Rodrigues

The influence of choice factors on student decision-making of Vocational Education

The metaverse, which is still in its infancy, has great potential to transform education, enabling the creation of immersive, three-dimensional virtual environments where students can interact dynamically, carry out simulations, and make teaching more diverse and inclusive. This chapter, through a case study, sought to understand how and why educational institutions are exploiting the metaverse. The results of this research provided a better understanding of the process of creating a metaverse platform for teaching, as well as important variables to consider, highlighting the objectives with the presence in the metaverse, the overall strategy of the educational institution, and the technological infrastructure. The conclusions offer valuable insights for other institutions interested in adopting metaverse in education, helping to guide strategic decisions, and exploring the potential of this emerging technology.

This paper aims to understand the effect of content and digital influencer characteristics on their persuasiveness ability and Generation Y's resulting brand attitudes and purchase intentions (Millennials). Based on a sample of 201 individuals and quantitative analysis, data was analysed using Smart PLS. The results show that the quality of the content is the characteristic with the highest impact on the influencer's persuasive power. In terms of influencer characteristics, trust is a critical determinant. The influencer's persuasiveness is essential for developing a positive attitude towards the brand and purchase intention. Our findings update previous studies, focusing on Generation Y and including trust as a variable while simultaneously revealing a fundamental determinant of influence power. For brands, this study confirms the importance of having digital influencers in their strategies. For influencers, it suggests that when targeting Generation Y, they should invest in the quality of their publications and increase trust, as this is strongly linked to their persuasiveness and, consequently, to the purchase intention of their followers

Este estudo pretende compreender a influência da qualidade de um serviço na relação de consultoria e na interação entre o prestador desse serviço e o cliente. Especificamente, compreender se a qualidade do serviço prestado afeta a satisfação do cliente e se, consequentemente, se desenvolve um relacionamento de longo prazo entre as partes, refletindo-se isso na lealdade, na confiança e no compromisso dos clientes. Os dados recolhidos de 107 empresas clientes de serviços de consultoria foram analisados através do modelo de equações estruturais e o software SmartPLS. Os resultados revelam que a qualidade soft do processo e a qualidade dos resultados são as principais determinantes da satisfação do cliente. A satisfação derivada da qualidade do serviço de consultoria, revela-se o grande impulsionador da lealdade, confiança e compromisso do cliente. Este estudo tomou como base de análise da qualidade, o modelo INDSERV, e incluiu como determinantes da satisfação várias dimensões tratadas em outros estudos de forma isolada. Com base nos resultados obtidos sugere-se que os gestores promovam o desenvolvimento de interações positivas durante a prestação do serviço e facilitem o alinhamento do serviço com os requisitos específicos do cliente. Uma postura empática por parte dos consultores, um aconselhamento ajustado às necessidades do cliente e a apresentação de uma pronta resolução de eventuais constrangimentos, permitem uma perspetiva otimista em relação à empresa de consultoria, favorecendo a relação de longo prazo com o cliente. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2023.sn13.95-124

Currently, in the scientific health research (SHR) field, there is a narrow focus in the pursuit of highly ranked journals with higher impact factors, based on citation models and journal ratings. This limitation often leads to undervalue the relevance of scientific studies by prioritizing citation impact. This limitation is a direct result of the funding needs inherent in the fields of natural sciences and engineering, where investments in equipment and infrastructures are considerably higher compared to other research areas. In the present article, the authors aimed to contribute to SHR by combining Marketing concepts, particularly the Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning model (STP Marketing model), to the development of scientific research projects in the healthcare sector. By applying these concepts in research projects design and researchers career progression, a more comprehensive understanding can be achieved of how individuals or institutes are perceived. Furthermore, the implementation of effective STP Marketing strategies will enable researchers and institutes to gain a competitive advantage in the market by treating articles as products that require strategic positioning in a highly competitive environment. Ultimately, researchers should keep in mind that their ultimate audience is the journals audience they are targeting, as their objective is to publish in a journal that aligns with their specific goals.

In the context of sustainable consumption, this study aims to understand the determinants of the intention to purchase secondhand products, exploring the direct and indirect effect of each in the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). To the traditional variables of TPB, Attitude, subjective norm and perception of behavioural control, were added the price, the need for exclusivity, frugality, environmental concern and environmental knowledge. Quantitative approaches were used, data were collected through a questionnaire and 805 responses were analyzed through PLS-SEM. The results revalidated the TPB variables, frugality, price and environmental concern, as determinants of the intention to purchase secondhand products. Price and environmental concern were the greatest influence on purchase intention. The results also reveal differences between younger and older people in relation to secondhand purchasing and sustainable consumption. Environmental concern is only significant in the purchase intention of younger people, because in older people the price prevails as more influential. This study expands TPB, introducing secondhand and sustainability determinants and analyzing the direct and indirect effects of behavioural constructs applied to purchase intention of secondhand products. Firms and brands need to change from linearity to circular production and follow the intentions of consumers to buy secondhand products, especially young consumers.