Browsing by Author "Ferreira, Fernanda A."
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- Actions and strategies on hotel websites: case study of 4- and 5-star hotels in Porto and Northern PortugalPublication . Costa, Elga; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ribeiro, Joaquim; Meneses, DanielaThe investigation focuses on the identification of actions and strategies that hoteliers apply on their websites, to capture direct bookings versus their dependence on the OTA, to evaluate the importance and function of the websites of the 4- and 5-star hotels in Porto and Northern Portugal. Online distribution is a necessity for a hotel, either to reach the largest number of customers or to give visibility to the brand. Hotel websites, however, allow greater proximity and communication with the customer, potentiating hotels’ possibility to increase direct bookings. It is therefore necessary to understand which actions and strategies hoteliers must consider for capturing direct bookings. Thus, the main objective of the study is to identify the hoteliers’ dependence on the OTA and the consequent actions and strategies they apply on their websites to capture direct bookings. In the present investigation, the quantitative methodology was chosen, and the data collection instrument was a questionnaire survey, applied in a total universe of 150 hotels, 4- and 5-star hotels in the Region of Porto and Northern Portugal, where 55 responses were obtained. The data obtained were treated and analysed using the SPSS software. The results obtained confirm the existence of actions and strategies in hotels to capture direct reservations; hotels consider these strategies as an essential condition for increasing direct bookings. Limitations have arisen in the collection of questionnaires due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most hotels closed due to lack of customers and consequently, the sample for the present study is limited in the diversity of the typology of respondents. It is intended with this work to understand what actions and strategies hotels apply on the website, as well as to understand if hotels follow the new technological trends, in what the contact and communication with the client concerns.
- An economical model for dumping by dumping in a Cournot modelPublication . Banik, Nilanjan; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Martins, J.; Pinto, Alberto A.We consider an international trade economical model where two firms of different countries compete in quantities and can use three different strategies: (i) repeated collusion, (ii) deviation from the foreigner firm followed by punishment by the home country and then followed by repeated Cournot, or (iii) repeated deviation followed by punishment. In some cases (ii) and (iii) can be interpreted as dumping.We compute the profits of both firms for each strategy and we characterize the economical parameters where each strategy is adopted by the firms.
- An ERP selection using a hybrid methodologyPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Pereira, TeresaWith this work, we developed a multi-criteria decision-making model to assess and select an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). A hybrid multi-criteria methodology is used for the assessment and selection of an ERP, combining the MMASSI/IT methodology, which is used to both define the relevant family of criteria, based on their features and flexibility to change and adapt to a given scope, and the weight of criteria. Then, the well-known Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology is used to perform the decision-makers’ value function elicitation preference of alternatives pairwise comparison in each criterion. The additive aggregation is used to compute the alternatives global score. The proposed hybrid model was validated in an industrial context by three Decision-makers.
- Analysing the development of sustainable tourism in the Porto and Northern Portugal tourism regionPublication . Meneses, Daniela; Costa, Carlos; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Eusébio, CelesteTourism is widely recognized as a driver of development in numerous nations. In Portugal's context, it stands as a pivotal economic sector that has experienced remarkable growth in recent years (Lopes & Soares, 2017). In this sense, and following the guidelines of international agencies, it is necessary for tourism to adopt a new and holistic paradigm in sustainable tourism development plans (ETC, 2021). According to Baidal (2001) the approach to sustainable tourism must take into account: i) Recognizing the holistic and interconnected nature of factors across various dimensions - economic, environmental, social, cultural, political, and technological - directly impacting development, and embracing a multidisciplinary planning approach; ii) Striking a balance between policy considerations and the technical-scientific aspects of planning, which serve as a primary catalyst for fostering social engagement; iii) Adapting to diverse socio-economic and political contexts, varying territorial scales, and distinct environmental characteristics; iv) Placing emphasis on the local level, where development challenges are identified and where the principles of sustainability, such as Local Agenda 21, can be effectively put into action; v) Implementing long-term strategies and actions that consider the well-being of future generations, while enhancing the ability to identify, reconcile, and unite stakeholders; vi) Encouraging planners to be more cognizant and dedicated to the planning process, enabling them to better identify stakeholders, harmonize their interests, and promote consensus. Based on the holistic paradigm mentioned, this research aims to analyse the plans for tourism development in the Porto and Northern Portugal region. The first approach is to identify the tourism development plans and the second approach is to identify the associated dimensions and issues related with sustainable development considered in these plans. Effective planning is crucial in achieving equilibrium between economic objectives and the necessity of safeguarding and improving tourism destinations. It functions as a vital instrument for aligning the economic advantages of tourism with sustainable methods that guarantee the enduring appeal and sustainability of these destinations (Costa, 2020). By integrating strategic planning, destinations can maximise their potential for growth and economic development while protecting their natural and cultural assets.
- Analysis of a customer relationship management tool in a shipping companyPublication . Pereira, Teresa; Fróis, Joana; Ferreira, Fernanda A.Today’s society is technologically advanced, the world is just a click away and our companies’ customers have easy access to all the information. Therefore, they are increasingly demanding, wanting more and better at a lower cost. Using as a case study a shipping company, a system of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) was analysed to verify what reasons led to its abandonment and to realise what to do to reverse such situation. In this industry product differentiation is practically null, so the customer’s choice comes down to price. However, customers are paying more attention to customer service, therefore companies are developing stronger relationships with them. The construction of such relationships implies data collection on the client, from which one can offer services of greater value. This may lead to partnerships and competitive advantages. Thus, the use of CRM tools is being promoted for CRM tools present themselves as a valuable asset. In the end, suggestions are presented, ranging from improvements to the existing system, to more complex suggestions, costlier or breaking with the existing mode of relationship and dialogue between company and customers, but that, in the future, will certainly translate into advantages over competing companies.
- Analysis of a Customer Relationship Management Tool in a Shipping CompanyPublication . Pereira, Maria Teresa; Fróis, Joana; Ferreira, Fernanda A.Today’s society is technologically advanced, the world is just a click away and our companies’ customers have easy access to all the information. Therefore, they are increasingly demanding, wanting more and better at a lower cost. Using as a case study a shipping company, a system of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) was analysed to verify what reasons led to its abandonment and to realise what to do to reverse such situation. In this industry product differentiation is practically null, so the customer’s choice comes down to price. However, customers are paying more attention to customer service, therefore companies are developing stronger relationships with them. The construction of such relationships implies data collection on the client, from which one can offer services of greater value. This may lead to partnerships and competitive advantages. Thus, the use of CRM tools is being promoted for CRM tools present themselves as a valuable asset. In the end, suggestions are presented, ranging from improvements to the existing system, to more complex suggestions, costlier or breaking with the existing mode of relationship and dialogue between company and customers, but that, in the future, will certainly translate into advantages over competing companies.
- Analysis of pharmacy and laboratory reagents stock management in a Portuguese public hospital: a case studyPublication . Sequeiros, José; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Oliveira, Marisa; Ferreira, Fernanda A.The current situation of healthcare units is characterised by the increasing cost of providing the respective care, the consequent deterioration of the financial situation, and the complicated and time-consuming processes. Together with rising demand, they may become factors contributing to a decrease in service demand. Due to this situation, more efficient and effective logistics and supply chain management are widely recognised as one of the main areas for improvement. To provide insight on which areas to improve, several objectives were looked at in this work, including the analysis of the methods and criteria for the selection of medicines in hospital pharmacies, the definition of obstacles to the rational management of stocks, and the analysis of historical data to forecast future demand for a Portuguese public hospital. The study revealed that some of the 1346 products present on the pharmacy’s ERP do not have sufficient historical data to create an accurate forecast. In this context, and with a service level of 95%, 41% of products have a stock higher than what should be the maximum stock, amounting to approximately € 147.908.87 in fixed assets, and 11% of products were at risk of being out of stock at the time. The importance of the evolution of the core information system of hospitals was at stake, ensuring the technological sustainability of the ongoing digital transformation, alignment with ICT rationalisation measures, improvement of customer service, and improvement of the quality of information available to the user.
- Application of factor analysis to produce a multivariate indicator of customer satisfaction in a thermal spaPublication . Silvério, Ana Cristina; Ferreira, Jéssica; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Alves, Maria José; Fernandes, Paula OdeteTourism per se is a highly relevant sector of economic activity that has been growing steadily. In turn, health and wellness tourism asserts itself as a tourism product with a strong trend in terms of consumption (Baloglu et al., 2019) that is expected to grow continuously in the coming years (Rodrigues et al., 2020). Given this reality, it was found that health and wellness tourism experienced about twice as fast growth when compared to other tourism products - by 2019, it recorded a 6.8% growth while other segments recorded a 3.6% growth (Global Wellness Institute, 2021). As such, it has been confirmed that this tourism product becomes a strategy for destinations (Hartwell et al., 2018; Pyke et al., 2016), the tourism industry, and even the country. However, the pandemic caused by COVID-19, incited a number of reflections about the competitiveness of the tourism industry.
- Application of prospective scenarios in a tourism companyPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Gomes, Carlos F. Simões; Santos, Marcos dos; Souza, Pedro Soares; Hübner, HudsonThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly around the world, generating economic shocks with pace and intensity above those observed in previous crises. Faced with this pandemic scenario, several economic sectors such as tourism, health, transportation were seriously affected. This paper focuses on the tourism sector which has been affected by various restrictions on passenger transport, the end of the free movement of people between countries, and the insecurity of travelers. This paper uses the Method Unified for Strategic Prospective Planning (Momento) for a company in the tourism sector so that it is possible to deal more effectively with uncertainties about the coming years. The methodology applied here can be a strategic-prospective planning proposal for this sector. The study based on the collected data allowed the creation of three possible future scenarios, which could support the creation of action plans and help the company's decision-makers to avoid themselves in the worst-case scenario and maximize the use of the best-case scenario. From this study, it was possible to bring greater knowledge to the tourism company about which are the variables that can most impact its business in a 5-year horizon, because the approach by the Momento method allowed the structuring and analysis of the variables and uncertainties observed in the construction of the prospective scenarios of tourism and its business in the middle of the socioeconomic instability experienced in the current period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Applying the importance-performance matrix to the Podence Carnival FestivalPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Martins, Cláudia S.; Fernandes, Paula O.Tourism has been playing an important role in the world and it has been one of the economic activities that has contributed the most to the growth and development of regions, especially local communities, as it is the case of Podence, a village located in the Northeast of Portugal. Podence has as its main activity which induces tourism a characteristic carnival, entitled Carnival of Podence or Festa dos Rapazes. In this context, the main objective of this research is based on analyzing the importance and satisfaction expressed by visitors to the festival with regard to attributes that allow evaluating the festivity. Having this objective, the added value of this research is the real contribution that it gives to the organization’s success of the Carnival of Podence festival. For this, a quantitative methodology was used, and data collection was done through a hand-by-hand administered questionnaire survey on the two days of the festivity that occurred in February 2022. For the purpose of the study, a final sample of 200 valid questionnaires was worked with. The Importance–Satisfaction Analysis is revised from the Importance–Performance Analysis which was used to answer the objective of the study.The results showed that the attributes with the greatest importance and that generated the highest visitor satisfaction were “reception/hospitality”, “local gastronomy” and “surrounding/social environment”. The attributes festivity-related leisure activities, enclosure, and promotion of the festivity through souvenirs seem not to be of great importance nor did they generate high satisfaction for visitors. On the other hand, through the tool used, it was possible to verify that the dissemination of the festivity attribute should deserve more attention and care from the organization of this festivity since the visitors attributed high importance and low satisfaction to it.