CLSBE - Dissertações de Mestrado / Master Dissertations
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- Beyond size uncertainty : the impact of AR fit-and-size try-ons in diferent types of retail stores in the fashion industryPublication . Jelen, Maya Waltraud Ingrid; Colaço, VeraSize and fit uncertainty is a central barrier in mainstream fashion, lowering purchase confidence, driving returns, and undermining attempts to make fashion consumption more sustainable. Augmented reality (AR) fit-and-size tools promise to reduce this uncertainty across physical and online touchpoints via virtual fitting rooms. Yet, evidence on their impact in everyday fashion remains limited. This research examines how using an AR fit-and-size virtual try-on, compared with a standard non-AR try-on, shapes consumer experience - perceived ease of use, perceived fit, perceived sustainable consumption, perceived likelihood of keeping a purchased item, perceptions of sustainability, and purchasing behaviors – purchase intention and WTP. Results from a 2 (type of fit-and-size try-on: without AR vs. AR-based) × 2 (type of store: physical store vs. online shop) between-within experimental design show that an AR-based fit-and-size try-on tool significantly enhances consumer experiences and purchase intentions, despite willingness to pay remaining unchanged. Findings also indicate the moderating role of the type of store is especially relevant in online than physical store settings when an AR-based fit-and-size try-on tool is employed. It enhances consumers’ perceptions concerning the ease of use of the virtual try-on, perceptions of sustainable consumption, fit confidence, and the likelihood of keeping the garment. It also boosts purchase intentions. These findings highlight that virtual fitting rooms managed via AR seem to act as a risk-reduction and return-prevention tool and provide evidence of their potential to support more confident and potentially more sustainable fashion choices, especially in online shopping channels.
- Padel as a lifestyle innovation : an integrated analysis of adoption drivers, social identity and experience staging among generation Z in GermanyPublication . Bilmoser, Felix; Rita, MiguelThis thesis examines how Generation Z consumers in Germany adopt padel tennis as a lifestyle- and experience-based sport, and why it diffuses rapidly despite infrastructure constraints. Using Diffusion of Innovations (DOI), Social Identity Theory (SIT), and the Experience Economy (EE), the study tests hypotheses on adoption and continuance drivers. A mixed-method design was applied, combining 10 exploratory interviews with a Qualtrics survey of N = 101 active Gen Z padel players (plus a small non-player branch for context). Findings show that diffusion is mainly driven by low perceived complexity, high hedonic value, lifestyle/social compatibility, and community identification, with event experiences further strengthening attachment. Observability is linked to symbolic trend value, while UGC versus influencer effects remain mixed. Infrastructure and cost barriers did not reduce playing frequency among current players, indicating a stronger constraint on market expansion than on ongoing usage.
- Cultural diversity and decision-making in management teams : evaluating the role of cultural intelligence in the beauty industryPublication . Woelky, Laura Alisa; Ribeiro, ViniciusAs companies increasingly operate across national and cultural boundaries, management teams are becoming more culturally diverse. In the globally oriented beauty industry, such diversity has a direct impact on communication, leadership practices and decision-making processes. This master’s dissertation examines how cultural diversity influences decision-making in management teams and explores the role of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in this context. The study follows a qualitative, exploratory research design. Data were collected through twelve semi-structured interviews with managers and team leaders from international beauty companies. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis to identify recurring patterns related to cultural diversity, CQ and decision-making.The findings suggest that Cultural Intelligence plays an important role in shaping decision-making processes in multicultural management teams. Managers with higher levels of CQ are better able to interpret culturally influenced behaviours, address communication challenges and support effective collaboration. Although cultural diversity may lead to delays in decision-making do to differing expectations and communication styles, it contributes to more robust decisions, increased innovation and improved team performance when managed effectively. The study highlights Cultural Intelligence as a key managerial capability in the global beauty industry.
- Shifting control points : how AI capabilities are reshaping the SaaS industryPublication . Gonçalves, Rui Pedro David; Bohnsack, René; de Wet, MickieArtificial intelligence (AI) is widely regarded as a disruptive force in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) industry, raising questions about the sustainability of the control points that have historically supported SaaS incumbents. This dissertation examines how enterprise adoption of AI capabilities challenges traditional SaaS control points, how incumbents respond strategically, and whether AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) and AI+SaaS strategies can serve as effective defensive mechanisms. Building on Control Points Theory, the study adopts a qualitative, inductive research design based on semi-structured interviews with consultants working closely with SaaS providers and enterprise clients, as well as professionals from SaaS incumbents and firms developing internal AI solutions. The findings show that AI does not lead to a uniform shift in control. First, application-layer technical control points become contestable in a capability-contingent manner, benefitting only firms with sufficient organizational capabilities. Second, strategic control points such as contractual relationships, compliance certifications, and customer relationships persist and may even strengthen as AI intensifies data governance and security concerns. Third, new technical control points emerge at the infrastructure layer, where access to compute resources, foundational models, and orchestration platforms becomes increasingly critical. Overall, the study concludes that AI reconfigures rather than erodes control in the SaaS industry, creating multi-layered, conditional, and contested control structures.
- Value creation in strategic alliances at siemens digital industries : the role of internal success factorsPublication . Daoudi, Marouane Ed; Flórido, JoãoStrategic alliances can enhance market power, efficiency, and access to resources, yet many fail to achieve intended objectives and the mechanisms of alliance value creation remain unclear. This study examines how strategic alliances create value for Siemens Digital Industries (SDI) across the alliance life cycle and how a dedicated alliance function and an established learning process contribute to alliance success. Drawing on alliance life-cycle research, value-creation theory, and the dynamic relational view, three semi-structured expert interviews with SDI alliance professionals were conducted via Microsoft Teams between 5 November and 2 December 2026 and analyzed using the Gioia methodology. Findings show that value creation starts with partner selection based on multidimensional complementarity filtered by customer cloud strategies, software-as-a-service requirements, portfolio gaps, and geographic coverage. Alliance design then relies on lean, non-equity, program-based governance, typically anchored in partner programs and memoranda of understanding, and reinforced by internal coordination via clear roles, interfaces, and escalation paths. Post-formation value creation is sustained through recurring co-innovation and co-selling routines, seller enablement, and joint monitoring of revenue, cloud consumption, and marketplace transactions. The dedicated alliance function orchestrates these mechanisms end to end, while learning supports capability development but remains practice-led, partner-specific, and only partially codified. Overall, the thesis concludes that SDI’s ability to create value from strategic alliances depends on aligning market-informed partner choice with scalable governance and disciplined post-formation routines, supported primarily by the alliance function and complemented by learning.
- Strategic storytelling in performance marketing : an exploratory case study of narrative variation in video advertising on meta platformsPublication . Frey, Catharina; Pestana, CatarinaIn social media marketing, advertisers are limited to a few seconds in which to capture the attention of users in fast-scrolling feed environments. Therefore, the first seconds of a video advertisement are crucial factors in establishing whether content will be viewed further, interactions will be triggered, or advertisements will be skipped. Thus, the design of the introduction phase of a video advertisement is a key success factor in performance marketing. This thesis investigates the impact of different narrative openings (“hooks”) in short video advertisements on advertising performance. The objective of this study is to assess which hook are particularly effective in capturing attention and stimulating interactions. To examine this topic in a practical context, this thesis follows an exploratory mixed-methods approach in the form of a case study with the German e-commerce start-up BREKKY. Semi-structured expert interviews with BREKKY team members were conducted to gain insights into brand communication, target group relevance, and practical requirements. On this basis, a controlled A/B/n experiment was implemented in Meta Ads Manager where four self-created video advertisements with identical structures were displayed, with only the narrative introductionvarying between emotional problem triggers, rational benefit focus, social proof, and transformation. The evaluation of key performance indicators demonstrates that emotional hooks perform best overall, followed by rational openings, while transformational hooks mainly generate early attention and social proof has the weakest impact. This study contributes to a better understanding of narrative introductions in short video advertisements and supports data-driven decisions in the field of performance marketing.
- Anchored in heritage, shaped by consumer trust : sustainability disclosure in family firmsPublication . Martins, Sara Gomes; Dinis, LilianaAmid increasing regulatory demands and stakeholder pressure for firms to implement sustainability practices, sustainability disclosure, defined as the communication of environmental, social, and governance information to external stakeholders, has become an important driver of corporate reputation and legitimacy. This is particularly relevant for family firms, whose long-term orientation, emphasis on legacy, and reliance on enduring customer relationships make the consistency of sustainability disclosure essential for sustaining trust and loyalty over time. This study examined how ownership (i.e., whether a firm is family-owned or not) is associated with consumer trust in sustainability disclosures, considering potential underlying mechanisms such as the perception of negative sustainability information and perceived firm transparency. Based on 191 valid responses obtained from an experimental design involving a fictitious fast-fashion company (RSM), the results indicate that, within this experimental setting, family ownership is associated with higher levels of trust, primarily due to higher perceived transparency. Simultaneously, negative sustainability information, although associated with lower trust, does not mediate the relationship between family ownership and trust, suggesting that reactions to negative disclosures operate independently of ownership type. These findings indicate that clear and consistent sustainability communication is associated with consumer trust and may be relevant to family firm managers when addressing reputational risk management. The study also outlines potential avenues for future research, including the examination of trust dynamics over time, cross-cultural differences in trust formation, and the role of a firm’s life cycle.
- Internationalization strategy of marshmellow fabrics : a strategic framework for market entry in JapanPublication . Bauer, Charlotte Luise; Xavier, RuteThis study examines the market access potential of Marshmellow Fabrics, a Portuguese premium home textiles brand, in the Japanese market. Specifically, it investigates the factors influencing Japanese consumers' purchase probability, acceptable price levels, and preferred sales channels for this new European premium brand. This analysis is based on established internationalization frameworks and consumer behavior theory.The research design employed a two-stage methodology. A structured secondary data analysis was conducted to evaluate the macroeconomic conditions, industry dynamics, regulatory framework, and institutional characteristics of the Japanese home textiles market. Subsequently, primary quantitative data were collected via an online survey (N = 84). Multiple regression models (effective N = 82) were estimated to examine the simultaneous effects of perceived product attributes, attitudes toward foreign/premium brands, and perceived market barriers on purchase probability.The results of the study show that price sensitivity is the only statistically significant independent predictor of purchase probability. In contrast, perceived quality, sustainability, and brand attitude have no independent effects in the multivariate context. The findings indicate that product quality in the Japanese market functions more as a baseline expectation than as a differentiating factor for purchase intention.This study contributes to research on international market entry by integrating both institutional and consumer perspectives. Furthermore, it provides management implications for European premium brands considering entering the Japanese market.
- Equity valuation : the Coca-Cola CompanyPublication . Oliveira, Adriana Sofia Marques; Martins, José Carlos TudelaEsta dissertação reflete sobre o valor intrínseco da ação da The Coca-Cola Company, a principal empresa global de bebidas não alcoólicas, amplamente reconhecida pela sua marca de bebidas gaseificadas Coca-Cola. O objetivo desta avaliação é recomendar uma decisão de compra, venda ou manter a ação da empresa com base na avaliação dos capitais próprios da mesma. Ao longo da dissertação são abordados os diferentes métodos utilizados na avaliação de uma empresa ou ativo, seguindo-se uma análise holística da empresa onde é enquadrada a sua performance operacional e financeira em conjunto com as dinâmicas históricas, atuais e futuras do mercado e indústria em que a The Coca-Cola Company se insere. Esta parte de enquadramento converge para a avaliação dos capitais próprios da empresa usando como principal método de avaliação o DCF, onde são elencados e justificados os pressupostos utilizados na projeção dos fluxos de caixa. Este exercício de avaliação é complementado com uma segunda avaliação dos capitais próprios da empresa pelo método de avaliação comparativo por múltiplos. Por fim, os resultados são confrontados com os resultados obtidos num relatório realizado pelo Deutsche Bank. Esta dissertação é concluída com uma recomendação de compra da ação, usando como principal justificação o valor obtido por ação pelo método do DCF de 75,03 dólares.
- The impact of nostalgic advertising on consumer responses to brand-value incongruencePublication . Speck, Anna-Marie; Braga, João NizaHedonic brands increasingly face the challenge of responding to rising consumer interest in health-oriented consumption without undermining their established brand identity. This thesis examines how nostalgic advertising shapes consumer responses when a traditionally indulgent brand communicates a health-oriented message, using Nutella as an example. The study investigates the effects of advertising type (nostalgic vs. non-nostalgic) and message framing (health vs. indulgence) on perceived brand-value incongruence, emotional brand attachment and purchase intention. A 2 x 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted, and the data were analyzed using ANCOVA. The results show that health-oriented communication leads to higher perceived brand-value incongruence than indulgence-framed communication, regardless of advertising type. Nostalgic advertising leads to higher emotional brand attachment and purchase intention compared to non-nostalgic advertising. However, these effects are not stronger in the health message than those observed in the indulgence-framed message. This indicates that nostalgia enhances consumer responses without outperforming fully brand-consistent messaging. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of nostalgia as an emotional strategy in value-incongruent brand communication.