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This paper aims to analyse the factors that influence the satisfaction and intention of continuity of use, of teachers and students, regarding using Moodle in undergraduate courses in one Campus at the Federal Institute of Rondônia in Brazil. The starting point was an integration of DeLone and McLean's Information Systems Success Model (ISSM) with Davis' Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).

A quantitative research approach was adopted. After the definition of the hypotheses, data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires were designed to measure the five constructs: Quality of Information (QI), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), User Satisfaction (US) and Behavioural Intention to use (BI) that make up the conceptual model of the study. The data were analysed based on 144 valid questionnaires. The technique of maximum likelihood estimation was adopted in the data analysis through structural equation modelling (SEM).

The results confirmed six of the nine hypothesised relationships. QI positively impacts PEOU and US. PEOU positively impacts PU, which in turn positively impacts US and BI. Similarly, US positively impacts Moodle's BI. It was also evidenced that PU is the strongest predictor of US.

These results can help educational institutions, managers, administrators and designers of e-learning systems to develop strategies to increase Moodle's user satisfaction.

This study provides insights into the perception of students and teachers regarding the use of Moodle. A model that integrates constructs from two models widely used in research related to e-learning (TAM and ISSM) was used in a developing country context. This is important, given cultural differences and social idiosyncrasies in different contexts, particularly in an educational institution in the Amazonia region in northern Brazil.

The purpose of this paper is to find appropriate forms of analysis of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) to obtain an assessment method, as fair as possible, for the students. The authors intend to ascertain if it is possible to control the quality of the MCQ contained in a bank of questions, implemented in Moodle, presenting some evidence with Item Response Theory (IRT) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). The used techniques can be considered a type of Descriptive Learning Analytics since they allow the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data generated from students’ assessment.

A representative data set of students’ grades from tests, randomly generated with a bank of questions implemented in Moodle, was used for analysis. The data were extracted from a Moodle database using MySQL with an ODBC connector, and collected in MS Excel^TM worksheets, and appropriate macros programmed with VBA were used. The analysis with the CTT was done through appropriate MS Excel^TM formulas, and the analysis with the IRT was approached with an MS Excel^TM add-in.

The Difficulty and Discrimination Indexes were calculated for all the questions having enough answers. It was found that the majority of the questions presented values for these indexes, which leads to a conclusion that they have quality. The analysis also showed that the bank of questions presents some internal consistency and, consequently, some reliability. Groups of questions with similar features were obtained, which is very important for the teacher to develop tests as fair as possible.

The main contribution and originality that can be found in this research is the definition of groups of questions with similar features, regarding their difficulty and discrimination properties. These groups allow the identification of difficulty levels in the questions on the bank of questions, thus allowing teachers to build tests, randomly generated with Moodle, that include questions with several difficulty levels in the tests, as it should be done. As far as the authors’ knowledge, there are no similar results in the literature.

This paper analyzes tourism competitiveness in Latin America, providing a country-level ranking of tourism competitiveness. The study also identifies which areas of management to focus on in order to increase competitiveness in each case.

The study is based on the variables used by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to measure tourism competitiveness. The DP2 distance method is used to create a synthetic indicator. This method helps identify which areas best explain differences in competitiveness between countries.

In tourism, the most competitive Latin American countries are Costa Rica, Chile, Panama, Mexico and Uruguay. The areas that best explain the differences between countries relate to cultural and natural resources, the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), international openness and transport infrastructure. These are therefore priority areas for tourism managers.

This paper provides detailed analysis for each country. The situation in each country is presented in terms of the key areas highlighted by the analysis. This approach can aid the individual decisions of companies and public managers, thus enhancing tourism competitiveness. This greater competitiveness can strengthen the tourism sector, which is crucial in uncertain times.

Based on a synthetic indicator, this research offers the first country-level analysis of tourism competitiveness in Latin America. The study is also novel in its ability to detect the areas where action should be taken to improve tourism competitiveness. This analysis offers an alternative to the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which has certain weaknesses. The results can help enhance tourism competitiveness in Latin American countries through the specific recommendations presented in this paper.

Este documento analiza la competitividad del turismo en América Latina, proporcionando un ranking a nivel país. El estudio también identifica en qué áreas de gestión deben enfocarse los esfuerzos para aumentar la competitividad en cada caso.

La investigación se basa en las variables propuestas por el Foro Económico Mundial (WEF) para medir la competitividad del turismo. El método de distancia DP₂ se utiliza para crear un indicador sintético. Este método ayuda a identificar qué factores explican en mayor medida las diferencias de competitividad entre países.

Los países latinoamericanos más competitivos en cuanto a la actividad turística son Costa Rica, Chile, Panamá, México y Uruguay. Los factores que mejor explican las diferencias entre países se relacionan con los recursos culturales y naturales, la implementación de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC), la apertura internacional y las infraestructuras de transporte. Por tanto, estas serían las áreas prioritarias de trabajo para los gestores turísticos.

Este documento proporciona un análisis detallado de cada país. La situación individual se presenta mediante un análisis de las áreas clave destacadas como responsables en mayor medida de la competitividad. Este enfoque puede ayudar a las decisiones tomadas por los gestores de las empresas y los administradores públicos, mejorando así la competitividad del turismo. Esta mayor competitividad puede fortalecer el sector turístico, que es crucial en tiempos de incertidumbre.

Basado en un indicador sintético, esta investigación ofrece el primer análisis a nivel país de la competitividad turística en América Latina. El estudio también es novedoso por su capacidad para detectar los ámbitos en los que se debe actuar para mejorar la competitividad turística. Este análisis ofrece una alternativa al Índice de Competitividad de Viajes y Turismo (TTCI) del Foro Económico Mundial (WEF), que tiene ciertas debilidades. Los resultados pueden ayudar a mejorar la competitividad del turismo en los países de América Latina a través de las recomendaciones específicas presentadas en este documento.

The purpose of this paper is to draw on available data regarding the historical event of the major Lisbon earthquake of 1755 in order to understand the governance structure that was set to rebuild the city of Lisbon, as well as to elaborate on Max Weber’s theory of authority.

The present study aims to extend our knowledge on the role of leadership in organizational transformation, by examining the authority structure of governance in the aftermath of a major catastrophic event, using the study of an extreme case to generate new management theory.

The study founded evidence that the successful rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake was accompanied by a certain kind of governance structure that included an authority structure that simultaneously incorporated Weber’s authority types of charisma, tradition and rationality; and there was a clear distinction between the roles of each kind of authority, as well as the inviolable respect and sacredness of each other’s terrain that seems to lead to that effectiveness.

It is possible that the historical conditions in which this social transformation took place might not be repeatable in today’s context, but the analysis of such an extreme case of destruction and rebuilding evidences that the “atomistic” approach of Max Weber on authority can be enriched with a “molecular” approach that, at the same time, helps to further develop the concept of “shared leadership” by analyzing it from a Weberian point of view.

Today’s organizations should analyze their governance structure and management staff from a “molecular” Weberian perspective, if they want to achieve major transformations.

The study further develops Max Weber’s theory of authority and discusses it regarding a “shared leadership” perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution to improving the efficiency of the focal firm made by lean management at the internal and supply chain levels.

An empirical study was conducted of 285 Spanish focal companies from industrial sectors that occupy an intermediate position in the supply chain. The data gathering method consisted of a telephone survey using computer-assisted telephone interviewing. A structural equation was used to test the hypotheses.

The results indicate that there is an improvement in efficiency of the focal firm when lean management extends throughout the supply chain, in line with the resource-based theory and integrated supply chain management. In addition, lean management at the internal level is observed to impact positively on the focal firm's efficiency only when it contributes to enhancing the implementation of lean supply chain management.

To achieve the best operational performance derived from lean management, managers should pay attention to the transfer to their supply chain members of knowledge, competencies and cultural change linked to the level of internal lean implementation of the focal firm. Moreover, this paper provides a way to assess the operational aspects of lean supply chain strategy implementation and lean supply chain planning.

This study uses a holistic focus on lean supply chain management, to which it applies a validated instrument. It underlines that lean on the internal level should be complemented with lean on the supply chain level to provide a better understanding of the drivers of the efficiency of the focal firm.

This study has used public sources, interview with one of the case protagonists.

This business case portrays the problems that an energy producing company faced in Portugal, in its transition from being a public company to becoming privatized. The Portuguese Government issued EDP with generous subsidies to guarantee its future profits and privatization success, but a few years later, after EDP was fully privatized, there was great political pressure to downsize such subsidies. The case describes the main steps taken by EDP from its creation and privatization, culminating at the end of 2017, where it was heavily criticized by media and political parties due to a high value of subsidies that had been granted to the company by the Portuguese Government in the past, while it was still a public company, and the renegotiation of those same subsidies after it had been privatized. EDP’s President António Mexia was under police investigation due to having led the renegotiation talks in 2007, and it was feared that EDP’s investors could refrain from investing in the company. Should EDP campaign to clear its good name, or would it be better to let the matter fall with the passing of time? Could the share value be affected? Should EDP prepare itself for loss of revenue due to an eventual downsizing of the subsidies?

This study covers energy sector, privatization issues and government support. The relevance of this study is good for use in Business Schools and MBA courses.

This chapter explores the origins, development, and organization of the main Portuguese capitalist groups throughout the fascist dictatorship, the Carnation Revolution, and the neoliberal European integration until the onset of the financial crisis of 2008. The Portuguese experience confirms that, far from the usual neoliberal view that presents the process of accumulation and concentration of capital as the result of fair market mechanisms, large capitalist groups emerge as a combination of three factors: privileged access to finance, State protection, and family inheritance. Furthermore, it is argued that, if capital is considered as embodiment of power relations and not as factor of production, the link between concentration/accumulation of capital and economic growth is appropriately lost. Concentration strategies can have a detrimental effect on the economy. In Portugal, the dominance of these large economic groups contributed to the development of a rentist economic structure that was contrary to the goals of productive and economic development.

The essence of discounted cash flow valuation is simple; the asset is worth the expected cash flows it will generate, discounted to the reference date for the valuation exercise (normally, the day of the calculation). A survey article was written in Parker (1968), where it was stated that the earliest interest rate tables (use to discount value to the present) dated back to 1340. Works from Boulding (1935) and Keynes (1936) derived the IRR (Internal Rate of Return) for an investment. Samuelson (1937) compared the IRR and NPV (Net Present Value) approaches, arguing that rational investors should maximize NPV and not IRR. The previously mentioned works and the publication of Joel Dean’s reference book (Dean, 1951) on capital budgeting set the basis for the widespread use of the discounted cash flow approach into all business areas, aided by developments in portfolio theory. Nowadays, probably the model with more widespread use is the FCFE/FCFF (Free Cash Flow to Equity and Free Cash Flow to Firm) model. For simplification purposes, we will focus on the FCFE model, which basically is the FCF model’s version for the potential dividends. The focus is to value the business based on its dividends (potential or real), and thus care must be taken in order not to double count cash flows (this matter was treated in this case) and to assess what use is given to that excess cash flow – if it is invested wisely, what returns will come of them, how it is accounted for, etc. (Damodaran, 2006). The bridge to the FCFF model is straightforward; the FCFF includes FCFE and added cash that is owed to debtholders. References: Parker, R.H. (1968). “Discounted Cash Flow in Historical Perspective”, Journal of Accounting Research, v6, pp58-71. Boulding, K.E. (1935). “The Theory of a Single Investment”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, v49, pp479-494. Keynes, J. M. (1936). “The General Theory of Employment”, Macmillan, London. Samuelson, P. (1937). “Some Aspects of the Pure Theory of Capital”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, v51, pp. 469–496. Dean, Joel. (1951). “Capital Budgeting”, Columbia University Press, New York. Damodaran, A. (2006). “Damodaran on Valuation”, Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons, New York.

All information is taken from public sources and with consented company interviews.

Opportunities for value creation may be found in awkward and difficult circumstances. Good strategic thinking and ability to act swiftly are usually crucial to be able to take advantage of such tough environments. Amidst a country-wide economic crisis and general disbelief, José de Mello Group (JMG) saw one of its main assets’ (Brisa Highways) market value tumble down to unforeseen figures and was forced to act on it. Brisa’s main partners were eager in overpowering JMG’s control of the company, and outside pressure from Deutsche Bank was rising, due to the use of Brisa’s shares as collateral. JMG would have to revise its strategy and see if Brisa was worth fighting for; the market implicit assessment about the company’s prospects was very penalizing, but JMG’s predictions on Brisa’s future performance indicated that this could be an investment opportunity. Would it be wise to bet against the market?

This study is excellent for finance and strategy courses, at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Company valuation and corporate strategy are required.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically identify the key intellectual developments of the lean supply chain management (LSCM) field from its very first beginning by analyzing the publications that have been highly cited.

The citation classics method has been used to examine the origins and evolution of the research field. In total, 74 articles have been identified as having the highest impact on LSCM research published from its beginnings to the present day. Key aspects and links among the scientific contributions are studied by descriptive, bibliometric, network and content analysis.

Publication and citation trends, methodologies used, top journals, most influential authors, institutions and countries, collaboration patterns and evolution of the most used keywords are some of the aspects studied. Three main research areas are identified: LSCM foundations and implementation, lean-agile supply chain and performance assessment and the role of sustainability, which offers a holistic view of the field and enables the identification of potential avenues for future research susceptible to contribute to advancing the knowledge on LSCM.

This study provides a useful insight into the development of the LSCM field and can help researchers as it explores the state-of-the-art of LSCM by identifying the most relevant contributions in the area, the main research lines addressed by the scientific community in this topic and opportunities for further research on LSCM for years to come.