Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2022-09-21"
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- Vulnerability through the Eyes of People Attended by a Portuguese Community-Based Association: A Thematic AnalysisPublication . Laranjeira, Carlos; Piaça, Inês; Vinagre, Henrique; Vaz, Ana Rita; Ferreira, Sofia; Cordeiro, Lisete; Querido, AnaVulnerability is associated with the individual’s social and biological conditions, but also the conditions of their enveloping environment and society, leading to terms such as vulnerable populations or risk groups. This study aimed to give a voice to people with experiences of vulnerability and explore their perspectives, using a descriptive qualitative design. Purportedly vulnerable adults were recruited and interviewed with semi-structured questions on vulnerability. Data were organized, using WebQDA software, and submitted to thematic content analysis, as proposed by Clark and Braun, which generated a thematic tree. The study included six men and six women with a mean age of 43.8 [SD = 14.17] years old. Thematic analysis generated three themes: (1) Conceptions about vulnerability, (2) Barriers imposed by vulnerability, and (3) Strategies for dealing with vulnerability. The results highlight that vulnerability is a highly dynamic process of openness to circumstances that influence individual outcomes. However, there is a lack of conceptual clarity. Although being vulnerable is perceived as something negative, we need to transform the social mindset, because vulnerability also has the potential to change priorities in life for the better.
- Is Investment Contributing to Competitiveness in Nautical Tourism in the Atlantic Area?Publication . Santos, Eleonora; Castanho, Rui Alexandre; Meyer, DanielThe blue economy contributes significantly to the creation of the Atlantic Area’s identity. In addition, the search for outdoor experiences after the COVID-19 lockdown suspensions has renewed the popularity of nautical tourism in this area and in the world. Despite the negative effects of the economic crisis on tourism, evidence suggests that some tourist destinations in the Atlantic area are resilient. Thus, whereas some branches of the blue economy face considerable challenges to increasing competitiveness, others offer opportunities for economic growth and employment. In this context, investment is necessary to lay the foundations for the sustainable development of nautical tourism. However, regarding the role of investment in productivity and competitiveness in the context of crisis, there is no consensus among academics. Thus, we investigate whether the investment contributed to competitiveness in nautical tourism in the Atlantic Area in 2016–2020. We collected data from ORBIS for 29 nautical-tourism companies and performed a quantitative and qualitative narrative analysis of competitiveness indicators, enabling comparisons pre and during crisis. The results highlight the multiplicity of ways in which crisis impacts nautical-tourism firms. The research fills a gap in the literature by investigating the dynamic capabilities of nautical-tourism SMEs in periods of recession, with a special focus on restructuring and competitiveness strategies. Some recommendations are outlined to promote the efficiency of resources and stimulate the competitiveness of companies to allow the regional development of nautical tourism in the territory of the Atlantic area.