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- Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management in Europe: What Works, What Does Not, and What’s Next?Publication . Santos, EleonoraNature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as strategic alternatives and complements to grey infrastructure for addressing water-related challenges in the context of climate change, urbanization, and biodiversity decline. This article presents a critical, theory-informed review of the state of NbS implementation in European water management, drawing on a structured synthesis of empirical evidence from regional case studies and policy frameworks. The analysis found that while NbS are effective in reducing surface runoff, mitigating floods, and improving water quality under low- to moderate-intensity events, their performance remains uncertain under extreme climate scenarios. Key gaps identified include the lack of long-term monitoring data, limited assessment of NbS under future climate conditions, and weak integration into mainstream planning and financing systems. Existing evaluation frameworks are critiqued for treating NbS as static interventions, overlooking their ecological dynamics and temporal variability. In response, a dynamic, climate-resilient assessment model is proposed—grounded in systems thinking, backcasting, and participatory scenario planning—to evaluate NbS adaptively. Emerging innovations, such as hybrid green–grey infrastructure, adaptive governance models, and novel financing mechanisms, are highlighted as key enablers for scaling NbS. The article contributes to the scientific literature by bridging theoretical and empirical insights, offering region-specific findings and recommendations based on a comparative analysis across diverse European contexts. These findings provide conceptual and methodological tools to better design, evaluate, and scale NbS for transformative, equitable, and climate-resilient water governance.
- Thirst for Change in Water Governance: Overcoming Challenges for Drought Resilience in Southern EuropePublication . Santos, EleonoraThis article investigates the institutional and informational foundations of water governance in Southern Europe amid escalating climate stress. Focusing on Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece, it develops a multi-level analytical framework to explore how information asymmetries and governance fragmentation undermine coordinated responses to water scarcity. Integrating theories of information economics, polycentric governance, and critical institutionalism, this study applies a stylized economic model and comparative institutional analysis to assess how agents—such as farmers, utilities, regulators, and civil society—respond to varying incentives, data access, and coordination structures. Using secondary data, normalized indicators, and scenario-based simulations, the model identifies three key structural parameters—institutional friction (θi), information cost (βi), and incentive strength (αi)—as levers for governance reform. The simulations are stylized and not empirically calibrated, serving as heuristic tools rather than predictive forecasts. The results show that isolated interventions yield limited improvements, while combined reforms significantly enhance both equity and effectiveness. Climate stress simulations further reveal stark differences in institutional resilience, with Greece and Italy showing systemic fragility and Portugal emerging as comparatively robust. This study contributes a flexible, policy-relevant tool for diagnosing governance capacity and informing reform strategies while also underscoring the need for integrated, equity-oriented approaches to adaptive water governance.
- Sustainable Scaling in Forest-Based Circular ModelsPublication . Santos, EleonoraThe transition to a circular economy is essential for enhancing sustainability and resource efficiency, particularly in forestry-dependent regions. This study examines circular economy business models (CEBMs) in Kouvola, Finland, focusing on the utilization of forestry by-products. It compares two case studies: Keltakangas Waste Station, which processes wood waste into biogas, and Koumet, a forestry company producing biochar. Using a comparative case study approach, this research integrates financial analysis (2020–2023), interviews with managers, and policy reviews to assess economic performance, scalability, and environmental impact. Additionally, this study introduces a generalizable framework—Scalability Path Dependency (SPD)—which theorizes how early strategic decisions shape the long-term growth trajectories of circular business models. The findings reveal that Keltakangas follows a capital-intensive model with declining profit margins, while Koumet operates a resource-efficient model with stable but low profitability. Their scaling strategies diverge: Keltakangas relies on external financing for expansion, whereas Koumet emphasizes cost efficiency and market diversification. Despite ongoing challenges related to infrastructure, regulation, and financial viability, both models contribute meaningfully to circularity. This study offers actionable insights for policymakers and businesses aiming to support sustainable forestry practices.
- O efeito do greenwashing no consumo ético mediado pela confusão verde e pelo ódio à marcaPublication . Santos, Célia; Coelho, Arnaldo; Marques, AlziraO greenwashing verifica-se quando as empresas enganam os consumidores quanto às suas práticas ambientais ou benefícios dos seus produtos/serviços. Esta investigação centra-se nos impactos dessas práticas no consumo ético e analisa como a confusão verde e o ódio à marca atuam como mediadores nessa relação. Baseado em informações recolhidas por meio de questionário aplicado numa amostra de 420 consumidores portugueses, foi realizado estudo confirmatório, quantitativo e transversal (ou de corte único). A análise foi conduzida através de um modelo de equações estruturais com o software SmartPLS. Os resultados sugerem que o greenwashing aumenta a confusão verde entre os consumidores, dificultando a correta interpretação de aspetos ambientais de um produto/serviço. Além disso, o greenwashing gera emoções negativas extremas, como o ódio à marca. Os resultados também demostram que os consumidores, quando percecionam práticas de greenwashing por parte de uma empresa/marca tendem a deixar de comprar os seus produtos/serviços, optando por alternativas mais éticas e responsáveis. Foi estabelecida relação positiva direta e indireta entre greenwashing e consumo ético. Esta investigação avança o estado da arte, que carece de estudos relacionados com as consequências das práticas de greenwashing e elucida as empresas da necessidade de eliminar essas atividades enganadoras e irresponsáveis. Limitações e oportunidades de estudo futuras são abordadas.
- Young People’s Perceptions about the Difficulties of Entrepreneurship and Developing Rural Properties in Family AgriculturePublication . Yamaguchi, Cristina Keiko; Stefenon, Stéfano Frizzo; Ramos, Ney Kassiano; Santos, Vanessa Silva dos; Forbici, Fernanda; Klaar, Anne Carolina Rodrigues; Ferreira, Fernanda Cristina Silva; Cassol, Alessandra; Marietto, Marcio Luiz; Yamaguchi, Shana Kimi Farias; Borba, Marcelo Leandro deThis article aims to understand the perceptions of young rural entrepreneurs about the difficulties in investing in family farms in which they work. Ninety-eight people were interviewed at the event “Meeting of Young Entrepreneurs of the Rural Environment of Santa Catarina: the rural youth leading the sustainable development”, held in May 2019. The methodology applied in this paper is qualitative and quantitative, through a bibliographic review and a numerical analysis on work conditions and workers’ profile. A brief theoretical background is presented to facilitate the understanding of the results and their relation to family farming, entrepreneurship and its reality in Brazil. As a result, the economic issue was pointed out with 34% of the cases, as a hinter to undertake in rural properties, followed by the lack and low qualification of the workforce available with 12.6% of the cases and the lower selling price for the producer with 7.6% of the cases.
- The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Brand Equity: A Cross Cultural ComparisonPublication . Crespo, Catia Fernandes; Ferreira, Alcina Gaspar; Ribeiro, Fábio Matos; Popa, VictorCelebrity endorsement has become a popular advertising strategy on a global scale. However, although responses to celebrity endorsement are considered to diverge across cultures, cross-cultural research on celebrity endorsement as an advertising strategy is argued to be scarce. The purpose of this research is to extend the current literature by examining cross-cultural similarities and differences in celebrity endorsement effectiveness. We investigate the impact of celebrity endorsement strategies on brand image and brand identification and how these factors, in turn, influence brand equity, across markets. Data were collected through an online survey addressed to two markets: Portugal, and Moldova. A total of 365 valid answers were obtained, 195 from the Portuguese market, and 170 from the Moldovan market. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that the attitude toward the celebrity endorser has a significantly positive effect on brand image and a significantly positive effect on brand identification, only in the Moldovan market. In both markets, brand image and brand identification positively influence brand equity.
- The social media theatre: New guidelines to foster parasocial interactions with followers and improve influencer marketing communication effectivenessPublication . Ferreira, Alcina Gaspar; Crespo, Cátia Fernandes; Ribeiro, Fábio Matos; Barreiros, PatríciaRegarding the popularity of social media platforms among consu- mers, influencer marketing is increasingly present in brands’ com- munication strategies. This study adds to the knowledge about the drivers of parasocial interactions with influencers by investigating not yet explored follower-influencer connections and their effects on consumers’ responses to the recommended brands. An online consumer survey was conducted among followers of social media influencers and the data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that follower-influencer moral admiration, perceived similarity, emo- tional closeness, and expression of positive feelings positively affect their parasocial interaction. In turn, the effects of these variables on consumer responses are fully or partially mediated by follower- influencer parasocial interaction on social media networks. Interestingly, followers’ skill admiration towards the influencer has no significant impact on parasocial interaction but has a positive significant direct impact on positive WOM and purchase intention of influencer recommend brands. Our findings demonstrate that influencer marketing communication is an effective strategy for improving consumer brand responses. Furthermore, to augment their marketing value, social media influencers need to promote parasocial interactions with followers. Our findings suggest novel recommendations to select influencers and manage influencer marketing value.
- A bibliometric review of stakeholders' participation in sustainable forest managementPublication . Ciccarino, Irene Dobarrio Machado; Fernandes, Maria Eduarda da Silva TeixeiraAlthough stakeholders’ participation in forest management helps overcome problems and conflicts that prevent sustain- able solutions, different approaches and nomenclature for similar contents in the literature hinder theoretical progress on the topic. This study organises existing information through a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers from the last 30 years (1991–2021) on sustainable forest management, focusing on the stakeholders’ participation. Results demonstrate that stake- holders’ participation in sustainable forest management gained relevance from 2017 onwards. Case studies are predominant (66%) and six major trends were identified. The first emphasises a systemic approach to participation. The second updates the community management discussion. The third studies historical problems related to the use of resources, rights, and services. The fourth focuses on regional assessments and studies. The fifth concerns assessment, decision-making, and planning, includ- ing issues related to certifications and policies. The sixth discusses innovation related to adaptation, climate change, equity, and resilience. The studies included in this last classification are problem-solving-oriented and seek new forest management. Although important, the role of innovation in stakeholders’ participation in sustainable forest management is overlooked, which constitutes an avenue for future research.
- Cross-border mergers and acquisitions: a bibliometric review and future research avenuesPublication . Reis, Nuno; Carvalho, Fernando; Ferreira, JoséCross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBMAs) are an important mode of international expansion and have attracted substantial scholarly attention in the last decades. The extant literature on CBMAs is fragmented and often presents contradictory perspectives which hinder the researchers’ ability to understand the phenomenon. Therefore it is useful to analyse the extant literature on CBMAs, to make sense of what has been published, in a systematic and objective way. In this paper we conduct a bibliometric review of CBMA research over a 20-year period (1994–2013). Using a sample of 256 articles published in 69 journals we performed citation, co-citation and factor analyses, structural and longitudinal, to understand the most influential works and to observe the evolution of the themes and theoretical approaches used. We identified the importance of culture-related works as well as the increasing importance of resource-and knowledge-related approaches, whereas finance/economics perspectives have a decreasing influence.
- Value co-creation in tourism and hospitality: A systematic literature reviewPublication . Ribeiro, Thiago de Luca Sant'ana; Costa, Benny Kramer; Ferreira, Manuel Portugal; Freire, Otávio Bandeira de LamônicaIn this study we organize and analyze the literature on value co-creation in tourism and hospitality. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic literature review with 298 articles published between 2009 and 2020 indexed in the Web of Science database. We analyzed the methodological and thematic perspectives, as well as the theoretical relationships presented in all studies. We identified four main themes focusing on a) interactions & social networks, b) strategy & innovation, c) sharing economy, and d) value co-creation consequences. Interaction, engagement, and service innovation were the most studied antecedents of value co-creation, and satisfaction, perceived value, and loyalty as the main consequences. Few studies examined value co-creation as a mediating or moderating variable. Finally, we present a conceptual framework including antecedents, conse- quences, mediation, and moderation (ACMM) involved in value co-creation, to provide a broad understanding of the different perspectives analyzed in this study.