Maria Elisabete Neves, Diana Caniaux, Maria do Castelo Gouveia and Arnaldo Coelho
This work aims to analyze the factors that influence the performance and efficiency of Portuguese companies, namely the influence of social and environmental features.
Abstract
Purpose
This work aims to analyze the factors that influence the performance and efficiency of Portuguese companies, namely the influence of social and environmental features.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve our aim, we have used the Portuguese benchmark index, the Portuguese stock index – PSI, during the period from 2016 to 2020. To test the hypothesis panel data methodology was used, specifically, the GMM system originally proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991) and the Value-Based DEA developed by Gouveia et al. (2008).
Findings
The results of the GMM model show that social performance has a negative relationship with the company’s performance, from the perspective of different stakeholders, reinforcing that the cost-benefit trade-off of social spending is not yet understood as advantageous for the company’s performance. On the other hand, environmental performance, for external stakeholders, positively influences the company’s performance, perhaps due to pressure from society and the tradition of disclosing environmental matters. The value-based DEA results reinforce that from the perspective of the external stakeholder, non-efficient companies must increase their environmental performance to become efficient, highlighting the role of environmental performance in explaining efficiency. It is unanimous that social performance is still not seen as a lever of efficiency.
Originality/value
This is the first work to use a hybrid methodology to understand the performance determinants of a small banking-oriented country, emphasizing environmental and social aspects.
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A.C. NEVES and A.J. NOWAK
Thermal stress problems are analysed using two coupled boundary element codes. The first code computes the temperature and heat flux distributions whereas the second one uses…
Abstract
Thermal stress problems are analysed using two coupled boundary element codes. The first code computes the temperature and heat flux distributions whereas the second one uses these results to calculate the displacements and stresses at any point. In both codes, the multiple reciprocity method is used in order to avoid the domain discretization due to the ‘body force’ terms. Examples with different geometry and different heat sources are presented to check the accuracy of the formulations.
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A.C. NEVES, L.C. WROBEL and A.J. NOWAK
This paper presents a boundary element formulation for transient uncoupled thermoelasticity employing a multiple reciprocity method (MRM) approximation for calculating the thermal…
Abstract
This paper presents a boundary element formulation for transient uncoupled thermoelasticity employing a multiple reciprocity method (MRM) approximation for calculating the thermal stress field. An intermediate step, which involves curve fitting, is necessary for processing the results of the heat conduction analysis into a form suitable for the MRM. Numerical results are included which validate the present technique.
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Whereas the geography of a certain area is certainly linked in many ways to the ethnic group occupying it (or who used to occupy it), the link between the land and the language/s…
Abstract
Whereas the geography of a certain area is certainly linked in many ways to the ethnic group occupying it (or who used to occupy it), the link between the land and the language/s spoken (or that used to be spoken) can only become visible through the linguistic landscape, which not only asserts identity and ownership but can also help to reinforce prestige and vitality of the languages employed. The problem is that if the local heritage language is a minority or regional one, only in few cases can it be used to affirm the identity and ownership of its speakers. There are two sine qua non conditions for the local language to appear in the linguistic landscape: 1) The language must have gone beyond the 'threshold of literacy', i.e. it must have developed as a written language, with its own orthography and literature; 2) The language must be allowed to be used in the linguistic landscape and/or enjoy a degree of official recognition. This article presents five case studies on the presence of local minority/regional languages in the linguistic landscape based on the author’s research: two in Italy (Udine and Milan) and two in Southeast Asia (Kuala Lumpur and Bandar Seri Begawan, the capitals of Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam respectively). The very interesting situation in Macao will also be touched on, where the colonial language, Portuguese, has been given prominence in the linguistic landscape in spite of the fact that only a tiny percentage of the population can speak it. In this case, Portuguese is portrayed as a kind of heritage language (as well as an international language) that does not need to be mastered as its main function is symbolic, i.e. to help Macao retain its special status as a Special Administration Region of China.
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This chapter provides a reflective commentary on how the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) may alter how society uses cars through an inspection of evidence from the studies…
Abstract
This chapter provides a reflective commentary on how the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) may alter how society uses cars through an inspection of evidence from the studies which have examined the impact of EV adoption on trip patterns. A framework for evaluating trip patterns is applied which considers how the adoption of an EV could generate impacts for the spatial distribution of car trips, when these trips occur, the journey purpose these trips serve, and the driving style in which the trips are conducted. It is identified that the principal issue which is likely to motivate alterations in trip patterns following a transition to EVs is the technical and regulatory differences which distinguish them from conventional vehicles. Spatial trip patterns could become anchored to the burgeoning chargepoint infrastructures, with network coverage having implications for where EVs will be seen. Changing seasons could reduce the range of the battery packs, limiting the useability of EVs in winter months. Low operating costs of EVs may encourage their use for short distance trips due to a feeling of guilt-free travel. Eco-driving functions of EVs could promote sustainable driving practices by gamifying energy efficiency though the introduction of targets, medals, and leader boards. It is concluded that the exact manner in which trip patterns will be altered by the transition to EVs is difficult to predict with clarity, with many alternative futures being conceivable. In part, the impact on trip patterns will be contingent on whether or not EVs start to look and feel like conventional cars as the technology matures.
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Flor S. Gerardou, Royston Meriton, Anthony Brown, Blanca Viridiana Guizar Moran and Rajinder Bhandal
Challenge-based learning (CBL) has gained acceptance as a contemporary and progressive teaching pedagogy that provides a holistic and inclusive experience to learners in higher…
Abstract
Challenge-based learning (CBL) has gained acceptance as a contemporary and progressive teaching pedagogy that provides a holistic and inclusive experience to learners in higher education (HE) institutions. However, its lack of appeal to non-STEM subjects and the need for further development, particularly concerning improved approaches, have been recognized. It seems that CBL runs the risk of becoming a portmanteau pedagogy that blends aspects of problem-based learning, project-based learning, and situated learning, as opposed to its development as an effective pedagogy tool. This points to a lack of a formal implementation framework, code of practice, and standard procedures for its delivery. We argue that blending a design thinking (DT) pedagogy with CBL can potentially provide the stability that CBL currently lacks. At the same time, it also presents a more inclusive proposition to potential non-STEM audiences. Thus, in this chapter, we seek to interrogate the intersectionality between CBL and DT literature in the context of HE teaching and learning with a view of establishing CBL as a pedagogy in its own right. We attempt to achieve this by systematically analyzing the separate literature to reveal the synergies and common touchpoints.
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João Morgado, Inês Flores-Colen, Jorge de Brito and Ana Silva
The purpose of this paper is to propose a maintenance programme for flat roofs in existing buildings, based on the inspection of 26 buildings in-service conditions, located in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a maintenance programme for flat roofs in existing buildings, based on the inspection of 26 buildings in-service conditions, located in the Lisbon region, in Portugal. A proactive maintenance of flat roofs in existing buildings allows reducing their pathology, thus improving their performance and service life.
Design/methodology/approach
The maintenance plan was established based on the degradation state of the maintenance source elements (MSEs) analysed, the aggressiveness of the surrounding environment and the age of the roofs and maintenance actions carried out during the roofing systems’ life cycle.
Findings
The maintenance plan proposed in this study includes the prioritization of the interventions, the definition of the required maintenance operations and the definition of the frequency of the intervention, considering the service lives of the MSEs.
Research limitations/implications
The study addresses only roofs located in the Lisbon area. Even though a relatively large sample of 26 roofs was used, the findings and conclusions can clearly be extrapolated for a much wider scope.
Practical implications
The maintenance plan proposed in this study considers a planning of proactive maintenance operations to continuously and effectively monitor all the relevant MSE.
Originality/value
This plan allows minimizing the incidence and spread of defects, thus enabling the optimization of resources, reducing the costs of the entire maintenance system and improving the quality of the built environment.
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This underscores individual and social implications for how mental disorders and mental well-being are constructed, conceived of and treated. Further, this paper aims to examine…
Abstract
Purpose
This underscores individual and social implications for how mental disorders and mental well-being are constructed, conceived of and treated. Further, this paper aims to examine positive psychology’s role in supporting the advancement of a broader systemic and contextual approach to mental health. With that aim, this paper connects data on mental health and well-being with peace studies to describe the systems of value and social ecologies underpinning mental disorders, using public happiness/Felicitas Publica as a possible framework to enhance public mental health while intervening at the local level (Bruni and Zamagni, 2007; Marujo and Neto, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021; Marujo et al., 2019).
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretical foundations and data on positive peace and mental well-being are described with the intention to propose a systemic, contextual, relational, communitarian, economic and sociopolitical perspective of well-being that goes beyond individual bodies and/or brains and, instead, views mental disorder and mental health as social currency (Beck, 2020).
Findings
The interventions using dialogic, conversational and community approaches are a possible path to promote peace, mental health and public happiness.
Research limitations/implications
Examining the interplay between the fields of positive psychology, mental health and cultures of peace, this work contributes to the broadening of research and subsequent intervention topics through transdisciplinary approaches while reinforcing the role of systemic and social determinants and complementing the prevalent medical model and intraindividual perspective of mental health and well-being.
Practical implications
Adopting positive psychology to address mental health through public happiness concepts and interventions opens opportunities to respond to the ebb and flow of social challenges and life-giving opportunities. Therefore, the paper intends to articulate actor-related, relational, structural and cultural dimensions while moving away from discrete technocratic and individual models and pays attention to the way their implementations are aligned with both individual and social needs.
Social implications
The work offers an inclusive, equalitarian, politically sensitive approach to positive mental health and positive psychology, bringing forward a structural transformation and human rights-based approach perspective while rethinking the type of social and political solutions to mental health issues.
Originality/value
Creating a critically constructive debate vis-à-vis the fluidity and complexity of the social world, the paper examines mental health and positive psychology simultaneously from a “hardware” (institutions, infrastructures, services, systems, etc.) and a “software” (i.e. individuals and community/societal relations).
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Gabriela Molina Frisancho, Ricardo Rocha de Azevedo, Angélica Arroyo Morales and Patricia Siqueira Varela
This research analyzes accountants’ perception of the normative legitimacy of accounting reforms in local governments across Latin America.
Abstract
Purpose
This research analyzes accountants’ perception of the normative legitimacy of accounting reforms in local governments across Latin America.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 accountants from seven Latin American countries. This qualitative, inductive and interpretive study employs a comparative thematic analysis.
Findings
The results show that accountants in the analyzed Latin American countries have different perceptions about convergence to IPSAS and accounting standards legitimacy, which may affect IPSAS implementation and application in the countries.
Originality/value
The research focuses on the accountant’s perception as one of the agents of change in accounting reform. It offers an in-depth analysis of the IPSAS adoption process and highlights factors to consider in the development of the accounting reform.
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Weijun Liu, Mengzhen Cao and Wojciech J. Florkowski
This study aims to assess the effects of risk perception and management subject satisfaction on consumers' online meal food safety self-protection behavior during the COVID-19…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the effects of risk perception and management subject satisfaction on consumers' online meal food safety self-protection behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses 742 questionnaires collected via a two-stage online survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, between December 2021 and January 2022. The entropy method, descriptive statistics, ordered logit model, stepwise regression models, interaction terms and decentralization method were used in the quantitative analysis. Respondents’ written responses to self-protection behavior were categorized into five groups.
Findings
Less than half of consumers were aware that online food products carry the risk of SARS-COV-2 (44.48%). Between 30 and 40% of consumers took insufficient or no self-protection measures. Risk perception significantly and positively affected self-protection behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers' management subject satisfaction has a positive moderating effect on risk perception, with the moderating effect of the satisfaction of online retailers being significant at the 5% level. Risk perception significantly and positively influences consumer self-protection behavior in provinces not affected by the pandemic.
Originality/value
The findings stress the benefits of synergistic interventions by consumers and management subject to food safety measures and the inclusion of tailored interventions during events threatening public health to effectively address food safety. The study offers valuable insights contributing to the improvement of public health outcomes, customer trust and service quality within the online food delivery industry.