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1 – 8 of 8Alieva Ghiulnara and Cristina Viegas
The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of weather derivatives markets and to highlight the importance of the contributing factors for weather risk management such as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of weather derivatives markets and to highlight the importance of the contributing factors for weather risk management such as weather sensitivity, weather forecast, and economic growth. In this paper, the prospective of using weather derivatives in Portugal and why Portugal should use such instruments as well as the potential of Portugal's enterprises are presented.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper attempts to distinguish the reasons for the appearance of a weather derivatives market and the growth potential of the European weather market.
Findings
Successful development of a Portuguese weather derivatives market will require three things. For the successful development of weather derivatives market, a legal and economic framework is needed, as well as the development of new weather products, training of qualified specialists for working with these instruments and attracting companies interested in hedging their profits. A combination of these factors will help growth and will accelerate the development of a weather derivatives market in Portugal.
Originality/value
The paper identifies some conditions that could allow the progress of the weather derivatives market in Portugal.
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Gustavo Henrique Silva de Souza, Nilton Cesar Lima, Fernanda Cristina Barbosa Pereira Queiroz, Rafael Farias Gonçalves and Jamerson Viegas Queiroz
This article aims to develop a measure that assesses and maps the behaviors and traits of an individual with potential for innovation in the work context. To do so, it gathers…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to develop a measure that assesses and maps the behaviors and traits of an individual with potential for innovation in the work context. To do so, it gathers evidence of factor validity and internal consistency.
Design/methodology/approach
In the work context, innovation is often linked with the idea of intrapreneurship. Some experts have pointed out that intrapreneurial activities are essential for promoting innovation. However, it is not just about the activities – the key is to create an environment that supports innovation, fostering a culture where new ideas can thrive. To achieve the objectives of this research, we conducted two studies. The first study involved the construction of the innovation potential scale (IPS). In a theoretical, empirical way, the second study involved the administration of the IPS and a sociodemographic questionnaire to a sample of 621 Brazilians from 25 different occupations.
Findings
The results introduce a nine-item measure for the innovative behavior assessment, along with its validity and psychometric properties. Furthermore, the results suggest that innovation potential is a unidimensional construct. Moreover, the study highlights the role of intrapreneurship as an explanatory axiom. This concept helps to understand the entrepreneurial behavior of various professionals and managers within their work context.
Practical implications
This study contribute with as instrument that serves as a new powerful tool for understanding of the mechanisms that lead to innovation in the work context and stimulate the innovative potential of professionals and organizations.
Originality/value
This study helps fill gaps in the literature on self-report assessment of innovative behavior. The traits linked with the construct have a contingent nature and are only potential.
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Fernanda Cristina Barbosa Pereira Queiroz, Christian Luiz da Silva, Nilton Cesar Lima, Solange Marlene Thomaz and Jamerson Viegas Queiroz
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social distancing, the Virtual Mobility Program (Promover) implemented in 2021 in Brazil aimed to allow students…
Abstract
Purpose
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social distancing, the Virtual Mobility Program (Promover) implemented in 2021 in Brazil aimed to allow students enrolled in Brazilian federal universities to take curricular components at other institutions of the system remotely. The main objective of this research was to identify the most important factors, in students' perception, that affected their satisfaction with virtual mobility (VM) and the factors that drive the intention to continue mobility.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection was performed through 433 questionnaires answered online. R software was used for descriptive analysis and SmartPLS to examine the relationship between independent and dependent variables through Structural Equation Modeling.
Findings
A positive relationship was verified between the constructs, and the hypothesized relations were confirmed at statistically significant level, revealing the students' satisfaction with VM and their intention to continue exploring this online learning option through Promover. The results showed that the motivations for VM are linked to the pursuit of knowledge and more opportunities for training and work. Plus, the use of VM proved to be a motivator for student engagement and e-learning effectiveness.
Originality/value
The findings can be useful as they highlight the opportunity to expand VM programs for students, even after the return to on-campus academic activities.
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Maria João Santos and Cristina Silva Bastos
Two years on from the launch of the United Nations 2030 agenda, this study aims to approach just how and why large Portuguese companies are incorporating the sustainable…
Abstract
Purpose
Two years on from the launch of the United Nations 2030 agenda, this study aims to approach just how and why large Portuguese companies are incorporating the sustainable development goals (SDGs) into their strategies. This sets out a theoretical framework for priority levels of management and the key rationales and motivations towards the adoption of the SDGs by companies within the scope of identifying logical and mutual connections.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed theoretical framework applied an empirical, qualitative study approach, deploying content analysis of the semi-structured interviews carried out.
Findings
The results convey how the responding companies are using the different management models identified for integrating the SDGs, with the strategic and operational facets of greatest relevance. There are various key reasons put forward in justification of this involvement, in particular highlighting the understanding of the 2030 agenda as an ethical and social contract followed by concerns over managing stakeholders. The results demonstrate that these main motivations influence the management level at which the SGDs undergo integration, yet they do not determine the type of integration.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis of a limited number of companies and the fact that the semi-structured interviews were made with a single representative, which correspondingly reflects how the responses received convey the understandings, visions, values and responsibilities of these interlocutors.
Originality/value
This provides one of the first studies contributing towards understanding how and why businesses are aligning with the SDGs. At the conceptual level, this proposes a theoretical framework for analysing the underlying logics and the levels of integration into business management and how both can be interconnected. In practical terms, this clarifies how business management strategies may leverage the integration of the 2030 agenda as a mechanism for implementing corporate sustainability.
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Koblarp Chandrasapth, Natalia Yannopoulou, Klaus Schoefer, Tana Cristina Licsandru and Thanos Papadopoulos
The purpose of this study sets out to examine (1) how have conflicts been conceptualized and operationalized within the context of online consumption communities? (2) what are the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study sets out to examine (1) how have conflicts been conceptualized and operationalized within the context of online consumption communities? (2) what are the main conflict management, resolution strategies and frameworks that have been identified? and (3) what are the gaps in the relevant body of work in terms of theoretical and methodological dimensions, and what implications do they have for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a systematic and multidisciplinary literature review of online conflicts. Following a descriptive and thematic content analysis, it examines 79 peer-reviewed scholarly articles of the past 20 years within 6 scientific databases.
Findings
The authors propose a literature-based conceptualization of online conflicts and a multi-level conflict resolution matrix based on the different governance structures and social control mechanisms investigated in extant research.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the integrative and interdisciplinary view of online conflict in global consumption communities.
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Ricardo Pires de Souza, Hélio Roberto Hékis, Lucas Ambrósio Bezerra Oliveira, Jamerson Viegas Queiroz, Fernanda Cristina Barbosa Pereira Queiroz and Ricardo Alexsandro de Medeiros Valentim
The Six Sigma project aims at a continual reduction in process variation, eliminating defects or flaws in products and services, optimizing processes and reducing costs. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The Six Sigma project aims at a continual reduction in process variation, eliminating defects or flaws in products and services, optimizing processes and reducing costs. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate improvements in customer service index (CSI), product cycle time and inventory turnover after implementation of a Six Sigma project.
Design/methodology/approach
This research focused on the value stream mapping of a company process, performed by a multidisciplinary team that implemented a pull production system, the standard operational procedure in machines that were process bottlenecks, and the kanban system.
Findings
After three months of implementation, the authors observed an 11.7 percent reduction in product cycle time, increase in customer service index (CSI) from 93.9 to 97 percent and increase in inventory turnovers from 4.9 to 9.
Originality/value
The project was in accordance with the competitive strategy of the company, which is focused on customer satisfaction and cost reduction.
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In the twenty-first century, the family has been turning towards a greater plurality of training paths, situations, family and parental arrangements. However, despite changes in…
Abstract
In the twenty-first century, the family has been turning towards a greater plurality of training paths, situations, family and parental arrangements. However, despite changes in legislation, values, representations and practices, the word family remains inexorably associated with the heterosexual bi-parental model. This paper aims to contribute to the knowledge of the family dynamics of non-heterosexual people, mainly concerning the process of transition to parenting, in relation to family changes in Portuguese society. To do so this study aims to analyze four in-depth interviews1 with young adults, women and men who have a homoconjugality relationship and a project of parenting in mind.
Based on a qualitative methodology the study intends to discuss issues related to the challenge of heteronormativity, equality within the couple, projects and gender representations of parenthood and in particular what it means for the men and women interviewed, to be a father and to be a mother in a same sex couple and how they project themselves as fathers and mothers.
The study discusses all these issues always in relation to the biographical trajectories, the history and life as a couple and the structural and individual resources, such as school and professional qualifications. It also analyzes the main difficulties experienced in revealing their sexuality to the significant others and the difficulties / strategies they anticipate in relation to the parenting project.
The authors conclude that female interviewees show greater independence of a male figure in relation to their parental projects and anticipate less difficulty in their parental skills compared with the gay man interviewed.
To analyze the dynamics of parenting in same-sex couples, this study also points out to the need to construct a model of analysis capable of articulating structural factors, such as job insecurity and heteronormativity, biographies and individual resources and profiles of conjugal interactions.
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The aim of this study was to prepare antibacterial capsules and transfer them to cotton fabrics using the impregnation method.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to prepare antibacterial capsules and transfer them to cotton fabrics using the impregnation method.
Design/methodology/approach
For this purpose, helichrysum oil was encapsulated by ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) using the kneading method at three different molar ratios. The products were then applied to 100% cotton fabric through the impregnation method.
Findings
Morphological assessment showed that the inclusion complex had smooth surfaces and spherical shapes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimeter analysis results confirmed the formation of the inclusion complex between ß-CD and the active agent at mole ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 for helichrysum oil. According to the analyses, it was determined that the highest complexing rate was between 9.72% and 1:2 in capsules containing ß-CD:helichrysum oil and the sizes of particles which is 1:2 are determined to be between 2 and 25 µm. The presence of capsules on the fabrics was determined after 5 washing cycles. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. The antibacterial analysis results showed that the inclusion complex provided a reduction of over 96% against both S. aureus and E. coli bacteria, and the fabrics exhibited antibacterial effects even after 5 washing cycles. The major constituents of the oil were decreased after 5 washes, but significant peaks were remained according to the gas chromatography analyses. These results indicate that helichrysum oil can be used for its antibacterial properties, and it has been observed that this activity continues up to 5 washes when transferred to the fabric in the form of an inclusion complex.
Originality/value
Although helichrysum oil is widely used in cosmetics, there is a lack of studies on its application in textiles. Therefore, this study investigated the potential use of helichrysum oil, which has a wide range of applications, in textiles for its antibacterial properties through molecular encapsulation. The use of naturally sourced substances such as helichrysum oil in the textile industry can offer an environmental and sustainable alternative. This study can be considered as a step toward the development of innovative and naturally sourced antibacterial products in the textile industry.
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