Arnaldo Coelho

Exploratory Evidence of Channel Performance in Single Versus Multiple Channel Strategies

Channel performance is a key marketing and organisational issue, given the potential and actual impact in the accomplishment of organisational goals. A recent trend in distribution strategy has been the increasing utilisation of multiple channels across sectors. Because of the newness of these channel systems, it is important to understand how they influence key channel performance indicators. With this purpose, a study was conducted in a sample of 62 UK financial services organisations. The research considered several indicators of channel performance, which were statistically reduced to two broad dimensions: sales and profitability. The results show that multiple channels are associated with higher sales performance and lower channel profitability. However, the statistical significance of the results was observed to depend on the extent to which multiple channels were being used. In addition, this article analyses the relationship between the number of channels and company size and product type. Implications for future research are derived.

Market orientation and performance: modelling a neural network

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of market orientation (MO) on performance using a neural network model in order to find new linkages and new explanations for this relationship.Design/methodology/approach – This investigation is based on a survey data collection from a sample of 192 Portuguese companies. A neural network model has been developed to identify the effects of each dimension of MO on each dimension of performance.Findings – Relationship among MO and performance was corroborated but MOs impact is poor and based on its first dimension, market intelligence generation.Research limitations/implications – Further research in this field should be conducted using other tools offered by neural network modelling.Practical implications – Managers should give more attention to cross‐functional co‐ordination in order to improve market intelligence dissemination and responsiveness and, thus, global performance.Originality/value – The paper presents the development of a neural network mod...

Distribution network reconfiguration with reliability constraints

Electric distribution networks reconfiguration is carried out by the opening/closing of switching devices while keeping the feeders radial topology. Traditionally, the reconfiguration of distribution networks has been implemented aiming to: minimize electric losses in the conductors, to enhance voltage profiles and balance the feeders loads. However, the proposed methodologies for achieving these objectives do not include the reconfiguration impacts on the system reliability indices. The main aim of this paper is to present a methodology for reconfigurating a distribution network with the objective of minimizing the electric losses taking into account constraints associated with: overloads, voltage drops and violation of the targets for reliability indices. The proposed methodology for solving this problem is based on the parallel simulated annealing algorithm. This methodology allows the generation of candidate solutions without violating topological constraints. The proposed model has been validated and tested in standard distribution systems.

Effects of authentic leadership, affective commitment and job resourcefulness on employees’ creativity and individual performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study examining the relationship between authentic leadership (AL), attitudes and employees’ behaviours. More specifically, how AL influences affective commitment, job resourcefulness and creativity, which, in turn, influence individual performance. Design/methodology/approach Empirical research has analysed the data from a questionnaire administered to a sample of 543 employees belonging to various public and private organisations in Cape Verde. The model was tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The results reveal that AL influences employees’ attitudes (affective commitment and job resourcefulness) and their creativity, affective commitment and job resourcefulness predict the employees’ creativity, and job resourcefulness and creativity predict individual performance. Practical implications The results from this study can help managers to understand how to increase employees’ creativity and performance through AL, affective commitment and job resourcefulness. Indirectly, the study also suggests that organisations should focus on selecting leaders with authentic features and implement appropriate training activities, coaching and development that aim to increase AL since this may well result in a positive impact on employees’ attitudes and behaviours. Originality/value The originality of this study is that it focusses on the integration of the five concepts, AL, affective commitment, job resourcefulness, creativity and individual performance, in a single study, providing a model that depicts the chain of effects between AL, employees’ attitudes, employees’ creativity and individual performance.

Thermal analysis evaluation of mechanical properties changes promoted by gamma radiation on surgical polymeric textiles

The large number of surgical operations with post-operative infection problems and the appearing of new infectious diseases, contribute to the development of new materials in order to answer the needs of health care services. This development must take into account the modifications promoted by sterilisation methods in materials, namely by gamma radiation. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA) techniques show that a nonwoven and a laminate textiles maintain a good molecular cohesion, do not showing high levels of degradation, for gamma radiation dose values lower than 100 kGy in nonwoven and 200 kGy in laminate materials. The tensile strength and the elongation decrease slowly for the nonwoven textile and decrease faster for the laminate textile for 25 and 80 kGy absorbed dose. This paper shows that the DSC and TGA techniques can be helpful for the prevision of mechanical changes occurred in the materials as a consequence of the gamma irradiation.

Authentic leadership and creativity: the mediating role of happiness

Purpose Authentic leadership (AL) as a style can influence, directly or indirectly, employees’ attitudes and behaviors. In this perspective, the purpose of this study is to investigate how AL predicts affective well-being (AWB) and employees’ creativity. The mediating role of AWB and the moderating role of satisfaction with management will be analyzed. Design/methodology/approach The researchers have analyzed the data from a questionnaire administered to a sample of 543 employees belonging to various public and private organizations in Cape Verde. Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed hypotheses and a multi-group analysis was performed to identify how the level of satisfaction with the management may impact the proposed relationships. Findings The results of this study reveal that perceptions of AL predict employees’ creativity both directly and through the mediating role of AWB. Satisfaction with the management seems to moderate the relationship between AL, AWB and creativity. Practical implications The research outcomes suggest that organizations should focus on training leaders who value self-awareness and transparency in their relationships with others, who display an internal moral perspective and demonstrate balanced processing of information, to guarantee good results at the individual level and, consequently, at the organizational level. This study provides practitioners with possible routes to act in favor of a much happier and more creative workforce. Originality/value The originality of this study is because of the integration of these four concepts in a single study, providing evidence of the relationship between AL and creativity through the mediating role of AWB and moderating role of satisfaction with the management.

Apresentação - Ciclo de Debates

A ciencia passou a se desenvolver exponencialmente a partir do momento em que os EUA atribuiram ao conhecimento o merito de terem ganho a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Do mesmo modo, no âmbito das organizacoes, “A gestao cientifica ganhou um impulso extraordinario a partir da atribuicao do exito dos EUA na Segunda Guerra Mundial a boa gestao em grandes corporacoes.” (FARIA, 2011, p. 1165). Pode-se, ainda, argumentar que, durante a Guerra Fria, a gestao cientifica se disseminou para diversos outros paises, entre eles o Brasil, “com o intuito de proteger o ‘mundo livre’ da ameaca comunista.” (ALCADIPANI; BERTERO, 2012, p. 289).

The relationship between authentic leaders and employees’ creativity: What are the roles of affective commitment and job resourcefulness?

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how authentic leadership (AL) predicts creativity both directly and through the mediating role of affective commitment (AC) and job resourcefulness (JR).,Data collected from a questionnaire administered to a sample of 543 employees have been analyzed. The model was tested using structural equation modeling.,The findings show that AL predicts AC, JR and creativity. The findings also show that AC and JR predict creativity. In other words, leaders’ authenticity increases employees’ creative spirit and, thus, employees’ ability to overcome obstacles and meet challenges at work and their emotional bond play an important role (mediators) in this relationship.,The results of this study are conclusive and contribute to a better understanding of AL and its implication for employees’ emotional bond, their ability to overcome obstacles and their ability to introduce new and useful ideas. This study provides evidence that organizations should focus on training leaders with authentic characteristics.,This study considers both AC and JR as mediators of the relationship between AL and creativity. Therefore, the originality of this study lies in the integration of these four concepts in a single study to provide a model that depicts the chain of effects between AL, AC, JR and an employee’s creativity.

Antecedents and outcomes of brand love: utilitarian and symbolic brand qualities

Brand love is associated with consumer behaviours that are key for organisational performance. However, research on the antecedents of brand love is sparse. The current research draws on the information processing model as well as on the experiential approaches to consumer behaviour to develop a model comprising a novel set of antecedents.,To test the research hypotheses, we resort to two samples, which implied the collection of usable 1,018 questionnaires. For hypotheses testing, we resort to structural equation modelling.,Both functional constructs as well as more symbolic/emotional ones are positively associated with brand love. In addition, constructs with a more functional nature tend to have an indirect effect on brand love, whereas constructs with a higher level of abstraction tend to mediate the effects of more specific brand qualities. Finally, brand love is related with important outcomes, including loyalty, word of mouth and willingness to pay a premium price.,This research has a cross-sectional nature. Moreover, we rely on a single informant, but the procedural remedies as well as the statistical tests we conducted suggest that common method variance is not a concern.,The findings suggest that managers should emphasise both functional as well as emotional/symbolic aspects to strengthen the links between brands and consumers, which will be beneficial for both sides.,This study is the first to investigate the relationship between a number of symbolic and functional brand aspects and the development of brand love feelings.

Business intelligence and competitiveness: the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of business intelligence (BI) in startups competitiveness, contributing to a gap in literature as this relationship is normally more focused on stablished businesses. The mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) was taken in to account in the proposed research model. Design/methodology/approach The model was tested using structural equation modeling. A total of 228 valid questionnaires were collected from a research sample comprised of incubated startups from several European countries. Findings The results point to significant mediating role of EO in the impact of BI on competitiveness. The direct impact of BI on competitiveness was not confirmed. Research limitations/implications The results highlight the importance that BI can have in startups competitiveness, namely, reinforcing the role of pro-activeness, innovativeness and risk taking – the traditional dimensions of EO, providing the information needed for more supported decisions. Originality/value Although there are several approaches to BI, namely, in a more technical perspective, this paper addresses the topic in a managerial and decisional point of view, and studies it regarding his impact in startups competitiveness, thru the mediating effect of EO.