The mediating effect of satisfaction: Does is influences loyalty concerning online tourism purchases?

This paper intends to investigate the influence of relationship marketing dimensions on online tourism customer satisfaction and to analyze the mediating effect of e-satisfaction level, on the relation between these determinants and the formation of loyalty. A questionnaire was applied to regular online buyers and the statistical analyses were conducted within the Structural Equation Modeling framework. The most important results have shown that there are three dimensions that significantly influence e-customer satisfaction – understanding customer needs, service quality and personalization. Also show that there is a complete mediating effect of ecustomer satisfaction in the relationship between the relationship marketing dimensions and e-customer loyalty. Thus, research results provide an important insight into how e-companies can pursuit and use delight to highlight customersinfo:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

The effects of social network sites on brand awareness and attitude

Brands are increasingly targeting Social Network Sites´ (SNS) massive audiences and incorporating the new media channel in their communication plans. Despite its growing adoption, few research efforts have been devoted to evaluate SNS´ concrete consequences for the brands. In the current study we evaluate SNS´ effects on generating brand awareness and positive brand attitude, two important measures on delivering efficient communication efforts. An online quantitative survey with brand page users of leading brands at Facebook was implemented. Structural equation modeling was used for model estimation. Results have verified a significant, positive and direct impact of brand page participation on brand awareness. Brand attitude also substantially benefits from brand page participation, but this relationship is mediated by brand awareness. Related implications are discussedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

Proposing a new construct to measure the effectiveness of brands operating in social networking sites

The current study was motivated by the increasing brand adoption of Social Networking Sites, like Facebook, in companies´ communication plans. Currently, the top 100 worldwide advertisers accumulate more than 1 billion users in their brand like pages. In view of this trend, it becomes important to propose a measure that captures the performance and effects of brands´ efforts in brand like pages. The present study addresses this research gap, proposing the construct of brand like page participation (BPP) and validating it. For that four phases were implemented and three studies were conducted. First, the construct domain was defined based on the literature review. Then, a qualitative study based on 10 interviews with Facebook users was implemented to further investigate the construct domain. Following that, an online survey with 203 respondents was used to assess the internal consistency and unidimensionality. Finally, the construct was validated for its ability to get reproduced with a new dataset including 575 valid responses. At this phase, collected data were submitted to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), in order to check for reliability and convergence. Hence, a new construct is proposed and validated, targeted at offering managers and academics a clear tool to evaluate brands efforts in SNS and to estimate their business impact.info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

Online purchase determinants of loyalty: the mediating effect of satisfaction in tourism

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of four online purchase determinants (website image, routine, website knowledge and innovativeness) on customer loyalty and the mediating effect of customer satisfaction within the context of e-commerce. The research model is tested using data collected from 3188 regular buyers of the national leader in the sector being studied. The statistical analyses were conducted within the Structural Equation Modeling framework. Results show that there is a complete mediating effect of e-customer satisfaction in the relationship between three online purchase determinants (website image, online routine and website knowledge) and e-customer loyalty. The research results provide an important insight into how e-companies can pursuit and use delight to highlight customers' loyalty. These results allow for a better understanding of customer specificities, with practical actions aimed at their real needs and expectations.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The relationships between portuguese banks and their customers in a recessionary context

Financial institutions were in the genesis of the crisis that led to the current recession. This study aims to understand better the relationship Portuguese people have with their banks in a recessionary context, as well as to provide knowledge that may contribute to the consumer behavior field of research linking to the Banking industry. Having that purpose in mind, a quantitative study was conducted using data gathered by questionnaire using a sample of 488 respondents, which was further complemented by the information collected applying Netnography. The overall analysis suggests that the impact of the crisis on the household financial situation throughout the last couple of years influences attitudes towards money and expenses. The way customers’ purchase and consumption behaviors were affected by crisis are, to some extent, positively related to their satisfaction with the main bank.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The manifest association structure of the single-factor model: insights from partial correlations

WOS:000261959200007 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)The association structure between manifest variables arising from the single-factor model is investigated using partial correlations. The additional insights to the practitioner provided by partial correlations for detecting a single-factor model are discussed. The parameter space for the partial correlations is presented, as are the patterns of signs in a matrix containing the partial correlations that are not compatible with a single-factor model

Users' participation in facebook brand pages and its influence on word-of-mouth: the role of brand knowledge and brand relationship

Due to the development of social media, brands have integrated Social Networking Sites (SNS) as an important part of their communication mix. This change calls for studies that help to understand the role of SNS in the communication mix, through further investigating their effects for brands and acknowledging their influencing triggers. Concerning that, previous studies have associated the use of SNS to effects on WoM, with SNS contributing as a tool skilled for generating conversations about the brand. The current study focuses on investigating the triggers of these effects. In previous research, WoM was accepted as being triggered by constructs related to the effects of SNS on increasing users´ knowledge about the brand and improving perceived relationship value. Despite their relevance, studies in SNS so far have not yet explored these approaches in an integrative manner. So researchers and managers could understand how these dimensions behave in relation to each other in triggering WoM. The current study addresses this research gap, proposing an integrative perspective that combines brand knowledge and brand relationship constructs while investigating the effects on WoM. Direct and indirect effects are proposed with mediating relations being supported by the Theory of Reason Action (TRA) and Social Exchange (SET). Two surveys were implemented, with 218 and 550 valid responses obtained. Results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings support the relevance of brand relationship variables (trust and affective commitment) in influencing WoM, with trust assuming a pivotal role. Moreover, triggers related to brand knowledge also influence the effects, with brand awareness and attitude driving significant effects. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Portugal 2020 e a Integração de Energias Renováveis nos Edifícios

O elevado consumo de energia nos edifícios tem vindo a ser responsável pela publicação de legislação europeia que visa limitar esse consumo, por via da melhoria dos processos construtivos e da adopção de estratégias de redução do consumo em paralelo com a definição de esquemas de certificação energética que permitam ao mercado escolher e por essa via promover a disseminação das melhores práticas. Em Portugal é o RCCTE, actualmente em processo de revisão, que para além dos requisitos mínimos construtivos obriga a colocação de colectores solares térmicos, mas também valoriza a introdução de outras renováveis nos edifícios. Neste texto iremos percorrer de forma sucinta, as várias tecnologias e aspectos de desenho que já se apresentam no terreno ou se perfilam no horizonte próximo e que em conjunto permitem aproximar de zero, o balanço energético dos edifícios

Ocorrência de xenótimo em amostras aluvionares da região centro-leste de Portugal, Zona Centro Ibérica-Zona de Ossa Morena

Foi identificado, possivelmente pela primeira vez em Portugal, xenótimo aluvionar em concentrados de bateia colhidos numa campanha de prospecção de terras raras desenvolvida pelo ex-IGM no centro-leste deste país. O xenótimo ocorre em grãos sub-rolados de dimensão média =250um, em concentrações mais significativas em Nisa, Stº António das Areias e Marvão. A geologia regional e o cortejo mineral das amostras sugerem proveniência do xenótimo dos maciços graníticos de Penamacor e Nisa e ainda das Arcoses da Beira Baixa e níveis de cascalheiras plio-plistocénicas com intercalações argilo-arenosas