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  • Guidelines for Creating Video Podcasts in Mathematics Higher Education.
    Publication . Costa, Sidonie; Costa e Silva, Eliana; Correia, Aldina
    b-Mat@plicada is a b-learning Mathematics course for Higher Education students, mainly composed of educational videos available in the institutional Moodle platform. These contents were created by following a set of guidelines, where three components are considered: the quality of students’ learning, the teacher’s time and computer skills, as well as the equipment made available by the institution. With the aim of evaluating the procedure used to make these videos, an experiment was carried out in classroom context, using a video on matrix multiplication which is included in the course syllabus. After its visualization, the 49 students who participated in the experiment completed a questionnaire assessing viewing behaviour, perception, attitudes, satisfaction, and learning performance. The findings demonstrate the importance of using video podcasts in Higher Education as complementary tools and the adequacy of the selected b-Mat@plicada video. Also, the results indicate that, from the students’ perspective, the speech, sound, and image are the most important features in a video podcast.
  • Assessment of the Impact of Lean Tools on the Safety of the Shoemaking Industry
    Publication . Sá, José Carlos; Soares, Leonardo; Dinis-Carvalho, José; Silva, Francisco; Santos, Gilberto
    Both the Lean philosophy and occupational safety and health have been widely studied, although this has usually been carried out independently. However, the correlation between Lean and occupational safety and health in the industrial context is still underexplored. Indeed, Lean tools can be applied to ensure the best safety environment for workers in each kind of manufacturing process, and this deserves to be studied. The study described here aims to understand the influence of each of a set of four Lean tools used in an industrial context with a strong manual labor component, seeking to determine the influence of each of these Lean tools on the increase in safety obtained through their application. For this purpose, four Lean tools that are quite commonly applied are selected, taking into account previously presented work that pointed to the positive influence of the application of each of these tools on worker safety: total productive maintenance system, Gemba walk, visual management and Yokoten. This study aims to apply these Lean tools and to analyze their impact on productivity, and then, on the safety of a company selected as a target in order to validate the concept. For this purpose, a new tool is created. In the first instance, the tool analyzes the current state of the productive process and the safety level through the study of the risk levels detected in the plant. In terms of productivity results, a reduction between 7% and 12% in cycle time is achieved in four areas of the plant. The feedback from employees showed increased satisfaction with the processes’ simplification. To conclude, a 50% reduction in the number of work accidents per month is observed as a result of the implementation of Lean tools. The influence of the selected Lean tools on increasing both productivity and safety is clear, and our results prove the selection of tools to be largely adequate.
  • Science Based Targets and the factors contributing to the sustainable development of an organisation from a Literature review to a conceptual model
    Publication . Sá, José Carlos; Carvalho, Afonso; Fonseca, Luís; Santos, Gilberto; Dinis-Carvalho, José
    Sustainable development is a subject of intense discussion, mainly due to climate change, pollution, and increased waste, among other factors. The governments of various countries worldwide have been setting environmental targets for emissions and consumption to combat climate change and improve the state of our planet. Therefore, it is necessary to have an environmental policy with stakeholder engagement. The literature review method, bibliometric analysis, and visual mappings were applied to understand how these sustainable targets are formulated and used by companies to comply with the limits proposed by governments. The Web of Science platform allowed data collection about Lean and Green, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and Science-Based Targets (SBT). The carried analyses identified the most relevant papers using the PRISMA method, including their authors, their temporal distribution, and a correlation map using the VOSviewer tool. Hence, mapping the current state of the art concerning the SBT topic. Furthermore, a novel conceptual model is proposed to integrate lean and green and create new KPI applied to the definition of SBT to give companies a path and tools to achieve the climate targets efficiently. Future research should focus on the implementation of the con-ceptual model in several companies to understand its impact to correct and improve the conceptual model proposed.
  • Modeling Environmentally Conscious Purchase Behavior: Examining the Role of Ethical Obligation and Green Self-Identity
    Publication . Kumar, Rakesh; Kumar, Kishore; Singh, Rubee; Sá, José Carlos; Carvalho, Sandro; Santos, Gilberto
    Due to environmental degradation, using environment-friendly products has become necessary to reduce carbon emissions. However, the consumption of such products is still below expectations because these products are usually costlier than their traditional counterparts. The current study aims to investigate consumer behavior towards environment-friendly products using Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior as a theoretical model. The study seeks to examine the role of the key determinates of environmentally conscious purchase behavior, such as ethical obligation and green self-identity. A total of 386 responses were collected from consumers living in a few major cities of northern India using purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in Amos 22.0. The results demonstrated that attitudes towards environment-friendly products perceived behavioral control and green self-identity as the major determinants of green purchase intentions. In addition, attitude was reported to mediate the effect of ethical obligation on green purchase intentions and green self-identity was found to moderate the effect of attitude on green purchase intentions. Additionally, green self-identity was also reported to moderate the relationship between ethical obligation and attitude. The study adds value to the existing literature by signifying the role of green self-identity and ethical obligation in stimulating consumers’ green purchase intentions. The findings of the study are also meaningful for marketers and policymakers.
  • The value of TPM for Portuguese companies
    Publication . Vaz, Eduardo; Sá, José Carlos; Santos, Gilberto; Correia, Florbela; Ávila, Paulo
    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a maintenance philosophy, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), on the operational performance of the Portuguese industry, identifying how it enables the systematic reduction of waste in maintenance. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was constructed and sent to 472 Portuguese enterprises, having obtained a sample constituted of 84 valid answers. With a five-point Likert scale, it was possible to assess the impact of the TPM on five operational performance dimensions, being them: quality, flexibility, productivity, safety and costs. Findings – It was found that the planned maintenance, together with education and training are the practices with the highest degree of implementation in the Portuguese industry, exceeding 70% for both. The productivity is the dimension with a higher degree of impact from the implementation of TPM and costs the dimension that suffered a lesser impact. Practical implications – This paper shows and analyses the current state of TPM implementation in the Portuguese industry and it will be useful for maintenance professionals, researchers and others concerned with maintenance, in order to understand the effects of TPM implementation on the operational performance of the Portuguese industries. Originality/value – The findings from this paper will be valuable for professionals who desire and are looking forward to implement an effective maintenance approach in the maintenance management system, in order to achieve the excellence in maintenance.
  • Knowledge Management and Total Quality Management Impact on Employee Effectiveness in Emerging Industries: Case of Tunisian Small and Medium Enterprises
    Publication . Lehyani, Fatma; Zouari, Alaeddine; Ghorbel, Ahmed; Tollenaere, Michel; Sá, José Carlos
    Employee effectiveness is highly important for all economic activities. Several factors can affect its degree, either positively or negatively. In this vein, this work aims to examine the impact of knowledge management and total quality management on employee effectiveness in the industry of emerging countries. For that, Tunisian small and medium enterprises were taken as an example. The proposed methodology consists first of providing a research model linking the correlation between knowledge management elements, total quality management practices, and employee effectiveness. Then, a survey was designed and broadcast to more than 3000 Tunisian small and medium enterprises. Hence, 206 responses were collected from several industrial fields, and collected data analysis was achieved by SPSS software. For testing research hypotheses, multiple regression analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were employed. The finding points out that total quality management and knowledge management have a positive impact on staff effectiveness. This impact is highlighted through the roles of knowledge management elements and total quality management practices on human resources behavior and their ability enhancement. Consequently, a significant increase in productivity can be seen in the operational processes of the company. This work is one of the first studies to research total quality management and knowledge management impact on staff effectiveness in Tunisian small and medium enterprises. Besides, it reflects the maturity and the awareness of respondent companies’ managers to the practice of these concepts in emerging economies.
  • Development of a conceptual model integrating management systems and the Shingo Model towards operational excellence
    Publication . Carvalho, Mariana; Sá, José Carlos; Marques, Pedro Alexandre; Santos, Gilberto; Pereira, António Mário
    To remain competitive in the marketplace, organizations are seeking the adoption of management models and tools that will allow them to find better and more effective practices to reinvent themselves, and continuously improve their business processes and product’s quality in a sustainable way, hence pursuing the ultimate goal of reaching enterprise excellence. The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model that relates the requirements of the ISO Management System Standards with the dimensions and guiding principles of the Shingo Model for Operational Excellence. The proposed approach allows an organization with and existing management system based on one or more ISO Management System Standards to adopt and perform an assessment tool to evaluate its level of maturity regarding the adoption of the best practices and behaviours prescribed by the Shingo Model, which is a novelty contribution of this research. The validation of the proposed assessment tool took place in a Portuguese organization from the automotive sector, having comprised two moments: in the first one, an external assessor performed a set of behavioural observations that acted as a base to assign a score, while in the second moment such score was internally obtained through a survey that was filled by the organization’s employees. The results reveal that these two methods converge to similar conclusions, hence confirming that the proposed model has the potential to enable an organization to assess the maturity level of its management system regarding the adoption of the guiding principles of the Shingo Model for Operational Excellence. A limitation of this research is that the model was only validated in a single company.
  • Lean and Six Sigma Philosophies and Organizational Performance: A Study in Portuguese Laboratories
    Publication . Lima, Vanda; Craveiro, Andreia; Santos, Gilberto; Sá, José Carlos; Lopes, Miguel; Carvalho, José Dinis
    Purpose: This research aimed to make a diagnosis of the implementation of Lean and Six Sigma philosophies in Portuguese laboratories and to evaluate the impact of these philosophies on organizational performance. Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research methodology was used, based on the survey research strategy, and using as data collection instrument an original online questionnaire, validated and distributed to the Portuguese laboratories via email. The sample was composed by 106 laboratories. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were applied to the data, using IBM SPSS software. Findings: It was found that most laboratories do not know the Lean Approach and/or Six Sigma philosophies, and their implementation occurred in about one tenth of the sample. The laboratories that implemented the philosophies were found to have a larger number of employees and turnover. Finally, regarding organizational performance it was found to be superior in laboratories that implemented at least one of the philosophies when compared to laboratories that did not implement any Lean and/or Six Sigma philosophy. Research Limitation/Implication: The small sample size, which corresponds to approximately 15% of the population, is the main limitation of the study. Originality/Value of paper: This study is the first diagnosis on the application of Lean and Six Sigma philosophies made in the Portuguese laboratory market, and may provide relevant inputs for decision-making in this context. Category: Research paper
  • Exploring Drivers and Barriers, Failure and Resilience, Success Factors and Strategies in Firms’ Internationalisation: Literature Review and Research Agenda
    Publication . Galvão, Anderson; Mendes, Telma; Mascarenhas, Carla; Marques, Carla
    The literature that studies firms’ internationalisation has become very extensive and fragmented, taking different approaches and contributing across diverse facets of internationalisation. Therefore, there is a need to analyse and systematise those issues that received increasing attention in the international business field. Accordingly, this study aims to develop a systematic literature review on the internalisation process. We correspondingly make resources to the Web of Science database and analyse a total of 270 articles, spanning the period from 1996 to 2022, to identify the core issues and contributions made by the existing literature. The results enable the categorisation of the extant research into five main areas: (i) successful internationalisation, (ii) internationalisation strategies, (iii) failure and resilience, (iv) drivers and stimuli, and (v) barriers and obstacles. This structuring then established the grounds for grasping the gaps existing in the literature and to propose future research agenda.
  • The stereotype of accountants: using a personality approach to assess the perspectives of laypeople
    Publication . Leão, Fernanda; Gomes, Delfina
    Purpose – In the context of Portugal, this study examines the stereotypes of accountants held by laypeople and how they are influenced by financial crises and accounting scandals. Design/methodology/approach – To better understand the social images of accountants, the authors adopt a structural approach based on the big five model (BFM) of personality. The authors test this approach on a Portuguese community sample (N 5 727) using a questionnaire survey. The results are analyzed considering the socioanalytic theory. Findings – The results suggest the existence of a stereotype dominated by features of conscientiousness, which is related to the superior performance of work tasks across job types. This feature comprises the core characteristics of the traditional accountant stereotype, which survives in a context challenged by financial scandals and crises. The findings highlight the social acceptance of accountants as an occupational group but do not suggest the possibility of accountants benefiting from the highest levels of social status when considered in relation to the traditional accountant stereotype. Originality/value – By combining the BFM and the socioanalytic theory, this study provides a unique theoretical approach to better understand the social images of accountants. The findings demonstrate the suitability of using the BFM to study the social perceptions of accountants. They also indicate a paradox based on the survival of the traditional stereotype. This stereotype appears to be resistant to scandals and financial crisis, instead of being impaired, giving rise to another prototype with concerns about integrity.