Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2021-09-23"
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- Insights from crowdfunding platforms in PortugalPublication . Santos, José de Freitas; Sousa, MarcoCrowdfunding (CF) online platforms play an important role in an era of digital transition, by enlarging the opportunities of entrepreneurs to collect funds from the crowd. The online platform operates efficiently connecting people that asks for funds with investors/donors looking for investment opportunities. In Portugal, the first CF platform arose in 2009, and new platforms have emerged after that. To get an overall picture of the present situation in Portugal, this communication aims to explore the specificities of the CF industry by adopting a comparative analysis of the platforms that operate in the market. To attain this objective several comparison criteria were used (e.g. business models, promoters, areas of activity, financial and operational data, fees) in order to highlight the differences and similarities between the platforms as well as the financial sustainability of the operating companies. The data for this study was collected through desk research by extracting financial information from two databases (Saabi and e-informa) and consulting the platforms and news about the CF companies. The investigation reveals that different platforms in Portugal explore either donation, reward-based or loan-based CF, some of which are under the scope of specific sectors of activity, and most of them use the all-or-nothing model. No equity-based CF platforms were found in Portugal. Despite the growth in the activity and the success of the campaigns carried out, Portuguese platforms still face some difficulties in achieving financial sustainability.
- Does immigrants’ characteristics shape the predisposition to entrepreneurship?Publication . Bernardino, Susana; Santos, José de Freitas; Casarin, ElianeThe immigration crisis in Europe and the challenges of social and economic integration of immigrants has become a relevant subject to advanced economies. This communication aims to enhance the knowledge base about the immigrant’s entrepreneurial propensity. To explore this topic the paper examines the gender, age, education, área of study and previous experience of immigrants in Portugal, assesses the individual’s entrepreneurial propensity, and evaluates whether that propensity is related to the immigrant’s characteristics. The paper uses a quantitative approach, based on an online survey sent to immigrants whose hosting country is Portugal. The data collection process was carried out between March and September 2020 and the final sample considered for analysis was 100. The results show that many immigrants have already launched their own businesses, and most of them intend to do it in the future. The effective propensity to invest is mainly influenced by gender and age while the potential entrepreneurial intention is independent of the immigrants' characteristics. The results suggest that gender (men) and age (middle-aged) lead to an effective propensity to invest. Therefore, policymakers can increase economic activities by developing and deploying specific programs according to immigrants’ demographics in order to encourage them to launch new ventures. This study brings new empirical data to examine the level of association between the effective propensity to invest and the potential entrepreneurial intention with some personal factors of the immigrants in Portugal. It theoretically conceptualizes that immigrants of certain gender and age are more predispose to invest.
- Acompanhamento clínico e laboratorial dos pacientes VIH colocados em Modelos diferenciados para cuidados e tratamento, Nampula-Moçambique, 2020Publication . Alide, Atumane; Cruz, Agostinho Luís da Silva; Moreira, Fernando Xavier FerreiraEm Moçambique vivem cerca de 2 milhões de pessoas com a infeção pelo Vírus de Imunodeficiência Humana, o que corresponde a uma taxa de prevalência de 13.5%. Face ao aumento dos pacientes em tratamento antirretroviral, o modelo clássico, em que o atendimento é mensal, tornou-se insustentável para dar resposta a todos os pacientes. Assim, o Ministério de Saúde de Moçambique implementou os modelos de atendimento diferenciado, que incluem consultas mais espaçadas no tempo para pacientes com carga viral indetetável. Compreender a dinâmica clínica e laboratorial de integração dos pacientes em modelos diferenciados, no Centro de Saúde 25 de Setembro da cidade de Nampula. Realizou-se um estudo descritivo, com amostragem probabilística, estratificada e proporcional, de 460 pacientes. Os dados foram obtidos através de processos clínicos, posteriormente tratados estatisticamente no programa SPSS, versão 26. A amostra incluída no estudo é composta maioritariamente por mulheres (71.3%) e 53.9% dos indivíduos apresenta idades compreendidas entre os 21 e os 40 anos. Observou-se que 85.2% dos pacientes foram integrados no fluxo rápido, 30.2% dos pacientes encontra-se no estadio I, 38.9% no estadio III. Verificou-se que, 4.3% dos pacientes foram integrados nos modelos com carga viral detetável e 4.6% não tinham realizado exames de carga viral. A percentagem de pacientes sem exame da carga vira subiu para 11.5%, um ano após a integração nos modelos. Os resultados sugerem alguma inconsistência na integração dos pacientes nos modelos diferenciados, bem como fragilidades no seguimento dos pacientes.
- Motivations for using CF: a study among portuguese entrepreneursPublication . Bernardino, Susana; Freitas, J. R.; Silva, RitaThe research aims to identify the motivations for using crowdfunding (CF) as it becomes a significant way of funding new ventures. The study adopts a quantitative approach, based on an online survey sent to the entrepreneurs who have used the largest and oldest Portuguese CF platform (PPL) for funding. The data were analysed in relation to frequency and use of platforms, typology of projects, level of success and satisfaction with the campaigns, and the motivations for using CF. The results indicate that the main motivations that lead promoters to use CF are the lack of financial resources to launch/develop the venture, the possibility of increasing the project's visibility online and the easy access to funding with less bureaucracy. The study provides insight to platform managers to better promote the advantages of using CF among potential entrepreneurs according to its main motivations. At the same time, the findings offer knowledge that could help interested entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes. Further, the research reveals that developing a CF campaign is not an easy task as it demands a considerable investment in time and resources to be successful. The analysis of the motivations and satisfaction of entrepreneurs regarding CF allows for recommendations into the contributory or inhibiting factors of CF. On the positive side of the balance are the online visibility of the project (through social media) and the low bureaucracy to get the money. On the negative side, the investment in time and resources needed to perform the campaign.
- Impacto da Rotatividade de Servidores Docentes no Aproveitamento Acadêmico e no funcionamento Escolar: o caso do IFRO – Campus Guajará-MirimPublication . Paredes, Gina Roca; Gonçalves, Zita Maria Alves Romero de OliveiraA rotatividade de servidores docentes está intimamente ligada e reflete-se na interação entre professor-aluno, podendo prejudicar a capacidade de aprendizagem dos alunos, provocar alterações no desenvolvimento de ensino, descontinuidade de participar de trabalhos pedagógicos, extensão e pesquisa, que vinham sendo estendido entre um ano letivo e outro, bem como na vida do estabelecimento de ensino em que ela ocorre. O presente estudo tem como objetivo, investigar os impactos da rotatividade de servidores docentes no aproveitamento académico dos alunos e funcionamento escolar do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciências e Tecnologia de Rondônia - IFRO - Campus Guajará-Mirim. Quanto a metodologia, foi efetuada uma investigação empírica, de natureza qualitativa e quantitativa, portanto pode ser considerada mista; concretamente levado a cabo um estudo de caso, por se tratar de uma unidade alvo de análise em especial. Quanto aos instrumentos de coleta de dados, foi realizada inquéritos sob a forma de questionários aplicados aos alunos dos 2º e 3º anos dos cursos técnicos integrados ao ensino médio; entrevista aplicada a servidores docentes que se evadiram do IFRO-CGM ao longo dos últimos 5 (cinco) anos; entrevista aos servidores gestores (Diretora Geral e Chefe do Departamento de Apoio ao Ensino). No fim, foi feita uma triangulação dos dados obtidos com o objetivo de encontrar explicações à situação estudada e apresentação de algumas sugestões que podem vir a contribuir para a melhoria das condições de trabalho dos servidores docentes. Se conseguir evitar uma menor rotatividade docente, isso refletir-se-á positivamente no desenvolvimento do IFRO-CGM.
- Conceção do modelo de negócio para uma empresa de comércio eletrónico B2B: deportugal.ptPublication . Maia, Rui Jorge Gomes; Azevedo, Ana Isabel Rojão Lourenço de; Pinto, José Agostinho de SousaThe growing advance of technologies has led to their introduction in the organizational context in an increasingly comprehensive way. Therefore, the importance given to business models in order to adjust them to this new reality was growing in importance. E-commerce business models also emerged, adapted to the specificities of this increasingly common way of conducting commercial transactions using digital means. This dissertation presents the conception of an instantiation of an e-commerce business model, in the business to business (B2B) segment. This will allow, at a later stage, the creation of an online platform for the sale of one hundred percent Portuguese products with a regional focus, to be sold to Portuguese merchants abroad, such as smoked meats, cheeses, olive oil, wine, and many others. For the development of this research, the methodological basis was Design Science Research (DSR). A literature review was made in which business models oriented to an e-commerce context were analyzed. After analyzing the models proposed by several authors, it was concluded that the most appropriate model for the study would be the one presented by Kenneth C. Laudon and Carol Guercio Traver. In order to better understand the problematic, a market study was done, through a questionnaire and interviews, which served as a basis. These also served as the basis for the instantiation of the business model for the B2B e-commerce company "deportugal.pt". Once the business model was established, it was validated through an interview with a specialist in the area of commerce, in a country of continental Western Europe, and was evaluated positively.
- Wireless radio link design to improve nearshore communication with surface nodes on tidal watersPublication . Gutiérrez Gaitán, Miguel; d'Orey, Pedro; Santos, Pedro Miguel; Ribeiro, Manuel; Pinto, Luís; Almeida, Luís; Sousa, J. Borges deWireless radio links deployed over aquatic areas (e.g., sea, estuaries or harbors) are affected by the conductive properties of the water surface, strengthening signal reflections and increasing interference effects. Recurrent natural phenomena such as tides or waves cause shifts in the water level that, in turn, change the interference patterns and cause varying impairments to propagation over water surfaces. In this work, we aim at mitigating the detrimental impact of tides on the quality of a line-of-sight over-water link between an onshore station and a surface node, targeting mission data transfer scenarios. We consider different types of surface nodes, namely, autonomous underwater vehicles, unmanned surface vehicles and buoys, and we use WiFi technology in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. We propose two methods for link distance/height design: (i) identifying a proper Tx-Rx distance for improved link quality at each point of the tidal cycle; (ii) defining the height/distance that minimizes the path loss averaged during the whole tidal cycle.Experimental results clearly show the validity of our link quality model and the interest of method (i). Analytical results confirm method (ii) and show that it outperforms, in both frequency bands, the common practice of placing onshore antennas at the largest possible height and/or surface nodes at a short but arbitrary distance.