On causality between sucessful internationalization and profitability: The case of the moderating effect of earliness in new ventures

Objectives: We aim to explore whether the earliness of internationalization can change the direction of causality in the binomial internationalization-profitability. Theoretical Framework: The main theoretical explanation lies at the speed of the learning advantages of newness to address the contingent uncertainty of the (lack) of knowledge of the new international market, combining the Uppsala-Model and the International Entrepreneurship theories. Method: We performed a multigroup analysis using the most up-to-date technique among the available structural equation cross-lagged models for testing causality under the impulse-response approach. This enables the investigation of the long-term rather than the short-term Granger- Sims’ causal effects in a longitudinal data set of 1,258 new ventures over five years after the first international market entry. Results/Implications: Earliness of internationalization can be a key to understand both the sign and the direction of causality and its persistence over time. We augment the Uppsala Model with the causality of these relationships. For practitioners, they should know that the organizational time to go international can be a source of only temporary but not persistent advantages for early entrants.N/

A methodology for understanding the speed of internationalization process: The role of individual-level characteristics

This article presents a methodology that aims to explore how the decision-makers’ cognition affects the speed of internationalization. Managerial cognition is evaluated through the lens of the dual-process theory, which assumes that human information processing is made by two systems: (1) the intuitive and experiential cognitive system – System X, and (2) the rational and analytical cognitive system – System C. The speed of internationalization process is examined in terms of earliness (how soon after inception a firm enters in international markets) and post-internationalization speed (how fast a firm involves with new foreign markets after the first entry). This methodology has been put in practice in a multiple case study: the Portuguese footwear industry. The presence of some misalignments between our initial proposal and its implementation helped us to reshape and emphasize specific processes and behaviors associated to the methodology. The results suggest that, when making the decision about the first international entry, the decision-makers of the firms internationalizing earlier mostly relied on the intuitive cognitive system, while the decision-makers of the firm delaying the first entry showed a predominance of the rational cognitive system. However, regardless of being an early or later entrant, the sampled firms combine intuition with analysis to make the final decision about further involvements with foreign markets, resulting in a gradual and slower post-internationalization. Our in depth-analysis suggests that the Uppsala model could be questioned because the speed of internationalization process seems to be governed by how decision-makers perceive a given reality based on its cognition.N/

How do managers behave? An analysis toward the cognitive configurations affecting Industry 4.0 adoption in international SMEs

Objectives: The adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often rests on its positive evaluation from managers, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs. Because of the mixed outcomes attainable through the SMEs’ openness to disruptive changes, managers must weigh the beneficial aspects of I4.0 adoption against the complexities, challenges, and drawbacks coming from its implementation. This study aims to shed light on the multifaceted nature of decision-making processes related to willingness or reluctance toward I4.0 adoption in international SMEs. Theoretical Framework: Our theorizing includes the dual-process theory (DPT) and complexity theory to explain the patterns of factors stimulating or constraining I4.0 implementation. Method: To test our propositions, we employ fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on a sample of 157 managers and entrepreneurs working in international SMEs. Results/Implications: The results outline that decisional recipes associated with willingness to adopt I4.0 for internationalization are different than those associated with reluctance. This empirical evidence contributes to the “human side of I4.0” by providing reporting the specific combinations of cognitive and contextual factors of decision-makers in international SMEs concerning I4.0 practices.N/

Aspectos geotécnicos na construção de túneis em áreas urbanas: Aplicação a terrenos de baixa resistência do miocénico de Lisboa

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Geológica (Geotecnia)Actualmente as obras subterrâneas em áreas urbanas têm cada vez maior importância, sobretudo em espaços urbanos densamente ocupados à superfície. A presente dissertação tem como objectivo abordar os aspectos geotécnicos considerados mais importantes na construção de obras subterrâneas especialmente em materiais geológicos de baixa resistência. Para alcançar esses objectivos foi realizada uma revisão dos aspectos geotécnicos na construção de túneis, incluindo os principais aspectos da prospecção geotécnica, aos principais métodos de tratamento, escavação, e suporte em maciços terrosos. É dado especial ênfase às técnicas e equipamentos de observação de túneis bem como à sua importância no controlo de uma escavação subterrânea. O trabalho prossegue com a apresentação de alguns aspectos geotécnicos considerados interessantes durante o acompanhamento da construção de um troço de túnel do prolongamento da Linha Vermelha do Metropolitano de Lisboa entre a estação do Oriente e o Aeroporto. O acompanhamento geotécnico da construção permitiu validar e ajustar as condições de projecto, com base em dados a nível da escavabilidade dos terrenos, da contenção, da monitorização e do suporte primário

Do firms internationalize because they are profitable or are firms profitable because they internationalize? Assessing the causality between internationalization and profitability in new ventures

International business (IB) theories, including the Uppsala model and the International Entrepreneurship (IE) perspective, have provided explanations linking the level of the firm’s international commitment to organizational performance and found a non-linear relationship. However, causality in that relationship is still a veiled story. The aim of this study is to explore how the organizational age at the time of the first international market entry can change the direction of causality in the binomial internationalization-profitability. We add arguments based upon on the earliness of internationalization (how soon after inception a venture becomes an international player) to suggest a more complex relationship in which financial performance provides feedback on the implementation of internationalization strategies in the form of resources, particularly in firms that start internationalizing at a later stage. This feedback generates both the knowledge and the slack resources needed to support an adaptative feedback during the post-internationalization process. Using the most up-to-date technique in structural equation modeling for testing causality, we performed a multigroup analysis investigating the long-term rather than shortterm causal associations between international commitment and profitability in a longitudinal data set of 1,258 new ventures over five years of post-internationalization. Our findings showed that past profits positively contribute to future internationalization attempts in late internationals, but neither that causality nor the reverse were proven for early internationalizing firms. This cross-lagged evidence, therefore, supports the need to extend IB theories by considering financial performance as an antecedent and not just an outcome of the degree of internationalization.info:eu-repo/semantics/draf

Do it or not? Explaining the complexity of decision-making processes for Industry 4.0 adoption in international SMEs

The adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often rests on its positive evaluation from managers, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs. Because of the mixed outcomes attainable through the SMEs’ openness to disruptive changes, managers must weigh the beneficial aspects of I4.0 against the complexities, challenges, and drawbacks coming from its implementation. Drawing upon the tenets of the dual-process theory (DPT), this study highlights the cognitive configurations leading to managerial willingness (or reluctance) to adopt I4.0. This is done by investigating perceptions about the international markets in terms of risk and uncertainty, and by assessing organizational stimuli to openness, such as the explorative and exploitative orientations (i.e., ambidexterity), in combination with decision-makers’ cognitive systems. To shed further light on observed heterogenous outcomes, this study explores the managerial willingness (or reluctance) towards I4.0 adoption among 157 managers working in international SMEs. The results of combined Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) outline different decisional paths associated with willingness and reluctance to adopt I4.0 for internationalization. This empirical evidence, therefore, contributes to the “human side of I4.0” by providing fruitful implications about cognitive configurations of decision-makers in international SMEs concerning I4.0 practices.N/

The earlier the better? A microfoundational perspective of international explorative and exploitative capabilities in the transition of SMEs to Industry 4.0

The international exploration-exploitation dichotomy is used in this study to expand on the resource-based view (RBV) and gain a deeper understanding of how these two distinct capabilities affect the adoption of I4.0 in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). We investigate managers' cognitive systems as a crucial microfoundation for the international organizational ambidexterity (i.e., exploration-exploitation), given that both managerial cognition and microfoundations perspective are underdeveloped and undertheorized. The study shows that managerial cognition is a crucial microfoundation of international organizational ambidexterity in the context of I4.0 adoption by using structural equation modeling on a sample of 116 Portuguese international SMEs. The findings also reveal neither international exploration nor exploitation has succeeded in creating new opportunities for the application of a technology-based model in SMEs internationalizing earlier. However, a post-hoc analysis revealed that under early internationalization, less (more) experienced SMEs benefit from international exploration (exploitation) to implement I4.0 technologies. This study concludes with implications and future research avenues.N/

Caso clínico dermatológico

The case of a teenager with guttate psoriasis secondary to trauma and upper airway infection is reported. Guttate psoriasis is the second most common psoriasis variant in pediatric age. Infection and trauma (leading to Koebner phenomenon) seem to be major triggers of the condition. The diagnosis is clinical. Most cases with no previous history of psoriasis spontaneously remit. Topical corticosteroids and vitamin D analogs, as well as phototherapy, are the first-line treatments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Looking back and looking forward: A multidisciplinary review of the speed of internationalization and future research directions

Objectives: An increasing amount of research on the speed of internationalization has shown that this concept has found application across multiple contexts. However, this straddling of multidisciplinary domains fragments the academic understanding on the topic. Considering the growing interest in the speed of internationalization, this study seeks to provide an overview of the trajectory and evolution of the research field. Theoretical Framework: Building upon the review of 200 articles published in Web of Science and Scopus indexed journals, this article develops a context-specific research agenda, whereas discloses the main theoretical approaches used so far. Method: We combined a Correspondence Analysis (CA) along with a Delphi study of prolific authors and practitioners working on the speed of internationalization, we provide a multidisciplinary academic literature. Results/Implications: Our findings offer a holistic picture of the current scholarly research, outlining its key theoretical approaches, research themes, levels of research, and potential areas for future development on this topic.N/

De la lecture, on fait de l’art, de l’art, on fait de la lecture

L'interprétation de la lecture par des enfants d'âge scolaire est une intentionnalité pédagogique fondamentale dans le 1er. Cycle de l'éducation de base (CEB). À son tour, la motivation pour la lecture dépend en grande partie de la capacité de l'enseignant de trouver des stratégies pour impliquer chaque élève dans une pratique de lecture agréable. Étant donné que l'enseignement du portugais dans le 1er CEB se compose principalement d'unités de connaissances, les procédures et les règles de la grammaire de la langue, la 1ère année est une étape cruciale dans l'acquisition de ces connaissances. Au-delà de la description et de la compréhension du fonctionnement de la pratique éducative, on joint à ce fait une tentative d'améliorer la qualité de l'enseignement, en utilisant la méthodologie de la recherche/ action pour transformer les pratiques pédagogiques en une réunion commune entre la théorie et la pratique. Après l'analyse diagnostique d'une classe de première année d'une école publique dans l'enseignement primaire, district de Bragança, il est nécessaire d'intervenir dans le processus d'introduction à la lecture, en tenant compte des objectifs suivants: 1) les raisons qui conduisent les enfants à abandonner la lecture; 2) définir et mettre en œuvre des stratégies d'action pour faciliter l'acquisition de la lecture; 3) définir et mettre en œuvre des stratégies visant à transformer les textes dont le contenu sert l'apprentissage en textes de grammaire attractifs. Ainsi, cette étude suit une approche qualitative à l'aide d'observation en milieu naturel recourant, pour cela, à l´observation naturelle, participative et directe de moments éducatifs, à l´analyse documentale, à l´enregistrement photographique et aux entrevues non structurées, non dirigées et centrées réalisées auprès des 6 élèves de la classe au cours de l´action pédagogique. Les résultats ont montré que pour que les étudiants n´abandonnent pas la lecture, il est indispensable une utilisation standard / introduction aux méthodes de lecture qui répondent à leurs réels besoins individuels. Il a été constaté que, grâce à la pratique de méthodes de coopération et de créativité dans la lecture, les élèves démontrent une plus grande implication de leur participation qui facilite leur progression dans l'acte de lecture. Les premières lectures des enfants dépendent de l'originalité des enseignants à transformer des textes d´'apprentissage de code écrit en textes défiant la créativité artistique des étudiants. L'utilisation de jeux dramatiques et des activités musicales d'expression artistique pour explorer le processus d'initiation de la lecture, s'est révélée essentielle à la construction d'un bon lecteur