderation effects of attitudes towards AI, job demands, and job resources could be supported. These findings provide valuable implications for organizations and practitioners seeking to implement AI in the workplace.
- The metaverse relevance, consideration, trust, and impact on purchase intent for beauty industry brandsPublication . Santos, Bruno Veiga dos; Tavares, PedroIt is known that since 2021, internet searches for the term “metaverse” increased by 7,200 percent (McKinsey, 2022) and in 2022, knowledge of the metaverse has grown, with the percentage of individuals claiming to understand its concept increasing from 34% in 2022 to 43% in 2023 (Deloitte, 2023). This paper delves into the dynamic intersection of the metaverse and the beauty industry, exploring its relevance, consideration, trust implications, and impact on consumer purchase intent. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines qualitative insights derived from in-depth interviews with a quantitative analysis through an online survey developed on Qualtrics. Key findings highlight a substantial lack of knowledge concerning the metaverse, including its applications and characteristics. A universal interest in engaging in metaverse activities is identified across various age demographics. Social Interactions, Virtual Events, and Online Shopping emerge as primary activities of interest for potential consumers within the metaverse. Moreover, the research uncovers diverse perceptions and levels of interest in the metaverse across different industries. Notably, despite the metaverse not yet being widely perceived as a purchase platform, gender does not appear to significantly impact the intent to engage in purchases within this digital realm. These insights contribute significantly to understanding the metaverse's impact on consumer behavior, shedding light on its potential implications for the beauty industry. The dissertation offers a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of consumer engagement in the metaverse and provides valuable considerations for beauty industry brands navigating this transformative digital terrain.
- Exploring the influence factors on card fraudPublication . Duarte, Tomás Fróis; Bertani, NicolòMore than 80% of non-cash payments in Portugal are made with cards. Due to this widespread usage of cards, even though fraud levels remain relatively low, fraud might imply non-negligible costs for both payment service users and payment service providers. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing card fraud is essential for formulating policies and measures by competent authorities. This study contributes to the existing literature by conducting a comprehensive examination of the impact of both external and internal factors on card fraud. In this study, the analysis of card fraud is approached from two perspectives: the issuer and the acquirer, both segmented into remote and non-remote transactions. In addition, cash withdrawals are included in the analysis. Fraud is quantified in this study through (i) the average fraud value, (ii) the share of fraud in volume and (iii) the share of fraud in value. Overall, on an internal level, fraud characteristics such as type of fraud, channel type, card function, and the application of strong customer authentication exhibit significant influence on card fraud. Moreover, from an external standpoint, socio-economic factors including the impact of GDP, inflation, unemployment variation, education level, covid-19 and internet access are particularly significant in the linear regression. Therefore, implementing targeted policy measures that address these key determinants can enhance the efficacy of fraud prevention efforts and safeguard financial systems against fraudulent activities.