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1 – 10 of 376Bernardo M.S. Castela, Fernando A.F. Ferreira, João J.M. Ferreira and Carla S.E. Marques
The aftermath of the recent financial crisis has shown that the ability to innovate is a vital management skill and that the methodologies used to evaluate innovation capability…
Abstract
Purpose
The aftermath of the recent financial crisis has shown that the ability to innovate is a vital management skill and that the methodologies used to evaluate innovation capability within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be as holistic and integrative as possible. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue through the combined use of cognitive mapping and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).
Design/methodology/approach
Cognitive mapping and multiple criteria decision analysis have proved over the years to be effective in handling a wide range of complex decision problems. Following a socio-technical approach, a non-parametric method of evaluating SME innovation capability – based on the results of group meetings with a panel of information technology entrepreneurs and SME chief executive officers – was created, tested and validated.
Findings
The methodological processes adopted in this study provide promising results for decision makers seeking to identify the most innovative SMEs. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses carried out also supported the findings.
Research limitations/implications
This study confirms the usefulness of integrating cognitive mapping and the AHP to facilitate evaluations of SME innovation capability. However, due to the process-oriented nature of the research, extrapolations without proper adjustments are not recommended.
Practical implications
The panel members who participated in this study consider the proposal extremely versatile and see great potential for further applications in the measurement of SME innovation capability.
Originality/value
The combined use of cognitive mapping and the AHP offers a holistic and well-informed perspective on the issue in question. The authors know of no prior work reporting this approach in the same research context.
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Joana M. Gonçalves, Fernando A.F. Ferreira, João J.M. Ferreira and Luís M.C. Farinha
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become increasingly important in national and international markets because they contribute to the development of local and…
Abstract
Purpose
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become increasingly important in national and international markets because they contribute to the development of local and national economies. SMEs often face serious challenges when competing with multinational companies. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for assessing SMEs’ competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a constructivist epistemology, this study makes an integrated use of cognitive mapping and the measuring attractiveness by a categorical-based evaluation technique (MACBETH). To this end, face-to-face sessions were conducted with a panel of entrepreneurs and senior managers who deal with the challenges of maintaining SME competitiveness every day. The proposed assessment system was tested and validated by the panel members.
Findings
The methodological processes adopted in this study provide promising results for decision makers seeking to identify the most competitive SMEs. Specifically, the results emphasize, among other points, the importance of innovation and the human dimension to gaining competitive advantages.
Research limitations/implications
The evaluation system developed in this study is extremely versatile and confirms the usefulness of integrating cognitive mapping and MACBETH to facilitate evaluations of SME competitiveness. However, due to its idiosyncratic and process-oriented nature, generalizations need to be done with caution.
Practical implications
The proposed method can be valuable to researchers seeking to develop mechanisms for evaluating SMEs’ entrepreneurial performance and include specialized know-how and sensemaking in organizational decision-making processes.
Originality/value
The integrated use of cognitive maps and MACBETH contributes to a better understanding of how to assess SMEs’ competitiveness. No prior work reporting the use of this dual methodology in this study context has been found.
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Catarina Grillo, Fernando A.F. Ferreira, Carla S.E. Marques and João J. Ferreira
The 2008 global financial crisis showed that the ability to innovate is a key management skill and that approaches to assessing the innovation capability of small- and…
Abstract
Purpose
The 2008 global financial crisis showed that the ability to innovate is a key management skill and that approaches to assessing the innovation capability of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to be as realistic as possible. This study aims to address the latter practical need through a sociotechnical approach.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a combined use of cognitive mapping and the Decision EXpert (DEX) technique, and grounded on the insights generated by a panel of SME managers and entrepreneurs in two intensive group meetings, a knowledge-based assessment system for evaluating SMEs’ innovation capability was created, tested and validated.
Findings
The knowledge-based assessment system identified the most innovative SMEs in a sample of companies. The “plus-minus-1” and dominance analyses carried out provided further support for the results.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed system is extremely versatile but process-oriented and idiosyncratic in nature, meaning that extrapolations to other contexts need to be done with due caution.
Practical implications
The panel of SME decision makers agreed that the system improves the current methods used to evaluate SMEs’ innovation capability, contributing to a more informed perspective on management issues. The panel members also noted that the proposed system functions as a learning mechanism, facilitating the development of well-focused suggestions for improvements SMEs can make.
Originality/value
The integrated use of cognitive maps and rule-base decisions contributes to a better understanding of how to assess SMEs’ innovation capability. No prior work reporting the integrated use of these two techniques in this study context has been found.
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Sara M. Martins, Fernando A.F. Ferreira, João J. M. Ferreira and Carla S.E. Marques
The prosthodontics sector is facing major challenges because of scientific and technological advances that imply a clearer definition of lines of action and decision making…
Abstract
Purpose
The prosthodontics sector is facing major challenges because of scientific and technological advances that imply a clearer definition of lines of action and decision making processes. Measuring quality of service in this sector is a complex decision problem since the perceptions of three main players need to be considered: patients, dentists and dental technicians. This study sought to develop an artificial-intelligence-based (AI-based) method for assessing service quality in the dental prosthesis sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Using strategic options development and analysis (SODA), which is grounded on cognitive mapping, and the measuring attractiveness by a categorical based evaluation technique (MACBETH), a constructivist decision support system was designed to facilitate the assessment of service quality in the dental prosthesis sector. The system was tested, and the results were validated both by the members of an expert panel and by the vice-president of the Portuguese association of dental prosthesis technicians.
Findings
The methodological process developed in this study is extremely versatile and its practical application facilitated the development of an empirically robust evaluation model in this study context. Specifically, the profile analyses carried out in actual clinics allowed the cases in which improvements are needed to be identified.
Originality/value
Although already applied in the fields of AI and decision making, no prior work reporting the use of SODA and MACBETH for assessing service quality in the prosthodontics sector has been found.
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Agathe S. Lacaze, Fernando A.F. Ferreira and Margarida R. Santos
Strategic management plays a pivotal role in the growth and success of organizations, significantly impacting their business performance and competitive edge. In today’s…
Abstract
Purpose
Strategic management plays a pivotal role in the growth and success of organizations, significantly impacting their business performance and competitive edge. In today’s globalized markets, strategic management is gaining prominence as a means to enhance company performance and distinctiveness. Within this landscape, the evaluation of organizational effectiveness takes on heightened significance, complemented by the emergence of strategic management frameworks designed to secure enduring competitive advantages for businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
One of the best known approaches to organizational resource assessment is the value, rarity, inimitability and organizational-oriented (VRIO) framework. However, this tool comes with inherent limitations that have hindered its advancement, primarily related to the need for less subjective means of identifying and assigning weights to resources and capabilities during the evaluation process. This study, therefore, endeavored to refine the VRIO framework, making it more transparent and empirically robust. To achieve this aim, the framework was combined with the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method (i.e. a multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method), and a real-life application was conducted.
Findings
The evaluation system created was tested, and the results demonstrate that the dual methodology used can increase the understanding of resource appraisal and lead to more informed and potentially better evaluations of resources and capabilities. The strengths and shortcomings of this new structured evaluation model are also analyzed.
Originality/value
The authors know of no prior work reporting the integrated use of VRIO and DEMATEL in this study context.
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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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Margarida P. Santos, Fernando A. F. Ferreira, Neuza C. M. Q. F. Ferreira, João J. M. Ferreira and Ieva Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė
Gazelle companies are characterized by rapid growth in a short time. Identifying the determinants of this exponential expansion is important as these firms have a significant…
Abstract
Purpose
Gazelle companies are characterized by rapid growth in a short time. Identifying the determinants of this exponential expansion is important as these firms have a significant impact on the economy. They generate increased employment and investment by investors interested in new opportunities. Previous studies have failed to reach a consensus about what fosters high growth in gazelle companies as each firm’s geographical, political and economic context is different. The present research uses cognitive mapping and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) to overcome the limitations of prior investigations and identify factors that can potentially accelerate growth in gazelle companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Two sessions were held with an expert panel with knowledge about and experience with these firms. In the first session, data were collected to create a group cognitive map, while the second meeting comprised ISM-based analyses of the high-growth determinants identified and the causal relationships between them. A final consolidation session was held to discuss the results with two members of the Committee for Central Region Coordination and Development (i.e. Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro – a public entity that grants gazelle awards in Portugal).
Findings
The analysis system created was tested, and the results demonstrate that the dual methodology used can increase our understanding of the dynamics of high-growth determinants and lead to more informed and potentially better evaluations of gazelle companies. Indeed, once high-growth determinants in gazelle companies are understood, this information can help other firms implement the same business model to achieve similarly rapid growth. The strengths and shortcomings of this new structured analysis model are also analyzed.
Originality/value
The authors know of no prior work reporting the integrated use of cognitive mapping and ISM in this study context.
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Fernando Teixeira, João J. Ferreira and Pedro Mota Veiga
Resources and their analysis are essential to understand better companies’ internal and external dynamics and the weight each has in obtaining competitive advantages over the…
Abstract
Purpose
Resources and their analysis are essential to understand better companies’ internal and external dynamics and the weight each has in obtaining competitive advantages over the competition. This study aims to address the law and legal knowledge as a fundamental resource for companies to succeed in the markets to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
Based upon a sample of 200 managers, a structural equation model was used to validate the hypotheses under study.
Findings
Results show awareness and managers’ perception of the importance of law as a resource and its advantages for companies and the dichotomy between recognising this importance and not using it consistently.
Originality/value
Knowing the scope of business law and its growing importance for companies and being academically aware of the inexistence of studies that analyse the law as an individualised resource for companies, this study has a crucial contribution to the interconnection of these two fields – business and law.
Objetivo
Os recursos e suas análises são essenciais para compreender melhor a dinâmica interna e externa das empresas e o peso que cada uma tem na obtenção de vantagens competitivas sobre a concorrência. Esta investigação aborda o direito e o conhecimento jurídico como recursos fundamentais para que as empresas tenham sucesso nos mercados para obter uma vantagem competitiva sustentada.
Desenho/metodologia/abordagem
Com base numa amostra de 200 gestores, foi utilizado um modelo de equações estruturais (MEE) para validar as hipóteses em estudo.
Resultados
Os resultados mostram a consciência e a percepção dos gestores sobre a importância do direito como recurso e suas vantagens para as empresas e a dicotomia entre reconhecer essa importância e não a usarem de forma consistente.
Originalidade/valor
Conhecendo o âmbito do direito empresarial e a sua crescente importância para as empresas e, academicamente ciente da inexistência de estudos que analisem o direito como recurso individualizado para as empresas, este estudo tem um contributo crucial para a interligação destes dois campos – negócios e direito.
Objetivo
Los recursos y su análisis son fundamentales para comprender mejor la dinámica interna y externa de las empresas y el peso que cada una tiene en la obtención de ventajas competitivas frente a la competencia. Esta investigación aborda el derecho y el conocimiento jurídico como recursos fundamentales para que las empresas triunfen en los mercados y obtengan una ventaja competitiva sostenida.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Con base en una muestra de 200 gerentes, se utilizó un modelo de ecuaciónes estructurales (MEE) para validar las hipótesis en estudio.
Resultados
Los resultados muestran la conciencia y percepción de los gerentes sobre la importancia del derecho como recurso y sus ventajas para las empresas y la dicotomía entre reconocer esta importancia y no usarla de manera consistente.
Originalidad/valor
Conociendo el alcance del derecho empresarial y su creciente importancia para las empresas y, académicamente consciente de la falta de estudios que analicen el derecho como recurso individual para las empresas, este estudio tiene un aporte crucial para la interconexión de estos dos campos – negocios y derecho.
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Maria João Ferreira Custódio, Antonio Azevedo and Fernando Pereira Perna
This paper aims to discuss the impacts of sports events, considering these: from the perspectives of residents (in terms of self-esteem, increase of social problems, car traffic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the impacts of sports events, considering these: from the perspectives of residents (in terms of self-esteem, increase of social problems, car traffic, cultural self-development and entertainment); and for the host territory (in terms of economic development, price level, destination image and environment). The paper analyzes the case study of a hallmark event of the European Rally Championship – the Azores Rally.
Design/methodology/approach
During the Azores Rally of 2014, 669 inhabitants on São Miguel Island answered a survey. The questionnaire assessed 12 items that are ex ante quality of life (QOL) indicators, ten items of event attributes and overall satisfaction with the event and nine items of event impact perceptions.
Findings
The satisfaction with the event is positively influenced by the host destination’s overall QOL, particularly by the entertainment and local gastronomy and is reinforced by the event-management mix. On other hand, the QOL attributes rather than the event performance indicators determine the perceptions of the promotion of image destination and economic development. The event spectacle level has a particular influence on the residents’ self-esteem.
Practical implications
The paper discusses the implications for public decision-makers, tour operators and event managers, focusing on the community as an important driver for placemaking.
Social implications
This type of event has an impact on residents’ self-esteem, thus enhancing their QOL and hospitality.
Originality/value
This study supports the role of a peripheral island’s community as an active stakeholder, which interacts with the event organization’s key success factors.
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Francisca Letícia Ferreira de Lima, Rafael Barros Barbosa, Alesandra Benevides and Fernando Daniel de Oliveira Mayorga
This paper examines the impact of extreme rainfall shocks on the performance in test scores of students living near at-risk urban areas in Brazil.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the impact of extreme rainfall shocks on the performance in test scores of students living near at-risk urban areas in Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify the causal effect, we consider the exogenous variation of rainfall at the municipal level conditioned on the distance from the school to risk areas and the rainfall intensity in the school months.
Findings
The results suggest that extreme precipitation shocks, defined as a shock of at least three months of high-intensity rainfall, have an adverse impact on both math and language performance. Through a heterogeneous effects analysis, we find that the impact varies by student gender, with girls being more affected. In addition, among students who study near at-risk areas, those with better previous school performance and higher socioeconomic status are more negatively affected.
Originality/value
Our results suggest that extreme weather events can increase the differences in human capital accumulation between the population living near risk areas and those living more distant from these areas.
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