R - Dissertações de Mestrado / Master Dissertations
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- Transparent but not always trusted : the impact of AI disclosure on ad credibilityPublication . Jung, Moritz Alexander; Mendonça, CristinaThe increasing adoption of generative artificial intelligence in advertising has heightened debates regarding transparency and consumer trust among both regulators and industry managers. In anticipation of the forthcoming EU AI Act, which will require disclosure of AI generated content, this study examines the impact of AI disclosure in commercial advertising on perceived advertisement credibility and subsequent consumer responses. Utilizing persuasion and source credibility theory, a between-subjects experiment (N = 125) compared advertisements labeled as AI-generated with identical advertisements lacking such disclosure. The research also investigates whether perceived advertisement credibility affects brand attitude and purchase intention, and whether individual differences in AI aversion moderate the effects of disclosure. The results indicate that AI disclosure does not significantly lower perceived advertisement credibility for commercial, medium-involvement products. Perceived advertisement credibility continues to be a strong predictor of both brand attitude and purchase intention, irrespective of disclosure. Contrary to initial expectations, AI aversion does not moderate the relationship between disclosure and advertisement credibility. These findings suggest that the effects of AI disclosure are present but not significant and context-dependent, rather than universally negative. This research contributes to the literature on AI-generated advertising by offering empirical evidence from a standard commercial context prior to regulatory implementation. The findings suggest that, for managers, designing messages to enhance credibility is more critical for advertising effectiveness than the technological origin of the content. Consequently, AI disclosure should be regarded as a contextual design choice rather than an inherent risk
- Social procurement as a driver of corporate social innovation : a multi-stakeholder perspective in PortugalPublication . Vilaverde, Maria Inês de Almeida; Azevedo, CarlosThis dissertation explores how stakeholders engage in social procurement initiatives in Portugal, and how these practices contribute to the implementation of Corporate Social Innovation in the private sector. Since existing literature predominantly focuses on the public sector, this research seeks to bridge the knowledge gap regarding the dynamics of these partnerships in the corporate context. Based on a qualitative and inductive approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with nine organizations, including representatives of companies, social organizations, and intermediary organizations. The results evidenced a continuous evolution in business practices, showing that social procurement goes beyond social actions or legal obligations, becoming a central strategy integrated into the companies' core activity. This integration allows aligning financial objectives with social impact, generating shared value. In this context, the study points to two major conclusions. First, intermediaries are essential: they act as "strategic bridges" to translate languages and reduce risks between sectors. Second, the success of these collaborations relies primarily on the quality of relationships, based on trust and leadership commitment, being this more determinant than contractual rigidity. In sum, it is confirmed that social procurement converts social challenges into concrete opportunities for innovation and inclusion.
- Self-enhancing humor after football defeats : effects on fans’ emotion regulation and brand attachmentPublication . Dötsch, Can-Luca Dario; Simão, CláudiaFootball fandom is characterized by intense emotional reactions, particularly following team defeats. As clubs increasingly use social media to communicate results, humorous messaging has emerged as a potential tool to diffuse negative emotions. This study investigated whether self-enhancing humor in post-defeat Instagram communication facilitates fans’ emotion regulation and strengthens brand attachment, while considering the moderating role of fan identification. Four hypotheses were tested using an experimental between-subjects design with 223 football fans, in which a single experimental factor - humor condition (self-enhancing vs. neutral) - was manipulated. The results show that self-enhancing humor significantly improved emotion regulation after a loss. Although humor alone did not directly increase brand attachment, its effect on emotional coping indirectly enhanced attachment levels. Fan identification did not moderate the relationship between humor and emotion regulation, indicating that highly and lowly identified fans benefit similarly from humorous communication. These findings highlight humor’s strategic value for clubs aiming to maintain positive fan-brand relationships after defeats.
- The power of short video reviews : a comparative study of influencer and peer endorsers on instagram and TikTokPublication . Francisco, Rafaela Fernandes; Romeiro, PauloSocial media has revolutionized the marketing environment, encouraging marketers to adopt social media platforms, to reach and engage audiences, using endorsement as a marketing strategy. However, the existing literature remains limited in exploring the way in which social media endorser types and platform types influence consumer behavior. Therefore, this study examines how short video reviews published on social media platforms by peer and influencer endorsers impact consumers’ purchase intention, while examining the role of perceived credibility, and comparing how this effect differs across TikTok and Instagram. A 2x2 online experiment with one control condition was conducted. Overall, findings offered strong evidence that, in the context of short video reviews, peer endorsers are more effective in increasing consumers’ purchase intention compared to influencer endorsers. Moreover, results emphasized the no-endorser condition, since short video reviews without an endorser may generate higher purchase intention than those with an endorser. Perceived credibility was found to partially mediate the relationship between endorser type and purchase intention, while platform type did not moderate this relationship. This study contributed to the literature by directly comparing influencer endorsers and peer endorsers, expanding the theory of social comparison and the source credibility theory applied to a short video review context. Finally, it offers practical insights for marketers, brand managers, and firms interested in using social media platforms, specifically short video reviews, as part of their communication strategy.
- Concreteness in clean beauty messaging : how claim concreteness affects brand attitude, authenticity, and skepticismPublication . Singh, Lídia; Romeiro, PauloThe growing importance of “clean beauty” has intensified scrutiny of brand communication around ethical, safety, and transparency claims, given the absence of a standardized definition. This dissertation examines how the concreteness of clean beauty claims influences consumer brand evaluations and under which conditions these effects occur. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model, Signaling Theory, and Persuasion Knowledge Model, this study explores the relationship among claim concreteness, brand attitude, and perceived brand authenticity, while considering advertising skepticism as a boundary condition. A between-subjects online experiment was conducted in the skincare context, using a fictitious brand and three advertising conditions that differed only in claim wording. Perceived brand authenticity, brand attitude, and advertising skepticism were measured using validated multi-item scales. The findings show that claim concreteness does not directly improve brand attitudes. Instead, perceived brand authenticity operates as the principal mechanism. Concrete, verifiable claims strengthen authenticity perceptions, which then translate into more favorable brand evaluations, whereas abstract wording does not reliably produce the same effect. Skepticism affects how claim information is received, but does not remain a stable moderator once authenticity is considered in the full model. These results add to research on claim framing in credence categories and suggest that clean beauty communication should prioritize verifiable, accountable cues that build authenticity rather than relying on vague “clean” language.
- Communicating value before experience : how communications shape willingness to pay in a pre-launch boutique hotelPublication . Pinto, Marta Vilanova de Almeida Chaves; Romeiro, PauloInspired by the research for a personal launch of a boutique hospitality, understanding how consumers often evaluate accommodation offerings without prior experience, and relying primarily on brand communication cues. This dissertation investigates how brand communication influences consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a boutique hotel, and whether this relationship is mediated by brand image (BI). A quantitative 2×2 online experiment with 227 valid answers was collected. BI was measured using a validated multi-item Likert scale, while WTP was assessed through the Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter. The final sample consisted of 227 valid responses. The findings reveal that brand communication significantly influences BI, with visual identity exerting a stronger effect than the verbal identity. While results showed brand communication did not directly affect WTP, BI was found to be a strong and positive predictor of WTP. Mediation analysis went further and demonstrates that BI mediates the relationship between brand communication and WTP, indicating that communication cues affect price acceptance primarily through the impact on brand perception. These results highlight the central role of BI as a mechanism for value creation in pre launch boutique hospitality and oofferboth theoretical and managerial insights into branding and pricing strategies for new hospitality ventures.
- Love at first sight? : the influence of color on chocolate purchase intention among highly sensitive peoplePublication . Cruz, Rita Garcia da; Martinez, Luísa Margarida Guerra MarquesStudies have shown that color can influence purchase intention for certain products, as in the case of chocolate. However, there is limited information regarding which specific colors are most effective in this context and how this effect can vary depending on the individuals’ differences, such as the HSP trait, or even the level of arousal. Therefore, this paper aims to study how color combinations (complementary vs analogous colors) on chocolate packaging affect consumers’ purchase intentions and examines whether HSP moderates and arousal mediates this relationship. To test these relationships, a quantitative study was conducted (N=206) through an online survey. The results revealed that specific combinations of colors, such as blue and orange, increase purchase intention. Although color combinations have no effect on arousal, a higher level of arousal generates purchase intention. However, there is no evidence that HSP moderates the relationship between color combinations and purchase intention. In conclusion, this study contributes to the literature on color and consumer behavior and offers implications for packaging design decisions in chocolate brands. Future studies could test stronger stimuli to affect arousal levels, HSP, and consequently, purchase intention.
- Equal pay negotiations in professional sports : a multi-party negotiation simulation for management and strategy educationPublication . Behrendt, Anna-Lena Carolina; Ribeiro, ViniciusThis dissertation examines equal pay negotiations in professional sports and develops a pedagogical case to analyze such negotiations in management education. The objective is to connect negotiation theory with institutional and social dynamics to capture how equality related negotiations are shaped by economic constraints, public visibility, and organizational legitimacy. The dissertation demonstrates that equal pay negotiations operate as structured decision processes that combine economic reasoning with institutional expectations and public accountability. Equality functions as a framing condition that shapes how negotiation issues are defined, interpreted, and prioritized. Through the development of a pedagogical case, the study translates these dynamics into a coherent learning instrument that captures the interaction between strategy, legitimacy, and governance in multiparty negotiations. The dissertation concludes that pedagogical negotiation tools benefit from explicitly incorporating institutional context and legitimacy considerations alongside economic incentives. By integrating theoretical analysis with a structured teaching case, the study contributes to negotiation pedagogy and supports the instruction of complex negotiations situated in public and organizational environments.
- Gamification on strava : an empiricial study on user motivation, engagement, and continued platform usePublication . Hartsch, Sophia; Rita, MiguelThis master's thesis examines the influence of gamification on the usage behaviour of runners on the digital fitness platform Strava. The focus is on the relationships between gamification, motivation, perceived social pressure, user engagement, and the willingness to continue using the platform and to use premium features. Theoretically, the thesis is based on Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Comparison Theory (SCT). Methodologically, the study follows a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In a qualitative preliminary study, guided interviews were conducted with active Strava users to capture key perceptions and usage patterns of gamified elements and to support the development of the conceptual model and hypotheses. Building on this, a quantitative online survey was conducted with 94 active runners, whose data was evaluated using correlation and regression analyses. The results show that gamification has a significant positive influence on user motivation, which in turn is strongly related to higher engagement on the platform. Engagement proves to be a key predictor of continued use of Strava and willingness to use premium features. In contrast, no significant correlation between competitive gamification elements and perceived social pressure could be established. Similarly, social pressure did not have a negative impact on user engagement. Overall, the results illustrate that gamification on Strava primarily works through motivation and engagement-related mechanisms rather than through negative comparison or pressure effects. The study thus contributes to a better understanding of how gamification works in digital fitness platforms and provides both theoretical and practical implications for the design of user-centered platforms.
- Prompt engineering and management decision making : optimizing the nexus of human and artificial intelligencePublication . Sirch, Timo; Rajsingh, PeterManagers increasingly use large language models to support early phases of decision making, yet little empirical evidence exists on how prompt design influences the quality of AI-supported problem structuring. This study examined how different prompt engineering strategies affect the quality of problem-structuring outputs generated by a large language model. Using a controlled mixed-design experiment, three prompting strategies (baseline, instruction, and decomposition prompting) were applied to standardized managerial cases representing different levels of problem structure. The resulting outputs were evaluated by a panel of practitioners using rating-based and ranking-based assessments across multiple quality dimensions, complemented by qualitative analysis. The analysis finds systematic differences across prompting strategies and problem types. Baseline prompting consistently results in the worst problem structure quality, with decomposition prompting closely outperforming instruction prompting. While this effect increases as the problems become more complex and ambiguous, relative effectiveness measured through ranking of prompting strategies, remains stable across cases. Overall, the study demonstrates that prompt engineering functions as a managerial design choice that meaningfully shapes AI-supported problem structuring. By improving the explicitness and organization of analytical reasoning, structured prompts can enhance the usefulness of AI outputs at a critical early stage of managerial decision making.