Rogério Lopes, Francisco Barros, Francisco Q. de Melo, Nuno V. Ramos, Rafael Cunha, Ricardo Maia, Rui Rodrigues, M.P.L. Parente and P.M.G. Moreira
The vehicle´s body front pillar should absorb most of the striker kinetic energy, while only a fraction of that is absorbed by the door structure. This study aims to discuss the…
Abstract
Purpose
The vehicle´s body front pillar should absorb most of the striker kinetic energy, while only a fraction of that is absorbed by the door structure. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned issue. In this test the striker is a virtual entity. Six uniaxial strain gauges are installed throughout the door. Additionally, contactless 3D digital image correlation (DIC) allows to assess the major door panel’s continuous deformation and strain fields.
Design/methodology/approach
A coach is a large and heavy long-distance passenger transport vehicle. Their structural certification, classifies coaches as M3 Class III vehicles. New coach structures’ designs need analyses of each sub-system for critical pre-validation of the entire structure, aiming driver and passenger carrier safety. Also, a thorough examination due to increased travel speed is needed.
Findings
Experimental pseudo-dynamic (PSD) results were compared and validated using finite element method (FEM) with two pieces of distinct FEM software (Abaqus® and PamCrash®). The time dependent solution was carried out by explicit techniques. Results by FEM and PSD test showed good agreement, evidencing the reliability of the tools selected. Results by PamCrash® were closer to the experimental data.
Practical implications
R-29 is truck-only regulation, however can be adapted to coaches in case of a frontal collision. The present work focuses on the impact behavior of the passenger front door subsystem.
Originality/value
As a first validation the entire structure, the behavior of a vehicle door, under in-plane impacts was studied. The corresponding deformation energy absorbed by the frontal passenger coach door under virtual impacts of a swinging striker was assessed using a PSD approach.
Details
Keywords
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.
Details
Keywords
Ricardo Terranova Favalli, Alexandre Gori Maia and Jose Maria Ferreira Jardim da Silveira
This paper aims to evaluate the relation between governance and financial efficiency of credit unions in Brazil. The study shows how poor financial efficiency in credit unions may…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the relation between governance and financial efficiency of credit unions in Brazil. The study shows how poor financial efficiency in credit unions may result from undesirable configurations in executive management and other variables related to governance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study develops an innovative methodology to classify credit unions according to the level of governance using indicators of representativeness and participation, leadership, management and supervision. This methodology integrates the use of multiple correspondence and cluster analysis. The study then applies stochastic frontier models to analyze how governance affects the indicators of financial efficiency.
Findings
The results highlight that better governance substantially increases the efficiency of credit unions in terms of a higher level of credit operations per institution.
Originality/value
The paper uses a pioneering survey applied by the Central Bank to almost the total population of credit unions in Brazil. The results highlight how to operationalize a subjective and broad concept related to cooperative governance to identify the remarkable impacts of good governance practices on the financial efficiency of credit unions.
Details
Keywords
Marc Fetscherin, Francisco Guzman, Cleopatra Veloutsou and Ricardo Roseira Cayolla
This paper aims to outline the role of brands as relationship builders and to offer a better understanding of the recent developments and key literature in the area of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline the role of brands as relationship builders and to offer a better understanding of the recent developments and key literature in the area of consumer–brand relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an editorial based mainly on a literature review on consumer–brand relationships. It uses the sentiment range and passion intensity to position various brand relationship constructs. This work follows the same bibliometric-analysis approach used by Fetscherin and Heinrich (2014) and looked for publications in the Web of Science on brand relationships, with reference to Fournier’s (1998) seminal work and data collected for the period between January 2010 and November 2018.
Findings
First, this work presents the key consumer–brand relationship terms and positions the work on brand love, brand like, brand hate, brand dislike and brand indifference. In addition, the bibliometric analysis offers a number of insights into the current state of the academic research in the area of consumer–brand relationships, including a clear indication that the research on consumer–brand relationships is increasing.
Originality/value
This work and the whole special issue together help in the understanding of brands as relationship builders, clearly explaining the continuum from strong positive or negative relationships with brands to no relationship with brands and the current state of research in the area.
Details
Keywords
Ângela Cristina Salgueiro Marques and Luís Mauro Sá Martino
Everyday conversation has not yet been assigned its full role in public discussion of citizen’s issues, despite the growing number of studies about it. Casual conversations are…
Abstract
Everyday conversation has not yet been assigned its full role in public discussion of citizen’s issues, despite the growing number of studies about it. Casual conversations are not usually regarded as a particularly privileged place for political discussions mainly because of its apparent lack of organization following the principles and rules of the deliberative tradition in Political Studies. However, due to its closeness, informality, and personal proximity, it is particularly adequate to rise political aspects of everyday lives that otherwise would not be publicly disclosed. But how to grasp the spontaneity of everyday conversation? This chapter argues that focus groups, as a research method, are fit to observe and understand real-time ordinary conversation on political issues. In what follows, the argument goes threefold: (1) it contrasts “conversation” with “deliberation” from a micro-point of view; (2) all conversation, as a discourse embroiled in power relations, is political in a broad sense (3) as it brings forward personal views and experiences, casual conversations defies the borders between public and private issues.
Details
Keywords
Gustavo Silva, Leandro F. Pereira, José Crespo Carvalho, Rui Vinhas da Silva and Ana Simoes
This study aims to conduct a pertinent assessment of the concept of business competitiveness and how Portugal can progress in that field, for the sake of becoming a more…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to conduct a pertinent assessment of the concept of business competitiveness and how Portugal can progress in that field, for the sake of becoming a more sustainable and wealth-creator economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was elaborated with 65 in-depth interviews with expert persons from the Portuguese business ecosystem, who were asked to reflect on the state of the economy and competitiveness of the country.
Findings
There is much room for improvement in almost all areas of activity, in particular by promoting an innovative, value-adding and exporting private sector and a lighter and more efficient public sector. The conclusions point to modernisation of the Portuguese economy as a way of making it more competitive in a highly competitive and demanding global scenario.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first time that a reflection with experts of the local Portuguese economy has been carried out, especially after a difficult period of COVID.
Details
Keywords
The controversial move, followed by a still undefined legal battle as groups of victims of the 1964-85 dictatorship and their families sought to ban coup celebrations, added…
Details
DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB242836
ISSN: 2633-304X
Keywords
Geographic
Topical
Joana Bessa Topa, Conceição Oliveira Nogueira and Sofia Antunes Neves
Despite the high prevalence of immigrant women at the national level, studies on migration have been indifferent to the gender perspective. The purpose of this paper is to discuss…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the high prevalence of immigrant women at the national level, studies on migration have been indifferent to the gender perspective. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the engagement of Ukrainian immigrant women, one of the most expressive nationalities of female immigration in Portugal, on maternal and child healthcare services, exploring their perceptions and experiences in these contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
On the basis of critical and social constructionism assumptions, this research focusses on discourse. Assuming that immigrant women have access to different resources, as well as different competences to interpret and intervene within the context they are in (Topa et al., 2010; UNFPA, 2006), the best method to deeply understand their experiences was to analyse how discourse is organized and how it creates and produces meanings that become practices (Nogueira, 2001a). The present study adopted a qualitative methodology for collecting (semi-structured interviews) and analysing the data (thematic analysis) and was based on discourses of ten Ukrainian women, living in the metropolitan area of Oporto, who were pregnant or were mothers in Portugal.
Findings
Ukrainian women were misinformed about their legal rights and free access to maternal health services. Some dissatisfaction emerges among them with regard to the quality of information provided by health professionals and their communication skills. Their opinion is that they are given limited access to medical specialties, especially in primary care and that their doubts are inappropriately clarified during medical appointments.
Originality/value
This research also argues that cultural and intersectional considerations are fundamental to promote inclusive health policies for immigrants.
Details
Keywords
The outlook for the Rio Olympic Games.
Details
DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB210856
ISSN: 2633-304X
Keywords
Geographic
Topical
Paulo Ribeiro, Ricardo F. Ramos and Sérgio Moro
This study aims to identify the impact of restaurant pandemic mitigation measures on perceived service quality.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the impact of restaurant pandemic mitigation measures on perceived service quality.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 15,251 reviews were collected from 300 TripAdvisor Lisbon restaurant Web pages between March 2020 and December 2021, when Covid-19 contingency measures were in place. Grounded on the online reviews, a word frequency matrix was created and used as input on partial least squares–structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggest that precaution measures, such as the Vaccination Certificate, negative tests and restaurant layout configuration, positively influenced perceived service quality and consumer satisfaction, moderated by consumers’ beliefs.
Originality/value
This study provides relevant information for restaurant managers, which will help them implement strategies to guarantee service quality, consumer satisfaction and revisit intentions in future pandemic scenarios.