Centre for Business and Economics Research - University of Coimbra

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Publications

Institutions and Firms’ Performance: A Bibliometric Analysis and Future Research Avenues

Publication . Oliveira, Alexandre; Carvalho, Fernando; Reis, Nuno Rosa

International business scholars have recognized the importance of the contextual embed- dedness of firms. However, how they matter remains a contested question. Although recent efforts have been made to review the field, it remains unclear how institutions affect firms’ performance. We aim at answering the following research question: How is the intellectual and the conceptual structure of the institutions and firms’ performance field defined? We searched in the WoS and Scopus databases with pre-determined keywords, and we obtained a sample of 1063 articles that we analyzed by conducting the citation and co-citation analyses, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and thematic map analysis. Our bibliometric results portrayed how the intellectual and conceptual structure of the field has evolved. We contribute to the international business literature by providing a one-stop overview of the field, thus identifying current accomplishments and future research avenues on the relationship between institutions and firms’ performance. By analyzing the articles included on the Emerging and Niche clusters, we discuss future research avenues on the topics of sustainability, entrepreneurship, political ties, and institutional quality.

2022-02-17Journal article

Open access

Attitudes toward Ethical Consumption in Clothing: Comparing Peruvian and Portuguese Consumers

Publication . Bairrada, Cristela Maia; Coelho, Arnaldo Fernandes de Matos; Moreira, Jacinta Raquel Miguel

The aim of this study is to examine the personal factors that influence attitudes toward ethical consumption and its effects on life satisfaction, attitudes toward ecological clothing, and buying intentions, using a comparison of two different contexts: Portugal and Peru. A total of 520 valid questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that idealism and pro-environmental beliefs have a positive effect on attitudes toward ethical consumption. Additionally, attitudes toward ethical consumption are positively associated with life satisfaction and attitudes toward ecological clothing, which can predict buying intentions. This research provides further insight into the attitude-intention gap, by highlighting the dual role of attitudes - combining ethical attitudes with attitudes toward ecological clothing - in two understudied contexts It is noteworthy that this study offers a novel approach to understanding consumer motivation toward ethical consumption and its impact on life satisfaction.

2023-04Journal article

Open access

Cluster Engineering & Tooling: da importância na Região Centro à inserção na cadeia de valor global

Publication . Ferreira, João Pedro; Rebolho, Jose Miguel; Cruz, Luís; Raposo, Vitor; Sargento, Ana

Este trabalho centra-se no cluster Engineering & Tooling (E&T), apresentando três análises complementares: (i) a concentração geográfica e avaliação da sua importância económica, do ponto de vista regional e nacional, suportada nos quocientes de localização baseados no volume de negócios e análise shift-share para compreender a evolução do emprego; (ii) as interdependências intersetoriais, analisando a evolução dos indicadores das Contas Nacionais do INE; e (iii) a integração do cluster no contexto do comércio internacional e das cadeias de valor global através da análise multirregional Input-Output com base na World Input-Output Database. Conclui-se que o E&T apresenta relevância especial na Região Centro, mas também no contexto da economia nacional e respetiva integração internacional, devido à elevada especialização da Região (destacando-se as NUTS-III Regiões de Leiria e de Aveiro) e à componente diferencial ou regional, que estimulou um aumento do emprego nestes setores na Região Centro mais significativo do que no resto do país. Ao nível nacional, os setores associados ao cluster revelaram resiliência e capacidade de ligeiro crescimento (assentando também nas exportações), mesmo num contexto particularmente adverso à economia. O comércio internacional mostrou igualmente ser um fator determinante para a evolução do cluster, demonstrando a existência de dependências internas e externas.

2023Journal article

Open access

Role of distinct export strategies in regional growth. A multi-regional input-output approach (PReMMIA)

Publication . Ferreira, João-Pedro; Cruz, Luís; Raposo, Vitor; Rebolho, José Miguel; Lopes, Luís; Teotónio, Carla; Barata, Eduardo; Sargento, Ana

The relationship between exports and economic growth is a critical aspect of contemporary economic policy at both national and regional levels. However, until recently, the lack of regional data has hindered comprehensive empirical analysis of trade at the regional level, limiting our understanding of why different strategies yield varying national and regional economic outcomes in terms of growth, income distribution, labor versus capital gains, and balance of payments. This paper offers both a methodological contribution and a policy-focused analysis. First, it introduces the Portuguese Regions Model for Multi-Impact Analysis (PReMMIA) by providing a detailed account of its development, including the preparation of national-level data, the regionalization of input-output tables, the specification of structural forms, and the assumptions underlying the model’s closure. Then, PReMMIA is applied to evaluate how diverse export specialization strategies lead to distinct socio-economic impacts. The results highlight the potential for spillover effects across various scenarios and emphasize the need for decision-makers to understand the economic complexities and trade-offs in their decisions.

2025-04-02Journal article

Restricted access

Agglomeration Externalities in National Systems of Innovation: The Role of Industrial Diversity and Competition on Countries’ Innovative Levels

Publication . Duarte, Marcelo Pereira; Carvalho, Fernando Manuel Pereira de Oliveira; Ferreira, Manuel; Ferreira, Manuel Portugal

Economic geographers, industrial economists and innovation scholars have long debated the impact of agglomeration externalities on innovation, often with conflicting results. We argue that rather than focusing on which agglomeration externality most influences innovation, we should gain a deeper understanding of how agglomeration externalities influence innovation. Drawing on the concept of national systems of innovation (NSI), we examine the role of industrial diversity and domestic competition as contingency factors that affect the relationship between national innovation inputs and outputs. Using secondary data from 86 countries, we developed interaction models, and our findings indicate that industrial diversity positively influences the relationship between innovation inputs and outputs. Additionally, we found that the relationship between innovation inputs and outputs is strengthened at higher levels of diversity and competition. Also, the positive effects of institutions on innovation outputs increase with high industrial diversity and medium to high domestic competition. Similarly, the positive marginal effect of human capital and research on innovation outputs is strengthened by increasing industrial diversity, although a medium-low level of competition can undermine this effect. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on agglomeration externalities and the NSI literature by highlighting the role of industrial diversity and competition in shaping national innovation outcomes.

2025-03Journal article

Open access