Thyago Celso Cavalcante Nepomuceno, Miguel Gomes da Silva, Maria Eugênia Vergilio Mori, Wilka Maria do N. Silva and Isaac Pergher
The recent increase in the number of infections and mortality rates in many regions has emphasized the cyclical nature of this pandemic, with new variants emerging constantly…
Abstract
Purpose
The recent increase in the number of infections and mortality rates in many regions has emphasized the cyclical nature of this pandemic, with new variants emerging constantly. Understanding what has been done by efficient administrations to contain the outbreak is essential while new immunization developments for the new variants are not available.
Design/methodology/approach
This work adapts the traditional Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) Variable Returns to Scale model for including panel data on the Brazilian Federal Government spending over the first pandemic months in Pernambuco to identify efficient municipalities and conduct a benchmark on the best practices, reactions and implications that can serve as a guide for the post-Covid recurrence era.
Findings
The results provide an interesting panorama of municipal response to the pandemic and some quantitative and qualitative prospects on potentials for improvements from the perspective of efficient and inefficient cities. Only one administration (São Bento do Una) was identified as efficient for the entire period. The authors’ benchmark and discussion are focused on this municipality.
Originality/value
The authors believe this work has two innovative components. The first is a robust and systematic methodology integrating the advances in testing convexity and returns to scale in the construction of a production frontier based on panel data. The second is a discussion on what drives efficiency (benchmarking of best practices) in addition to how to quantitatively attain such efficiency prospects. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, both methodological and empirical implications are original to the present manuscript.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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Ricardo Manuel Da Costa Melo, Eunice Cristina Ribeiro Lopes, José Luis Coelho Vilas Boas, Lúcia Batista Santos, Sandra Cristina Ferreira Amaro, João Miguel Almeida Ventura-Silva and Isabel de Jesus Oliveira
The impact of dependence on self-care on people’s lives is very significant, with consequences for the person and their caregivers. The purpose of this study is to map the…
Abstract
Purpose
The impact of dependence on self-care on people’s lives is very significant, with consequences for the person and their caregivers. The purpose of this study is to map the evidence on the factors that influence the empowerment of the person dependent on self-care on returning home.
Design/methodology/approach
Scoping review according to the criteria proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute: population (people with a dependence on self-care), concept (factors that influence training) and context (return home after hospitalization in a medical-surgical context). The research was carried out from March 1 to April 30, 2022, in the databases CINAHL and MEDLINE (via EBSCO), Scielo, LILACS, Cuiden and MedicLatina; Gray literature searched RCAAP, DART-Europe and OpenGrey. Studies published in Portuguese, Spanish and English were included, with no time limit.
Findings
One hundred and eighty-one articles were obtained, which, after analysis according to the criteria, resulted in seven studies included for review, ranging from 2007 to 2021, with a level of evidence between 2. c and 4. a (according to Joanna Briggs Institute), and two thematic areas/four categories emerging.
Research limitations/implications
The need for information and training, the relationship and proximity with the health-care team, the design of nursing care targeted at the person’s level of dependence, education, gender, type of surgical intervention and postoperative period, physical space and lack of privacy and audiovisual media.
Originality/value
The perception of these factors proves to be important in the person’s training process, with the nurse’s role being highlighted due to their emphasis on the transition home.
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João M. Lopes, Sofia Gomes, João J.M. Ferreira and Marina Dabic
Europe’s outermost regions are often geographically isolated, and they face challenges when it comes to fostering innovation. This study aims to evaluate the impact of Science and…
Abstract
Purpose
Europe’s outermost regions are often geographically isolated, and they face challenges when it comes to fostering innovation. This study aims to evaluate the impact of Science and Technology Parks (STPs) on the stimulation of innovation performance and the regional development of innovation in the outermost European regions. This study contributes to the development and interpretation of STP literature, which is especially relevant for policymakers operating within these regions.
Design/methodology/approach
We collected the data from six Regional Innovation Scoreboard reports (RIS, 2012; RIS, 2014; RIS, 2016; RIS, 2017; RIS, 2019; and RIS 2021), available at https://ec.europa.eu, for the following outermost regions of Europe: the Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira (Portugal), the Canary Islands (Spain) and the Outermost Regions of France, which encompass Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Martin and Reunion Island.
Findings
The results demonstrate that, for STPs to positively impact regional policies for innovation and regional development, policymakers must make significant investments into research and development (R&D). The outermost European regions display characteristics that negatively affect innovation performance and regional development. Furthermore, we found that innovative products and services are negatively affected by these regions, as they deploy only a limited number of resources. We also conclude that the impact of STPs on the outermost European regions depends on the policies of regional governments. STPs represent important inputs to formulating and implementing innovation strategies for regional development.
Research limitations/implications
This study has some limitations. This research only analyses the European Union's (EU’s) outermost regions, and we have only included data extracted from the Regional Innovation Scoreboard from 2007 to 2021. Disaggregated data for the five outermost regions in France was not available. This would have increased the sample and made the results even more robust, had the information been available.
Practical implications
The results propose that regional actors in the outermost regions (industry–government–academia) better articulate their resources (which are more scarce) and their priorities with regard to Science, Technology and Innovation, thus accelerating innovation and development of their regions.
Originality/value
In this panel data study, we adopt a methodology that enables the evaluation of STP performance under different levels of intensity of gross domestic expenditure on research and development activities in the context of the RIS. In this study, the RIS refers to the peripheral regions of the EU. This study therefore aims to evaluate the impact of STPs in stimulating innovation performance and regional development in the outermost regions of Europe.
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Just over a decade after the first universities in Brazil adopted quotas for Afro-Brazilians and other disadvantaged groups, the country has implemented the most sweeping…
Abstract
Just over a decade after the first universities in Brazil adopted quotas for Afro-Brazilians and other disadvantaged groups, the country has implemented the most sweeping affirmative action policies in the Western Hemisphere. The surrounding controversy has inspired a large number of studies, which seek to evaluate the impact and scope of the policies, in terms of racial and social inequality, as well as to gauge perceptions within the public at large. This paper reviews some of the most significant findings of those studies, which have important implications for the global debate over affirmative action in higher education.
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Sofia Oliveira and Helena Albuquerque
The paper aims to present a literary itinerary inspired in Julio Dinis’ novel An English Family (Uma Família Inglesa) through a comparative analysis of the places identified in…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to present a literary itinerary inspired in Julio Dinis’ novel An English Family (Uma Família Inglesa) through a comparative analysis of the places identified in the novel and the touristic attraction proposed by Visit Porto website. This novel is representative of the cultural identity and society of Porto city in the 19th century. Developing an itinerary based on this novel can facilitate the reading and understanding of the historical and cultural development of Porto.
Design/methodology/approach
This case study is based on the reading of the Julio Dinis’ novel An English Family (Uma Família Inglesa), whose storyline takes place in Porto city, Portugal in the 19th century. It used QGIS v. 3.12 software, a geographical information system to identify the places, to produce the maps and to create the itinerary.
Findings
The comparison between the places identified in the novel and the tourist attraction in Visit Porto website revealed that only 6 points in the novel are referenced on Visit Porto website. These points correspond to the ones in the historical city centre of Porto. However, the creation of an itinerary that brings together all the points mentioned by Julio Dinis in his novel, will allow the development of a new touristic itinerary, alternative to existing itineraries in the city and that can be seen as a distinguish offer that allows a different view of the urban space of Porto.
Research limitations/implications
There are some limitations to this study that can be highlighted. First, it was difficult to find the correct location of some points identified in the novel, due to difficulty of finding historical maps with quality of the data. At the same time, as tourist information is dispersed by several sources, and most of those data is not georeferenced, it was time consuming the integration of all the information in the same geodatabase. The choice of the shortest path can also be considered as a limitation, rather than the route followed by the author in the novel, but geographic information systems operates on spatial and temporal scale, which can present a limitation in tourism analysis. In the case of this project, we have chosen the shortest path, assuming that tourist would prefer that.
Originality/value
This research allowed to address two areas of knowledge that are emerging in the study of urban centres as tourist areas: the use of GIS and literary tourism. Despite the fact that there are already articles on this subject, the originality focuses on the approach made around one of the greatest writers of Portugal in the 19th century, allowing to present a tourist itinerary about one of his literary works, and the comparison made between the places identified in the novel and the tourist points identified on the Visit Porto website.
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Miguel Angel Trejo-Rangel, Victor Marchezini, Daniel Adres Rodriguez and Melissa da Silva Oliveira
The objective of this study was to investigate how participatory 3D mapping can promote local intergenerational engagement for disaster risk reduction.
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study was to investigate how participatory 3D mapping can promote local intergenerational engagement for disaster risk reduction.
Design/methodology/approach
This investigation was carried out in the city of São Luiz do Paraitinga, Brazil, where a low-cost participatory 3D model (P3DM) was used together with secondary methods (semi-structured interviews, round tables, discussions and presentations) to engage three local focus groups (the general public, high school employees and children) to visualize and interpret local hazards, vulnerabilities, capacities and risk mitigation measures.
Findings
Participants played with a 3D model, using it to express their memories about land use changes in the city and to share their knowledge about past disasters with children that have not faced them. They identified the impacts of the previous disasters and came up with proposals of risk mitigation measures, mostly non-structural.
Originality/value
When applied in a way that allows spontaneous and open public participation, the participatory 3D model can be a type of disaster imagination game that gives voice to oral histories, local knowledge, and which permits the intergenerational engagement for disaster risk reduction.
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Maria Teresa Gomes Leão and Filipa Aguiar Brandão
This study aims to illustrate the potential of the many centuries-old universities buildings, in European cities, in a historical, architectural, aesthetic and symbolic dimension…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to illustrate the potential of the many centuries-old universities buildings, in European cities, in a historical, architectural, aesthetic and symbolic dimension to diversify and differentiate urban tourist destinations supply.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative study supported by the analysis of public and classified documents, for which the main source is based on webography, and by conducting interviews.
Findings
The deficit of cultural tours, in the dimension of built heritage, is identified as one of the weaknesses of the city of Porto, as tourist destination, to be overcome. The interviewees are unanimous in recognizing the cultural, architectural and aesthetic impact of the historic buildings of the University of Porto, and most of them strongly agree with the integration of this legacy into the tourist offer of the city. The strategic sense of the heritage is emphasized, because of its location in charismatic areas of the city. The practice of effective networking, however, falls short of what is required to achieve ambitious and consistent objectives.
Research limitations/implications
The practice of effective networking, however, falls short of what is required to achieve ambitious and consistent objectives.
Originality/value
Emphasis is placed on the cities’ built heritage as a type of heritage that defines their uniqueness. The dissemination of cultural itineraries, which allows tourists and the community itself a broader and deeper cultural knowledge, contributes to the effective understanding of historic cities’ tourism. Given the scarcity of studies on the relationship between historic university buildings and tourism, the relevance of research focuses on highlighting the contribution of these cultural elements, through a network-based dynamic, to urban tourism destinations’ attractiveness. In particular, the University of Porto's potential for the integration of structured tourism products that contribute to the diversification and differentiation of the city of Porto as a destination is illustrated.
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João Varela da Costa, Daniel Filipe Dongo and Miguel Mira da Silva
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the applicability of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) through a systematic approach using M-Macbeth to present alternatives for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the applicability of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) through a systematic approach using M-Macbeth to present alternatives for mitigating high-impact instances of disinformation in a community and measure the attractiveness of the options.
Design/methodology/approach
The recent advent of Fake News (FN) and disinformation poses a significant threat to a community, organisation or individual, contributing to the erosion of public trust in institutions and democracy. This is aggravated should the authors consider the multiplicity of FN and, thus, the multitude of risk and their impact on the community. This research proposes tackling FN as a digital risk by applying an MCDA to select the appropriate countermeasures for Law Enforcement Agencies to tackle disinformation and FN crimes.
Findings
Results indicate that to mitigate risk effectively, prioritising risk using adequate strategies and appropriate courses of action is crucial.
Originality/value
Nevertheless, the contributions of this research work allowed us to comprehend the best option to mitigate the risk of FN and provide a realistic approach to support Law Enforcement in decision analysis.
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João Alexandre Paschoalin Filho, Claudia Maria da Silva Bezerra and Antonio José Guerner Dias
The civil construction industry has vital importance to Brazil's economy. However, this sector is also responsible for the environmental impacts. Governments have been taking…
Abstract
Purpose
The civil construction industry has vital importance to Brazil's economy. However, this sector is also responsible for the environmental impacts. Governments have been taking measures aiming to mitigate these impacts. Among these, the elaboration and implementation of civil construction solid waste management plans can be highlighted. However, these plans still lack standardizations and tools for their evaluation. Environmental indicators proposal for construction solid waste management plans assessment is presented to verify the adhesion of these to environmental laws, technical standards and green building certification systems recommendations.
Design/methodology/approach
The construction solid waste management plans of three construction works were evaluated by the proposed indicators to verify the procedures related, generating, in the end, a scale between 0 and 5. After that, plans were compared with each other.
Findings
The proposed indicators have made possible the evaluation of the environmental practices performed for three different construction works. By the proposed indicators, the environmental practices were compared to technical standards and legislation suggested procedures.
Practical implications
As a contribution, the evaluation proposal presented may help the construction industry as well as the public authority to evaluate the construction solid waste management plans currently elaborated, so that these can offer a quality improvement and more effective environmental measures.
Originality/value
Methodologies that guide the evaluation of construction solid waste management plans can be beneficial for the construction companies, which can improve the quality of the plans elaborated internally and verify the effectiveness of the plans elaborated by specialized consultancies. In general, most of the construction solid waste management plans are prepared with the purpose of only complying with the legislation, more specifically of the National Council for the Environment, Resolution 307/2002.