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- Portuguese social solidarity cooperatives between recovery and resilience in the context of covid-19: preliminary results of the COOPVID ProjectPublication . Meira, Deolinda; Azevedo, Ana; Castro, Conceição; Tomé, Brízida; Rodrigues, Ana C.; Bernardino, Susana; Martinho, Ana Luisa; Malta, Mariana Curado; Pinto, Agostinho Sousa; Coutinho, Bruno; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Fernandes, Tiago Pimenta; Bandeira, Ana M.; Rocha, Ana Paula; Silva, Marlene; Gomes, MafaldaCovid-19 posed several challenges to all organisations in general and to social solidarity cooperatives in particular. However, the challenges faced by these cooperatives have unique features arising from their special characteristics compared to other types of cooperatives. Therefore it is vital to study these challenges and the impacts of covid-19. This study has as main goal to understand those challenges and their impact. An exploratory study was undertaken by applying 11 interviews to 11 social solidarity cooperatives. The cooperatives were chosen to be heterogeneous among the existent cooperatives in Portugal. This study corresponds to the first phase of a project that is still underway. This article presents the main results of the content analysis of the data collected from the interviews. Data show cooperatives could promptly adapt and continue their mission under pressure from the pandemic despite the first difficulties encountered in a new and unknown situation, showing a capacity to adapt and serve their members. However, these members were also submitted to several increasing and new challenges. The adaptations were possible due to legal changes in the work organisation law, from layoff to telework, government support involving financial programs, VAT, and other tax relaxation, as well as due to human resources reorganisation and the cooperatives’ staff positive attitude towards the difficulties (both leaders and general workers). Differences between the social solidarity cooperatives under study concerning digital technologies showed that those already having some infrastructure had minor adapting difficulties.
- Entrepreneurs’ self-perception of skills in rural tourismPublication . Castro, Conceição; Ferreira, Fernanda A.The objective of this paper is to study the perception of entrepreneurial and personal maturity skills among owners of rural tourism businesses and structure these skills. The main obstacles to entrepreneurship felt by these entrepreneurs are also analysed. Using the results of a survey of rural tourism businesses in Northern Portugal, exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. The data was evaluated through CFA, using Analysis of Moment Structure and performed a Structural Equation Model. The CFA led to two distinct factors: one includes emotional coping, critical evaluation and networking (personal maturity) skills, while the other (entrepreneurial) includes goal setting and environment scanning skills. The findings reveal, after a cluster analysis based on the resulting component scores, three different groups of entrepreneurs with different perception of competencies, background and type of business. The owners/managers encountered some restrictions in the start-up process as the bureaucracy and the lack of financial support and information. Studying rural tourism owner's perceived entrepreneurial competencies provide advances in identifying its dimensionality and corresponding profiles and help defining strategies to enhance them, in order to promote success and local development.
- Tourism, terrorism, perceived risk and mediaPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Castro, Conceição; Carvalho, VitóriaThe purpose of this paper is to identify Portuguese residents’ apprehensions about perceived risks, including the terrorism risk, while travelling abroad. It was implemented a quantitative research methodology and there were collected samples. The factor analysis, specifically the principal component analysis with varimax rotation, was used to assess the underlying structure of Portuguese tourist’s risk perception. We found four dimensions, namely, “risk in international trips”, “interest in terrorism news”, “perceived importance of safety” and “generalized insecurity”. The perceived risk dimensions were collapsed into one and using logistic regression analysis, the risk dimension was regressed against a set of independent variables to determine which factors influence the Portuguese tourist’s perceived risks. The results show that monthly net income, perception of terrorism in Africa, risk aversion, level of education, travel companion, number of international trips and thinking that travelling is risky nowadays are significant to the model.
- Competitividade do turismo e impacto no crescimento económico nos países lusófonosPublication . Castro, Conceição; Ferreira, Fernanda A.O turismo é um dos setores económicos mais importantes a nível mundial e com muito potencial de crescimento. Incentivar o turismo é uma forma eficiente de promover o crescimento económico. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar comparativamente a atratividade dos países lusófonos na área do turismo e o contributo deste setor para o crescimento económico. Com base no Índice de Competitividade das Viagens e Turismo elaborado pelo World Economic Forum analisam-se, comparativamente, os fatores de competitividade de cinco países de língua oficial portuguesa – Angola, Brasil, Cabo Verde, Moçambique e Portugal e, seguindo a metodologia de Ivanov e Webster (2007), quantificase o contributo do turismo para o crescimento económico. Portugal apresenta uma maior competitividade pelo ambiente propício ao investimento, política turística e condições de apoio e infraestruturas, e o Brasil pelos recursos naturais e culturais. Em termos médios, no período 2010-2018, o contributo do turismo para o crescimento económico foi positivo em Cabo Verde, Moçambique e Portugal. Os resultados obtidos contribuem para uma melhor compreensão do turismo nos países lusófonos e evidencia que a afetação de recursos ao turismo promove o crescimento económico.
- Digital technologies and tourism as drivers of economic growth in Europe and Central AsiaPublication . Castro, Conceição; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Nunes, PedroAdvances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are rapidly transforming the world, promoting social and economic development. At the same time, tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors and can play and important role in boosting a country’s economy. This paper aims to analyse the impact of ICT and tourism on economic growth in European and Central Asian countries. The analysis is based on a sample of 42 countries over the period 1995–2018. Using panel data estimation techniques, the results suggest that ICT (a composed index of internet users, fixed broadband and mobile cellular subscriptions) and tourism are important determinants of economic growth. The results also reveal that and increase in the burden caused by non-working people on a nation’s working-age population has adverse effects on economic growth, while urbanization and inflation are insignificant. Promoting technology advancements, ICT diffusion and tourism expansion can foster economic growth.
- The impact of e-government on sustainable development: a logit modelPublication . Lopes, Isabel Cristina; Castro, ConceiçãoThe impact of e-government on sustainable development is analysed using a logit model with a sample of 103 countries in the period 2003–2018. Sustainable development is proxied by adjusted net savings, a variable that embraces a country's economic, social and environmental development. The results show that countries with higher e-government development are more likely to attain sustainable development, particularly in developing and transition economies.
- Partial privatization in a quantity-pricesetting mixed duopolyPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Castro, ConceiçãoThis paper studies the optimal level of privatization in a mixed duopoly with one state-owned semi-public firm and one private firm producing imperfectly substitutable goods, and the corresponding effects. We consider two potential combinations: (i) the state-owned public firm sets the price and the private firm sets the output production; and (ii) the state-owned public firm sets the output production and the private firm sets the price.
- A moção de censura em Portugal nos últimos 35 anos, a sua utilização como instrumento político de controloPublication . Nunes, Pedro; Castro, ConceiçãoO presente artigo intenta plasmar o uso da moção de censura enquanto instituto de controlo político do Governo na actividade parlamentar portuguesa das últimas três décadas. Da análise às diversas legislaturas e sessões legislativas dos vários governos constitucionais sistematizam-se aqueles mecanismos de controlo com referência à responsabilidade política do Governo.
- O impacto da cultura organizacional no desempenho financeiro das empresas da região norte de PortugalPublication . Araújo, Flávia; Castro, Conceição; Ferreira, Fernanda A.O entendimento da cultura organizacional é um elemento fundamental na gestão, considerando as constantes mudanças do ambiente organizacional e a necessidade de adaptação interna e integração externa das organizações. Este artigo tem por objetivo estudar se a cultura organizacional influencia o desempenho financeiro das organizações, bem como o impacto de acordo com a cultura predominante. A cultura organizacional é avaliada a partir do Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument, desenvolvido por Cameron e Quinn (2006), com seis dimensões – características dominantes, liderança organizacional, gestão de colaboradores, espírito de grupo, ênfases estratégicas e critérios de sucesso – e, deste enquadramento resultam quatro culturas: clã, adocrática, de mercado e hierárquica. Em termos metodológicos, através de um inquérito por questionário identifica-se o tipo de cultura predominante nas empresas da região Norte de Portugal e, para estudar as relações entre a cultura organizacional e o desempenho financeiro, recorre-se à análise de correlação e de regressão múltipla. Os resultados sugerem a existência de relações de pequena intensidade entre os tipos de cultura analisados (adocrática, de mercado e hierárquica) e o desempenho financeiro das empresas daquela região. Verifica-se um efeito positivo da cultura adocrática e de mercado no resultado líquido e um efeito negativo da cultura hierárquica, mas os resultados não evidenciam diferenças significativas no desempenho financeiro das empresas com culturas organizacionais distintas.
- Does corruption inhibit foreign direct investment?Publication . Castro, Conceição; Nunes, PedroGlobalization creates new opportunities for firms to invest abroad and many economies are making active efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in order to promote economic growth. Decisions to invest abroad depend on a complex set of factors, but the least corrupt countries may attract more foreign direct investment because they provide a more favorable climate for investors. In this paper we investigate the impact of corruption on FDI inflows in 73 countries, over the period 1998-2008. Our results suggest that countries where corruption is lower, the FDI inflows are greater, and so controlling corruption may be an important strategy for increase FDI inflows.