Search results

The present study’s goal is to assess the effect of a serious game on the development of entrepreneurial competence, self-efficacy and intention and thereby contribute to clarifying the usefulness of this approach in entrepreneurship education.

The study sample and method included 76 graduate students, selected through a convenience sampling technique and collected through a self-administered questionnaire. To examine the impact of the gaming session, a pre-test post-test design approach was employed. Consequently, all students completed a survey both at the beginning and end of the gaming session.

Our study found that game-based learning effectively enhances students' entrepreneurial competence, particularly in areas like generating ideas, managing resources and taking action, while also boosting self-efficacy. However, it didn't significantly impact entrepreneurial intentions. The effectiveness depends on students' prior gaming experience, especially in resource management and taking action. Additionally, it positively influences women's self-efficacy more than men. The field of study also plays a role, with design students showing notable development in idea generation, entrepreneurial intentions, and self-efficacy. Overall, game-based learning is a valuable tool for entrepreneurship education, but its effects vary based on prior experience, gender and field of study.

Several limitations of the study should be considered. First, the small sample size acquired through convenience sampling and the potential for social response bias, even with respondent anonymity, could limit the generalizability of the study's findings. Second, the study recognizes that the effectiveness of a serious game is greatly influenced by the game's design, making findings from studies with different game-based learning approaches potentially different. Lastly, the impact of student interactions during the game session was not evaluated.

The study's practical implications are significant. It demonstrates the effectiveness of game-based learning in cultivating entrepreneurial competence and self-efficacy, particularly benefiting women and design students. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating serious games (SG) into entrepreneurship education to nurture vital entrepreneurial competences essential for students' career development as entrepreneurs or employees. The study encourages the development of SG tailored for use in entrepreneurship classes. Additionally, it underscores the need to educate educators about the advantages of incorporating game-based learning into their teaching strategies, offering a practical pathway to enhance entrepreneurship education and better prepare students for the modern job market.

The study's social implications are substantial. It highlights the effectiveness of game-based learning in nurturing entrepreneurial competence and self-efficacy, particularly benefiting women and design students. This underscores the importance of integrating Serious Games (SG) into entrepreneurship education, emphasizing the need for more SG tailored for use in entrepreneurship classes. Furthermore, it calls for increased awareness among educators about the advantages of incorporating game-based learning into their teaching methods. Ultimately, these findings have the potential to positively impact students' career development, whether as entrepreneurs or employees, by equipping them with crucial entrepreneurial skills.

This study brings a novel perspective in three distinct ways. Firstly, it centers on the pivotal entrepreneurial competences outlined in the EntreComp framework by the European Commission, addressing the challenge of identifying which competences are most relevant for entrepreneurial education. By doing so, it ensures a focus on competence areas critical for entrepreneurs, such as ideas and opportunities, resources, and action. Secondly, it explores the impact of game experience on the development of entrepreneurial competences, entrepreneurial intention, and self-efficacy, a relationship hitherto unexplored. Thirdly, the study examines how students' demographic and contextual characteristics influence the development of entrepreneurial competence, intention, and self-efficacy through a game-based learning approach. These unique perspectives contribute valuable empirical data to both theory and practice in the field of entrepreneurship education.

This study aims to explore the phenomenon of “Quiet Quitting” from the perspective of employers in the Dominican Republic, particularly in the context of changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From a qualitative approach, based on methods of Grounded Theory, in-depth interviews were conducted with managers from various sectors. The data were analysed using open, axial and selective coding techniques to identify emerging themes.

The study identifies four main scenarios contributing to quiet quitting: Social Disconnection, Stress and Anxiety, Re-evaluation of Priorities and Changes in Job Expectations. These factors indicate a significant shift in the employee–employer relationship post-pandemic.

The exploratory nature of this study limits its generalizability.

Organizations can mitigate quiet quitting by implementing flexible work policies, promoting work-life balance and enhancing communication between supervisors and employees.

Addressing quiet quitting can lead to improved employee well-being, higher productivity and a more positive work environment.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to examine quiet quitting in the Dominican Republic from the employers’ perspective, providing unique insights into this understudied phenomenon in the region.

Este estudio explora el fenómeno de la “Renuncia Silenciosa” desde la perspectiva de los empleadores en la República Dominicana, particularmente en el contexto de los cambios provocados por la pandemia de COVID-19.

Desde un enfoque cualitativo, basado en métodos de la Teoría Fundamentada, se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad con gerentes de varios sectores. Los datos se analizaron utilizando técnicas de codificación abierta, axial y selectiva para identificar temas emergentes.

El estudio identifica cuatro escenarios principales que contribuyen a la renuncia silenciosa: Desconexión Social, Estrés y Ansiedad, Reevaluación de Prioridades y Cambios en las Expectativas Laborales. Estos factores indican un cambio significativo en la relación empleado-empleador postpandemia.

Las organizaciones pueden mitigar la renuncia silenciosa implementando políticas de trabajo flexible, promoviendo el equilibrio entre vida laboral y personal, y mejorando la comunicación entre supervisores y empleados.

Abordar la renuncia silenciosa puede llevar a un mayor bienestar de los empleados, mayor productividad y un entorno laboral más positivo.

Esta investigación es la primera en examinar la renuncia silenciosa en la República Dominicana desde la perspectiva de los empleadores, proporcionando perspectivas únicas sobre este fenómeno poco estudiado en la región.

Este estudo explora o fenômeno da “Abandono Silencioso” a partir da perspectiva dos empregadores na República Dominicana, particularmente no contexto das mudanças provocadas pela pandemia de COVID-19.

A partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, baseada nos métodos da Teoria Fundamentada, foram realizadas entrevistas aprofundadas com gerentes de vários setores. Os dados foram analisados usando técnicas de codificação aberta, axial e seletiva para identificar temas emergentes.

O estudo identifica quatro cenários principais que contribuem para a demissão silenciosa: Desconexão Social, Estresse e Ansiedade, Reavaliação de Prioridades e Mudanças nas Expectativas de Trabalho. Esses fatores indicam uma mudança significativa na relação empregado-empregador após a pandemia.

As organizações podem mitigar a demissão silenciosa implementando políticas de trabalho flexíveis, promovendo o equilíbrio entre vida pessoal e profissional e melhorando a comunicação entre supervisores e funcionários.

Abordar a demissão silenciosa pode levar a um maior bem-estar dos funcionários, maior produtividade e um ambiente de trabalho mais positivo.

Esta pesquisa é a primeira a examinar a demissão silenciosa na República Dominicana a partir da perspectiva dos empregadores, fornecendo insights únicos sobre esse fenômeno pouco estudado na região.

The main objective of this paper is to examine the motivators and barriers parents face when acquiring secondhand products for their children while specifically investigating the potential influence of prior experience on the relationship between these motivators, barriers and parents' purchase intention toward secondhand clothing for their children.

To address these objectives, a survey was conducted, yielding 265 valid responses. The sample comprised parents, with 96 having previous experience buying secondhand products and 169 without such experience. Multiple and binomial linear regression analyses were employed to examine the collected data.

Two motivators (economic motivation and environmental sustainability) and three barriers (social embarrassment, hygiene and risk) were tested, and our findings indicate that environmental sustainability and the perception of risk significantly influenced the intention to buy secondhand products for childrenswear. The results showed that for consumers with previous experience, the perception of risk is nonsignificant, suggesting that experience influences consumers' barriers to buying secondhand products.

This article is focused on the consumer behavior of parents who buy clothes for their children, and it is one of the few articles that proposes and tests a theoretical framework aiming to find empirical evidence about the motivators and barriers to consuming secondhand products in this market.

This study was specific to the childrenswear market, with characteristics that incentivize secondhand consumption, which might limit the findings.

The results suggest that marketers should focus their efforts on highlighting sustainability claims when advertising their secondhand products to consumers and investing in incentivizing consumers to buy secondhand products for the first time, as it might reduce barriers to their consumption in the future.

This research aims to explore perceptions of subjective well-being (SWB) in public relations (PR) practitioners, focusing on dimensions of job satisfaction, networking, relationships and work–life balance, while addressing the under-researched area of gender and age – related to stages of life – disparities in SWB within the PR industry.

Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, this study utilised a survey, followed by semi-structured interviews to investigate SWB among PR professionals in Portugal, considering gender and stages of life differences.

Using a gendered and stages of life lens, this study found nuanced perceptions of SWB among Portuguese PR professionals. Older women showed higher emotional well-being but lower work evaluations than men, while young professionals exhibited less gender disparities in SWB. Men reported greater job satisfaction, emphasising passion, while women faced challenges like work overload and valued recognition. Gender differences were seen in networking, with men favouring teamwork and women valuing friendships for career advancement. Work–life balance issues, especially among older women, related to mental health.

This study contributes to filling the research gap regarding SWB in the PR industry, particularly in Portugal, offering insights into gender and stages of life dynamics that influence SWB perceptions, thereby informing strategies for enhancing well-being and productivity in PR workplaces.

Healthcare organizations have been facing challenges due to high costs and low efficiency in health services. The growth of costs and losses caused by avoidable mistakes lead to the search for solutions, and Health Lean Management appears as a potential solution to help in solving service quality problems, as well as reducing risks. This study aims to analyse the state of the art in the literature centred on the Lean approach in the context of risk management in healthcare organizations, and to identify new research opportunities, highlighting possible lines of future research.

Following a systematic literature review approach, 51 papers were considered relevant for this research, and reviewed to explore the development of literature in this area.

Based on the results, five main research streams were identified: (1) risk management oriented towards patient safety; (2) risk management oriented towards employee safety; (3) importance of attitudes and behaviours in risk reduction projects; (4) Lean tools used in healthcare risk management and (5) Integration of approaches. Moreover, several shortcomings were identified in literature.

Identified shortcomings represent significant opportunities for further research development.

This research seeks to understand whether employer branding (EB) and internal marketing (IM) are fundamental to the challenge of attracting and retaining talent and how these strategies can help companies to overcome the difficulties related to the talent shortage, from the perspective of a SME Portuguese metallurgical industry.

The research resorts to a case study of a qualitative nature, through a semi-structured interview with the head of the human resources (HR) training and development area of the Navarra Group, and quantitative, through surveys to its employees. Based on the literature, a conceptual model was constructed, whose application allowed us to perceive the relationships between the practices of EB and IM; satisfaction, motivation and commitment; attraction and retention.

The exploratory interview concluded that organizations consider EB and IM essential for an effective talent management strategy. The quantitative results demonstrate that IM and EB practices implemented in the organization contribute to the satisfaction, motivation and involvement of employees, which results in a decrease in the intention to leave. It is also noted that these practices promote an increase in the perception of organizational attractiveness, which represents a positive impact on its ability to attract.

From a theoretical perspective, the research contributes to the development of knowledge about IM, EB and talent management, providing relevant data that can help define the best strategies for attraction and retention, from the point of view of IM and EB.

The research presents preliminary insights that can be an auxiliary tool for HR managers and professionals in the context of industrial SMEs.

This paper aimed to develop a participatory methodology to analyze the disaster risk creation in coastal cities, based on an approach that combines social, urban, environmental and disaster risk elements.

The methodology uses some aspects of three theoretical approaches in a complementary way: i) the Pressure and Release (PAR) framework for the identification of dynamic pressures that contribute to disaster risk creation; ii) the application of Drivers, Pressure, State, Impact, Response (DPSIR) framework to analyze environmental dimensions; and iii) urban analysis, applying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) tool to classify urban processes. The methodology combined the use of satellite remote sensing data to analyze the urban sprawl and citizen science methods to collect social and environmental data, using the case study of the watershed of the Juqueriquerê River in the coastal city of Caraguatatuba, Brazil. The pilot project was part of a local university extension project of the undergraduate course on Architecture and Urban Planning and also engaged residents and city hall representatives.

The satellite remote sense data analysis indicated a continuous urban sprawl between 1985 and 2020, especially in the south of the Juqueriquerê watershed, reducing urban drainage and increasing the extension and water depth of urban flooding and riverine floods. Using citizen science methods, undergraduates identified settlements with limited economic resources to elevate houses and a lack of infrastructure to promote a resilient coastal city. After identifying the dynamic pressures that contribute to disaster risk creation and the weaknesses and strengths of a resilient city, undergraduate students proposed urban planning interventions and gray and green infrastructure projects to mitigate disaster risks.

The paper identifies urban sprawl in disaster-prone areas as one of the risk factors contributing to disaster. It also comprehensively analyzes differences between different zones in the Juqueriqere River, which will be useful for policy-making.

The method presented an interdisciplinary approach that used satellite remote sensing data and citizen science techniques to analyze disaster risks in coastal cities. The multidimensional approach used to evaluate risks is useful and can be replicated in other similar studies to gain a more comprehensive understanding of disaster risks.

This article aims at presenting the concept of the Brazilian university’s third mission and its relevance for predicting teaching behavior. To that end, this article presents a conceptual model of that third mission in Brazil and how its relationship with stakeholders was built.

This is a conceptual article. The authors analyze the third mission and the Brazilian educational model to suggest predicting teaching behavior as a possibility to optimize the third mission in higher education institutions.

The Brazilian third mission is related to civilian participation, John Dewey’s democratic education management, Paulo Freire’s transformative education, Triple-Helix and the knowledge ecology. This association enables insight into the relevance of the third mission and into the need for professors’ participation.

Revealing the factors of behavior prediction to perform the third mission is the first mission of the theory of planned behavior. Based on these data, the theory suggests interventions without changing teaching behavior. This possibility might increase the adherence of the professor to activities related to the third mission.

This article contributes to studies on the development of the third mission and to the sharing of a conceptual model that is partially different from the European model, thus promoting broader results for stakeholders. The indications made here can lead to empirical studies to further approximate the higher education institutions and the various sectors of society. Moreover, there is room for investigations that aim at a conceptual convergence at the international level for the third mission, as it happens for teaching and researching.

This paper aims to explore the intricate and controversial sale of six hydroelectric dams in the Douro hydrographic basin by Energias de Portugal (EDP), a prominent Portuguese energy company, to a French Consortium – ENGIE. The transaction, completed at the end of 2020, has sparked significant debate and scrutiny within the Portuguese legal and fiscal spheres due to its corporate and budgetary manoeuvres. The crux of the controversy lies in the complex corporate restructuring strategies used by EDP and the acquiring consortium to execute this transaction. These strategies, aimed at achieving tax neutrality, effectively circumvented the traditional tax liabilities typically associated with large-scale asset transfers. The paper delves into the legal intricacies of this operation, scrutinising the application of taxes such as stamp duty, corporate income tax, value added tax and property transfer tax, which were, in theory, applicable to the transaction. Furthermore, this study examines the broader implications of the deal, particularly concerning the principle of tax neutrality in corporate restructurings, the enforcement of anti-abuse clauses and the economic substance over legal form doctrine.

This study is based on secondary data supported by publicly reported evidence.

This case study highlights the challenges in taxing corporate transactions in the modern financial landscape and reflects these corporate manoeuvres' societal and ethical considerations.

Through an analysis of legal frameworks, corporate strategies and tax policies, this paper provides a comprehensive understanding of the transaction and its implications, offering insights valuable to legal professionals, policymakers and scholars in corporate law, taxation and business ethics.

This paper aims to investigate the effects of macroprudential policies in Brazil on the banking sector.

Autoregressive models with distributed lags (ADL) are estimated to verify whether such regulatory measures affected the volume of credit, the banking spread and the concentration index of the five largest Brazilian banks. In addition to the variables of interest, monthly macroeconomic data from 2011 to 2021 are considered.

Our results suggest that macroprudential policies are effective in reducing credit volume. More importantly, our findings highlight two possible adverse effects of these instruments. Firstly, macroprudential tightenings are associated with increases in bank spread. Secondly, tightening measures contribute to increasing bank market concentration.

These findings are useful for the scientific literature that investigates the regulation of the financial system by providing empirical evidence of the effects of Brazilian macroprudential measures on investors, policymakers and other economic agents whose well-being is associated with economic stability.