Consumers' perception of corporal social responsability as key to sucessful relationships with grocery retailers

JEL Classification System: M14 Social responsibility, M31 MarketingNowadays, it is fundamental to build long-term relationships with stakeholders and to win customers’ loyalty is viewed as a priority by many organizations. However, it is not enough to implement a loyalty program; it is necessary something more consistent to create, maintain and sustain a solid base of loyal customers. The main purpose of the current thesis was: (i) to characterize and analyse the socially responsible consumer behavior in the Portuguese context; (ii) and to examine the possible effects of socially responsible consumer behavior, store format, loyalty programs and consumers’ Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility on the relationship between grocery retailers and consumers. In order to address the purpose of this thesis, in an exploratory phase, data were collected and qualitatively analyzed from a focus group and interviews with managers and heads of marketing departments of grocery store. In a second phase, two online surveys, with 988 and 618 valid responses obtained among Portuguese customers were analysed by means of quantitative statistical techniques, namely Structural Equation Modelling. Results provided clear evidence that socially responsible behaviors are well established among consumers and the strongest effects from psychological factors on these behaviors were obtained for perceived consumer effectiveness, perception of altruist motivations for CSR held by companies and collectivism. Moreover, results suggested that the socially responsible consumer is more likely to be females, elder, with a professional occupation, and with at least one child in the household. In addition, results showed that consumers’ perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility is determinant for successful relationships between grocery retailers and their customers mainly through more positive satisfaction, trust and loyalty. Results also suggested that supermarkets lead to higher levels of customers’ trust and loyalty (indirectly) and that loyalty programs’ membership do not show higher levels of customers' loyalty.Atualmente, é fundamental construir relacionamentos de longo prazo com as partes interessadas e a conquista da fidelização dos clientes é entendida como uma prioridade por muitas organizações. No entanto, para o efeito não é suficiente a implementação de um cartão de fidelização, é necessário algo mais consistente para criar, manter e sustentar uma base sólida de clientes fiéis. Esta tese teve como propósito: (i) caracterizar e analisar o comportamento do consumidor socialmente responsável no contexto Português; (ii) e examinar os possíveis efeitos do comportamento socialmente responsável do consumidor, do formato de loja, dos programas de fidelização e da perceção dos clientes sobre a Responsabilidade Social Empresarial no relacionamento entre os retalhistas de base alimentar e os seus clientes. No sentido de abordar o propósito da presente tese, numa fase exploratória, os dados foram recolhidos e analisados qualitativamente a partir de um focus grupo e de entrevistas com Diretores de Marketing e Diretores de lojas de retalho de base alimentar. Numa segunda fase, dois inquéritos por questionário on-line, com 988 e 618 respostas válidas obtidas de clientes portugueses, foram analisados utilizando técnicas estatísticas, nomeadamente a Modelação de Equações Estruturais. Os resultados evidenciaram que os comportamentos socialmente responsáveis estão bem estabelecidos entre os consumidores e a magnitude mais forte das características psicológicas que tiveram impacto sobre esses comportamentos foi obtida a partir da eficácia percebido do consumidor, da perceção de motivos altruístas das empresas e do coletivismo. Além disso, os resultados sugeriram que o segmento de consumidores socialmente responsável teria uma maior probabilidade de ser constituído por pessoas do sexo feminino, mais velhas, com ocupação profissional e com pelo menos um filho no agregado familiar. Paralelamente, os principais resultados mostraram que a perceção dos clientes sobre a Responsabilidade Social das Empresas dos clientes é determinante para os relacionamentos bem-sucedidos entre os retalhistas de base alimentar e os seus clientes, principalmente por meio de maiores níveis de satisfação, confiança e fidelização. Os resultados sugeriram também que os supermercados conduzem a níveis mais elevados de confiança e fidelização (indiretamente) e que os membros de programas de fidelização não apresentaram maiores níveis de fidelização

Control Room Requirements for Voltage Control in Future Power Systems

In future power grids, a large integration of renewable energy sources is foreseen, which will impose serious technical challenges to system operators. To mitigate some of the problems that renewable energy sources may bring, new voltage and frequency control strategies must be developed. Given the expected evolution of technologies and information systems, these new strategies will benefit from increasing system observability and resources controllability, enabling a more efficient grid operation. The ELECTRA IRP project addressed the new challenges that future power systems will face and developed new grid management and control functionalities to overcome the identified problems. This work, implemented in the framework of ELECTRA, presents an innovative functionality for the control room of the cell operator and its application in assistance with the voltage control designed for the Web-of-Cells. The voltage control method developed uses a proactive mode to calculate the set-points to be sent to the flexible resources, each minute, for a following 15-min period. This way, the voltage control method developed is able to mitigate voltage problems that may occur, while, at the same time, contributes to reduce the energy losses. To enable a straightforward utilization of this functionality, a user interface was created for system operators so they can observe the network state and control resources in a forthright manner accordingly.The work presented in this paper was funded by the ELECTRA IRP project (Seventh Framework Programme FP7 2007/2013) under grant agreement No. 609687

Authentic learning in a B2B context: cases involving undergraduate students from the University of Aveiro

This paper presents the results of an authentic learning project for undergraduate students, in a business to business (B2B) context, more specifically the case of the Information Technology (IT) cluster in Aveiro. The project was implemented between October 2021 and January 2022 with 93 undergraduate students from second and third year of the Bachelor in Marketing and Bachelor in Finance at University of Aveiro, which developed strategic plans and marketing plans for 18 companies belonging to the IT cluster in Aveiro. Results show that benefits overseeded the barriers.publishe

A gestão do relacionamento com o cliente na era das redes sociais

Atualmente, as prioridades das empresas estão focadas na relação que desejam manter com os seus clientes. Criar e manter relações duradouras com os clientes constitui uma das suas principais preocupações. Neste contexto, muitas empresas já recorrem a sistemas de CRM (Customer Relationship Management) para gerir e organizar todos os contactos de clientes, através de softwarebaseado na web que oferecem suporte para estas ações. Adicionalmente, os websites de redes sociais apresentam-se como um canal com um enorme potencial e assumem um papel crescente e preponderante nas relações entre as empresas e os clientes. O presente trabalho avalia o grau de utilização e impacto dos websites de redes sociais na gestão do relacionamento com o cliente, de empresas do distrito de Aveiro, por via da aplicação de inquérito por questionário a 184 empresas de diferentes áreas de atividade. Os resultados indicam que as empresas estão conscientes desta nova realidade das redes sociais como veículo de divulgação ou comunicação, mas não têm uma visão inicial das redes sociais enquanto ferramenta para potenciar e gerir o relacionamento com o cliente.Nowadays, companies’ priorities are focused on the relationships that they shall keep with their clients. Creating and maintaining long-term relationships with clients is one of companies’ biggest concerns. It is based on this context that many companies are already using CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools to store, manage and organize their customers’ contacts throughout web-based softwares which support this kind of actions. Besides social networks’ websites are potential channels and assume a growing and prevailing part on relationships between companies and costumers. This investigation paper assesses the level of use and the impact of social networks on customers’ relationship management. Within this framework, an empirical study based on quiz enquiry has been made to 184 companies in of Aveiro’s district. Results indicate that companies are conscious of this new reality of social networks as a drive to spread and to communicate, but on the other hand they do not visualize them as a tool to grow and manage client’s relationship

A conquista, desenvolvimento e manutenção do amor dos consumidores pela marca

O uso do termo “amor” para descrever uma emoção sentida por um ser humano tem sido usado pelo marketing, sob a forma do conceito “Brand Love”. Este representa um forte sentimento amoroso e uma relação duradoura e altamente emocional entre um consumidor e uma marca. Dada a importância da temática em questão, este estudo tem como objetivo de investigação abordar o conceito de Brand Love e compreender como este pode ser criado, nutrido e mantido, de acordo com a literatura académica de marketing. Para isso, irá descrever a evolução do conceito de Brand Love ao longo do tempo, identificar os antecedentes e consequências deste fenómeno e explorar a melhor forma de se proceder à conquista, desenvolvimento e manutenção do sentimento amoroso de um consumidor pelas suas marcas de eleição.publishe

Innovative approaches to teaching and learning: Project Based Learning (PBL) practices for good

The main goal of this paper is to describe a specific teaching-learning project implemented in two higher education courses – Bachelor in Marketing and Master in Competitiveness and Business Development, offered at a higher education institution. The project integrated Project Based Learning (PBL) methodologies and authentic learning, supported by technology, with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), studying real companies from different industries, and aiming to improve the quality of the learning experience, students’ motivation and academic success. A total of 300 students were involved in the 1st semester of the year 2022/2023. The idea of sustainable cocreation was at the base of this pedagogical innovation project, so that students may become aware and assume responsibility on the impact of marketing, strategy and competitiveness decisions in the contemporary society. Students were challenged to include in their works a proposal of actions that had positive impact and contributed to the SDGs defined by the United Nations and to reflect and measure the potential impact of these actions at the level of the community. From an operational perspective, students developed different activities in their academic works, in four different curricular units, in line with the educational level and syllabus of each curricular unit, always related to real companies from different industries and supported by different technologies, using different immersive learning experiences where students could combine authentic learning and SDGs analysis.publishe

Exon-intron structure and sequence variation of the calreticulin gene among Rhipicephalus sanguineus group ticks

Background: Calreticulin proteins (CRTs) are important components of tick saliva, which is involved in the blood meal success, pathogen transmission and host allergic responses. The characterization of the genes encoding for salivary proteins, such as CRTs, is pivotal to understand the mechanisms of tick-host interaction during blood meal and to develop tick control strategies based on their inhibition. In hard ticks, crt genes were shown to have only one intron with conserved position among species. In this study we investigated the exon-intron structure and variation of the crt gene in Rhipicephalus spp. ticks in order to assess the crt exon-intron structure and the potential utility of crt gene as a molecular marker. Methods: We sequenced the exon-intron region of crt gene in ticks belonging to so-called tropical and temperate lineages of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato), Rhipicephalus sp. I, Rhipicephalus sp. III, Rhipicephalus sp. IV, R. guilhoni, R. muhsamae and R. turanicus. Genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships between the sequences obtained were estimated. Results: All individuals belonging to the tropical lineage of R. sanguineus (s. l.), R. guilhoni, R. muhsamae, R. turanicus, Rhipicephalus sp. III and Rhipicephalus sp. IV analysed showed crt intron-present alleles. However, both crt intron-present and intron-absent alleles were found in Rhipicephalus sp. I and the temperate lineage of R. sanguineus (s. l.), showing the occurrence of an intraspecific intron presence-absence polymorphism. Phylogenetic relationships among the crt intron-present sequences showed distinct lineages for all taxa, with the tropical and temperate lineages of R. sanguineus (s. l.) being more closely related to each other. Conclusions: We expanded previous studies about the characterization of crt gene in hard ticks. Our results highlighted a previously overlooked variation in the crt structure among Rhipicephalus spp., and among hard ticks in general. Notably, the intron presence/absence polymorphism observed herein can be a candidate study-system to investigate the early stages of intron gain/loss before fixation at species level and some debated questions about intron evolution. Finally, the sequence variation observed supports the suitability of the crt gene for molecular recognition of Rhipicephalus spp. and for phylogenetic studies in association with other markers

Organic food purchase and the influence of personality traits: a study with Portuguese consumers

Consumer concerns with the quality of their diet and with the origins of food products is a current and important topic in marketing research. It is evident that consumers are increasingly purchasing organic products primarily for health and environmental reasons. However, this pattern of behavior is not homogeneous and may depend on demographic and psychographic variables. Presently, knowledge on Portuguese attitudes towards organic food is still scarce. This study aims to contribute to fill a gap in literature concerning the extent to which personality traits may affect Portuguese consumers’ predisposition to buy and consume organic food products. Specifically, it has two objectives (i) to describe the buying habits of organic products; (ii) to categorize personality traits that influence this purchasing decision. A quantitative methodology based on an online questionnaire to a sample of 375 respondents was adopted and multivariate analysis methods were used in the evaluation and collection of statistical data to clarify and explain relationships among the different variables. Main results suggest that the major indicators for buying organic food products are: local production, social responsibility, health and quality, diet options and consumer routines. Moreover, online stores are identified as the preferred place to purchase organic food products, and durability and cost play an important role regarding the selection of products to be purchased. Finally, the personality traits that seem to play a significant role in people who buy organic products are Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Agreeableness.publishe

Near-Exact Distributions for Likelihood Ratio Statistics Used in the Simultaneous Test of Conditions on Mean Vectors and Patterns of Covariance Matrices

The authors address likelihood ratio statistics used to test simultaneously conditions on mean vectors and patterns on covariance matrices. Tests for conditions on mean vectors, assuming or not a given structure for the covariance matrix, are quite common, since they may be easily implemented. But, on the other hand, the practical use of simultaneous tests for conditions on the mean vectors and a given pattern for the covariance matrix is usually hindered by the nonmanageability of the expressions for their exact distribution functions. The authors show the importance of being able to adequately factorize the c.f. of the logarithm of likelihood ratio statistics in order to obtain sharp and highly manageable near-exact distributions, or even the exact distribution in a highly manageable form. The tests considered are the simultaneous tests of equality or nullity of means and circularity, compound symmetry, or sphericity of the covariance matrix. Numerical studies show the high accuracy of the near-exact distributions and their adequacy for cases with very small samples and/or large number of variables. The exact and near-exact quantiles computed show how the common chi-square asymptotic approximation is highly inadequate for situations with small samples or large number of variables