Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-06-25"
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- The nursing practice environment and job satisfaction, intention to leave, and burnout among primary healthcare nurses: a cross-sectional studyPublication . Lucas, Pedro; Jesus, Élvio; Almeida, Sofia; Araújo, Beatriz; Costa, Patrícia; Cruchinho, Paulo; Teixeira, GiselaBackground: The nursing practice environment significantly influences nurses’ job satisfaction, turnover, and burnout; therefore, it is essential to promote favorable environments to ensure the retention of qualified professionals. Improving the nursing practice environment is a low-cost organizational strategy associated with satisfaction, retaining professionals, and reducing burnout. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the nursing practice environment and job satisfaction, turnover, and burnout among primary healthcare nurses in Portugal. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was carried out based on data from the RN4CAST Portugal Project. The Nurse Survey Instrument (Core Nurse Survey) of the RN4Cast Project (2018) was used for data collection. The sample consisted of 1059 nurses from fifty-five health center groups in mainland Portugal, fifteen health centers in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, and six health centers in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. Results: Primary healthcare nurses in Portugal rated the nursing practice environment as unfavorable or mixed, with an average (x) of 2.5 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.4), which is associated with lower job satisfaction, with an average of 2.0 (SD = 0.4), moderate intention to leave, with 40.3%, and low levels of burnout, with an average of 1.6 (SD = 0.8). There was also a negative correlation between the nursing practice environment and burnout (r = −0.28) and its dimensions. Emotional exhaustion (r = −0.35) represents the individual dimension of stress and physical exhaustion, corresponding to feelings regarding the depletion of emotional and physical resources, depersonalization (r = −0.18) represents the interpersonal context dimension of burnout, and a lack of personal accomplishment (r = −0.15) represents the self-assessment dimension of burnout and refers to feelings of incompetence and a lack of confidence and self-efficacy at work. Conclusions: The quality of the work environment is associated with greater job satisfaction and a reduction in burnout. For this reason, improving the work environment has therefore been associated with increased job satisfaction and reduced burnout among primary healthcare nurses, promoting nurse retention and the well-being of healthcare teams.
- E viveram felizes para sempre... : a receção dos remakes live-action da DisneyPublication . Fernandes, Laura Martins; Fonseca, Isadora de AtaídeThis study aims to critically analyze audience perceptions of Disney’s live-action remakes, with a focus on The Little Mermaid (2023) and Peter Pan & Wendy (2023). When Disney began adapting its classic animated films into live-action remakes, the studio followed representation policies, which led the films to become contested objects among audiences. Through a qualitative approach involving the analysis of film narratives, social media comments, and opinion pieces by professional critics, it was found that audience perceptions are polarized. The study found that audience perceptions varied widely—while some sought to separate characters' physical appearance from their core identity, others called for greater diversity. These differing views were shaped by factors such as nostalgia, expectations of faithfulness to the source material, and concerns about representation.
- Do diversified portfolios effectively hedge inflation and volatility risks?Publication . Peixoto, Luís Carlos Lemos Mouta; Schliephake, EvaThis paper investigates the effectiveness of a set of assets and asset allocation strategies in hedging inflation risk, market volatility risk and their joint risk. Using monthly returns data between 1980 and 2024 for 15 different assets – including Stock Indexes, Bonds, Commodities, Real Estate Indexes, and currency pairs - I build naively or through optimization 18 portfolios, constrained to transaction costs and no short-selling. Inflation Rate is based on Consumer Price Index and estimates of volatility on the monthly returns of the MSCI World Index. The methodology extends the Modern Portfolio Theory by introducing a three-dimensional efficient surface that incorporates expected return, and the sensitivities to inflation and volatility, and then comparing it with traditional allocation strategies. Hedging effectiveness is assessed through linear regressions using models with expected and unexpected components of inflation and volatility, lagged realized values of the two variables, and conditional volatility from a GARCH (1,1) model. Further robustness tests are made by including standard factor models such as FF3, Carhart and FF5. The study is validated by the orthogonality and the ambiguous Granger-causality of the two main sources of risk studied in this paper. I find that none of the assets or portfolios is an effective hedge of inflation and its components. I also find that individual assets are unable to perfectly hedge volatility and just a few portfolios can do so, but none does so in a consistent statistically significant manner.
- The impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion fashion advertising on trustworthiness and purchase intention and the moderating role of social dominance orientationPublication . Werner, Luisa Marie; Mendonça, CristinaThis study examined the effectiveness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-focused advertising in the fashion industry in terms of advertising trustworthiness and purchase intention and how this effect is moderated by social dominance orientation. Using a between-subjects experimental design delivered in an online survey, 233 participants were randomly assigned to either a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-focused or a non- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-focused advertisement. The results show that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-focused advertising significantly increased both trust and purchase intention. The moderation analysis further revealed that this effect depended on the participants' social dominance orientation level. While Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion messages positively influenced consumers with low or moderate social dominance orientation levels, the effect decreased at higher social dominance orientation levels and was no longer significant. The study contributes to the literature on advertising and consumer behavior in decision- making. It also offers practical guidance for fashion industry marketers who want to incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion values into their strategic brand communication. These findings highlight the relevance of psychological variables such as social dominance orientation in decision-making research. Future research should examine other psychological factors, like moral identity or value orientation, to gain a more nuanced understanding of the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion content on decision-making.
- Ambiente de prática do enfermeiro gestor em contexto de cuidados hospitalares: scoping reviewPublication . Nascimento, Ana; Jesus, Elvio; Araújo, BeatrizIntrodução: Os enfermeiros gestores têm um papel fundamental nas organizações de saúde, em particular, na promoção de ambientes de prática favoráveis para os enfermeiros na prática clínica. No entanto, o conhecimento sobre o seu próprio ambiente de prática está pouco explorado. Objetivo: Mapear a evidência científica sobre o ambiente de prática do enfermeiro gestor em contexto de cuidados hospitalares. Métodos: Esta revisão seguiu a metodologia do Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) e foi elaborada de acordo com as orientações PRISMAScR. Foi efetuada uma estratégia de pesquisa exaustiva em três fases nas bases de dados CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Index e RCAAP. Foram incluídos estudos em inglês, português e espanhol, sem restrições de tempo. Resultados: Foram incluídos 19 estudos, representando as perspetivas de 2.072 enfermeiros gestores em contexto hospitalar. A maioria dos estudos teve origem nos Estados Unidos (74%), sendo a investigação quantitativa a metodologia mais comum (68%). Conclusão: A melhoria do ambiente de trabalho dos enfermeiros gestores através do apoio organizacional, do desenvolvimento da liderança e da gestão da carga de trabalho é crucial para melhorar a retenção de enfermeiros, a satisfação no trabalho e a qualidade dos cuidados. A investigação futura deve investigar a relação entre os ambientes de trabalho dos enfermeiros gestores e os resultados nos enfermeiros na prática clínica, a fim de informar estratégias de gestão baseadas na evidência.
- Assessing the viability of Arctic shipping under climate change : a business case for Hapag-LloydPublication . Pabel, Lisa Marie Sophie; Nogueira, MiguelMaritime shipping is increasingly affected by disruptions, especially due to the growing vulnerability of key maritime chokepoints. Large trade volumes are impacted as services from Asia to Europe are forced to re-route via much longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, following ongoing rebel attacks leaving the Suez Canal non-navigable. At the same time, climate change is altering maritime conditions, potentially opening the Arctic as a new trade corridor. This thesis investigates the feasibility and economic viability of adopting Arctic routes for Hapag-Lloyd AG’s Asia-Europe liner services over the next two decades, focusing on operational cost efficiency and navigational risk. Projections of sea ice conditions under a best-and worst-case climate scenario were translated into navigational risk indices and a least-cost path algorithm was applied to compute the safest and most cost-effective Arctic routes. The feasible Arctic passages were then compared against the traditional Suez Canal and Cape of Good Hope routes in terms of cost-competitiveness. Results show that while Arctic routes could offer substantial distance and absolute cost savings, Hapag-Lloyd AG’s current fleet - composed entirely of Open Water vessels - cannot safely access these routes under current and projected ice conditions. Polar Class vessels would offer sufficient ice navigation capability, but their lower capacity leads to unfavorable per-unit (TEU) economics. Additionally, seasonally limited and volatile navigable periods limit the strategic relevance of the Arctic corridor. While regular navigation on the Arctic routes is judged non-viable for Hapag-Lloyd AG, the trend towards improving accessibility highlights the need for continuous monitoring.
- Unravelling the benefits of thermal water for oral healthPublication . Correia, Maria J.; Lopes, Sara; Morgado, Susana; Gomes, Ana T. P. C.; Lopes, Pedro C.; Veiga, NélioThermal waters (TW) have been valued since ancient times for their unique properties. Sulfurous TW treat dermatological conditions and respiratory infections, while chlorinated TW aid healing, bone health, and digestive function through anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects. Despite limited studies on TW, research highlights their antioxidant, anti-allergic, and anti-inflammatory effects, including reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. In France, TW is widely used for therapeutic purposes, including oral mucosa diseases (OMD) like aphthous ulcers, lichen planus, and gingivitis, applied via gargles and sprays. Notably, Buccotherm®, developed by Castéra-Verduzan, offers oral hygiene products targeting periodontal disease, xerostomia, halitosis, and oral inflammation. In Portugal, TW are highly regarded, with their use supported by the National Health Service (SNS) and regulated by legislation to ensure quality standards. Although most thermal centers address respiratory and musculoskeletal conditions, none of the Portuguese TW have been tested for treating OMD or other oral conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of thermal water therapy on the oral health of the participants, assessing parameters such as plaque index, gingival bleeding index and periodontal probing depth as well on the perception of symptoms of oral mucosa diseases (OMD). In this observational, longitudinal and comparative study 90 thermalists were randomly allocated to two treatment groups for 14 days: Thermal sulfuric natural mineral water of the Amarante Thermal baths group (TW_TA group) (n = 45) or saline solution (control group) (n = 45), in May 2022. The study was based on clinical observation and application of a self-response questionnaire involving sociodemographic data and quality of life assessment. The evaluation was carried out in 2 different moments: before and at the end of treatment (14 days). This work showed that thermal water promoted significant improvements in oral health parameters, namely a reduction in gingival bleeding and a reduction of the plaque levels. Quality of life related to OMD also improved after thermal treatment. While the interaction between treatment and control groups was not statistically significant, there was a clear overall reduction in symptoms, indicating the beneficial effects of thermal treatment.
- Exploring the impact of foreign language use on managerial decision-making : a qualitative study with German-speaking managersPublication . Kürbis, Lea-Marie Annette; Mendonça, CristinaAs global business becomes increasingly multilingual, understanding how foreign language use affects decision-making is essential. This study investigates how managers in a multinational company perceive the influence of the foreign language effect on cognitive processing, risk perception, emotional engagement, and moral judgment. Using semi-structured expert interviews with 15 native German-speaking managers who regularly use English at work, the study employs qualitative content analysis to explore how foreign language use is perceived to shape different aspects of managerial decision-making. While many participants appeared to experience stable cognitive and emotional engagement across languages, others described slower reasoning, greater deliberation, or more restrained communication 3 particularly in unfamiliar or high-stakes contexts. These findings suggest that subtle yet meaningful changes might have occurred in both decision outcomes and the processes by which decisions were made and communicated. Cultural norms may have exerted a more substantial influence on ethical judgments than language, and linguistic confidence appears to be a relevant but insufficiently examined variable. The study expands the current literature by offering context-sensitive insights that challenge the generalizability of experimental foreign language effect findings. It emphasizes the importance of considering language proficiency and organizational context when assessing foreign language use in managerial decision-making in research and practice. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of raising awareness about these often-overlooked dynamics and encouraging the integration of language-sensitive reflection and training into managerial practice and future research.
- Navigating uncertainty : quantifying residual load and enhancing portfolio resilience for EDP PortugalPublication . Rauser, Daniel Marco; Nogueira, MiguelDecarbonizing the energy sector is crucial to achieve climate goals set by international agreements. Energias de Portugal (EDP), which relies heavily on renewable energy, may face significant challenges due to increased potential variability and uncertainty in energy generation caused by climate change. These changes significantly influence the residual load, which is formally defined as the difference between total electricity demand and renewable energy supply. The thesis employs an innovative methodology that uses climate data with advanced predictive analytics to first assess EDP9s current residual load and later estimate future residual loads and its implications until 2045. It is novel in integrating different data, including company-specific data, high resolution climate data amongst others, to provide climate scenario risk assessments. Simulations are conducted to explore strategic mitigation paths such as energy storage expansion, optimizing investments, or bitcoin mining for excess energy utilization. The results show increased residual load in the future, mainly influenced by intensified climate extremes, including anticipated droughts that significantly affect hydropower production, which makes up 75% of EDP9s generation portfolio in severe climate scenarios. The originality of the study is in translating climate risks into interpretable financial terms for EDP and providing concrete recommendations for strategic adaptation especially concerning portfolio expansions. While EDP's current investments, including large-scale batteries and diversified renewable assets, are increasing resilience, this research quantifies further diversification. Ultimately, this thesis highlights the need for proactive, data-driven planning to ensure long term financial stability and operational reliability of renewable-centric energy providers in a climate-uncertain future.
- Decoding blame : the effect of humanizing AI on responsibility attribution in financial decision-makingPublication . Zwingelberg, Alexander Alfons; Mendonça, CristinaThe steadily growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the financial service industry offers new opportunities for automation of processes, but also challenges traditional human centric advisory models. Robo-advisors are replacing face-to-face customer interactions; thus, it becomes more important than ever to understand how individuals assign responsibility in joint decision-making processes between humans and AI. Perhaps one of the factors that can influence these judgments is anthropomorphism: the human tendency to attribute human-like characteristics, such as emotions or intentions, to non-human agents like AI. This master’s thesis examines how anthropomorphic design cues and decision outcomes (success vs. failure) influence responsibility attributions in AI-assisted financial decisions. Drawing on attribution theory, a 2×2 between-subjects experiment (N = 366) was conducted in which participants interacted with a simulated financial AI advisor applying two levels of human-likeness. After the service encounter, participants rated the extent to which they felt the AI and themselves were responsible for the decision outcome. Findings reveal that participants overall attributed more responsibility to themselves than to the AI. Contrary to expectations, a more human-like AI did not significantly affect the level of responsibility assigned to the AI. The results suggest that responsibility attribution depends on various internal and external factors, such as perceived task complexity and locus of control. In addition, outcome valence only influenced the responsibility assigned to the AI, but not to the participants. Summarized, the results of this dissertation highlight the complex psychological mechanisms of interactive decision-making between AI and humans.