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Impact Assessment of Ecosystems on Universities Competitiveness
Publication . Marchant Pérez, Paula Francisca; Ferreira, João José de Matos; Pulido, David Urbano
The role of universities has become increasingly multifaceted and strategic for
economic, social, and regional development. Their involvement in collaborative
interaction models – such as the helix models involving universities, industry,
government, and society – highlights universities as key players in the production of
knowledge, innovation, and social commitment. This increase in institutional
complexity stems, in part, from the incorporation of the third mission, which consists
of knowledge transfer and social value generation, complementing the traditional
functions of teaching and research. As open systems, universities must continually
adapt their strategies in response to changing dynamics. As open systems, universities
must constantly adjust their strategies in response to environmental dynamics to meet
external demands effectively. Guided by a strategic perspective rooted in the third
mission, the university can position itself as a competitive agent in regional ecosystems.
Based on these premises, this thesis evaluated the university ecosystem and its impact
on institutional competitiveness, employing multiple methodological approaches to
analyse, throughout the different chapters, how these interactions influence university
competitiveness.
To determine the theoretical basis for the empirical chapters, Chapter 2 identified,
analysed, and integrated the evolution of the role of universities and ecosystems
through a systematic literature review (SLR). The findings highlight the growing
interest in researching universities and ecosystems, evidenced by the rise in
publications and the greater number and diversity of keywords related to the topic. It
was also found that universities have acquired a more complex role over time,
establishing four periods of evolution: i) until 2000: university-industry collaboration;
ii) 2001–2010: shift to the triple helix model; iii) 2011–2020: from the triple to the
quadruple helix model in the knowledge society; and iv) since 2021, with a complex
ecosystem and Neo triple helix model, highlighting the role of universities in regional
economic and social development thought the entrepreneurial teaching, academic
entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer. In addition, in the last period, and
considering an analysis from 2021 to 2025, Chapter 3 highlights the roles of alumni,
Technological Transfer Offices (TTOs), and the university organisational culture in
enhancing the university’s role in regional economic and social development. The effects of academic human capital and social capital (SC) on academic productivity
were analysed. In Chapter 4, the objective was to analyse academic human capital,
including knowledge, skills, abilities, and their activities, in relation to academic
productivity. Using a quantitative approach on a sample of 352 academics, structural
equation models (PLS-SEM) were developed for data analysis. The evidence indicates
that the role of academics is multifaceted, with academic productivity assessed mainly
by publications and participation in scientific dissemination events. Knowledge, skills,
and abilities have no significant effect on academic productivity. In addition, skills did
not mediate the relationship between abilities and academic productivity. Moreover,
routine activities did not mediate the relationship between skills and academic
productivity. On the other hand, academic categorisation has a direct effect on
productivity, though it does not determine the activities academics perform.
The effect of SC on academic productivity was analysed in Chapter 5, also using a
quantitative approach on academics as the sample and PLS-SEM for data analysis. The
dimensions of SC – cognitive, relational and structural –, in isolation, do not affect
academic productivity. However, they do have an indirect effect: skills mediate the
relationship between cognitive SC and productivity, while academic categorisation
partially mediates the link between structural social capital and productivity.
Furthermore, role ambiguity negatively affects structural SC but does not significantly
affect academic productivity. Therefore, both chapters 4 and 5, as a whole, show that
the intersections between academic human capital, SC, and institutional factors—
categorisation, routine activities, and role ambiguity—have repercussions on academic
productivity.
Chapter 6 aims to analyse the strategic orientation of universities in relation to their
institutional role. The research adopted a qualitative approach, triangulating data from
22 semi-structured interviews with university leaders (primary source) and a review of
the mission statements (MS) of 16 public universities (secondary source). The findings
indicate that MSs incorporate essential components for their use as management tools
and are periodically reviewed in light of legal requirements and environmental
dynamics, in close alignment with the institutional strategic plan. This strategic
planning, in turn, is structured around dimensions related to teaching, research,
community engagement, governance, and philosophical values. Universities
demonstrate the ability to articulate competitive advantages around education,
research, and community liaison. Analysing the relationship between universities and their surrounding environment,
actors, and stakeholders guided the development of Chapter 7. Based on a qualitative
methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers from the
institutional relations departments of public universities. The evidence indicates that
universities face contexts that are more or less challenging, primarily determined by
their strategic plans, which also provide the basis for prioritising these contexts and the
stakeholders with whom they interact. As a strategy, universities seek a balance
between activities, actors, and stakeholders, but this two-way relationship also involves
barriers, facilitators, and internal and external factors. Although universities develop
mechanisms for interacting with one another, such as activities, agreements, and
communication strategies, these mechanisms can also be affected by contextual factors.
Considering that, as a complex actor, the university is also evaluated in intangible ways,
Chapter 8 sought to analyse the legitimacy of the university's role through its
relationship with stakeholders. The qualitative approach, through semi-structured
interviews with various stakeholders from public universities, allowed us to understand
the crucial elements that confer legitimacy on the university as an anchor actor in the
university ecosystem, whose primary purpose and value is knowledge. In addition, the
university is an actor that stands out from other actors and also shares common goals
with the stakeholders with whom it interacts, highlighting its impact and importance in
regional economic and social development.
This thesis offers an original and innovative contribution to the literature by elucidating
the dynamics and interrelationships among the factors that shape universities'
competitiveness within the academic ecosystem and the surrounding environment.
Understanding these dynamics has relevant practical implications, as it supports
strategic formulation, the management of institutional relations, and the strengthening
of universities' intangible assets—essential aspects to redefining their institutional role,
fulfilling their multiple missions, and enhancing their competitive standing.
Furthermore, the results outline guidelines for future research that can expand
knowledge of this topic by adopting a holistic, integrated perspective.
Determinantes da Vulnerabilidade do Consumidor e a Relação com o seu Bem-estar
Publication . Linardi, Marcelo Augusto; Duarte, Paulo Alexandre de Oliveira; Silva, Susana Cristina Lima da Costa e
A vulnerabilidade do consumidor é um conceito fundamental para o equilíbrio nas relações de consumo em um mundo dinâmico, digital e de incertezas acrescidas, onde a sua manifestação é situacional e transversal a todos os consumidores. Contudo, sua pesquisa tem uma trajetória desproporcionalmente centrada em segmentos de consumidores desfavorecidos e estigmatizados, repercutindo a noção de que esta dor está restrita somente a alguns consumidores. Assim, esta tese desafia esta trajetória e objetiva investigar como fatores individuais, contextuais e emocionais moldam a vulnerabilidade do consumidor e impactam o seu bem-estar.
A investigação está estruturada em 4 fases de estudos empíricos, combinando inquéritos coletados em Portugal, Brasil e Estados Unidos (n=782) com a análise textual de 4.060 reclamações utilizando machine learning e LLM’s, abrangendo os contextos de consumo nos setores de telecomunicações, bancos e seguros. Os resultados revelam de forma conclusiva que idade, rendimento e escolaridade não são condições necessárias para a ocorrência da vulnerabilidade, afastando a noção de grupos específicos e revelando a natureza situacional e universal da vulnerabilidade do consumidor. Para além disso, foram identificadas de forma granular as diferentes tipologias de vulnerabilidade e as emoções experienciadas pelos consumidores nestas circunstâncias. Por fim, foi possível mensurar os impactos da vulnerabilidade no bem-estar do consumidor, e quais estratégias de enfrentamento podem mitigar ou potenciar o bem-estar psicológico; três mecanismos distintos foram testados, sendo que dois deles se mostraram caminhos de proteção desse bem-estar.
Com isso, esta tese preenche lacunas na literatura, ao validar a natureza multidimensional, situacional e universal do fenómeno, e ao revelar mecanismos de mitigação da vulnerabilidade e de seu impacto no bem-estar psicológico, contribuindo com alternativas concretas para os formuladores de políticas públicas e gestores que busquem um consumo mais equilibrado.
Warm-Up, Post-Warm-Up, and Re-Warm-Up Strategies to Enhance Explosive Performance in Team Sport
Publication . Silva, Luís Miguel Correia da; Marinho, Daniel Almeida; Neiva, Henrique Pereira
Warm-up is a fundamental component of competitive sports, contributing to performance optimization through physiological and neuromuscular adaptations. Despite its extensive use, the ideal structure of a warm-up remains poorly defined. In team sports, such as basketball and futsal, which involve frequent explosive efforts, it is important to understand the influence of warm-up, the post-warm-up period, and re-warm-up on performance. However, periods of inactivity before the start of the game, during substitutions, or at half-time may reduce athletes’ readiness and compromise explosive performance. The general objective of this thesis was to investigate the acute effects of different warm-up, post-warm-up, and re-warm-up strategies on explosive performance in team sports. To this end, four studies were conducted: (i) a systematic review of the effects of warm-up, post-warm-up, and re-warm-up strategies on explosive performance in team sports; (ii) an analysis of warm-up and re-warm-up practices of basketball coaches; (iii) an assessment of the effects of a warm-up protocol and different post-warm-up transition times; and (iv) an analysis of the effects of a re-warm-up protocol following different transition periods. The results indicated that short, progressive, high-intensity warm-ups may enhance explosive performance, and that brief re-warm-up protocols may help restore readiness during longer transitions. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that the warm-up, post-warm-up, and re-warm-up phases are complementary stages in an integrated preparatory process.
New partners on the street? Cooperation between radical left parties and progressive social movements in Portugal
Publication . Conceição, Tiago; Jalali, Carlos; Lourenço, Pedro
Promoting issues close to radical left parties (RLPs) agenda, progressive social movements (PSMs) have mobilised a new generation of activists in many European democracies in recent years. This article examines how and why RLPs and PSMs cooperate. Methodologically, it triangulates semi-structured interviews with elites from the two main Portuguese RLPs, Left Bloc and Portuguese Communist Party, and of three recent PSMs (International Feminist Strike, School Strike for Climate, and House for Living Platform), as well as of activists with overlapping memberships of the two. Overall, we find interactions to partly align with the co-evolution thesis: both sides maintain autonomy while engaging in informal, non-exclusive collaborations. Yet the relationship is less stable than the model implies and does not necessarily generate sustained mutual adaptation. PSMs primarily cooperate for instrumental reasons: to amplify visibility, influence policymaking and obtain material support. RLPs, in turn, see PSMs as mechanisms to reinforce their policy agenda. Interactions are predominantly informal, through overlapping memberships, which facilitate the exchange of information and resources but also generate tensions. Consistent with the literature, cooperation is shaped by parties’ organisational and ideological traits. However, social movements are not passive actors, with their positions and strategies also significantly shaping interactions with RLPs.
Deployment of Next Generation Cellular Networks
Publication . Kuerner, Thomas; Grazioso, Paolo; Eisenblätter, Andreas; De la Roche, Guillaume; Velez, Fernando; Verdone, Roberto; Zanella, Alberto
When discussing the deployment, optimisation and operation of mobile radio networks three principal characteristics have to be addressed. The first flavor is related to the network coverage and is largely independent of the specific system.
A number of contributions within COST 2100 have been dedicated to these coverage related aspects and are discussed in Sect. 10.1. The second flavor deals with the optimisation of the network, which depends critically on the standard. Section 10.2 is dedicated to the 3GPP networks and includes optimisation Techniques mainly for UMTS and presented in COST 2100, whereas Sect. 10.3 deals with the IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) and IEEE 802.11 (WLAN). It has to be noted that the optimisation techniques introduced in these two sections are based on classical approach using input data available in radio network planning tools and are different from the approaches described in the Sects. 10.4 to 10.6, where optimisation makes use of real measurement values.
Section 10.4 deals with off-line processing of measurement data applied to 3GPP standards and describes how this data can be fed back to the planning process. The main focus is on traffic and mobility-related issues of second generation networks based on GSM and GPRS and points out also standard independent issues like consistency and integrity of the collected measurement data. The next step in the evolution of measurement-based optimisation is subject to Sect. 10.5 and introduces auto-tuning concepts which are applied mainly to UMTS and HSPA. Although using a higher degree of automation, these concepts still rely on the traditional planning process. Finally, Sect. 10.6 deals with self-organising networks (SON), where the collection of measurement data in the live network as well as the optimisation and configuration tasks are intended to be performed by the network itself circumventing classical planning and optimisation in the final step of this evolution.