Instituto Superior de Ciências Empresariais e do Turismo

Resource efficiency is a key pillar of the European Union's strategy to address climate change, the energy transition, and sustainable economic growth. This study examines how firm-specific characteristics influence the difficulties EU companies face in implementing resource efficiency strategies. Using multilevel latent class analysis, the study identified four firm-level clusters, ranging from minimal to severe implementation barriers, and five country-level classes reflecting varying degrees of national-level challenges. Findings show that smaller and older firms with lower turnover and limited investment tend to face moderate to severe difficulties, highlighting the critical importance of financial capacity and organizational agility. At the country level, pronounced geographic variation emerges: firms in Northern and Central Europe generally face fewer obstacles, whereas those in Southern and Eastern Europe encounter greater challenges. The results emphasize the need for differentiated policy and managerial interventions, including targeted financial support, capacity-building programs, and cross-regional knowledge exchange, to promote strategic resource allocation and broader adoption of sustainable practices. Overall, the study advances theoretical understanding by linking firm heterogeneity with multilevel contextual factors and provides actionable insights for enhancing resource efficiency across the EU. • Using multilevel latent class analysis, EU firms are grouped into four clusters, with smaller and older firms facing greater limits. • Clear regional gaps emerge: Northern and Central Europe face fewer barriers than Southern and Eastern Europe, notably Spain. • Firms with lower turnover and limited circular investments face more barriers, underscoring finance and strategy as key factors. • Results support tailored policies, combining targeted finance, sector advice, and cross‑regional knowledge sharing.

Purpose In the last decade, there has been a growing consensus that expanding gender diversity in the workplace can improve productivity and work quality. However, the well-being of female workers continues to be a challenge for companies. This study aims to evaluate the influence of some work practices (remote work, participation, flex-time, and work autonomy) on work engagement and work-life balance of European workers in the logistics sector, distinguishing male from female workers. The analysis is grounded in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and social exchange theory (SET). Design/methodology/approach To this end, we used a quantitative methodology, carrying out a multi-group analysis and applying the partial least square method to a sample of 4,806 European workers in the logistics sector. Findings The results reveal significant gender differences in the intensity of influence of work practices on work engagement and work-life balance. Participation and flex-time practices positively influence the work engagement of female workers, and remote work practices their work-life balance, but with less intensity when compared to male workers. The relationship between work engagement and work-life balance is negative, being more intense in the case of female workers. Finally, when the association between workplace practices and work-life balance is mediated by work engagement, there is a positive influence of remote work and participation in work practices in the case of female workers. Originality/value This study contributes to deepening knowledge about gender differences in the workplace by integrating the JD-R model and SET to reveal gendered pathways between workplace practices, work engagement, and work-life balance in the logistics sector. It demonstrates that workplace practices appropriate to workers' gender should be promoted to enhance work engagement and work-life balance, which are valued by workers and could lead to greater worker proficiency.

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has dramatically emerged: CSR is a company's understanding of the role it plays in society. In the last decades intense movement and transformations appeared in the communications and information technology sector. This led to the emergence of many modern applications and activities. The importance of the study is to shed light on the importance of using information technology in travel agencies in Egypt, the application of corporate social responsibility in travel agencies. The objective of the study is to focus on the importance of new trends in information and communication technology to improve social responsibility. The methodology of the research depends on the questionnaires developed and directed to a sample of executives and employees of travel agencies in Cairo. The main results are: CSR in Egypt faces some difficulties including awareness and the problem of information technology. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, travel agencies, information technology, Egypt, awareness.

As technology advances, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is prompting a paradigm shift. This chapter explores AI's impact on English as a second language (ESL) acquisition, focusing on its role in developing listening, writing, reading, and speaking skills among students in Portugal. The study highlights the importance of considering students as active participants in shaping their learning environments and ensuring their perspectives influence educational practices. Data were gathered through an online questionnaire targeting secondary school students from public schools in Portugal. Although AI is still emerging in Portuguese schools, students generally view AI-powered tools positively for both English learning and daily tasks. Importantly, they do not see AI as compromising the teacher's role, recognizing the irreplaceable value of empathy and human connection. The study calls for further research into students' perceptions of AI in education.

The Jogo do Pau (in English, “The Stick Game”) is a martial art developed mainly in rural areas, where the stick was a weapon of easy access and firearms were scarce. Until the middle of the 20th century, in the north of Portugal, a rural society prevailed. It needed to defend itself, be it from wild animals or serious altercations over issues such as water, land, women or any other reason. It was amidst this social context that the Jogo do Pau came into being, with its crude and virile technique. With the opening up of rural society to urbanisation and the subsequent emigration of its people, this art form made its way into the cities and adapted itself accordingly. In this article, we aim to present a brief journey through portuguese literature. Methodologically we chose to quote three works, and, in this way, create a route to transport the reader to Cabeceiras de Basto – a municipality which has applied for the recognition of Jogo do Pau as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Portugal. A bibliographical review and the fieldwork carried out by the authors within the scope of the study to be submitted in the aforementioned application, have been used.

This work aims to let know an almost strange theme, with a recent practice in Portugal, although it dates back to the 80s of the 20th century. These are the “forest baths” or “shinrin-yoku”, created by the Commissioner of the Japanese Forestry Agency, Tomohide Akiyama. Several scientists and some clinicians have carried out studies, concluding how trees can help us for better health, for the increasing energy and happiness levels, reducing stress levels and preventing diseases. Examples of such scholars are Japanese: Dr. Qing Li (author of the book “shinrin-yoku”) and Masafumi Miyazaki, who explored this topic in depth and on credible scientific grounds. According to Dr. Qing Li, this practice means bathing in the atmosphere of the forest or absorbing the forest through one’s senses, establishing a man-nature connection.

This article analyzes the importance of cultural events in a territorial marketing strategy, presenting the case of Mosteiro das Emoções (Monastery of Emotions) in Cabeceiras de Basto municipality. Emphasizing the existence of resources, attractions, and distinctive assets in the territory, it discusses the ability to identify significant unique elements that enhance initiatives relevant to the affirmation of a destination. The marketing strategy, supported by the marketing-mix, boosts the relevance of cultural events, recognizing their contribution to the territorial brand. The Mosteiro das Emoções, described in this context, is positioned as a strategic and integrating event, constituting an outstanding happening, capable of generating community involvement and attracting visitors, as well as increasing direct or indirect economic benefits and the the acquisition of the territory’s greater visibility and notoriety.

This study extends the theory of planned behavior model and examines the humane factors (altruism, environmental knowledge, personal appearance concerns, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms) that shape attitudes and buyer behavior toward cruelty-free cosmetics and the consumer characteristics that reflect their behavior toward such products. Recent global occurrences have affected human behavioral patterns, namely, the COVID-19 pandemic, which we aim to study. Has behavior changed to become more ethical? A survey was carried out involving a sample of 425 Portuguese participants (a feminine culture), following a convenience- and snowball-sampling procedure. Significant correlations were found between environmental knowledge, subjective norms, and buyer behavior toward cruelty-free cosmetics with attitude and environmental knowledge and buyer behavior. Through structural equation modeling to evaluate the conceptual model, a good model fit was found, being that standardized values in the model are significant except for regressions from perceived behavior control and personal appearance concerns to buyer behavior toward cruelty-free cosmetics. Women present higher values than men on attitude, altruism, environmental knowledge, and buyer behavior, in line with what is expected in a traditional and conservative feminine culture such as that to be found in Portugal. Such a result points to the need to promote increased gender equality, for example, in senior leadership roles, as women are seen to have the desirable qualities required for a more sustainable, cruelty-free, and humane society. This is an alert for human-resource managers in the region.

The role of projects in the transition of organisations towards sustainability is addressed in a growing number of studies, and “sustainable” project management is considered one of the most important project management trends today. As sustainability is a normative concept based on subjective values and beliefs, project managers are bound to experience different stimuli and inhibitors for the consideration of sustainability in their projects. Earlier studies identified three distinct stimulus patterns: Intrinsically motivated, Task-driven, and Pragmatic. However, little is known about these three groups of project managers’ personal and professional characteristics and their work environments. Following up on earlier studies, this paper explores the social-demographic and professional-related characteristics that the three stimulus patterns represent in a quantitative, survey-based study on a sample of 433 project managers. Analyses of descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, and Cronbach’s alpha) and inferential statistics (chi-squared, t test, and ANOVA) were used. The findings of the study support the conclusion that sustainability is a personal trait based upon the individual’s attitude towards sustainability. The study also reveals that the stimulus patterns of project managers significantly differ over industries and types of projects. The study intends to help organisations implement sustainability strategies by deepening their understanding of project managers’ stimulus to consider sustainability in their projects. The study contributes to the emerging knowledge on sustainable project management and specifically to the understanding of stimulus patterns of project managers.