Escola Superior de Turismo e Tecnologia do Mar
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Browsing Escola Superior de Turismo e Tecnologia do Mar by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) "08:Trabalho Digno e Crescimento Económico"
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- Ascertaining Restaurant Financial Sustainability by Analyzing Menu PerformancePublication . Gomes, Conceição; Malheiros, Cátia; Lima Santos, Luís; Campos, Filipa Alexandra Gomes deThe complexity of companies in the restaurant industry is clear, and various techniques can be used to make decisions. The analysis of performance and the optimization of restaurant menus are considered important, which is why several approaches can be used. The objective of this study is to achieve financial sustainability in the restaurant industry through menu performance analysis and identifying strategies to improve menu profitability. A qualitative methodology of a dual case study was adopted by comparing a restaurant within a hotel and a street restaurant. The results show that for restaurant owners and managers, these approaches are useful, simple, and pertinent for measuring the performance of the restaurant menu and consequently improving results. The originality of this research lies in the fact that three analysis models were applied simultaneously, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the profitability of the menus being analyzed. This study identified the most profitable items for each restaurant and the items that needed to be changed to contribute more to the profitability of the restaurant’s menu, resulting in practical implications. Through theoretical implications, this study corrects the limited knowledge about performance through the restaurant menu, creating a starting point for knowledge spreading to society. In conclusion, this research is one of the first to bridge the gap between theory and practice, taking several approaches to assess restaurant menu performances, which can be useful in restaurants to promote sustainability.
- Avaliação de parâmetros de cultivo de Lysmata debelius Bruce, 1983 ao longo do desenvolvimento larvar e juvenilPublication . Salgado, Daniel Francisco; Leandro, Sérgio Miguel Franco Martins; Marques, Sónia Cristina FerreiraA presente dissertação teve como principal objetivo completar o ciclo de vida do camarão-de-fogo, de Lysmata debelius Bruce, 1983, em condições controladas de cativeiro, contribuindo para a sua domesticação e para o avanço da aquacultura ornamental. Para tal, foram definidos três eixos centrais de investigação: determinar o período até à obtenção de indivíduos com tamanho comercial, avaliar a influência da densidade de cultivo e da luz LED azul e branco (azul: 450-470nm e branco: 450-700nm) na sobrevivência e no assentamento larvar. Estes fatores são considerados determinantes para a definição de protocolos de cultivo eficientes e sustentáveis. Os resultados demonstraram que a sobrevivência larvar de Lysmata debelius foi fortemente influenciada pela densidade de cultivo, com melhores valores registados nas densidades mais baixas (90–140 larvas L-1. A taxa de assentamento não revelou diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre tratamentos. O tempo até ao primeiro assentamento foi mais curto nos ensaios sem luz (81,67 ± 2,31 dias), em comparação com aqueles conduzidos sob luz LED azul e branco (89,67–93,33 dias), embora sem diferenças estatisticamente significativas. Por outro lado, o tempo médio total até ao assentamento mostrou diferenças estatisticamente significativas na ausência de luz, situando-se entre 86,67 e 91,18 dias, face a 93,50–96,82 dias em presença de luz, sem efeito relevante da densidade. Finalmente, ao integrar as fases larvar e juvenil, estimou-se que o período total desde a desova até às dimensões do tamanho comercial (3 cm), variou entre 194 e 202 dias. Estes resultados, fornecem uma base sólida para a compreensão da biologia larvar de L. debelius, fundamental para a otimização dos protocolos de cultivo desta espécie e reforçam a necessidade de considerar múltiplos fatores ambientais e de manejo no desenho de sistemas produtivos. Do ponto de vista prático, esta investigação confirmou a viabilidade da produção sustentável desta espécie, abrindo caminho para reduzir a pressão sobre populações selvagens e responder à crescente procura do mercado. A consolidação de protocolos larvares e reprodutivos representa um passo essencial para a expansão da aquacultura ornamental, promovendo práticas mais responsáveis e ambientalmente sustentáveis, resultando numa menor dependência de exemplares capturados em populações naturais. Em forma conclusiva, este trabalho estabelece as bases para o cultivo controlado de Lysmata debelius, representando um contributo científico e aplicado relevante para a sua domesticação e para a consolidação da aquacultura ornamental como setor sustentável e inovador.
- Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Production in Cultural Tourism from 2010 to 2019 in EuropePublication . Caicedo Barreth, Alba; Santos Pavón, Enrique; Lima Santos, LuísThis paper provides a general review of cultural tourism as a research subject in the last decade in Europe. First, it defines the terminology and its dimensions. This is followed by the analysis of the scientific papers published in international journals between 2010 and 2019, available in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases, to ensure the inclusion of high-impact studies according to the bibliometric quality index. Through the quantitative analysis of 625 WoS articles and 765 Scopus articles using bibliographic coupling, co-citation and co-occurrence analysis, this publication provides a significant overview of the terms involved or related to cultural tourism and the proposed clustering for each term. This paper concludes with a discussion of the main trends identified, their characteristics and possible changes over time
- Characterization of Selected Wild Mediterranean Fruits and Comparative Efficacy as Inhibitors of Oxidative Reactions in Emulsified Raw Pork Burger PattiesPublication . Ganhão, Rui; Estévez, Mario; Kylli, Petri; Heinonen, Marina; Morcuende, DavidIn the present study, water, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts from seven selected wild fruits originally from the Mediterranean area, namely, strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L., AU), azarole (Crataegus azarolus L., CA), common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna L., CM), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L., PS), dog rose (Rosa canina L., RC), elm-leaf blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius Schott, RU), and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L., SA), were analyzed for the total amount and profile of phenolic compounds and for the in vitro antioxidant activity against the DPPH and ABTS radicals (study 1). The seven fruits showed different chemical compositions, which consequently led to different antioxidant potentials. Among the seven fruits initially analyzed, AU, CM, RC, and RU had the highest amount of phenolic compounds and displayed the greatest antioxidant activity in vitro. Extracts from these four fruits were tested as inhibitors of lipid oxidation in raw pork burger patties subjected to refrigerated storage at 2 °C for 12 days (study 2). The quantitative measurements of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBA-RS), hexanal content, and color stability were used as indicators of oxidative reactions. The four selected fruits displayed intense antioxidant activity against lipid oxidation, which highlights the potential usage of these fruits as ingredients for the manufacture of healthy meat products. Among them, RC and AU were particularly efficient as their protective effect against lipid oxidation was more intense than that displayed by quercetin (230 mg/kg of burger patty).
- Circular Economy and Sustainability: What Are They Saying About It? – A Literature ReviewPublication . Costa, Berta; Rodrigues, SusanaCircular economy (CE) and sustainability are two interrelated con- cepts that are increasingly gaining attention in the fields of business, economics, and environmental studies. Although both concepts share similarities as they both aim to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment and promote sustainable development, they have predominantly been addressed sep- arately as two independent areas of knowledge, and continue to be ambiguous. Their relationship in literature has not been clarified, which may be obfuscating their overall usage. The aim of this article is to clarify the concepts of circular economy and sustainability, to examine how these two constructs have evolved in the last decades, and to identify their similarities and differences. In this regard a specific literature review was performed. For this purpose, 48 publications were identified, and a content analysis was conducted. Based on the aforementioned literature review, key findings relatively to circular economy and sustainability are presented.
- Discovering the Dynamics and Impact of Motorcycle Tourism: Insights into Rural Events, Cultural Interaction, and SustainabilityPublication . Monteiro, Anabela; Lopes, Sofia; Carmo, Manuel DoThis study explores the dynamics of motorcycle tourism in rural areas and its potential contribution to sustainable and regenerative development. A bibliometric analysis of management-related publications was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on topics such as tourism, motivation, rurality, and motorcycling. VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20) was employed to support this analysis. Based on the literature, a theoretical framework was developed, leading to four research hypotheses that aimed to empirically examine the relationships between cultural motivation, community interaction, type of accommodation, event location, and tourist behaviour. To test these hypotheses, structured questionnaires were distributed in person during rural motorcycling events in Portugal, yielding a valid sample of 233 respondents. The data were analysed using SPSS 28 software via statistical methods to reduce dimensionality and identify latent structures, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. The results confirmed all four hypotheses, highlighting the importance of cultural motivation for return intentions, community interaction for perceived authenticity, accommodation type for destination recommendations, and event location for overall satisfaction. The study also identifies gender-related differences and reinforces the value of immersive, co-created experiences in enhancing the competitiveness of rural destinations. This theoretical contribution supports the advancement of motorcycle tourism as a sustainable niche while offering practical guidance for inclusive and regenerative tourism planning.
- An empirical comparison of Canonical Correspondence Analysis and STATICO in the identification of spatio-temporal ecological relationshipsPublication . Mendes, Susana; Fernández-Gómez, M. José; Pereira, Mário Jorge; Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda; Galindo-Villardón, M. PurificaciónThe wide-ranging and rapidly evolving nature of ecological studies mean that it is not possible to cover all existing and emerging techniques for analyzing multivariate data. However, two important methods enticed many followers: the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and the STATICO analysis. Despite the particular characteristics of each, they have similarities and differences, which when analyzed properly, can, together, provide important complementary results to those that are usually exploited by researchers. If on one hand, the use of CCA is completely generalized and implemented, solving many problems formulated by ecologists, on the other hand, this method has some weaknesses mainly caused by the imposition of the number of variables that is required to be applied (much higher in comparison with samples). Also, the STATICO method has no such restrictions, but requires that the number of variables (species or environment) is the same in each time or space.Yet, the STATICO method presents information that can be more detailed since it allows visualizing the variability within groups (either in time or space). In this study, the data needed for implementing these methods are sketched, as well as the comparison is made showing the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The treated ecological data are a sequence of pairs of ecological tables, where species abundances and environmental variables are measured at different, specified locations, over the course of time.
- Employer Branding Applied to SMEs: A Pioneering Model Proposal for Attracting and Retaining TalentPublication . Monteiro, Beatriz; Santos, Vasco; Reis, Isabel; Sampaio, Marta Correia; Sousa, Bruno; Martinho, Filipa; Sousa, Maria José; Au-Yong-Oliveira, ManuelMost business enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and many of them are without a human resource and recruitment department. Thus, one of the challenges that organizations currently face is to find a strategy to retain and attract talent. To overcome this difficulty, enterprises must invest in employer branding policies and be aware of the factors that differentiate them from others when attracting employees. This study aims to develop an employer branding model applicable to SMEs, to increase and enhance the attraction and retention of talents. An exploratory approach based on a quantitative perspective was adopted to develop an employer branding model applied to SMEs, with two major reference employer branding models and frameworks used as the main support. The model of employer branding was applied to SMEs regarding four dimensions, whereby essential questions are asked, namely (1) organizational culture (e.g., do employees have a job description aligned with the corporate culture?), (2) company strategy (e.g., what is the strategy if business volume decreases?), (3) company reputation (e.g., how do you perceive and treat negative feedback?), and (4) reward systems (e.g., do you feel that your employees are motivated intrinsically or extrinsically or both?), ordered by layers based on a logical sequence. The new proposed model is expected to serve as a useful strategic tool and as a basis for attracting, retaining and managing talent, specifically in the SMEs context. This new model provides a set of strategic and competitiveness benefits for SMEs, while contributing to making enterprises more profitable. The model also contributes to SMEs having a better image and reputation, enabling them to stand out from others in the war for talent.
- Estudo comparativo do perfil químico e das bioatividades de três macroalgas marinhas em diferentes contextos ecológicosPublication . Matias, Margarida Henriques; Mouga, Teresa Margarida Lopes da Silva; Afonso, Clélia Paulete Correia NevesEsta dissertação teve como principal objetivo comparar três espécies de macroalgas – Gracilaria gracilis, Sargassum muticum e Ulva sp. – colhidas em épocas distintas do ano e em locais distintos da costa portuguesa, através da caraterização do perfil bioquímico e das bioatividades (antimicrobianas, antioxidantes e bioestimulantes). A caraterização ecológica dos locais demonstrou condições ambientais contrastantes: a Figueira da Foz apresenta forte influência marítima e alguma fluvial, com águas relativamente frias; a Lagoa de Óbidos é marcada por águas calmas e elevada variabilidade físico-química; e Peniche carateriza-se pelas praias rochosas, sujeitas a forte agitação marítima. Estas diferenças refletem-se sobretudo na salinidade e no oxigénio dissolvido, condicionando a fisiologia e a composição bioquímica das algas. Em diferentes análises observaram-se diferenças significativas entre espécies e também entre locais, enquanto a sazonalidade mostrou menor impacto nos resultados. Os resultados mostraram que o teor de humidade é superior nas amostras colhidas em setembro/novembro, indicando um efeito sazonal. No teor de cinzas, G. gracilis possui os teores mais baixos, sem diferenças significativas entre épocas e locais. Quanto ao conteúdo mineral, destaca-se o cálcio, variando entre 1,91 e 17,91 mg/g, enquanto o arsénio excede os limites regulamentados, em todas as amostras. Além disso, a G. gracilis apresentou o maior teor de hidratos de carbono, enquanto o teor proteico variou entre espécies, com a Ulva sp. de Buarcos de março (UBM) a obter o valor máximo (4,78%). Relativamente à matéria gorda total, a Ulva sp., registou o valor mais baixo (0,52%), enquanto o S. muticum apresentou o valor máximo (3,23%), exibindo predominantemente ácido palmítico (C16:0) e ácido oleico (C18:1 n9 cis). O rácio ómega-6/ómega-3, por sua vez, é superior a 1 nas amostras de S. muticum (entre 1,9 e 2,73) e maioritariamente inferior a 1 na Ulva sp., exceto na UBM. Na análise dos pigmentos fotossintéticos, a clorofila a é o pigmento mais abundante, atingindo 8,45 mg/g em S. muticum. Adicionalmente, a fucoxantina variou entre 0,77 e 1,87 mg/g em S. muticum e a ficoeritrina-R oscilou entre 0,047 e 0,549 mg/g em G. gracilis. Também se verificou que a abundância de pigmentos é fortemente influenciada pelo local de recolha. Os extratos hidroetanólicos não exibiram atividade antimicrobiana relevante, mas demonstraram forte atividade antioxidante, destacando-se a UBM (93,85% de inibição no DPPH e 564,16 μmol Fe/g no FRAP). No QTP, por sua vez, destacou-se o S. muticum de Óbidos em março, com uma concentração de 38,42 mg GAE/g. As frações residuais dos extratos revelaram um elevado potencial bioestimulante nas sementes de alface e tomate, sendo que, relativamente ao crescimento, destaca-se a Ulva sp.. Estas descobertas evidenciam que a composição bioquímica e as bioatividades das espécies em estudo são influenciadas pela espécie, pelo local e pela sazonalidade, realçando o seu potencial como recursos de valor acrescentado na área nutricional, agronómico e biotecnológico.
- Factors Influencing Hotel Revenue Management in Times of Crisis: Towards Financial SustainabilityPublication . Lima Santos, Luís; Gomes, Conceição; Malheiros, Cátia; Crespo, Catarina; Bento, Carla(1) Background: Facing the challenges of a post-pandemic period and the Ukraine War and recognising the gap in scientific research on the application of revenue management (RM) in the Portuguese hotel industry, the main objective of this study is to identify the most effective and least appropriate RM practices for use in periods of low demand and crises, reflecting the financial sustainability perspective. The theoretical framework of this study focuses on the main RM practices, grouping them into price and non-price strategies. (2) Methods: A quantitative methodology was employed, collecting information from Portuguese hotels through an online questionnaire, and statistical analysis using Mann–Whitney and Chi-square tests was conducted. (3) Results: Hotels offered discounts during the pandemic, but room rates were reduced during the recovery period. These findings also revealed that commonly used techniques were the best available rate (BAR) and rate fences, particularly during the pandemic. Quality, brand image, strategic partnerships, and marketing actions are recognised as essential. However, loyalty programs, length of stay (LOS) control, rate parity, and bundled services are not commonly implemented despite their importance during periods of low demand. Larger hotels, five-star hotels, and members of international chains applied more RM practices than smaller four-star independent hotels. (4) Originality: This study provides original and valuable insights into increasing hotel revenues and occupancy rates during future periods of low demand, which benefit financial sustainability.