R - Dissertações de Mestrado / Master Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
- Adapting the sustainability balanced scorecard : enhancing accountability for social enterprises contributing to SDG 14Publication . Auffarth, Patrick; Azevedo, CarlosSocial enterprises focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 14 face challenges in aligning strategic goals with environmental objectives while maintaining accountability to stakeholders. These challenges, compounded by resource constraints and complex measurement demands, underscore the need for a tailored framework. This research explores how the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) can be adapted to improve accountability in social enterprises and examines the role of customized Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in achieving this goal. A qualitative methodology was employed, using semi-structured interviews with 3 social enterprise founders and 4 four SDG 14 professionals. This approach enabled an in-depth exploration of how the SBSC framework and KPIs can be customized to address specific organizational and contextual needs. Key findings indicate that the SBSC’s allows for effective integration of sustainability into strategic processes, with the SBSC-4 model emerging as a preferred configuration for avoiding silos. Challenges such as resource limitations and measurement complexities highlight the importance of gradual implementation and stakeholder engagement. Customized KPIs, combining quantitative and qualitative metrics, were found to enhance accountability by linking actions to measurable outcomes and aligning with stakeholder priorities. The study concludes that an adapted SBSC framework and tailored KPIs can improve accountability, foster transparency, and enable social enterprises to effectively align with SDG 14. These findings underscore the potential for adaptive frameworks to address sustainability challenges and enhance the contribution of social enterprises to marine conservation efforts.
- Entrepreneurship and tax policy under review : insights from PortugalPublication . Abreu, Maria Teresa Martinho Leitão Tavares de; Rajsingh, PeterIn a country where 99.9% of businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 96% are micro-enterprises, Portugal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is a cornerstone of its economy. However, with a tax system ranked 35th out of 38 in the 2024 International Tax Competitiveness Index there seems to be significant barriers to entrepreneurial activity. This thesis investigates how tax policy influences entrepreneurship, focusing on the demographic characterization of Portugal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the impact of tax policy on strategic business decisions, and the behavioural dynamics related to compliance, tax planning, and potential evasion. Through a mixed-methods approach, including 12 expert interviews and a survey of 153 entrepreneurs, the findings reveal critical insights. An overwhelming 81% of respondents identified tax policy as a barrier to starting a business, while trust in tax authorities scored a low mean of 4.24 out of 10. The perceived complexity of the tax system (mean = 7.85) further emerged as a key obstacle, disproportionately affecting SMEs and startups. Regarding compliance, 65.4% of respondents admitted to engaging in unconventional methods to minimize tax liabilities. This study also framed tax planning as a dynamic capability. This study ultimately aims to inform the development of a more competitive tax system in Portugal, addressing the Research Question: How is tax policy a factor influencing entrepreneurial activity in Portugal?
- AI in supply chainsPublication . Nelles, Daniel Jasper; Rajsingh, Peter V.AI in SC is an application that has the potential to be a disruptive force, presenting avenues to reduce complexity in operations, better managerial choice making, and innovations in effectiveness. But despite this potential, AI is only marginally adopted because the barriers include siloed data systems, a fear of change, and worrying about ethics. With this study, we sought to explore the drivers and barriers to AI adoption in SCM interact and what are the implications for a transformative change in the sector. We undertook a literature review of artificial intelligence and frameworks for consumer adoption of supply chain innovation, including the Technology Acceptance Model and Diffusion of Innovation. With the above, we aimed to identify underlying key concepts. The approach to primary data entailed expert interviews with industry professionals and a consumer survey. This allowed for triangulation against the secondary information available and fed into scenarios regarding possible adoption trajectories. The findings of AI capabilities in augmenting predictive analytics, automating processes, and enabling personalization can emerge as a foundational enabler of managing SCM challenges. This study contributes to AI in SCM discourse by revealing actionable strategies that organizations can adopt to make effective use of its potential. Concluding the gradual evolution of AI adoption is likely, with transformative impact contingent upon foundational barriers being addressed, and technological capabilities aligned with organizational objectives.
- Circular economy in the fashion industry : the case of Patagonia and its challengesPublication . Henning, Tim Cassian; Cruz, Nuno Moreira daThe fashion industry, a global powerhouse, is also one of the most polluting sectors. In recent years, numerous strategies have been proposed to steer the industry towards a more sustainable path. Central to these efforts is the concept of the circular economy, which offers a transformative alternative to the prevailing linear 'take-make-dispose' model. As one of the world's most sustainable and circular companies, the journey of American fashion company Patagonia is explored as a best practice example of circular fashion. Through sustainable manufacturing initiatives, sophisticated reverse supply chain capabilities and advocacy, Patagonia has redefined the life cycle of apparel, providing valuable insights into the feasibility of a circular textile economy. This case analyses Patagonia's efforts and reveals that the transition to a circular economy is a complex task, hampered by systemic barriers such as technological limitations, economic constraints and consumer behaviour patterns, and provides an outlook on the structural changes required for meaningful industry transformation. The theoretical framework discusses the concept of the circular economy as understood by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and provides an overview of the dynamics and inherent challenges of the circular fashion industry. Students will gain an understanding of the intricacies of circularity, including the interplay between environmental responsibility and financial profitability. In addition, by examining the critical barriers to circularity, this case enables students to evaluate real-world strategies and solutions for achieving sustainable and scalable change in the fashion industry.
- Adapting to challenges : Sanner’s strategic journey through a period of crisesPublication . Hahn, Jakob; Cardeal, NunoThis dissertation examines the adaptive strategies introduced by the Sanner Group during a period of crises, including the climate crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war, which illustrates the growing impact of such crises on corporate strategy development. Following a pedagogical research approach, the constructed case study examines how Sanner, global market leader for desiccant closures and effervescent tablet packaging, adapted to changing environments by exploiting dynamic capabilities. Extensive research was conducted to analyse the impact of the crises on the business and its strategic responses. Additional evidence was gathered through interviews with the company's management team, which offered insights into the internal processes driving adaptive strategies. The teaching notes provide a structured proposal for effective knowledge transfer, enabling instructors to enhance students' understanding of related theoretical concepts through application to the case example. The findings indicate that Sanner effectively recognized and interpreted external developments by continuously monitoring the macroeconomic environment. Based on this, the company was able to take timely strategic action and leverage valuable resources and capabilities, facilitated by its organizational adaptability. As a result, Sanner not only managed the immediate crises successfully, but also engaged in a strategic renewal, which improved the company's resilience and competitiveness. The work thus highlights the critical role of dynamic capabilities in mitigating the adverse effects of crises and achieving long-term organizational success.
- Balancing privacy, trust and innovation in autonomous vehicles : a study in the Portuguese contextPublication . Rodrigues, Diana Alexandra Valente; Fioravante, RosaThis thesis explores the interplay between General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance, privacy concerns, and trust in the context of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Portugal. It examines how GDPR awareness, transparency, and privacy-by-design principles influence consumer perceptions and their willingness to trade privacy for enhanced safety and functionality. Employing a quantitative research approach, the study surveyed Portuguese residents to assess GDPR awareness, privacy concerns, and trust in data handling by AV companies. The findings reveal that while GDPR awareness fosters trust, it paradoxically heightens privacy concerns, underscoring the ambivalence of transparency. High support for privacy-by-design principles demonstrates a consumer preference for integrating proactive privacy safeguards directly into AV systems. Furthermore, regional, and demographic analyses highlight disparities in trust and GDPR awareness, pointing to the need for tailored educational campaigns and transparency mechanisms. By addressing these dynamics, the research suggests actionable insights for AV manufacturers, policymakers, and regulators seeking to balance innovation, compliance, and consumer trust. It emphasizes the potential of strategic privacy integration to enhance consumer confidence, balancing ethical adoption of AV technologies with needs of market expansion.
- Building supply chain resilience in times of crisis : the case of Toyota’s adaptive strategies during the 2011 earthquake and tsunamiPublication . Quintero, Nicolas Briceno; Cardeal, NunoThis dissertation explores Toyota’s strategies of change regarding the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, 2011 to understand the company’s ability to recover from significant scale supply chain disruptions and improve future resilience. The analysis carried out through the lens of a qualitative case study examines the cessation of production, involvement of suppliers, and reshuffling of resources through Toyota’s actions in the short term. The research discusses how, after a disaster, Toyota modified its supplier relations by diversifying them and investing in flexible production systems, as well as introducing the concept of strategic buffering inventories, which helped to bring a balance between the JIT model of production management and improved risk management. It has been established that Toyota’s critical contingency plans enhanced organizational resilience for future disturbances. They should be a worthy lesson for global manufacturers to consider geographical diversification and product versatility. Also, the case application adopts risk management procedures and supply chain best practices to attain a sustainable supply chain model. Through exploring and developing different strategies and their relationships with supply chain risk management practices, the dissertation provides insights into the existing literature on supply chain resilience and how organizational strategy can be used in volatile settings. To promote the development of a more resilient supply chain for the crisis conditions, the study suggests the need for more studies in various industries to learn different forms of adaptive strategies.
- How can the actor-oriented architectural scheme guide organisational structure and solution offerings? : a perspective on the business models of healthcare AI start-ups : a single case studyPublication . Silva, Ana Carolina Coelho Mateus da; Hoholm, ThomasThis thesis investigates how the actor-oriented architectural scheme can inform both the internal organisational design and external solution offerings of healthcare AI startups. Drawing on a single-case study of Livv Health, a Norwegian digital health company developing an AI-powered platform to unify fragmented patient data, the research adopts an abductive approach, iteratively moving between empirical insights and theoretical reflection. Building on theories of value networks, actor-oriented architecture, and dynamic capabilities, this thesis proposes a dual application of actor-oriented logic: internally, through decentralized governance, collaborative problem-solving, and shared digital infrastructure; and externally, through a platform that empowers patients to manage and share their health data across clinical ecosystems. The analysis introduces the concept of dynamic alignment to capture how the recursive relationship between organisational design and value proposition enables continuous adaptation in response to environmental complexity. In doing so, this thesis positions actor-oriented architecture as more than an organisational form - it argues for its classification as a dynamic capability - one that supports business model innovation and strategic responsiveness in fast-evolving, regulated environments. This work contributes to emerging literature at the intersection of healthcare strategy, digital transformation, and organisational theory by offering a framework that integrates internal and external logic of coordination. It further illustrates how healthcare AI startups can serve as laboratories for organisational innovation, reimagining not just how care is delivered, but how health systems are structured.
- Shifting gears : German OEMs and the rise of non-automotive competitorsPublication . Scheffold, Xenia; Rajsingh, Peter V.This dissertation examines the competitive dynamics between German Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and non-automotive entrants in the evolving global automotive market. As the automotive industry undergoes a period of significant transformation, driven by the adoption of electric vehicles, digital technologies, and autonomous driving, new nonautomotive entrants are leveraging their expertise in software, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics to challenge the established positions of German OEMs. This research applied a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative insights from expert interviews and quantitative data from a consumer survey, with the objective of identifying the factors that enable German OEMs to remain competitive. The analysis identified engineering excellence, brand reputation, and premium market leadership as the key strengths of the German automotive industry, while also highlighting significant challenges, including slow innovation cycles, high costs, and skills gaps. Non-automotive entrants demonstrate superior cost competitiveness, agile supply chains, and customer-centric innovations, which collectively present a significant challenge to traditional OEMs. The findings emphasize the importance of dynamic capabilities, customer-focused innovation, and cost-efficient strategies for German OEMs to maintain competitiveness. The results of this research provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders, underscoring the need for adaptability and collaboration in a rapidly transforming market landscape.
- Digital product passports in consumer electronics : consumer engagement and circular economy implicationsPublication . Blechschmidt, Jan; Casanova, Grace Avila; Rajsingh, PeterDigital Product Passports (DPPs) are a central policy instrument in the European Union9s efforts to advance the circular economy (CE) transition, aiming to improve product transparency. While regulatory, technical, and supply chain dimensions have received much attention, consumer engagement with DPPs and its impact on purchase decisions remains largely unexplored, despite its importance for CE adoption. This study examines both consumer engagement with DPPs and firm responses in the consumer electronics sector, characterized by high material intensity and environmental impact. A mixed-methods approach combined a survey (n = 167) with eleven expert interviews. Survey results showed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are the only significant predictors of engagement. Experts additionally highlighted factors such as trust, usability, and design. The survey further revealed a positive effect of DPPs on purchase intention and willingness to pay (WTP) for circular consumer electronics, constrained by high price sensitivity. Overall, the findings demonstrate that DPPs can contribute to CE adoption by influencing consumer behavior and shaping circular preferences. Simultaneously, the interviews revealed that their strategic value depends on firm-level responses: firms may treat DPPs merely as compliance instruments or leverage them as strategic tools, thereby fostering circular economy business models (CEBMs).