RCAAP Repository

The dramatic rise in the use of social media tools and environments is becoming increasingly noticeable. In addition to corporate brands, consumers' usage practices are also observed. Along with the changes in economic and social conditions, the formation of new markets and different consumer groups is another key point. Exceeding geographical boundaries especially by luxury brands has led them to encounter new markets and consumers. Parallel to these changes, it is noteworthy that a new communication environment and a new generation have created differences in luxury brand usage. The association of luxury brands and social media environments at the corporate level causes them to take part in a new communication environment. At this point, the social media usage for personal means and the social media usage related to luxury brands gain a special importance. In this study, the aim is to determine the social media usage practices related to the personal means and luxury brands. For this, a survey was conducted for luxury brand users. In this way, revealing the luxury brands’ communication activities in social media and determining the personal social media usage of luxury brand users are aimed. The majority of participants are using as followings, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter and Facebook, for social media. The proportion of participants using Linkedin, Google+ and Pinterest social media environments is very low. In the social media usage practices of luxury brand car users for brands, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter applications are used more frequently, and Google+, Pinterest and Linkedln applications are used much less. It has been concluded that social media communication tools are active and effective in the usage practices of personal and brands of luxury car users.

The current context has revealed the weaknesses of the contemporary world in several areas, but, above all, it has again emphasized the vulnerabilities of personalities, governments, parties, companies and organizations concerning the management of crisis communication and how you deal with risk (Jong, 2020, 2021), failure and the unexpected (McGuire, Cunningham, Reynolds, & Matthews-Smith, 2020).Inevitably, social networks have come to accelerate dissemination and, as a result, image and reputation become sensitive elements of an ecosystem that requires parsimony when it comes to matching stakeholder expectations (Coombs, 2007; Coombs & Holladay, 2010). This new world requires strategy when communicating about human and property losses, but also aims to avoid credibility breakdowns and disastrous damage to notoriety and reputation (Mocho, 2021)(...)DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2022.sn11.1-4 

Implementing quality assurance standards in hotel services and products is one of the latest performance indicators assessment processes in tourism services. It providers a sustainable reputation and a competitive advantage in the market. This study highlights the impact of hotel services quality assurance standards on customer satisfaction. The study follows a descriptive analysis methodology using a survey as a study instrument. Relative Importance Index (RII) used to identify the structural model for the correlations among the variables. Findings revealed that the implementation of integrated marketing management hotel services quality promotes the marketing of hotel services and customer’s trust and loyalty to the products and services provided by hotel tourist services providers and their staff. Moreover, it could encourage customers to share their touristic experience, which could promote the market reputation of the hotel services and competitive advantage locally and internationally hotel services. In addition, it is an opportunity for an active participation of clients in assessing the hotel products and services using effective indicators that enable hotel services decision - makers in improving the services continuously.

A pandemia Covid-19 é considerada uma crise sem precedentes, pelo seu caráter atípico e porque se arrastou ao longo do tempo. Metaforicamente, considera-se um evento cisne negro, ou seja, um evento surpreendente e imprevisível de grande significado e graves consequências que alteram drasticamente o ambiente político e económico. Como resultado das alterações existentes, as empresas tiveram de se adaptar a um novo contexto, a um novo consumidor e a uma nova forma de operar. O presente estudo surge orientado para a exploração das principais estratégias digitais levadas a cabo pelas empresas para minorar/explorar os efeitos da situação pandémica atual. Para o efeito, propõe-se uma metodologia qualitativa, baseada em 7 entrevistas semiestruturadas a gestores de empresas que atuaram durante a pandemia e no contexto digital, de modo a conhecer os principais impactos da pandemia e estratégias digitais utilizadas para os minorar/explorar. O estudo aborda as estratégias digitais que se revelaram bem- sucedidas para gerir a situação pandémica nas empresas entrevistadas, destacando-se o foco no cliente, o foco no serviço, o desenvolvimento de parcerias, a criação de novos produtos e serviços e a adoção de medidas socialmente responsáveis. Este estudo apresenta as principais estratégias digitais levadas a cabo pelas empresas em estudo num contexto de medo e incerteza. É um contributo valioso a nível empresarial, não só para o período pandémico em questão, mas também para crises futuras.DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2022.sn11.92-113

This article aims to assess how the merchandising and your techniques are applied in the major pharmaceutical chains in Salvador, checking how such that application influences consumer buying decision. Regarding the methodological approach, initially broke up the collection of secondary data by performing a literature search in the sparse literature on the subject. In the field research phase, we opted for a non-participant observation for survey of merchandising techniques in the units studied and to know the perception of consumers was chosen as data collection instrument, we used the questionnaire applied with consumers of pharmaceutical products. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed using a statistical software, Sphinx. The main result, there was the importance of this marketing tool for this retail segment - the segment uses it influencing the repositioning of the brands and creating clear options to choose from, as the way to put the product in evidence provides convenience to the final consumer .

Os consumidores, sobretudo os Millennials, também conhecidos por Geração Y, tendem a utilizar os smartphones e tablets como alternativa aos computadores. Segundo dados divulgados pela Associação da Economia Digital (ACEPI), o e-commerce cresceu nos últimos anos e 2016 não foi exceção em Portugal, na Europa e no mundo, sendo, no entanto notório, um crescimento mais acelerado nos Estados Unidos da América...

The luxury sector is currently one of the most exciting market segments, standing out because of its ability to keep growing during economic crisis. In fact, high end consumers are a particularly attractive segment. They are willing to pay more for exclusive products and unique experiences, they value the symbolic meanings carried out by luxury products and brands, and they demand superior performance from luxury brand suppliers. But they are not the only ones choosing and buying luxury brands, as luxury is being increasingly adopted by the middle class, namely as a signal of success (Wiedmann & Hennigs, 2013)...

A competitividade que as empresas enfrentam nos dias de hoje é uma batalha constante para a sua sobrevivência, sendo ainda mais, em tempos de crise. As marcas são muito importantes do ponto de vista do desenvolvimento da gestão de qualquer empresa. As marcas aproximam pessoas e as pessoas revêem-se nas marcas. No presente estudo pretende-se estudar o valor das marcas da empresa Lameirinho e analisar se a imagem dos produtos e outras variáveis influenciam o valor das suas marcas. Em termos metodológicos, a revisão de literatura permitiu recolher as informações necessárias para definir o problema da investigação, os objetivos e as hipóteses. O estudo efetuado é de natureza quantitativa, sendo baseado num inquérito por questionário que analisa as variáveis: imagem da marca; notoriedade da marca; qualidade percebida, lealdade à marca e imagem dos produtos. A amostra é constituída por 174 inquiridos, sendo 63 clientes das marcas da empresa Lameirinho. Os resultados mostram que os indivíduos atribuem valor às marcas da empresa Lameirinho. Foi possível também inferir que a notoriedade da marca e a imagem dos produtos influenciam positivamente o valor da marca, sendo a imagem dos produtos considerada uma variável muito importante para o valor das marcas da empresa Lameirinho. Espera-se que esta investigação contribua para o aumento do conhecimento científico e para a criação de novas estratégias para gestão das marcas em empresas da área têxtil.

This study aims to find the impact of social media influencers on brand awareness, brand image, and trust in their sponsored content. For this purpose, influencers’ traits were divided into intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics to measure their impact more accurately. Hypotheses were formulated, and a close-ended questionnaire was distributed to quantitatively analyse the effect of social media influencers. In total, 327 responses were collected for analysis. The results indicated that social media influencers’ perceived intrinsic characteristics positively impact the level of brand awareness, and perceived extrinsic traits positively affect brand image, and trust in sponsored content. The research measures consumer reactions to influencer marketing among social media users. It contributes to overall knowledge about social media influencers` impacts on users through implications of attitudinal persuasion knowledge and self-perception theory. The findings shed light on the implications of social media influencers` traits in relation to how the sponsored brands and influencers` content are perceived by customers.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2022.v10.n18.88-114

In recent times, online shopping has emerged as a complex activity globally. However, trust has always been a critical issue in online shopping. Although online shopping has become progressively common, research into the factors affecting consumer behavior has attracted less attention, particularly in Nigeria. Therefore, this research examines the effects of advertising, online risk, perceived usefulness, and reliability on online shopping behavior among subscribers of online stores in the Nigerian context. This research adopted a quantitative approach in which a structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The respondents consist of 375 subscribers of online stores who had prior online shopping experiences from an online store based in Nigeria. The study used Smart-PLS for data analysis. The findings revealed that advertising and perceived usefulness have a significant positive effect on online shopping behavior. On the other hand, online risk has a negative effect on online shopping behavior. Additionally, there is a positive relationship between reliability and online shopping behavior. This research could be a valuable guideline for online firms to make informed decisions on how to increase online sales. Additionally, this research could advance online shoppers’ knowledge, particularly Nigerians, regarding online shopping. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2022.v10.n18.206-228 

O objectivo deste estudo foi o de compreender em que medida os blogs de moda Portugueses influenciam os seus leitores no processo de decisão de compra. Procura-se também analisar o passa-a-palavra online (Eletronic Word of Mouth - EWOM) gerado pelos blogs de moda e o impacto que provocam nos outros consumidores. Para atingir este desiderato, foi realizado um inquérito por questionário junto de uma amostra de leitores de blogs de moda, que permitiu recolher dados sobre o seu comportamento online. A análise foi baseada no Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) que para além do modelo tradicional incluiu dois construtos adicionais (uso efetivo e EWOM).Os resultados indicam que os leitores de blogs de moda são influenciados não só pelos conteúdos dos blogs, mas também pelo EWOM que é gerado pelos seus próprios leitores. Neste contexto, os bloggers de moda podem ser encarados como líderes de opinião que influenciam as decisões de compra de outros consumidores. 

O relacionamento das pessoas com os animais de companhia está em mudança. Passamos de uma relação funcional, em que o animal desempenhava funções de guarda, apoio ao pastoreio ou prevenção de pragas, para uma emocional, em que ele é um membro da família e que contribui para o bem-estar físico e psicológico das pessoas. Urge, pois, que as relações que as clínicas veterinárias têm com os seus clientes se ajuste a esta nova realidade. O marketing relacional deve ser promovido no sentido de estabelecer relações mais duradouras, através de uma maior satisfação dos clientes que potencie a sua lealdade, e criando valor para a organização. No âmbito deste estudo procura-se perceber como se poderia implementar uma estratégia de marketing relacional que vá ao encontro das necessidades dos tutores de animais de companhia. Através da realização de inquéritos por questionário a clientes da clínica veterinária Planeta Animal analisam-se os percursores da satisfação, confiança e lealdade. Os resultados da presente investigação visam sensibilizar os diretores clínicos para a importância do marketing relacional num mercado cada vez mais competitivo. Apontam-se diretrizes de como uma ferramenta de CRM (Customer Relationship Management) transformaria a gestão dos relacionamentos numa vantagem competitiva sustentável para a organização.

The cathode formulation for lithium-ion batteries has been optimized taking into consideration different active material, polymer binder and conductive additive ratios. Theoretical simulations have been carried out to evaluate the influence of different materials relative contents in the electrode performance, at various discharge rates. Simulations were performed by the finite element method applying the Doyle/Fuller/Newman model for two different active materials (C-LiFePO4 and LiMn2O4) and some results were compared with experimental data. The optimization of the electrode formulation is dependent on the maximum value of n, defined as the ratio polymer binder/conductive additive. The electrical conductivity of the cathode depends on the conductive material, thus it is dependent on the ratio n. The optimum balance of the cathode components is reported considering the performance and the mechanical stability.

The paper is dedicated to user activities on Instagram. The article covers the current ways of using Instagram by brands to gain attention from Instagram users. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of Enjoyment, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Brand on users’ Satisfaction and Intention to follow business profiles on Instagram. The study tested and used the model of five latent variables in the Instagram social media network context. The partial least square method of structural equation modeling is employed to test the proposed research model. The study utilizes an online survey to obtain data from 192 Instagram users. The data set was analyzed using SmartPLS 3 software. Results showed that the best predictor of users’ Satisfaction is Perceived Brand, followed by Enjoyment. Satisfaction is a moderate predictor of Intention to follow business profiles on Instagram.  Most of the respondents are 18 to 24 years old and are from one country. Only three external variables were tested, explaining 50% of the variance. The characterization of the content and its adaptation to the users' expectations allows for a measurable increase in the intention to interact with the business profile, leading to a rise in marketing potential. The findings improve understanding regarding the acceptance of business’ activities on Instagram, and this work is, therefore, of particular interest to social media marketers and business owners.

This paper emphasizes the role that trust plays in the success of B2B relationships providing a model and contributing to improve the relationship between buyers and suppliers in the sector of automatic storage and retrieval systems. Relationships between a large global manufacturer and supplier of storage and retrieval systems and their major Portuguese references are studied. A questionnaire has been applied and the opinion of administrators/buyers of such systems, directors and logistics managers and finally supervisors and managers of the logistics or production system were collected in order to obtain the necessary information to assess whether trust contributes to the success of B2B relationships. The results introduced new determinant factors for success in B2B relationships and gave rise to a new model that resulted from the exploratory factor analysis. The authors conclude that trust is associated with confidentiality, as well as with the assistance provided by the supplier which is highly valued in a B2B relationship and contributes to improving the relationship between buyers and suppliers. Little research has been done in the area of B2B relationships, in what concerns to the specific role that trust plays in the success of B2B relationships in the sector of automated storage and retrieval systems. This paper emphasizes the role that trust plays in these types of relationships, by providing a model and contributing to improve the relationship between buyers and suppliers.Keywords ASRS; WMS; B2B; Trust; Benevolence; Honesty; Competence; Success of B2B relationship; Satisfaction; Purchase intention.Paper type Research paper

The effect of different thermal conditions on battery performance has been evaluated by computer simulation through a thermal model coupled to the electrochemical model. Three different active materials, lithium cobalt oxide, LiCoO2, lithium iron phosphate, LiFePO4 and lithium manganese oxide, LiMn2O4, were evaluated together with two battery geometries: conventional and interdigitated. The delivered capacity of the different active materials and both geometries were thus obtained as a function of the scan rate and correlated with the produced reversible, reaction, ohmic and total heat. For isothermal conditions, the highest capacity is obtained for LiCoO2, being 739,31 Ahm−2 at 1C for the conventional geometry. Further, battery performance as a function of the scan rate is independent of the geometry and similar for the different active materials. Under adiabatic conditions and independent geometry, LiFePO4 produces lower heat in the discharge process, the temperature ranging from 298 K to 308.9 K when the battery operates up to 500C for and interdigitated geometry with eight digits, which is critical for improving battery safety. This fact is also confirmed by the ohmic heat value along the cathode at the rate of 300C, which is 42700 W m−3, 118000 W m−3 and 69000 W m−3 for LiFePO4, LiMn2O4 and LiCoO2, respectively, for a conventional geometry as at a time of 50s of battery operation. Thus, it is demonstrated how battery geometry and the intrinsic parameters of the active materials affect the heat generated by the batteries and, considering the balance between cycle performance and thermal properties, the best active material for improved battery safety and performance is LiFePO4.

The increasing demand on electronic and portable devices requires battery system with improved energy storage capacity. Thus, studies in all battery components are being carried out to increase their performance. One of those battery components in the separator membrane. The present work reports on porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) separators with different patterned surfaces constituted by arrays of hexagons, lines, zig-zags and pillars microstructures and their influence on battery performance. Further, computer simulations allow to understand the influence of the patterned surface on battery response. It is observed that separator surface micropatterning increases battery performance. Thus, zig-zag surface micropatterning leads to a higher electrolyte current density (472.6 A.m−2), improved uptake value (262%), and larger ionic conductivity (3.00 mS cm−1) than the non-patterned separator. The increase of electrolyte/separator contact area (4.5 × 10−7 m), leading to new pathways for lithium-ion diffusion, results in a discharge capacity efficiency ∼804% (at 2C-rate) the one obtained for non-patterned separators. Thus, it is shown that micropatterning of separator membranes allow to significantly improve battery performance.

La crisis económica que empezó en el año 2007 afectó de modo particular al sector de la comunicación, debido entre otras causas al descenso de la inversión publicitaria y del consumo de medios de pago. Este trabajo estudia los cambios que se produjeron en los principales grupos de comunicación españoles como consecuencia de esta crisis. El estudio se centra en el período comprendido entre 2008-2012. En estos años se aprobó la Ley General de Comunicación Audiovisual, se produjo en España el apagón analógico (3 de abril de 2010) y se impulsó la televisión digital terrestre. Estos hechos también influyeron en los cambios que vivieron los grupos de comunicación en este país.

Luxury fashion brands have been studied in several areas, such as Marketing, Communication, History and even Sociology, and today they are represented through social networks. The objective of the research that is presented here is to understand consumer perception of the communication of luxury fashion brands through social networks.In the present investigation, a quantitative methodology based on a questionnaire survey based on an instrument with validity and reliability is used, although adapted from Yadav and Rahman (2017) to a new context (social media marketing of luxury brands) and to a population (Portuguese), was shown to be adequate to measure consumer perception of the communication of luxury fashion brands in social networks. The sample collected consists of 580 consumers of luxury fashion brands in social networks. The analysis of the model of structural equations showed that the perception scale of consumers of luxury fashion brands in social networks constituted by five dimensions (Interactivity, Information Capacity, Personalization, Trendinessand Password), presents adequate levels of validity and reliability.

No âmbito do projeto de mestrado em Engenharia Informática e em parceria com a Divisão de Sistemas de Informação (DSI) do IPCA, foi desenvolvida uma solução informática, como caso de estudo de atualização do sistema informático da instituição IPCA. No contexto do sistema informático do IPCA, existe uma variedade de plataformas desenvolvidas em diversas linguagens, ligadas a um broker central também designado por Plataforma Integradora. A manutenção e desenvolvimento deste sistema informático nem sempre é fácil, as plataformas envolvidas foram desenvolvidas numa arquitetura monolítica e devido a uma variedade de tecnologias utilizadas, por vezes a alteração ou manutenção de um pode afetar outros sistemas relacionados. O sistema de auditoria em alguns casos não é eficiente, noutros casos não existem. Este projeto consiste essencialmente no planeamento e desenvolvimento de uma nova infraestrutura baseada na arquitetura de micro serviços e respetiva auditoria dos mesmos, com o objetivo de garantir a futura escalabilidade do sistema informático da DSI. Foram desenvolvidos alguns micro serviços e criado a respetiva infraestrutura desde o sistema de gateway e auditoria como caso de estudo para futura evolução da infraestrutura. Este projeto foi dedicado à investigação e desenvolvimento de uma infraestrutura como prova de conceito, permitindo validar a arquitetura proposta, com o objetivo de substituir gradualmente a arquitetura monolítica da instituição IPCA.