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Based on the conceptual model of consumer engagement in a virtual brand community, this study aims to investigate this phenomenon and gauges the validity of the model’s assumptions in the context of a Facebook fan page.

The interactions between L’Oréal Paris Brazil and the members of its virtual community were collected for three months using a netnographic approach. The data of these interactions were evaluated using content analysis techniques.

The dimensions, processes and sub-processes of the conceptual model of consumer engagement, as proposed in the literature, were confirmed. Furthermore, the results reinforce the perspective that simple participation or involvement does not presume engagement, which reflects a complex psychological state dependent on the context and requiring previous and subsequent processes to manifest.

The findings were based on an examination of a high-end beauty product brand’s Facebook page. Nevertheless, these findings are not necessarily limited to high-end context consumers. Larger scale research (i.e. involving wider product categories) could endorse the underlying theoretical model of engagement.

The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of how brands build relationships with consumers through social media and confirms the dynamics of the engagement concept and its role as a tool to increase brand value and competitive advantage.

This study contributes to the field by bridging the knowledge gap concerning consumer engagement in a social media context with practical and empirical evidence.

Based on Landowski’s sociosemiotics theory, this paper aims to propose an alternative outlining of online brand communities’ social dynamics, not for their collective behaviors but for their discursive interactions.

Data were collected during a three-year netnographic immersion into a Disney-related Facebook group and authors’ trips to Walt Disney World.

The findings point to four styles of discursive interactions that shape an online brand community’s social dynamic. On the one hand, utterances based on the guiding and following styles of discursive interactions inform desired behaviors, which subsequently become tacitly routinized. On the other hand, utterances based on the adapting and venturing styles of discursive interactions mark random and unusual communicational situations.

This work expands current theoretical discussions on online brand communities by unveiling an unexplored linguistic dimension of them.

Wicked problems require collaborative innovation approaches. Understanding the problem from the users' perspective is essential. Based on a complex and ill-defined case, the purpose of the current paper is to identify some critical success factors in defining the “right problem” to be addressed.

An empirical research study was carried out in a low-density municipality (case study). Extensive data were collected from official databases, individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group involving citizens, local authorities, civil servants and other relevant stakeholders.

As defined by the central government, the problem to be addressed by the research team was to identify which justice services should be made available locally to a small- and low-density community. The problem was initially formulated using top-down reasoning. In-depth contact with citizens and key local players revealed that the lack of justice services was not “the issue” for that community. Mobility constraints and the shortage of economic opportunities had a considerable impact on the lack of demand for justice services. By using a bottom-up perspective, it was possible to reframe the problem to be addressed and suggest a new concept to be tested at later stages.

The approach followed called attention to the importance of listening to citizens and local organisations with a profound knowledge of the territory to effectively identify and circumscribe a local problem in the justice field.

The paper highlights the limitations of traditional rational problem-solving approaches and contributes to expanding the voice-of-the-customer principle showing how it can lead to a substantially new definition of the problem to be addressed.

This paper aims to critically analyze the engineering education focused on sustainability in supply chain management, in courses offered by Brazilian higher education institutions.

Topics related to sustainable supply chain management were listed from the literature and used as a framework to gather professors’ opinions on how well these topics are covered in engineering courses offered in Brazil. Data analysis was performed via frequency analysis and comparative ordering using the Fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution technique.

It was possible to evidence that most of the topics are superficially presented within other subjects and that there are few associated practical activities that enable greater learning. Comparatively, issues related to ISO standards (related to quality and environmental management systems) and compliance with environmental laws, regulations and standards were highlighted. Additionally, it was possible to verify that there is a need for further study on issues related to energy efficiency, worker training and corporate governance.

No similar study was found in the literature. The findings presented in this paper can contribute to the improvement of engineering education in Brazil and other countries.

Portuguese handicrafts are distinctive artisan products that have been shaped by cultural and historical conditions. The aim of this chapter is to focus on understanding the inherent innovativeness embedded within different handicraft that is made in Portugal. This involves taking a country perspective to handicraft production and the reason why it has continued or revived over time. This involves focusing on the role of entrepreneurs in the handicraft industry and how artisan entrepreneurship can be utilized. Specific examples of Portuguese handicrafts are stated in this chapter that showcase the cultural connections individuals feel. Theoretical and managerial implications are stated that highlight the importance of handicrafts to cultural preservation. Future research suggestions are also stated that stress the need to continue research into Portuguese handicrafts and artisan entrepreneurship.