Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-07-02"
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- Parental satisfaction in short-stay pediatric emergency unit: a cross-sectional, descriptive and observational studyPublication . Antunes, Vanessa; Pereira, Paula; Cardoso, Tatiana; Pereira, Célia; Ladeira, Miguel; Antunes, Ricardo; Loureiro, Fernanda
- O planeamento do turismo nas cidades sustentáveisPublication . Marques, Ana Margarida Andrade; Oliveira, Fernanda PaulaA presente dissertação visa analisar um tema de relevo incontornável a nível global: o turismo. Face à ausência de um planeamento urbanístico adequado e do crescimento incessante da atividade turística, questionamos: estarão as cidades devidamente planeadas para enfrentar os desafios inconstantes do turismo? Entre os diversos impactos negativos do turismo, nos centros urbanos, destaca-se uma das questões mais complexas e prementes, a dualidade existente entre a habitação permanente e o alojamento local, que origina conflitos e contradições na gestão do território. Contudo, a solução reside no princípio de desenvolvimento territorial sustentável, que reúne e harmoniza os interesses económicos, sociais e ambientais nas cidades. Assim sendo, propomo-nos a investigar a importância de um planeamento do turismo, e de que forma a sustentabilidade nesse ramo pode salvaguardar os recursos das gerações vindouras.
- Isto não é a minha casa...Publication . Reis, Ricardo da Silva; Bento, Bernardo Maria de Bourbon Martinho MeirelesEste relatório de Projeto Final tem como objetivo apresentar a obra intitulada Isto não é a minha casa... no âmbito do Mestrado em Som e Imagem com especialização em Design de Som. O projeto consiste na criação de um filme sonoro experimental, sem componente visual, que explora as potencialidades do som como meio principal de contar uma história. O filme é reproduzido numa sala de cinema totalmente escura, utilizando o sistema de som surround 5.1 para amplificar a imersão do ouvinte. A história acompanha um rapaz que acorda na sua casa, e esta transforma-se progressivamente em algo irreconhecível, levando a personagem a vaguear entre o sonho e o pesadelo. A perda pessoal de parte da audição do autor influenciou a direção criativa, levando à investigação de temas como a neuroplasticidade na perda de sentidos, as funções do sono e dos sonhos e a biologia do medo. A exploração de teorias do design de som, das artes sonoras, de filmes e de várias formas de arte ajudou a progredir o projeto. Neste relatório é descrito quais foram as fases de produção, como se desenvolveram e quais foram os seus objetivos e resultados.
- Greening luxury : generational shifts balancing sustainability and exclusivity in hotel bookingsPublication . Seeboth, Lieselotte; Rajsingh, PeterAs sustainability gains relevance across all sectors, the luxury hotel industry is facing increasing pressure to balance environmental responsibility with quality guest experiences. This paper examines how sustainable practices in luxury hotels influence booking intentions, focusing on the differences between Millennials and Generation X. The study combines twelve expert interviews with a quantitative survey (n = 92) of luxury travelers from both generations and uses a mixed methods approach. It examines the perceived relevance of sustainability, the evaluation of certain ecological practices and the role of individual environmental values. The results show that while sustainability is valued, it is rarely the main reason for booking decisions, while location, price and service quality take precedence. No statistically significant differences were found between generations, challenging the assumptions of previous literature. Instead, individual environmental values - measured by the GEB score - proved to be the stronger predictor of sustainable preferences and willingness to pay. These findings suggest that value-based segmentation is more effective in marketing sustainable luxury offerings than targeting specific generations. Luxury hotels can benefit from subtly integrating sustainability into the guest experience without compromising on exclusivity. Theoretically, the study contributes to the ongoing debate on the attitudinal-behavioral divide and challenges generational stereotypes in sustainable tourism. Practically, it offers insights for luxury brands seeking to align environmental initiatives with customer expectations.
- Organizational strength in times of uncertainty : how to improve resilience within a business environmentPublication . Schröder, Leonie Paulina; Fernandes, DanielIn an era of increasing complexity and transformation, organizational resilience has emerged as a strategic imperative. This thesis investigates how resilience can be conceptualized, assessed, and strengthened within business organizations, using Procter & Gamble (P&G) DACH as a case study. Framed as a multilevel construct4individual, team, and organizational4resilience is explored through the interaction of psychological, cultural, and structural enablers. Guided by Gioia methodology, the qualitative research design includes nine expert interviews across hierarchical levels and functions. Findings show that individual resilience depends on emotional regulation and self-efficacy yet is strongly shaped by supportive leadership and enabling structures. Team resilience is reinforced by trust, open communication, and shared responsibility, while organizational resilience is anchored in adaptive systems, inclusive leadership, and a learning-oriented culture. Drawing on these insights, the thesis presents a resilience toolkit tailored to the P&G context, including leadership diagnostics and structured reflection formats. Quantitative data from internal surveys complement the analysis, confirming strengths in value alignment, empowerment, and purpose clarity, while identifying development needs in workload distribution and communication transparency. Resilience is ultimately framed not as the ability to bounce back, but as the capacity to evolve through adversity.
- Y Combinator (YC) in the European startup ecosystemPublication . Rist , Maximilian; Rajsingh, PeterThis paper analyses the impact of Y Combinator (YC), the world's best-known startup accelerator, on the funding success of European startups. While YC is widely credited with improving early -stage funding outcomes overall, its effectiveness in the European startup ecosystem remains largely unexplored. The study combined qualitative findings from 14 expert interviews with a quantitative analysis of 774 European startups. It compared the startups funded by YC with those funded by 27 leading European venture capital firms. Key dimensions analysed include the transition to Series A and Series B, sectoral outcomes, time between funding rounds and signalling effects. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, the results showed that YC-funded European start-ups were less likely to reach Series A compared to non-YC-funded companies. However, subgroups such as startups focussing on products for developer operations showed better results, indicating a possible sectoral fit. The qualitative findings highlighted the value of YC as a signalling mechanism, particularly for first-time founders and less experienced professionals, while also revealing concerns about inflated valuations and reduced relevance for companies with a local European customer base. The findings contribute to the literature by contextualising the role of global accelerators within local ecosystems and offer practical implications for founders, investors and policy makers concerned with funding strategies for startups.
- Impact of repairability marketing on consumer behaviour and attitudes in electronicsPublication . Piekkari, Heikki Tapani; Fernandes, DanielConsumer electronics industry is starting to pay more attention to repairability as a beneficial feature, but it is still unclear how much it actually means to consumers. This thesis investigates how marketing repairability, through packaging and visual cues, influences consumer decision-making and behaviour in the context of small electronic devices. A survey experiment was conducted with three groups who each saw variations product images: one with no repair messaging, one with repair messaging, and one that saw both. Participants who saw the repairable version of the product were more likely to say the information helped them understand its long-term use and this difference was statistically significant. While trust scores were slightly higher in those groups as well, the gap wasn’t large enough to be meaningful. Prior experience with repairing electronics did not seem to influence trust or perceived value, which was somewhat surprising. Instead, what really mattered was attitude: people who felt positive about the idea of self-repair were much more likely to consider buying a repairable product. In fact, that attitude alone explained 43% of the variation in purchase intent, making it one of the strongest predictors in the study. Repairability messaging seems to help with how useful a product feels, and self-repair values play a big role in whether people are open to buying repair-friendly devices. These insights could help brands to push repairability in a way that actually connects with consumers.
- Comparing the effectiveness of default, framing, and social norm nudges on charitable giving and donor happiness : an experimental studyPublication . Strziga, Lucas Maximilian; Fernandes, DanielThis study investigates how behavioral nudges can support charitable fundraising to overcome the challenge of gathering funds by comparing their effectiveness on donation behavior and donor happiness. Although the impact of individual nudges has been widely studied, limited research explores their comparison under identical, neutral conditions. Moreover, the isolated effects on donor happiness remains unexplored, carrying potential ethical and long-term retention implications. To address this gap, the study compared default, framing, and social norm nudges under identical neutral conditions exploring their isolated effects on donation amount, participation rate, and donor happiness. A quantitative between-subject online experiment (N=408) was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (control, default, framing, or social norm) and asked how much of a 50¬ Amazon gift card prize they would like to donate, followed by a self-report of their post-donation mood. The analyzed results showed no significant difference between conditions on donation amount, participation rates, or donor happiness. Independent of the nudge types a high baseline donation rate and a significant correlation between higher donation amounts and increased happiness was registered. These findings suggest that the isolated effects of nudges are weaker than previously assumed and that their power potentially derives from underlying contextual or psychological mechanisms. Hence, their effect may not originate from the nudge itself but from its ability to combine and convey different contextual and psychological cues.
- Brand equity in the future of EU supercars : strategies for navigating the 2035 zero-emission targetsPublication . Stoldt, Philip Claes Gunnar; Rajsingh, PeterThis dissertation investigates how European supercar manufacturers can comply with the EU's 2035 zero-emission targets while preserving brand equity. As the automotive industry transitions to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), luxury carmakers face unique challenges in maintaining core brand elements such as sound, exclusivity, and craftsmanship. While technological feasibility is no longer a key barrier, this shift raises questions about emotional engagement, symbolic value, and consumer acceptance. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative data from an online survey of 223 participants with qualitative insights from 13 expert interviews across the supercar, energy, and policymaking sectors. The results indicate that younger consumers are significantly more receptive to BEVs and futuristic innovations, while older segments remain attached to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) characteristics. Experts emphasise the necessity for brand reinvention, including the creation of distinctive electric soundscapes and enhanced lifestyle branding, to preserve emotional appeal and maintain brand equity. The research emphasises the importance of innovation, targeted branding strategies, and regulatory flexibility to facilitate a successful transition. It provides strategic guidance for manufacturers and policymakers on navigating the intersection of environmental mandates, technological change, and luxury brand management.
- Drivers of customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty for real estate agents and the potential mediating impact of social media marketingPublication . Hollenders, Carl Alexander Clemens; Fernandes, DanielThis dissertation examines the key drivers of customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty in the German real estate industry. It draws on Justice Theory and the Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing, both rarely applied in this context, offering a new perspective on how agents can optimize service delivery. The research also evaluates the role of social media marketing (SMM) in enhancing these outcomes, with practical relevance to the researcher’s future role in the family real estate agency business. A mixed-method approach was used, including a survey of 80 clients and expert interviews with local and international agents. Findings show that clients place high value on relational aspects of service – particularly fairness in procedures and interactions – while price-related outcomes are less critical than expected. Long-term retention and loyalty, which are essential for word-of-mouth referrals, require ongoing relational effort over time. SMM was widely appreciated by clients, who reported positive experiences with real estate content online and now expect agents to use such platforms. However, agents remain skeptical, viewing SMM as ineffective in boosting sales. At best, it serves as a supplementary tool for retention and acquisition. German agents are encouraged to adopt SMM, not for immediate results, but to align with evolving client expectations.