Ana Sofia Lopes and Pedro Carreira
The COVID-19 pandemic caused job losses to rise dramatically. Herein, the purpose of the article is to identify which personal and job characteristics make individuals more…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic caused job losses to rise dramatically. Herein, the purpose of the article is to identify which personal and job characteristics make individuals more vulnerable or more resilient to COVID-19 unemployment in Portugal and thus to help policymakers, organizations and individuals themselves, in creating mechanisms to avoid unemployment within this new context.
Design/methodology/approach
Using extensive personal and job-related data on the complete population of newly unemployed in Portugal over several months after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, a logit model is estimated to identify the characteristics that make workers more resilient or more vulnerable to COVID-19 unemployment, in comparison with the pre-crisis period.
Findings
The COVID-19 crisis is shown to be disruptive by changing the unemployment structure, increasing socioeconomic inequalities and weakening traditional mechanisms of employment protection. Additionally, the authors identify a higher vulnerability of low-skilled individuals and of those in occupations with low working-from-home feasibility and/or from non-essential sectors (particularly tourism).
Practical implications
Policy indications are given aiming to protect the most vulnerable individuals, sectors and regions in Portugal, in this new and unprecedented context.
Originality/value
A seven-month period following the emergence of the pandemic is considered, which allows investigating both the immediate and the medium-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on job losses. Additionally, by matching data from three different sources, an extensive set of multilevel variables is considered, some of them new in the literature.
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Ana Sofia Lopes, Ana Sargento and Pedro Carreira
This paper aims to address the immediate effects of the COVID-19 crisis in the Portuguese tourism and hospitality industry by examining whether some specific characteristics make…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to address the immediate effects of the COVID-19 crisis in the Portuguese tourism and hospitality industry by examining whether some specific characteristics make people more vulnerable or more immune to unemployment.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an extensive micro-level data set of personal and job-related attributes containing all unemployed individuals in the Portuguese tourism and hospitality industry, a logit model with 56,142 observations is estimated to assess how each characteristic contributed to the unemployment odds during the COVID-19 crisis (until the end-July 2020), relatively to the pre-COVID period.
Findings
The most vulnerable workers to COVID-19 unemployment seem to be older, less educated, less qualified, women and residents in regions with a higher concentration of people and tourism activity. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis is generating a new type of unemployment by also affecting those who were never unemployed before, with more stable jobs and more motivated at work, while reducing voluntary disruptions.
Practical implications
Public effort should be made not only to increase workforce education but especially to reinforce job-specific skills. The COVID-19 crisis has broken traditional protective measures against unemployment and separated workers from their desired occupations, which justifies new and exceptional job preservation measures. Policy recommendations are given aiming at strengthening worker resilience and industry competitiveness in the most affected sub-sectors and regions.
Originality/value
This study extends the current understanding of worker vulnerability to economic downturns. Herein, this paper used a three-level approach (combining socio-demographic, work-related and regional factors), capturing the immediate effects of the COVID-19 crisis and focussing on the tourism and hospitality industry (the hardest-hit sector worldwide).
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Ana Sofia Patrício Pinto Lopes and Pedro Manuel Rodrigues Carreira
The purpose of this paper is to verify if adult education can contribute to social mobility by analysing how the socioeconomic and professional background of the students affects…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to verify if adult education can contribute to social mobility by analysing how the socioeconomic and professional background of the students affects dropout and graduation hazards in higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
An event history analysis approach, with competing risks and discrete time, implemented under a multinomial logit model, is used to investigate how an extensive set of covariates affects the risk of graduation, dropout and persistence of 834 adult student workers from a higher education institution in Portugal.
Findings
Adult education may indeed be effective in promoting social mobility, as academic achievement is higher for student workers that have low educated parents and low income levels. Also, the probability of achieving graduation seems to be higher for those seeking for higher transformation.
Practical implications
Adult education should be encouraged as it generates both efficiency and equity benefits. Some policy recommendations are suggested for the higher education system to adapt better to the particular characteristics of adult workers and provide conditions to improve the job–study–family conciliation, namely, by adjusting the schedule and composition of classes, appreciating the curriculum and providing orientation to candidates, and introducing shorter/simplified versions of the degrees.
Originality/value
A separate treatment is given to adult student workers, whose characteristics are very particular, enriching the literature on academic achievement that has been focussed on traditional students. Additionally, the studied data set merges five sources and provides extensive and original information on personal, degree and employment variables of the students.
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Ana Sofia Lopes and Paulino Teixeira
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the productivity gains associated with workplace training are shared by both the firms concerned and their workers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the productivity gains associated with workplace training are shared by both the firms concerned and their workers. The approach is both theoretical and empirical as an explicit formula for the internal rate of return for firms and workers is derived; and production and cost functions are estimated in conjunction with wage and productivity equations.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a unique linked employer-employee longitudinal dataset with detailed information on firm formal training and run regression models to obtain the determinants of the internal rate of return to firm-sponsored training. Analysis of training costs is also provided as well as the econometric framework required to control for firm heterogeneity.
Findings
The results obtained from the model specifications indicate that an additional hour of training per worker results in an increase of 0.12 per cent in productivity and 0.04 per cent in wages, or an increase of 0.16 and 0.08 per cent, respectively, if one uses firm training as a stock variable. It is also found that 82 per cent of the gains in productivity are captured by firms and 18 per cent by workers. Given the training costs, it is obtained an IRR of 13 per cent for firms and 33 per cent for workers at sample means.
Practical implications
Training investments are good otherwise they would not even be considered by firms. However, knowing with greater accuracy the gains captured by firms (and workers) is critical for policy makers in their decision-making process. The estimates found in the paper shows that firm training is a genuinely worthwhile investment for all participants.
Originality/value
The authors derive an explicit formula for the internal rate of return to firm-sponsored training and provide workers’ and firms’ shares of the productivity gains using firm-level data. Another original contribution is that the gains enjoyed by firms are computed as net gains, that is, net of the training costs on the one hand, and net of all the gains accruing to workers through higher wages on the other.
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Aomar Ibourk and Zakaria Elouaourti
Young graduates in Morocco are encountering an increasingly challenging labor market environment. Confronted with intense competition, job insecurity, and unclear career…
Abstract
Purpose
Young graduates in Morocco are encountering an increasingly challenging labor market environment. Confronted with intense competition, job insecurity, and unclear career trajectories, many find themselves in low-skilled positions despite possessing relevant qualifications. This issue is particularly pronounced among vocational training graduates, who experience professional downgrading at a rate three times higher (33.6%) compared to their peers from general education (11.6%) (HCP, 2018). Our study aims to investigate professional downgrading among young vocational training graduates in Morocco, focusing on the factors contributing to this phenomenon and identifying potential solutions to address it.
Design/methodology/approach
Our study is based on the insertion and career path survey conducted by the Department of Professional Training with graduates of professional training programs in Morocco. For this edition, the survey was conducted in 2020, encompassing all 31,498 graduates of the 2016 professional training programs. The Heckman self-selection model is employed to analyze and explore various dimensions of downgrading. Factors such as gender, age, marital status, parental education, and the choice of vocational training field are scrutinized to understand their influence on downgrading.
Findings
The study reveals several key findings: Women exhibit a lower probability of professional downgrading compared to men. Young graduates are more vulnerable to downgrading, emphasizing the necessity for career guidance and mentorship programs to facilitate their entry into the job market. Marital status plays a role, with married individuals having a higher likelihood of downgrading. Parental education, particularly that of mothers, proves critical in preventing subjective downgrading of vocational training graduates, highlighting the need for adult literacy and education programs. The effectiveness of the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Competencies (ANAPEC) programs in preventing downgrading among vocational training graduates is questioned, suggesting the need for program revisions tailored to this population. The choice of vocational training field significantly impacts downgrading, with graduates of technical training programs experiencing advantages. This emphasizes the importance of diversifying training fields and aligning them with market demands.
Originality/value
This study provides valuable insights into the phenomenon of professional downgrading among young vocational training graduates in Morocco. The findings emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions. Recommendations include supporting young graduates, reassessing programs offered by the ANAPEC, and enhancing technical training to better align with the evolving demands of the labor market.
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Edna Gonçalves, Maria Francisca Bessa, Sofia Ramos, Bárbara Peleteiro and Ana Azevedo
Created in 2006 to provide healthcare and social support to dependent patients in Portugal, the National Integrated Continued Care Network (NICCN) has been unable to tackle a…
Abstract
Purpose
Created in 2006 to provide healthcare and social support to dependent patients in Portugal, the National Integrated Continued Care Network (NICCN) has been unable to tackle a growing demand, as the population ages with high dependency indices and social resources are scarce.
Design/methodology/approach
The study involved a retrospective cohort study of adult patients referred to the NICCN by a Portuguese university hospital in 2022, with sociodemographic and clinical characterization of patients and analysis of the referral process, outcomes and one-year survival after referral.
Findings
A total of 916 patients were referred but only 579 were admitted. Patients referred by the Palliative Care Department (PCD, n = 100) were younger and 64% had a cancer diagnosis, compared to 8% of patients referred by the Senior Management Team (n = 816), among whom stroke and trauma prevailed. The median time from referral to acceptance was 5 days for patients referred by PCD and 14 days for others. One-third of referrals were rejected/cancelled and 50% of corresponding patients died within a year, as did 35% of those admitted to the NICCN. Most patients referred by PCD died within 4 months of referral, 47% of them before admission to the NICCN.
Practical implications
The referral process to the NICCN is time-consuming and many patients die or are discharged while waiting for a place. The high proportion of deaths within the first year after referral and within a few months for patients referred by the PCD suggests that the NICCN as a whole could benefit from a specialised palliative care intervention, which should take place earlier.
Originality/value
Apart from estimates on the number of vacancies in NICCN and waiting time trends, no previous research evaluated the outcomes and efficiency of this process.
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Sofía Blanco-Moreno, Aroa Costa-Feito, Carmen R. Santos and Ana M. González-Fernández
This study analyzes the effect of content marketing on women's happiness through eudaimonia and hedonism factors and the final result on desires and actions taken.
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyzes the effect of content marketing on women's happiness through eudaimonia and hedonism factors and the final result on desires and actions taken.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 227 valid questionnaires were collected from women respondents. The data analysis used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to clarify the relationships in the proposed model.
Findings
Content marketing turns out to be a crucial factor affecting both eudaimonia and hedonism. Moreover, while eudaimonia plays a particular role in women's behavior, hedonism works likewise on desires.
Practical implications
A crucial decision before developing content marketing is to consider if the final result is to produce desirability or feasibility in consumers. Content marketing addressing eudaimonia will impact feasibility; while the content aims to create desirability, the hedonic aspect of happiness should be emphasized.
Originality/value
Though content marketing and the effect of content marketing on brands' performance and consumer decision processes has been deeply analyzed in the literature, there is a lack of research into the effect of such content on consumers' well-being. Another contribution of this study is the focus on local brands and on women's eudaimonia and hedonism.
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Maria Conceição A. Silva Portela, Ana Santos Camanho, Diogo Queiroz Almeida, Luiz Lopes, Sofia Nogueira Silva and Ricardo Castro
In a context of international economic crisis the improvement in the efficiency and productivity of public services is seen as a way to maintain high-quality levels at lower…
Abstract
Purpose
In a context of international economic crisis the improvement in the efficiency and productivity of public services is seen as a way to maintain high-quality levels at lower costs. Increased productivity can be promoted through benchmarking exercises, where key performance indicators (KPIs), individually or aggregated, are used to compare health units. The purpose of this paper is to describe a benchmarking platform, called Hospital Benchmarking (HOBE), where hospital’s services are used as the unit of analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
HOBE platform includes a set of managerial indicators through which hospital services’ are compared. The platform also benchmarks services through aggregate service indicators, and provides an aggregate measure of hospital’s performance based on a composite indicator of the service’s performances. These aggregate indicators were obtained through data envelopment analysis (DEA).
Findings
Some results are presented for Portuguese hospitals for the trial years of 2008 and 2009, for which data is publicly available. Details for the service-level analysis are provided for a sample hospital, as well as details on the aggregate performance resulting from services performances.
Practical implications
HOBE’s features and outcomes show that the platform can be used to guide management actions and to support the design of health policies by administrative authorities, provided that good quality and timely data are available, and that hospitals are involved in the design of the KPIs.
Originality/value
The platform is innovative in the sense that it bases its analysis on hospital’s services, which are in general more comparable among hospitals than indicators of hospital overall performance. In addition, it makes use of DEA to aggregate performance indicators, allowing for user choice in the inputs and outputs to be aggregated, and it proposes a novel model to aggregate service’s efficiencies into a single measure of hospital performance.
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Ana Junça Silva and Sofia Costa
The economic, financial and social crisis has heightened researchers' interest in the importance of organizational sustainability and resources (e.g. work engagement and…
Abstract
Purpose
The economic, financial and social crisis has heightened researchers' interest in the importance of organizational sustainability and resources (e.g. work engagement and psychological capital) for performance. Despite some studies demonstrating the significance of resources, such as work engagement and psychological capital, for workers’ performance, there is limited knowledge regarding the role of organizational sustainability practices (OSP) in the relationship mentioned above. Therefore, this study drew upon the social identity theory to conceptualize and test the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between OSP and performance (both task and adaptive). Based on the conservation of resources theory, it was hypothesized that a worker's resource – psychological capital – would moderate the indirect relationship between social responsibility practices and performance (both task and adaptive).
Design/methodology/approach
To test the proposed model, 304 adults participated in a two-wave study.
Findings
The results supported the hypotheses, revealing that OSP had a positive and significant relationship with task and adaptive performance, occurring through work engagement. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between OSP and performance task and adaptive through work engagement was moderated by psychological capital, such that the relationship became stronger for workers with lower levels of psychological capital.
Originality/value
The relevance of this research lies in its ability to identify the conditions and mechanisms in which corporate social responsibility initiatives are most effective, thereby enabling a more nuanced application of these practices across different sectors and organizational cultures. This study's theoretical and practical implications may assist organizations in devising strategies for implementing social responsibility practices to enhance their outcomes.
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Rohit Sharma, Charbel José Chiappetta Jabbour and Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour
The emergence the fourth industrial revolution, known as well as industry 4.0, and its applications in the manufacturing sector ushered a new era for the business entities. It not…
Abstract
Purpose
The emergence the fourth industrial revolution, known as well as industry 4.0, and its applications in the manufacturing sector ushered a new era for the business entities. It not only promises enhancement in operational efficiency but also magnify sustainable operations practices. This current paper provides a thorough bibliometric and network analysis of more than 600 articles highlighting the benefits in favor of the sustainability dimension in the industry 4.0 paradigm.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis begins by identifying over 1,000 published articles in Scopus, which were then refined to works of proven influence and those authored by influential researchers. Using rigorous bibliometric software, established and emergent research clusters were identified for intellectual network analysis, identification of key research topics, interrelations and collaboration patterns.
Findings
This bibliometric analysis of the field helps graphically to illustrate the publications evolution over time and identify areas of current research interests and potential directions for future research. The findings provide a robust roadmap for mapping the research territory in the field of industry 4.0 and sustainability.
Originality/value
As the literature on sustainability and industry 4.0 expands, reviews capable of systematizing the main trends and topics of this research field are relevant.