Browsing by Author "Santos, Lara"
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- Aiming towards green capability in the hospitality sector using nudge strategiesPublication . Martins, Marco; Guerra, Ricardo Jorge da Costa; Santos, Lara; Lopes, LuisaThe use of green marketing and nudge theory in the hospitality sector is an approach that aims to influence a person’s behavior by effectively steering them in a desired direction, in this case towards green consumption. It is therefore imperative that we ask ourselves how can we promote a ‘greener’ consumer behavior in the hospitality sector through nudging. Through a conceptual approach, one seeks to contribute to the debate and to raise new directions for re-search. A novel theoretical framework for green capabilities is also presented. Behavioral applications such as Nudge can help those making decisions in the hospitality sector to use Nudge when promoting green behavior in specific contexts. To the best of our knowledge, there has been little attempt to create a framework that explains the different dimensions that exist when intervening to implement green behaviors in the hospitality sector using Nudge strategies.
- An exploratory study to understand nonprofit organizations’ crisis leadership competencies: a portuguese analysis on covid-19Publication . Esteves, Salete; Santos, Lara; Lopes, LuisaThe purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect the Nonprofit Organization’s (NPO) competencies and leadership in a crisis situation, specifically in the Portuguese NPOs during COVID-19. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, this article integrates crisis management literature with leadership literature. Highlighting the leadership perspective of both intermediate employees (technical director) and top management (executive director), this research aims to advance knowledge on the main organizational leadership competencies that NPOs need to have to better cope with crises. One hundred and seventy-four (174) NPOs representatives voluntarily participated in the study which involved a survey questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale for 23 items included in the questionnaire. Principal component analysis using varimax rotation was applied to reduce the number of variables. Reliability tests were performed to assess the items included in the questionnaire. Tests included test-retest reliability, Cronbach alpha, and split-half reliability coefficients. Results show that the most important factors that improve the capability of a NPO to cope with a crisis are: respond to all stakeholders through accountability, plan based on identification of vulnerabilities, and build a foundation of trust through communication. Additionally, it is possible to suggest that staff and top management perceive crisis and leadership competencies differently. It is possible to conclude, that these factors can be used as important lines of action to structure the sustainable development and planning of NPOs’ strategies of other similar crisis to come in the future. Findings, the implications of this work, and avenues for future NPOs crisis management and leadership research are addressed.
- Brand re/action on COVID-19: an exploratory crosscountry studyPublication . Santos, Lara; Lopes, Luisa; Esteves, SaleteThe COVID-19 pandemic brought limitations and change to everyday life like never before. While people were adapting their habits to physical distance, organizations felt challenged to look for alternatives to adapt their business. Brands were forced to see how they could quickly keep the business alive and connected to the new world. This research uses the context of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its spread disease (COVID -19) and intends to explore public perceptions about brands actions and communication during the pandemic, trying to understand how the different approaches to crisis were perceived among the target audiences. A theoretical approach supports an exploratory comparative and cross-border (Brazil versus Portugal) empirical process. This process regards the participation of brands in the discursive phenomenon “we are together”, the hashtag #vaificartudobem (everything will be fine) or “stay home” and how their audiences react to this approach. In April and May 2020, a quantitative method was developed applying a survey. The results of this study suggest that brands have real benefits as their actions are positively recognized by the public opinion (in Brazil and Portugal). Brazilian audiences consider more important for brands to be present in delicate moments such as the current one and promoting the public’s awareness and consciousness. Female respondents believe that brands that embraced the cause and promote social isolation, improve their image. This sample also recognizes differences on brands and communication changes, during COVID-19, and find important that brands embrace the cause and promote social isolation, improving their image.
- Brand's image perceptions during crisis: Brazil versus Portugal on COVID-19Publication . Lopes, Luisa; Santos, Lara; Esteves, SaleteThe future will no longer be like the past as the world witnesses constant changes that affect people’s everyday life. In fact, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations were challenged to adapt their business to the changes, and brands were forced to quickly manage their business to survive and be connected to the new world. Several approaches were carried on using different communication strategies. This research intends to investigate public perceptions about brands' actions and communication during the pandemic, trying to understand how the different approaches toward the crisis were perceived among the target audiences. This process is related to the participation of brands in the discursive phenomenon “we are together”, the hashtag #vaificartudobem (everything will be fine), or “stay home”, and how their audiences react to it. An exploratory, comparative, and cross-border (Brazil versus Portugal) empirical study is developed, though a quantitative method, applying a survey, territorially based on Portugal, in April and May 2020. The results of this study suggest that brands’ presence and participation have real benefits as their actions are recognized by public opinion (in Brazil and Portugal). Brazilian audiences consider it more important for brands to be present in critical moments such as the current one and to promote the public’s awareness and consciousness. Female respondents believe that brands that embraced the cause and promoted social isolation, improve their image. This sample also recognizes differences in brands and communication changes, during COVID-19, and finds it important that brands embrace the cause and promote social isolation, in order to improve their image.
- Community-based sustainable tourism development and green marketingPublication . Martins, Marco; Guerra, Ricardo; Santos, Lara; Lopes, Luisa; Conde, Ana RitaThis chapter explores the significance of community-based green marketing for sustainable tourism development. The effectiveness of green marketing has already been proven in many spheres. With that in mind, we intend to understand better how it can contribute to communities to achieve sustainable tourism development. Consequently, one looked deeper at the relationship between environmental awareness and environmentally friendly behaviors and the dependency on these two variables in promoting sustainable tourism. Due to the multidimensional nature of the constructs under study, we conducted a narrative review. It allows us researchers to synthesize multiple points of view and harness unique perspectives while still allowing us to introduce rigor and objectivity into the analysis and discussion. The research results contribute to a deeper understanding of tourists' needs when choosing a sustainable (green) destination. They also help communities and their business by providing insights on green products and services that tourists can offer when aiming toward sustainable development. The results represent a theoretical advance for travel and tourism studies and provide valuable insights into how community-based green marketing can work to help communities striving for sustainable tourism development.
- Crisis management and planning in Portuguese Nonprofit Organizations during COVID-19Publication . Santos, Lara; Lopes, Luisa; Esteves, SaleteThe COVID-19 pandemic has created several challenges for all organizations. However, Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs), due to their unique specificities, when compared to other types of organizations, face unique challenges. These are extremely vulnerable during crisis, although the literature suggests that it is not known to what extent these organizations are prepared to deal with crises and have proper crisis management and planning strategies. Given this literature gap, this research aims to better understand the crisis in Portuguese NPOs, through the research question: What is the impact of a crisis like COVID-19 on NPOs’ perceptions of crisis management and planning? A mixed method is used, including document analysis, qualitative interviews, and a quantitative methodology through a questionnaire survey. Study 1 provides an explanation on why Portuguese NPOs had no planning and were unprepared to cope with COVID-19. Study 2, in a larger sample, diagnoses and suggests an insufficient level of planning and preparedness, as main finding, substantiated by the lack of planning activities, teams, infrastructures, and communication practices. The findings of each study, implications, and avenues for future research are addressed.
- Crisis management in the nonprofit organizations – the case of North Portugal on COVID-19Publication . Lopes, Luisa; Santos, LaraUnfortunate, unpredictable, and catastrophic events can happen and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are not immune. Crisis management seeks to help organizations, in general, to cope with these events, and although it continues to be a hot topic in public relations literature, there has been little attention paid to crisis response strategies in one of the largest sectors that continues to play an increasingly influential role in social and economic life: NPOs. This study uses the context of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its spread disease (COVID-19), to identify the level of crisis management preparedness of the North Portugal NPOs, in response to an actual infectious disease pandemic, with enormous numbers of spread disease and deaths, mainly in their senior segment. Considering the topic of research, a qualitative approach is developed with an exploratory and explanatory study based on six semi-structured interviews. The results of this study demonstrate that NPOs were not prepared or had any type of planning to face a pandemic crisis, such as the COVID-19. The study adds to previous research on crisis management on NPOs, by proposing the identification and exploration of a set of activities that accurately enables the assessment of crisis management strategies within the context of NPOs, on an emergency event. This study argues that NPOs need to actively engage in everyday maintenance and updating to prevent crisis activities to build organizational security, transparency, and accountability.
- Enhancing green capability in the hospitality sector through nudging: A conceptual frameworkPublication . Martins, Marco; da Costa Guerra, Ricardo J.; Santos, Lara; Lopes, Luisa; Conde, Ana Rita; Marques, Jorge; Ramazanova, Makhabbat; Albuquerque, HelenaTourism activities bring on considerable environmental costs, consequently, tourism is not only a climate change victim but also responsible for a significant percentage of the world’s carbon emissions. Due to people’s growing concern with environmental issues, the hospitality sector has been trying to reduce its environmental impact and at the same time managing to improve their green capability. One of the initiatives involved implementing a choice-architecture tool known as nudge. Nudging allows for effortlessly steering people in a desired direction; therefore, how can we promote ‘greener’ consumer behaviour in the hospitality industry through nudging and thereby reduce the industry’s impact on climate change. In order to answer to this question a conceptual methodology was chosen. Such method enables to raise questions and hypotheses that will enlarge the discussion’s scope on green capabilities and on nudge in the hospitality sector. Moreover, a novel theoretical framework for green capabilities is presented. This framework will help to implement nudge in a way that this can work as an accelerator for green capacity building in the hospitality sector. However, we must also refer to the fact that our study being conceptual is like all conceptual studies heavily dependent on the researcher’s own perspectives and experiences.
- Food tourism and storytelling - a conceptual frameworkPublication . Martins, Marco; Guerra, Ricardo; Santos, Lara; Lopes, LuisaFood tourism is embracing all over the world the existing rich storytelling traditions. It is now agreed that food tourism enhances the reputation of places, regions and/or countries and helps them to gain a competitive advantage. This article examines the growing importance of food tourism and its relationship with local stories and traditions. The originality of this study resides in the fact that it provides a conceptual framework that can be helpful both to academics and practitioners when theorising about or developing food tourism through storytelling. Being conceptual, our study resorted to a semi-systematic literature review, both to analyse and to structure food tourism and storytelling, but also because this is a very broad field full of designs, concepts, and methods. In the end, a multi-dimensional conceptual framework is presented. One of the main challenges of today in the services sector when associated with food tourism is quality and customers´satisfaction. Results point out that consuming food is also about consuming stories and that storytelling enhances the experience lived by food tourists. This study also through our conceptual framework is contributing both to advance scientific knowledge and has also clear practical implications. However, quantitative or mixed studies must be made to test our model, Being exploratory in nature, our conceptual framework still needs to be tested in food tourism when linked to storytelling.
- Marketing sustainable events for childrenPublication . Martins, Marco; Guerra, Ricardo Jorge da Costa; Santos, Lara; Lopes, LuisaIn today’s world, events are used as a mean to achieve an array of objectives including changing behaviours. This chapter asserts the importance of marketing in encouraging sustainable behaviours by children through events. Thus, it examines the most effective way of marketing to contribute to shift behaviours in a young age having events as an ally. The question that poses is how marketing and more specifically social marketing can help to plan, create, design and promote sustainable events for children. Bearing that in mind, and based on a semi-systematic literature review, one developed a comprehensive conceptual framework intending to show how it is possible to encourage sustainable children’s behaviour through events. Results suggest that social marketing can play a significant role in changing children’s behaviour towards sustainability. It is argued that there is a creation of ‘value’ even that behaviour change is only temporary. Furthermore, it is suggested that social marketing represents a viable approach when seeking to educate children and change their behaviours towards the adoption of more sustainable practices. This chapter advances theoretical knowledge by offering a conceptual framework and by suggesting a way forward in marketing sustainable events for children.