Patrícia Moura e Sá and Patrícia Cunha
It is widely accepted that doing exercise regularly is essential to promote physical, psychological and social well-being. Yet, often dropout rates tend to be high. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
It is widely accepted that doing exercise regularly is essential to promote physical, psychological and social well-being. Yet, often dropout rates tend to be high. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model to understand the potential drivers of satisfaction and loyalty in the sports and fitness context looking in particular at four main dimensions of service quality: infrastructures/physical environment, relationship with instructors/staff, outcomes achieved and customer-to-customer interaction.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review was conducted to identify potential drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty in sports. The proposed model was estimated using data collected from a sample of 384 users of four Portuguese swimming pools facilities by means of a survey questionnaire.
Findings
The majority of the hypotheses tested found support in the data. In particular, the quality of the interaction with instructors and the results obtained from exercising have a strong impact on satisfaction, which, in turn, is highly correlated with psychological commitment and positive word-of-mouth communication.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the findings some managerial implications can be derived. Such recommendations can enhance users’ perceptions of service quality and indirectly contribute to a more regular and effective sports practice.
Originality/value
The importance of enhancing loyalty has been emphasised in sports management literature. Yet, few studies have empirically investigated the simultaneous relationships among service quality dimensions, customer satisfaction and loyalty. This research partially addresses this gap.
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Daielly Melina Nassif Mantovani Ribeiro, Flavio Hourneaux Junior, Cristiana Lara Lara Cunha, Patricia Taeko Kaetsu, Patricia Fernanda Dionizio-Leite and Celso Machado Junior
This paper aims to discuss the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the effective assessment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to smart…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the effective assessment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to smart and sustainable city initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a systematic review of the literature within the Web of Science and Scopus databases, comprising the studies about ICTs related to smart and sustainable city initiatives and sustainable assessment.
Findings
The main results point out that there are several different ways of assessing SDGs performance related to ICTs use in smart and sustainable city initiatives. However, the effectiveness of these assessments can be questioned. The intensive use of technology understood as the core of smart and sustainable cities does not imply an improvement in sustainability unless these technologies are strategically addressed to underpin those objectives. Moreover, not all SDGs have considered the use of ICTs in their targets.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the study is limited to “how” the information is used and managed, rather than analysing the sustainable performance itself. As a limitation, the findings and conclusions do not consider other sources of studies, such as grey literature.
Practical implications
This study suggests some requirements for providing better and more reliable sustainable assessment, making smart and sustainable city initiatives more correlated with the SDGs.
Social implications
By acknowledging the difficulties associated with SDGs assessment, concerning the municipal level, the study offers valuable insights into the effectiveness of public policies and public management. Besides, the findings shed some light on if and how the use of ICTs can effectively enhance sustainable development issues.
Originality/value
This study offers valuable contributions to the literature by providing a collection of insights regarding how the ICTs may genuinely lead to a sound assessment of sustainable development, especially regarding the SDGs.
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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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Yoshida Yoshizaki Hugo Tsugunobu, da Cunha Cláudio Barbieri, Ribeiro Giacon Joice, Almeida Flavio Vaz, Kako Iara Sakitani, Laranjeiro de Andrade Patrícia Faias and Hino Celso Mitsuo
This chapter describes and discusses the main results of the successful off-hour delivery (OHD) pilot test in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, which took place between October 2014…
Abstract
This chapter describes and discusses the main results of the successful off-hour delivery (OHD) pilot test in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, which took place between October 2014 and March 2015. The pilot engaged major stakeholders in urban distribution, including local authorities, shippers, carriers, and receivers, with the aim to determine what are the main requirements, constraints, opportunities, and threats for establishing a public policy related to shifting deliveries to late night in order to mitigate traffic congestion.
Differently from the former City of New York OHD pilot, here all participant companies were volunteers, with no need for cash incentives. The primary focus in São Paulo was on the issues of safety and noise, besides productivity aspects of travel time, truck speed, and delivery time.
The pilot was very successful, with no registered complaints of noise or security incidents. Travel speeds were obtained from global positioning system (GPS) tracking data and internal delivery systems. The chapter compares daytime and night operations and shows that productivity in some chains would improve significantly, but noise and safety must be carefully controlled to guarantee the expansion of the concept.
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Patrícia Lacerda de Carvalho and Aldo Leonardo Cunha Callado
We compare the financial stock performance of companies that participate in the Carbon Efficient Index (ICO2) and those that participate only in market-wide indices of the…
Abstract
We compare the financial stock performance of companies that participate in the Carbon Efficient Index (ICO2) and those that participate only in market-wide indices of the BM&FBovespa (the IBOV, IBrX50, and IBrX100). The data includes the daily quotations of the shares from these four indices for September 2010 to December 2014. We exclude companies from market-wide indices that also participated in the ICO2. We use the stock market and average volume liquidity indices in order to analyze liquidity. We employ financial indicators to analyze the performance of the indices. Returns of companies participating in the ICO2 exceed those of all other companies except those participating in the IBrX50. The returns of all indices are statistically similar. There is a proven long-term equilibrium relationship between the indices’ returns. The ICO2 does not present obvious superiority in terms of the Sharpe and Jensen indices, although the results surpass those of the market-wide indices. Although the financial performance of sustainable companies does not surpass that of other companies, the economic benefits are similar. Thus, even though the financial result presents no significant difference, it is crucial to acknowledge that investing in sustainable stocks does not result in financial loss; rather, it has a positive environmental impact. The literature connecting the performance of the shares of the ICO2 and broad indices is scarce. Our study improves understanding of how company stocks can generate economic benefits to both society and companies.
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Mariana Crivelari Da Cunha, Patrícia da Silva Machado, Ana Beatriz Silva Araújo, Elisângela Elena Nunes Carvalho and Eduardo Valério de Barros Vilas Boas
The potential of the Cerrado fruit could be explored by development of new products, such as jellies that can be used to add value to the fruit, as well as to preserve this biome…
Abstract
Purpose
The potential of the Cerrado fruit could be explored by development of new products, such as jellies that can be used to add value to the fruit, as well as to preserve this biome. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of processing, the glass packaging type and storage time on the quality of jelly, prepared from reconstituted murici pulp, over 12 months of storage.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a completely randomized design (CRD) in factorial 2 × 5, with two types of glass packaging (transparent and amber) and five storage periods (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months), with four replications and the experimental parcel consisting of 80 g of jelly (two bottles of 40 g). The quality of jelly was monitored through 12 months using physicochemical (proximal composition, color, soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH), microbiological (coliforms at 35 °C and 45 °C, filamentous fungi and Salmonella sp) and sensory analyses (sensory acceptance and purchase intent).
Findings
The pulp processing effectively affected the physicochemical and nutritional composition (proximal composition, soluble solids and color). It was found that only the storage time significantly influenced (p < 0.05) jelly quality, considering the variables analyzed, except the soluble solids, ash, dietary fiber and sensory texture attributes. However, the glass packaging factor (transparent and amber) did not result in significant changes in those variables. Moreover, the pulp processing allows a seasonal fruit with a short harvest period and short post-harvest life to be available to consumers as a new product throughout the year.
Originality/value
Based on the present study, the native Cerrado fruit such as murici [Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Rich] is appreciated for its pleasant peculiarities such as color, aroma and taste; however, it is underutilized as food for lack of information and studies. Although the fruit does not have widespread use as food, it is necessary to make the population aware about its importance, not only as a source of nutrients, but also for its functional and sensory potential. Therefore, the production of murici jelly can increase consumption of the fruit, besides being a way to add value and extend the shelf life and sensory acceptance of the product prepared.
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Amanda Cristina Gaban Filippi, Patricia Guarnieri, José Márcio Carvalho, Silvia Araújo Reis and Cleyzer Adrian da Cunha
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the development of rural warehouses condominiums (or “condos”) as new rural configurations in the Brazilian agribusiness from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the development of rural warehouses condominiums (or “condos”) as new rural configurations in the Brazilian agribusiness from the perspective of the theory of collective action.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was complemented with multiple case studies based on interviews and direct observation. Content analysis was used to interpret the secondary and primary data.
Findings
Rural warehouse condos can be characterized as a collective action which is a new business model in Brazilian agribusiness. This new initiative has several advantages: reduction of the warehouse deficit and other logistical bottlenecks; strategic commercialization of production; reduction of logistical costs; inclusion of smallholders in the economy and, consequently, the generation of income for smallholders and their participation in the market.
Research limitations/implications
The study used a qualitative approach and findings and discussion are inherently interpretative.
Social implications
Understanding the organization of rural warehouse condos supports the inclusion of smallholding farmers and income generation. This creates a social benefit through rural growth and economic development. Some constraints related to the lack of public policies, specific credit lines in financial institutions, the problem of non-regularized rural areas, lack of transparency and conflicts among the members can limit expansion.
Originality/value
Rural warehouse condos are expanding mainly in the south region of Brazil, where smallholders are concentrated. In this new configuration, they can engage in an association to obtain several benefits, such as reduced logistics costs, better access to financing and increased bargaining power with suppliers. As this research dealt with a relatively new and poorly studied topic, it contributes to the development of new studies to map innovative warehousing practices.
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Ana Cascão, Ana Paula Quelhas and António Manuel Cunha
This paper aims to analyze the heuristics and cognitive biases described by behavioral finance in the investment decision-making process of Portugal’s housing market.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the heuristics and cognitive biases described by behavioral finance in the investment decision-making process of Portugal’s housing market.
Design/methodology/approach
In a first step, the authors applied an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to assess the impact of heuristics and cognitive biases on investors’ decision-making. In a second step, the authors run a structural equation model (SEM) diagram path to assess if the sociodemographic characteristics of housing market investors determine the identified heuristics and if the heuristics condition the investors’ investment criteria.
Findings
Herd behavior and the heuristics of representativeness, availability and anchoring influence the housing market’s investors’ behavior in their decision-making process. Investors with above-average income show higher levels of overconfidence. Investors showing higher levels of overconfidence also tend to be more sensitive to the house price under analysis for investment. Women tend to show higher levels of the availability and anchoring heuristic. In turn, housing market investors showing higher levels of availability and anchoring heuristic tend to be more sensitive to the price and location of the house under analysis for investment.
Research limitations/implications
The explained variance of the EFA is below 50%, and the root mean square of approximation of the SEM is above the threshold of 0.05. These indicators are evidence of the models’ fragility.
Practical implications
Governments and regulators can better prevent real estate bubbles if they monitor behavioral biases and heuristics of housing investors together with quantitative indicators. Realtors can profit from adapting their marketing strategy and commercial communication to investors of sociodemographic groups more prone to a specific type of heuristics.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that combines the contributions of behavioral finance with Portugal’s housing investment market and the first study connecting heuristics to investment criteria.
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Vassiliki Costarelli and Maria Michou
The pandemic of COVID-19 led to considerable challenges with respect to people's health, dietary behavior and satisfaction with life. This study aims to investigate perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
The pandemic of COVID-19 led to considerable challenges with respect to people's health, dietary behavior and satisfaction with life. This study aims to investigate perceived stress levels, in relation to diet quality and life satisfaction in Greek adults, during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a cross-sectional study which took place in Greece in the course of the strict lockdown period, in the third COVID-19 wave. A sample of 2,029 adults aged 18 years and above participated in an online survey. The questionnaire consisted of questions on sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics. The Perceived Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Mediterranean Diet Assessment Tool were also used.
Findings
Linear regression has shown that women (p < 0.0001), younger individuals (p < 0.0001), obese individuals (p = 0.047), those with lower levels of satisfaction with life (p < 0.0001) and lower adherence to Mediterranean diet (p = 0.0001) were positively associated with higher levels of stress.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Greece aiming at investigating concurrently, levels of perceived stress, with respect to levels of satisfaction with life and diet quality in adults, during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic.