International Business Research: Understanding Past Paths to Design Future Research Directions

In this paper we examine the extant research in IB by conducting a bibliometric study of the articles published in three leading international business journals – International Business Review, Journal of International Business Studies and Management International Review, over their entire track record of publication available in the ISI – Institute for Scientific Information. In longitudinal analyses of citation data we ascertain the most relevant works to the international business field. We also identify intellectual interconnectedness in co-citation networks of the research published in each journal. A second-tier analysis delves into publication patterns of those articles that are not at the top citation listings. Our results permit us better understand and depict the extant international business research and, to some extent, its evolution thus far.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Strategic plan: Juiceologist

The following dissertation aims to elaborate a strategic plan of a new concept of a coffee shop, to implement in Portugal, particularly in the cosmopolitan areas of Cascais / Lisbon and Portugal. The idea of a restaurant / café was inspired by a large chain of cafes called Joe & The Juice with a very differentiated peculiarity of big multinationals like Starbucks, Lavazza and Costa. Juiceologist’ purpose is not only to provide a space to consume the typical products of a café, but it the idea is based on three other services: firstly the supply of healthy products, namely the specialty of a variety of natural, cold pressed juices, with categorized health objectives. Secondly, the setting up of a space for relaxation, culture, study, work or even meetings. Finally, the business proposes to facilitate the integration of students from abroad in our country especially when considered to be the best destinations for exchange programs, Erasmus or any other program of international academic foundation. At a time when the Portuguese economy has slowly begun to rise, among other favourable indicators for the catering market and tourism, this business has a lot of potential to grow and succeed. Like any strategic plan, the text presents a broad market analysis, an extensive and detailed presentation of idea, an internal and competition analysis, a strategic analysis, an implementation of strategy plan, a strategic positioning plan, definition of strategy and finally a conclusionA seguinte tese visa elaborar um plano estratégico de um novo conceito de café / restaurante para implantar em Portugal, nomeadamente nas zonas cosmopolitas de Cascais / Lisboa e Portugal, inspirado numa grande cadeia de cafés chamado Joe & The Juice com uma particularidade bastante diferenciada de grandes multinacionais como Starbucks, Lavazza e a Costa. O Juiceologist não fornece apenas um espaço para se consumir os típicos produtos de um café, esta ideia baseia-se em três serviços: em primeiro lugar o fornecimento de produtos saudáveis, nomeadamente a especialidade de uma variedade de sumos naturais, prensados a frio e categorizados por objetivos de saúde. Em segundo lugar o fornecimento de um espaço de relaxamento, cultura, estudo, trabalho ou até reuniões e por último propõe dinamizar e facilitar a integração de jovens que vem por motivos académicos num dos países considerados como dos um melhores destinos para programas de Intercâmbio, Erasmus ou qualquer outro programa de fundamento académico internacional. Numa altura em que a economia Portuguesa iniciou lentamente a sua ascensão, entre outros indicadores, favoráveis para o mercado de restauração e turismo, este negócio tem bastante potencial para crescer e ter sucesso. Como qualquer plano estratégico, o texto apresenta uma ampla análise de mercado, uma extensa e detalhada apresentação de ideia, uma análise interna e de concorrência, uma análise estratégica, de implementação de estratégia, de posicionamento e definição estratégica e finalmente uma conclusão

Mergers & acquisitions research: A bibliometric study of top strategy and international business journals, 1980–2010

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are important modes through which firms carry out their domestic and international strategies and have been noted as the CEOs favorite strategy. As a significant field of study, M&Aresearch has accumulated substantial knowledge. This bibliometric study examines the extant strategy and international business literature on M&As. Methodologically, we examined a sample of 334 articles published in sixteen leading management/business journals, during a 31 year period — from 1980 to 2010. The results provide a global perspective of the field, identifying the works that have had the greater impact, the intellectual interconnections among authors and works, the main research traditions, or themes, delved upon on M&Arelated research. Structural and longitudinal analyses reveal the changes in the intellectual structure of the field over time. A discussion on the accumulated knowledge and future research avenues concludes this paper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinação de propriedades mecânicas através de ensaios de provetes miniatura, "Small Punch"

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia MecânicaO presente trabalho incide na realização de ensaios a provetes miniatura do tipo Small Punch(SP) para determinar a tensão de cedência, tensão de rotura e tenacidade à fratura do aço A 335 P11. Este tipo de ensaio tem como objetivo obter informação sobre o estado de degradação dos equipamentos que se encontram em serviço na indústria,sujeitos a fenómenos de degradação dependentes do tempo. A posse desta informação é de extrema importância para se poder programar, com mais informação, e para a melhor altura, a manutenção da máquina/equipamento ou inclusive o seu abate. Por exemplo, numa paragem geral da linha faz-se a manutenção daquela máquina. Para realizar os ensaios SP foi necessário projetar um dispositivo, o qual que fosse possível de ser utilizado numa máquina de ensaio eletromecânica (Instron 6562) e que permitisse efetuar ensaios a temperatura alta, baixa e ambiente. Também foi necessário selecionar e adaptar todo o sistema de instrumentação necessário para a medição e aquisição dos dados. Para determinar as propriedades mecânicas utilizou-se provetes SP convencionais (sem entalhe) e provetes com dois tipos de entalhe diferente: entalhe circular e entalhe linear. As dimensões dos entalhes tiveram como base a bibliografia utilizada no presente trabalho, exceto o diâmetro do entalhe circular que foi otimizado para evitar a deformação do provete em modo de carregamento misto (Modo II), que constituiu uma das limitações na determinação da tenacidade à fratura em trabalhos anteriores. Este estudo da determinação ótima do diâmetro do entalhe circular foi levado a cabo através do programa comercial de elementos finitos (Ansys). Assim passou-se de um diâmetro de 2.5 mm (trabalho anterior) para um de 1.6 mm (presente trabalho). De modo geral obteve-se bons resultados dado que as relações utilizadas na determinação das propriedades mecânicas foram obtidas por métodos empíricos.Abstract: The present work focuses on testing Small Punch miniature specimens to determine yield strength, tensile strength and fracture toughness of A 335 P11 steel. This type of test is aimed to obtain information on the state of degradation of the equipment that is in service of industry, being subject to degradation phenomena dependent on time. Achieving this information is extremely important to be able to program, with more accuracy and at the best time, the maintenance of machinery/equipment or even its substitution. This is useful, for example, when occurs a general stop line to make the maintenance of a specific machine. To perform the SP tests, it was necessary to design a device which can be used in an electromechanical testing machine (Instron 6562), and allow to carry out tests at high temperature, low temperature and room temperature. It was also necessary to select and adapt whole the instrumental system needed for measurement and data acquisition. To determine the mechanical properties it was used conventional SP specimens (unnotched) and specimens with two different types of notch: circular notch and linear notch. The notch’s dimensions were based on the bibliography used in this work, except the diameter of the circular notch that was optimized to avoid deformation of the specimen in the mixed mode loading (mode II), which was one of the limitations in the determination of fracture toughness in previous works. This study that aimed the determination of the best circular notch diameter was done throw the commercial program of finite elements (software ANSYS). Thus, it was possible to come up with a diameter of 2.5mm (previously used) to a diameter of 1.6 mm (used in this work). Generally, good results were achieved as the ratios used in the determination of the mechanical properties have been used obtained by empirical methods

Modelação do crescimento da árvore em povoamentos de sobreiro (Quercus suber L.): desenvolvimento de modelo de crescimento espacial parametrizado para a região de Coruche

No presente trabalho desenvolve-se um modelo de crescimento de árvore espacial para o sobreiro (Quercus suber L.) cujos povoamentos se localizam na região nordeste de Coruche. Os dados foram obtidos em parcelas permanentes instaladas de acordo com um desenho experimental que visou obter informação de toda a gama de graus de coberto com peso equivalente. Este desenho visou a pesquisa dos efeitos da competição no processo crescimento primário e secundário dos sobreiros e permitiu a selecção dos melhores conjuntos de variáveis explanatórias para a construção do modelo. O modelo de crescimento é constituído por sub-modelos de crescimento em altura total, área de projecção horizontal das copas e em área seccional (lenho e cortiça) tipo função potencial x função modificadora ajustado por regressão não linear pelo método dos mínimos quadrados ordinários. Um modelo logístico de sobrevivência ajustado pelo método de máxima verosimilhança. Um modelo gerador de estrutura ajustado para os ingressos baseado num processo de Poisou modificado. ABSTRACT - In the present work it is developed a spatial single tree growth model to cork oak (Quercus suber L.) whose stands are localized in north east o Coruche region. The data set was collected in permanent plots installed according a experimental design that sampled trees in a large span of crown cover. This dataset permitted the analysis of competition effects in primary and secondary growth of cork oak trees and permitted to select the sets of explanatory variables used in the construction of the model. The growth model is composed by sub models for growth in height, crown projection area, and sectional area of the stem at 1.3 m (wood and cork) based on the potential modifier approach adjusted by non-linear regression by the ordinary least square method. A survival sub model, based on logistic function was fitted by logistic regression with the maximum likelihood method. A structure generator adjusted for ingrowth was created based in ruled based Poison process

Estimação da produção de cortiça usando imagens digitais aéreas

and organize harvest logistics (transport, storage, etc.). Common field inventory methods including the stem density, diameter and height structure are costly and generally point (plot) based. Furthermore, the irregular horizontal structure of cork oak stands makes it difficult, if not impossible, to interpolate between points. We propose a new method to estimate cork production using digital multispectral aerial imagery. We study the spectral response of individual trees in visible and near infrared spectra and then correlate that response with cork production prior to harvest. We use ground measurements of individual trees production to evaluate the model’s predictive capacity. We propose 14 candidate variables to predict cork production based on crown size in combination with different NDVI index derivates. We use Akaike Information Criteria to choose the best among them. The best model is composed of combinations of different NDVI derivates that include red, green, and blue channels. The proposed model is 15% more accurate than a model that includes only a crown projection without any spectral informatio

Integrating differentiated landscape preferences in a decision support model for the multifunctional management of the Montado

A great part of the Alentejo region in Southern Portugal is covered by an agro-silvo pastoral system, the Montado. This traditional landuse system is specific, inter alia, in its ability to join production with favorable conditions for non-production functions. At the present time, as society positively evaluates and even demands cultural and amenity functions from the countryside, the Montado management faces the challenge of integrating production with non-production functions in a way which will result in suitable multifunctionality, and a more sound viability of the whole system. The decision support tool (DST) for the cork oak Montado management, the CORKFITS, based on the singletree growth model and working at the stand level, is oriented primarily to the management of the production functions, but it is able to integrate also other data that can contribute for a more multifunctionality oriented management. In this exploratory study, the integration in the DST, of the preference distribution, as expressed by landscape users is investigated. The aim was to test a more comprehensive functioning of this tool, where non-production functions are also integrated. The described integration intended to communicate to decision-makers how the change in management practices at tree and under cover level, might alter the satisfaction of expectations of different user groups, as such changes affect the composition of the Montado, at both levels. The users considered are those practicing non-production functions in the Montado. Preferences were assessed through a questionnaire survey applied in the region of Alentejo, in the area of dominance of the cork oak, in the Montado system. The non-production functions are, in this context, related particularly to hunting, aesthetic appreciation related to walking and other leisure activities, to life quality, and to tradition and identity, as well as bee-keeping and mushroom picking. This paper focuses on the description of the specific methodological steps applied for the successful integration of the landscape preferences of different user groups into the DST for the cork oak Montado. Integration has proved to be possible, even if some methodological challenges still need to be faced for a more consistent use of the proposed tool

Diachronic profile of startup companies through social media

Peixoto, A. R., Almeida, A. D., António, N., Batista, F., & Ribeiro, R. (2023). Diachronic profile of startup companies through social media. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 13(1), 1-18. [52]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13278-023-01055-2 --- Funding: Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on). This work was partially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT) namely by ISTAR Projects: UIDB/04466/2020 and UIDP/04466/2020; UIDB/04152/2020 (MagIC/NOVA IMS); and UIDB/50021/2020 (INESC-ID).Social media platforms have become powerful tools for startups, helping them find customers and raise funding. In this study, we applied a social media intelligence-based methodology to analyze startups’ content and to understand how their communication strategies may differ during their scaling process. To understand if a startup’s social media content reflects its current business maturation position, we first defined an adequate life cycle model for startups based on funding rounds and product maturity. Using Twitter as the source of information and selecting a sample of known Portuguese IT startups at different phases of their life cycle, we analyzed their Twitter data. After preprocessing the data, using latent Dirichlet allocation, topic modeling techniques enabled the categorization of the data according to the topics arising in the published contents of the startups, making it possible to discover that contents can be grouped into five specific topics: “Fintech and ML,” “IT,” “Business Operations,” “Product/Service R&D,” and “Bank and Funding.” By comparing those profiles against the startup’s life cycle, we were able to understand how contents change over time. This provided a diachronic profile for each company, showing that while certain topics remain prevalent in the startup’s scaling, others depend on a particular phase of the startup’s cycle. Our analysis revealed that startups’ social media content differs along their life cycle, highlighting the importance of understanding how startups use social media at different stages of their development.publishersversioninpres

Unlocking the power of Twitter communities for startups

Peixoto, A. R., Almeida, A. D., António, N., Batista, F., Ribeiro, R., & Cardoso, E. (2023). Unlocking the power of Twitter communities for startups. Applied Network Science, 8, 1-21. [66]. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3062630/v1, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-023-00593-0 --- This work was partially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT) namely by UIDB/04466/2020 and UIDP/04466/2020 (ISTAR_Iscte); UIDB/04152/2020 (MagIC/NOVA IMS); UIDB/50021/2020 (INESC-ID); and UIDB/03126/2020 (CIES_Iscte).Social media platforms offer cost-effective digital marketing opportunities to monitor the market, create user communities, and spread positive opinions. They allow companies with fewer budgets, like startups, to achieve their goals and grow. In fact, studies found that startups with active engagement on those platforms have a higher chance of succeeding and receiving funding from venture capitalists. Our study explores how startups utilize social media platforms to foster social communities. We also aim to characterize the individuals within these communities. The findings from this study underscore the importance of social media for startups. We used network analysis and visualization techniques to investigate the communities of Portuguese IT startups through their Twitter data. For that, a social digraph has been created, and its visualization shows that each startup created a community with a degree of intersecting followers and following users. We characterized those users using user node-level measures. The results indicate that users who are followed by or follow Portuguese IT startups are of these types: “Person”, “Company,” “Blog,” “Venture Capital/Investor,” “IT Event,” “Incubators/Accelerators,” “Startup,” and “University.” Furthermore, startups follow users who post high volumes of tweets and have high popularity levels, while those who follow them have low activity and are unpopular. The attained results reveal the power of Twitter communities and offer essential insights for startups to consider when building their social media strategies. Lastly, this study proposes a methodological process for social media community analysis on platforms like Twitter.publishersversionpublishe

Acesso ao mercado de arrendamento em Portugal: Um retrato a partir do programa de arrendamento acessível

Com o objectivo de reagir à actual crise no acesso à habitação em Portugal, o governo lançou o Programa de Arrendamento Acessível (PAA), que visa dar resposta às populações de rendimentos intermédios com dificuldades para aceder a habitação em condições de mercado. O programa é acompanhado por um conjunto de dados estatísticos e critérios que permitem monitorizar o mercado de arrendamento e calcular taxas de esforço máximas. O presente artigo parte desses dados e critérios para: 1) quantificar e territorializar o desfasamento entre mercado de arrendamento e rendimento das famílias; e 2) avaliar o impacto que uma adopção generalizada do PAA teria na mitigação desse desfasamento. Para além de apontar limitações na adequação do programa à heterogeneidade dos territórios, as análises permitem perceber que, em grande parte do território, o PAA poderá dar resposta a uma camada relativamente delimitada, mas significativa, da população (cerca de 10%) com rendimentos medianos. Contudo, nas áreas sob maior pressão urbanística, esta camada reduz-se para metade, passando a corresponder às camadas de rendimentos mais elevados. De um modo geral, identifica-se um largo segmento da população que permanece sem resposta. Conclui-se que o PAA pode ser um instrumento útil, mas por si só não permite dar resposta a todo o segmento da população ao qual se destina. O artigo termina com uma reflexão sobre a necessidade e caminhos possíveis para uma política de habitação mais abrangente e capaz de responder aos actuais desafios. Em termos metodológicos, o trabalho apresenta um conjunto de cartografias produzidas a partir de Sistemas de Informação Geográfica que permitem visualizar o modo como tanto os problemas como as oportunidades se territorializam (sendo a inexistência de dados para algumas áreas e a variável escala de desagregação dos mesmos tanto um condicionante dos exercícios como um descritivo do funcionamento do país). Em termos de resultados, pretende-se não só quantificar a magnitude e localização dos problemas como reflectir sobre o papel que podem ter os vários actores que intervêm no problema e que podem fazer parte de uma solução que, entendemos, deve estar ancorada na acção colectiva, catalisada pelo poder público