Competitive Advantages of the Beira Interior (Portugal): A TOWS Approach

The formulation of a competitive strategy implies an extended understanding, in terms of the industrial structures, of the mains fields where the nations compete and those structures evolve. The environmental conditions of a region, and of its industries, determine both the generic strategies, and the alternative strategies, which are already implemented. One of the instruments for strategic analysis, which combines external variables and internal variables, is the TOWS Matrix. This instrument allows the analysis of the present strategies, and the relationship between the variables, and also the presentation of proposals for alternative strategies, in order to identify or to reinforce the competitive advantages of the unit of analysis. Considering as unit of analysis the region of Beira Interior (Portugal), this article aims to provide a TOWS Matrix application. Several strategic alternatives for the region are, also, presented, taking into consideration the opportunities and the forces, previously, detected, in order to assure the transition for the ideal strategic quadrant. Finally, the conclusions and the guidelines for future research are presented.Strategy, TOWS Matrix, Entrepreneurship, Innovation.

The role of Entrepreneurial Universities in interfacing Competitive Advantages: The Case of Beira Interior region (Portugal)

This paper reveals the importance of a local entrepreneurial university in interfacing competitive advantages, by assuming the condition of most influent and dynamic engine of regional development. The strategic diagnosis provides the identification of a dominant quadrant in the TOWS matrix application to the Beira Interior region, which is dominated by Mini-Maxi strategies. For improving the competitive positioning of that region, the transition from the dominant quadrant (Mini-Maxi) to the most desirable quadrant (Maxi-Maxi) is also proposed. In this sense, the University assumes a fundamental role in the design and in the promotion of the proposed set of strategic actions, which should be implemented in two critical areas: traditional activities and tourism; and entrepreneurship and innovation. In terms of future research, the same analytical tool could be applied to other regions with a similar competitive profile, in order to obtain comparative analyses and to better calibrate the TOWS Matrix.Entrepreneurship; Regional Development; Strategy

Orientação para o mercado no segmento hoteleiro: o caso português

O objectivo deste estudo foi medir o grau de orientação para o mercado dos maiores grupos hoteleiros de Portugal. Após uma breve explanação sobre a orientação para o mercado e o segmento hoteleiro em Portugal apresentou-se um estudo empírico realizado junto dos maiores 20 grupos de hotéis de Portugal, utilizando como instrumento de colecta de dados, a tradicional escala Markor (Market orientation) adaptada ao sector hoteleiro. Constatou-se nas organizações investigadas uma boa capacidade de geração de informações de mercado e resposta ao mercado. Porém os resultados obtidos com o constructo da disseminação de informações de mercado ficaram abaixo das expetactivas. Portanto, o desafio actual para as principais redes de hotéis de Portugal é propiciar a melhoria da disseminação interna das informações que os profissionais de marketing recolhem junto ao mercado

O MARKETING NO ENSINO SUPERIOR: COMPARATIVO BRASIL-PORTUGAL

Ao abordar o marketing aplicado ao ensino superior, este estudo tem como objectivos discutir os conceitos teóricos do marketing educacional e aplicá-los aos contextos brasileiro e português. Tendo em consideração que o marketing educacional tem a sua maior expressão nos E.U.A., a sua aplicação a diferentes realidades e culturas requer adaptações. Inicialmente, fez-se uma revisão dos conceitos tradicionais de marketing educacional, com ênfase no marketing-mix aplicado à educação. Posteriormente realizou-se uma caracterização dos contextos actuais do ensino superior no Brasil e em Portugal, e fez-se uma comparação da aplicação do marketing educacional nas realidades brasileira e portuguesa, focando as análises no marketing-mix educacional. Percebeu-se que o ensino superior no Brasil tem características muito diversas do ensino superior em Portugal e ambos divergem na aplicação dos conceitos mais tradicionais do marketing à educação. Desta forma, faz-se necessária a construção de abordagens teóricas específicas para a aplicação do marketing educacional a diferentes nações

Supporting new firm's through Entrepreneurship education: a case of a successful course

Entrepreneurship is a dominant force in contemporary economy. Entrepreneurship is a dynamic process of vision, change and creation. Entrepreneurship is a process of fundamental transformation, from an innovative idea, to the value proposal to the creation a new venture. It requires an application of energy and passion towards the creation and implementation of new ideas and creative solutions. The essential ingredients include: the willingness to assume risks, the ability to join a venture team, the creative skill to get necessary resources, ability to develop a solid business plan and the vision to recognize an opportunity. As entrepreneurship is about devising and implementing new ideas and practices, a strong educational foundation helps ensure that new ideas will be effective and substantive. This paper starting from the theoretical framework of entrepreneurship based on different lines of thought and with different approaches, will try to describe the dimensions of the Entrepreneurial education process and how this process promotes students' attitudes and intentions favorable to create business start-ups. In a practical way, will be presented the successful case of an course of entrepreneurship of technological base, that has been going on for some years in a partnership between several universities. Examples of successful startups, resulting from the course will be mentioned.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Portuguese state university performance according to students: an efficiency analysis

The objective of this research project is to evaluate the performance of Portuguese state universities in accordance with the expectations and satisfactions of their students and through recourse to the DEA methodology and thus representing one of the very few studies analysing university performance based upon student perceptions. According to an output oriented Variable Returns to Scale model, handling the responses returned by 1,669 students, the results demonstrate that faculties generally attain a good relationship between student expectations and their levels of satisfaction. We furthermore conclude that university scale does not guarantee efficiency. Hence, irrespective of size, universities are able to ensure the satisfaction of their students. Finally, the results show that satisfying only certain expectations related to specific aspects does not prove sufficient to guaranteeing overall student satisfaction. The analysis also correspondingly finds that while some decision making units prove efficient in satisfying expectations on specific aspects, they fail to attain such efficiency in the overall perspective of students

Market orientation for the hotel segment : the portuguese case

In view of the importance of the hotel segment for the tourism and for the economy of countries such as Portugal, the objective of this study was to measure the level of orientation for the market of the largest hotel groups of Portugal. This investigation initially emphasized the importance of the marketing for the organizations, mainly the orientation for the market. After a brief explanation on the hotel segment in Portugal, an empirical study was presented, of quantitative, exploratory and traversal character, performed with the largest groups of 20 hotels of Portugal, using as an instrument of collection data, the traditional Markor scale (market orientation) adapted to the hotel sector. After analyzing the data, it was found in the investigated organizations that a good capacity to generate market information and response to the market, which formed two of the three constructs of Markor scale. However the results obtained with the construct of the dissemination of market information were below the expectations. It was possible to conclude that marketing professionals of the large hotel groups in Portugal are well oriented to the market, something not shared by other investigated departments of the hotels. So the current challenge for the main networks of hotels in Portugal is to improve the internal dissemination of information that marketing professionals gathered at the market

Marketing do ensino superior público: o caso português

Hoje, mais do que nunca, as instituições de ensino superior enfrentam um meio envolvente dinâmico e em transformação. Perante restrições financeiras e exigências de eficiência crescentes assiste-se ao declínio nos recursos e a uma competição acrescida. Este estudo pretende, através da revisão bibliográfica e de um inquérito às instituições de ensino superior público portuguesas, investigar a implementação do conceito de marketing. Foi possível verificar que o conceito de marketing está ainda longe de atingir um nível de implementação satisfatório no nosso país. Os resultados sugerem não existirem diferenças, salvo excepções pontuais, nas políticas de marketing, de nível estratégico e operacional, empreendidas por instituições de diferentes subsistemas, níveis de antiguidade ou dimensão. Unânime é o uso das políticas de Desenvolvimento da Procura e Promoção da Imagem, confirmando as preocupações existentes quanto à imagem, prestígio e reputação das instituições, factor considerado essencial para o sucesso das instituições em causa.Today, more than ever, higher education institutions face a dynamic and changing environment. Facing financial restrictions and growing efficiency requirements, institutions attend the resources decline and growing competition. The present study, through the bibliography review and an inquiry made among the portuguese public higher education institutions, intends to investigate the marketing concept implementation. It was possible to conclude that the marketing concept is far from an implementation satisfactory level on our country. The results suggest that there are no differences, with a few exceptions, between institutions of different subsystems, levels of antiquity or dimension in concern with marketing, strategic and operational, politics. Unanimous is the use of politics as Demand Development and Image Promotion, which confirms the existing concerns about institutions image, prestige and reputation, considered essential to the well being and success of higher education institutions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global talent management during the COVID-19 pandemic? The Gods must be crazy!

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought terrifying effects for labor markets all around the world. Just as we witness rapid changes in terms of the ways of working (working from home), we are also observing an increase in unemployment. The ways in which major corporations with international operations process their global talent management (GTM) already represents a challenge in relatively stable times and clearly, in a period of such great and sustained turbulence as current experienced, this task becomes still more difficult. Hence, our research aims to study the impact of GTM on the international performance of major companies during the COVID-19 pandemic period. To this end, we surveyed a sample of 59 large companies that act in external markets. Through recourse to multiple linear regressions, we conclude that GTM practices return positive impacts on levels of international performance. Our research returns theoretical implications in terms of the application of integrated GTM models and with the results of significant relevance to corporations operating internationally, and thus enabling them to better understand which strategic human resource management policies will return the best GTM results.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

E-Governance of Universities: A Proposal of Benchmarking Methodology

This paper aims to provide a benchmarking proposal related to the area of e-governance of universities. An e-governance tool is proposed in order to disseminate both the mission and the institutional culture of each University into a formal scheme of benchmarking tools. A brief review of the literature related to e-governance models is made in order to justify the importance of e-business practices in universities. Some studies developed in the field of benchmarking in the universities were also selected, using different methodologies. Through the analysis of the most relevant studies, a set of indicators was built in order to evaluate the benchmark related to e-governance. In what concerns the electronic governance of universities the benchmark comes from the development of a manual of benchmarking that comprises new evaluation and control areas of the performance of universities, in terms of their contribution for the development of the regions where they are located. The creation of a manual of benchmarking applied to universities, is proposed. In order to validate, or even to improve the manual, it’s necessary to test it not only in universities, but also in other related stakeholders that take part of the institutional networks of universities. Once implemented, the proposed benchmark provides a better way to evaluate the current practices and to identify the best practices. It could also improve the performance of universities in what concerns the e-governance systems