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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of image on student satisfaction and loyalty.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of image on student satisfaction and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to accomplish the objectives proposed, a model reflecting the influence of image on student satisfaction and loyalty is applied. The model is tested through use of structural equations and the final sample is of 2,687 students.
Findings
The model shows that image is the construct that most influences student satisfaction. The influence of image is also relevant on student loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
In this paper, the constructs of image resulted in a reliability level of 0.846; future research is needed in order to find more reliable image measurement indicators.
Practical implications
If higher education institutions have to compete through image, the first step to take is to measure the university image held by its students. It is proven by this paper that the construct which most influences student satisfaction in higher education is the image construct, with a total effect of 0.86. Thus, if the institutional image rises or falls by a unit in terms of valorisation, satisfaction increases or diminishes by a proportion of 0.86 and loyalty by a proportion of 0.73.
Originality/value
Several studies have shown that, in general, corporate image is important to attract and retain customers. This paper depicts the specific influences of image specifically on student satisfaction and student loyalty and also the respective level of influence.
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Helena Maria Baptista Alves, Ana María Campón Cerro and Ana Vanessa Ferreira Martins
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that an event such as the Cherry Festival, organized by the municipality of Fundão (Portugal), can have in a rural area.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that an event such as the Cherry Festival, organized by the municipality of Fundão (Portugal), can have in a rural area.
Design/methodology/approach
To obtain a complete picture of the impact of the Cherry Festival on Fundão, the perspectives of the organizers, suppliers, and the local residents are combined. The impact is evaluated through qualitative economic and social impacts and quantitative economic impact. The information is obtained through primary and secondary data with personal interviews and questionnaires.
Findings
The results suggest that for these kind of small events, there are economic and social impacts, but the social impacts extend beyond the economic benefits.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this paper is the impossibility of using input‐output tables and multipliers of expenditures in a small area such as the one studied.
Practical implications
The paper shows that even in small events important impacts may occur that justify the investments made on them.
Originality/value
The paper presents a combination of methodologies to measure the impact an event can have in small areas that do not have suitable input‐output tables and multipliers of expenditures.
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Emerson Wagner Mainardes, Helena Alves and Mário Raposo
This paper aims to develop a new model of stakeholder classification and a model for explaining the relationship between the organization and its respective stakeholders.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a new model of stakeholder classification and a model for explaining the relationship between the organization and its respective stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
The new proposed model is based on an empirical study that comprises an exploratory study based on 15 interviews and a confirmatory study based on 684 questionnaires answered by staff of 11 public universities. The main variable deployed is the stakeholder's respective level of influence from the organization's management perspective, that is, their level of legitimacy, power and urgency.
Findings
The new model proposes six stakeholder types (regulator, controller, partner, passive, dependent and non‐stakeholder). To explain the relationship between the stakeholder and the organization, the traditional needs‐satisfaction vision was expanded. The variables of relevance, mutual influence and participation were found to be important in explaining the organization and stakeholder relationship. This study contributes both in simplifying stakeholder classification and in explaining the relationships between parties.
Research limitations/implications
The study proposes a new model for stakeholder classification based on empirical research carried out with public organizations, therefore it is advisable to test this new classification scheme with other types of organizations.
Originality/value
This research proposes a stakeholder classification scheme previously unpublished in the literature, which helps organizations managing the relationships with their stakeholders.
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Ana Ramos, Helena Alves and João Leitão
This chapter aims to understand to what extent the use of cause-related marketing, can become a tool of strategic positioning and differentiation for influencing consumption…
Abstract
This chapter aims to understand to what extent the use of cause-related marketing, can become a tool of strategic positioning and differentiation for influencing consumption decisions of a critical type of external stakeholder, that is, the customers (participants and non-participants), in the context of school sports events. Accordingly, quantitative empirical research was carried out resorting to a questionnaire. A sample of 829 pupils in mainland Portugal was gathered, covering both participants and non-participants in School Sports events associated with food products, namely, Compal Air and Nestum Rugby. The results reveal that customers’ perception of the attributes of social responsibility and of the general attributes of the brand has a positive influence on consumption decisions, especially with regard to participants in this type of event. In addition, individual motivations, determining the decision to participate or not in events, are found to influence the consumption decision.
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Róberson de Oliveira, João Leitão and Helena Alves
Corporate governance (CG), initially associated with private organizations, has been adopted by higher education institutions (HEIs). These are being managed more as firms in this…
Abstract
Corporate governance (CG), initially associated with private organizations, has been adopted by higher education institutions (HEIs). These are being managed more as firms in this post-standardization phase, in which the commercialization of higher education, competition and selective choice, finite resources and sustainable development (SD) have become major requirements for accountability and action. Principles of CG can collaborate and guide the process of making universities sustainable. The chapter analyses the effects of CG on the creation of a culture of sustainability in universities. In doing so, it analyzes the websites of public HEIs in EU-15 countries for a set of social responsibility indicators and investigates the impact and practices of two young Portuguese universities regarding United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. The results point out that CG and SD principles tend to guide the strategy of most public HEIs in the EU-15, confirming that they have made a commitment to good governance and sustainability.
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Emerson Wagner Mainardes, Helena Alves and Mario Raposo
The objective of this paper is to collate and debate the main issues driving the stakeholder theory academic debate.
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to collate and debate the main issues driving the stakeholder theory academic debate.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a discussion of the stakeholder concept is set out before moving on to the history and nature of stakeholder theory. The work proceeds with an attempt to bring together systematically the points of divergence among researchers interested in stakeholder theory, and, finally, there is a brief discussion of these theoretical loopholes in conjunction with a proposed research agenda for the field.
Findings
Based on the unification of the theoretically problematic issues, research agenda are put forward with the objective of clarifying doubts and resolving the controversies ongoing among academics. As regards the formulation of stakeholder theory, one question requiring resolution is that of the stakeholder concept itself. Additionally, further research should focus on the boundaries as to what constitutes a stakeholder group as well as defining the criteria for attributing individual membership of one or another group. In practical theoretical application, it is correspondingly necessary to target research on aspects such as conflicts of interest between stakeholders and management difficulties in coping with multiple objectives. Finally, there is a need for research that systematizes the knowledge produced with the objective of attaining the theoretical convergence necessary for the development of stakeholder theory.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper derives from the systematization of the various shortcomings that need overcoming within the framework of stakeholder theory and the identification of research agendas.
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