Science (Universidade Europeia)
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How influential can a sustainable digital influencer be? An exploratory study on the relationship between influencing skills and followers’ environmental concerns, awareness and pro-environmental behaviour
No full textPurpose This study aims to examine the influence of sustainable digital influencers (DIs) on followers’ environmental concerns, awareness and pro-environmental behaviour. It explores the specific influencing skills that contribute to raising sustainability awareness and fostering pro-environmental practices among social media users. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted among 403 Portuguese social media users who follow at least one sustainable DI. A scale was developed and validated to measure sustainable influencers’ skills, identifying four distinct dimensions: cognitive, behavioural, interaction and leadership skills. The study applied multiple linear regression analysis to assess the relationships between influencing skills and followers’ environmental attitudes and behaviours. Findings Four different skills were identified: cognitive, behavioural, interaction and leadership skills. The results indicate that cognitive skills positively impact followers’ environmental concerns and awareness, whereas leadership skills positively influence environmental concerns. However, none of the four influencing skills demonstrated a significant impact on followers’ pro-environmental behaviour. In addition, environmental concern and environmental awareness were found to be positively related to pro-environmental behaviour. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to empirically analyse the specific influencing skills of sustainable DIs and their role in shaping environmental attitudes. By developing a validated scale for measuring DI skills, this research contributes to the literature on influencer marketing and sustainable consumption
The color of things: A multi-method approach for new marketing and business strategies
No full textColors are pervasive in everyday life and can significantly influence consumer perception, engagement, behavior, and emotional responses. Research on color in marketing and business has been extensive and fruitful over the years. However, it is only since 2010 that there has been a notable increase in the diversity of topics related to color. While research has increasingly focused on sensory marketing, color—both as a sensory stimulus and a strategic marketing tool—still warrants greater scholarly attention, particularly through the integration of psychological insights. This study addresses the lack of systematization in research on color within the fields of marketing and business by incorporating psychologically informed perspectives. Adopting a multidisciplinary
approach, it integrates insights from business, marketing, and psychology to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. A multi-method approach is applied, drawing upon a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis. The SLR followed the PRISMA guidelines, analyzing 262 research works published from 2000 to 2025. This study outlines publication trends, citations, prominent journals, research topics, and future directions to enhance understanding of how psychological concepts contribute to the study of color in marketing
Towards a VR Environment for Desensitization of Ecological Anxiety
No full textThe therapeutic use of virtual reality (VR) is well established in the treatment of anxiety disorders. As an early step to develop a VR environment to desensitize people suffering from eco-anxiety, we created an “emotion-to-picture match” task to characterize their behavioral and physiological responses during exposure to neutral and threatening environmental stimuli. Twenty-nine participants who were identified as “high” or “low” scorers in the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (Hogg et al. 2021) were exposed to three blocks of randomized “eco-anxiety” and “neutral” images, while their electrocardiogram and skin conductance level was recorded. In each trial, participants had to choose from six emotions the one that would closely match their feelings towards the image. During “eco-anxiety” images, the “high” scorers addressed significantly more “anger” than the “low” scorers, whereas “seeking” emotions were more frequent among the latter. In addition, “neutral” images also evoked significantly more “panic” among the “high” eco-anxiety participants, whereas “seeking” emotions were more frequently experienced by the “low” eco-anxiety participants. Surprisingly, “high” eco-anxiety participants displayed higher heart rate variability and lower electrodermal activity than “low” eco-anxiety participants throughout the task, a finding that is at odds with the current understanding of physiological symptoms of anxiety. The design of therapeutic VR environments should forecast all sorts of discomfort that patients are willing to tolerate during VR exposure therapy
Ikigai and career choices in hospitality and tourism: A study of student motivations amidst industry disruptions
No full textThis study explores the motivations of students pursuing a university degree in hospitality and tourism and their intention to build a career in the sector. The research focused on students and recent graduates (up to two years post-graduation) from two universities in Portugal’s largest cities, Lisbon and Oporto, offering Hotel/Tourism Management programs. A quantitative study was carried out, and out of 610 questionnaires distributed, 346 valid responses were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings indicate that personal motivations, as well as macro and micro perspectives, influence the decision to pursue a degree in hospitality and tourism. Younger individuals with no prior industry experience tend to have a more optimistic outlook compared to older students or those with work experience. A key challenge is sustaining this optimism throughout their careers, which can enhance job satisfaction and improve retention in a sector known for high turnover rates. Unlike previous studies, this research links students’ motivations to their “Ikigai”—the pursuit of purpose and fulfilment. The desire to create meaningful experiences for others adds another dimension to understanding students’ motivations, particularly when considering differences in age and work experience
Artificial intelligence and personalized education: Advances in business sciences teaching
No full textThis study explored innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in personalized learning research, focusing on publications from 2021 to 2024 in Q1 and Q2 journals in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A bibliometric review highlighted the latest evidence and trends, with secondary data from key scientific databases on AI and personalized learning within Education 5.0. The findings emphasize the increasing use of AI technologies for dynamic personalization of learning experiences, adapting content, methodologies, and study rhythms to individual student needs. Key trends include intelligent tutors, adaptive learning platforms, and predictive analysis tools for efficient learning process monitoring and intervention. Ethical and privacy issues in educational data use were also noted, stressing the need to protect student data integrity and ensure equitable access to technological innovations. Significant research gaps remain, such as the long-term impact of AI on education and its role in developing critical 21st-century skills like creativity and critical thinking
Beyond the myth: Understanding women’s impulsive retail footwear shopping
No full textPurpose
This research focuses on common misconceptions about the factors driving women to purchase footwear impulsively. Its primary objective is to explore how emotional and social triggers specifically influence women's purchasing decisions, contrasting with the traditionally rational consumer models.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was administered to a sample of women, yielding 199 useable responses.
Findings
The findings reveal the key determinants of women's impulsive retail footwear purchases, which include self-regulation, hedonic motivations and the influence of the retail store environment. This research challenges the prevailing assumption that women's passion for shopping is driven solely by inherent characteristics and suggests that external factors substantially shape their impulsive buying behaviour. In summary, the stereotypical portrayal of women as compulsive retail footwear shoppers may result more from external stimuli and environmental factors rather than an intrinsic trait.
Originality/value
This study improves the existing knowledge of women’s impulsive buying behaviour by unveiling the determinants of women's impulsive footwear purchases and assessing whether prevailing stereotypes hold true
Exploring dementia-friendly environments in long-term care facilities: Perspectives from multiple stakeholders in Portugal
No full textCurrent evidence suggests the importance of dementia-friendly
environments in enhancing the well-being and quality-of-life of
people living with dementia, particularly when they need to
move out, either permanently or temporarily, of their own homes
(e.g., long-term care facilities or hospitals). As dementia-specific
regulations are currently absent in Portugal, most long-term care
facilities are not designed to meet the needs of persons living
with dementia. Also, this topic has not been the focus of attention
by policymakers and researchers in Portugal and there is no
recent scientific literature useful for planning new responses for
dementia. To address this need, this study examines stakeholders’
perspectives on dementia-friendly environments in Portuguese
long-term care facilities. Five stakeholder groups participated,
including people living with dementia, caregivers, clinical and
non-clinical staff, and experts. Through focus groups and interviews,
participants discussed elements of a dementia-friendly
environment considering autonomy, independence, mobility,
stimulation, orientation, socialization, safety, and care assistance.
Thematic analysis identified ten categories, emphasizing indoor
(e.g. architectural elements, privacy, ambience, socialization, and
safety) and outdoor components (e.g. surroundings, social spaces,
and safety). These findings highlight collaborative design’s significance
in enhancing the lives of people living with dementia and
caregivers, providing comprehensive insights into creating purposeful
long-term care environments
Mapping e-commerce trends in the USA: A time series and deep learning approach
No full textDriven by digitalization and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce has experienced strong growth, especially in the last 4 years. This transformation has reshaped consumer behavior, business models, and workplace dynamics, where digitalization, such as artificial intelligence and automation, has improved operational efficiency, personalization, and market reach. This study explores these dynamics and provides an overview of e-commerce in the U.S. through a time series approach, analyzing five key variables: sales, employment, hours worked, costs, and the producer price index. It also models and forecasts sales and the producer price index using classic, deep learning, and hybrid methods. The results show that while sales have increased, employment and labor hours have fallen, alongside stable production costs and a reduction in the producer price index over the past 2 years. In forecasting, deep neural networks offer superior predictive performance, although classic methods provide similarly accurate results in series with clear trends and seasonality, making them a more computationally efficient alternative. This research contributes to decision-making in e-commerce by exploring the relationships between sales growth and labor market dynamics, evaluating the effectiveness of different forecasting methods, and highlighting the need for strategic adaptability in a digitalized sector
The impact of emigrant communities on the image of a country: The case of the portuguese community in France
No full textThe image of a country is influenced by various factors, including historical and cultural
aspects, as well as geographical proximity between countries. This research, employing a
mixed-methodology approach, aims to determine whether the image of a country differs
across distinct countries and which factors contribute to these varying perceptions. This
research evaluated whether the image of Portugal held by French nationals differed from that
held by citizens of other countries. The premise is that the image of Portugal and its products
in France is negatively influenced by the Portuguese emigrant community living in France. In
the 1960s and 1970s, France was the primary destination for Portuguese emigrants, who
often worked in low-skilled jobs. This study contributes to the literature in the area of country
of origin by demonstrating that a country’s image varies from one country to another and
that emigrants are one factor that can impact a country’s image
Platform-based gamification to foster cross-organisational alignment - A case study
No full textGamification has emerged as a significant tool for enhancing employee motivation, engagement and performance. While previous research has predominantly focused on gamification in single organisations, this study investigates how gamification may contribute to strategic alignment in outsourcing contexts. Drawing on an in-depth case study of a 3-year gamification initiative implemented by a global telecommunications company to engage employees from its outsourcing partners, the paper explores how gamification was used to align employees' behaviours with organisational objectives. The research combines semistructured interviews with employees in diverse roles and direct observation of the gamification platform. The findings reveal that participants generally perceived gamification as useful for alignment purposes and viewed its effectiveness as influenced by the fit between game design elements and strategic goals, workplace dynamics and employee roles. The study highlights the role played by middle managers, who acted as translators, facilitators or blockers and interorganisational bridgers—conceptualized as gamification brokers. These roles were seen as key to how the gamification initiative was designed, translated and integrated into business operations, and how it was experienced and enacted across organisations. The study proposes a conceptual model that suggests how gamification systems, contextual factors and managerial brokerage may influence employee engagement and alignment outcomes in outsourcing. This grounded model offers a foundation for future studies. Practical guidance is provided for designing inclusive, adaptable and ethically sound gamification strategies in outsourcing contexts