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Publications

Publications by Frederico Branco

2018

Implementation of balanced ScoreCard: Simplify strategic thinking development in Portuguese SMEs

Authors
Cardim, S; Nunes, A; Fernandes, PO; Branco, F;

Publication
Proceedings of the European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE

Abstract
The Portuguese business structure is essentially composed of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which, despite their size, generate employment and contribute to the increase of national income. In many of these companies, some of them having less than ten employees, management and operational functions are often carried out by the entrepreneur. In addition, the entrepreneur does not always have technical knowledge in management, nor do they have the available time (since they have various responsibilities within the company) to develop and implement a management strategy that allows the enterprise to remain in the market while adopting a more conscious, consistent and sustained orientation. Within the scope of the Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization - Portugal 2020, the Balanced ScoreCard (BSC) strategic management instrument was developed and implemented in several companies and sectors of the Portuguese economy. This instrument was crucial in initiating a process of strategic thinking which, quite possibly, would not have happened in such a short time horizon. This research work analyses through an essentially qualitative research the way the BSC instrument was developed and implemented. Another objective is to understand the main advantages of its use and its main application constraints. The data was gathered through a semi-structured interview developed for the owners of four Portuguese SMEs in the northern region Portugal, targeted under the abovementioned programme framework. The results demonstrate the instrument was essential for the development of a structured strategic thinking, as well as for a better performance and, consequently, to the improvement of the competitiveness of the targeted companies. The results also show the instrument had to be adapted and simplified and its implementation has to involve all the employees of the enterprises.

2019

Strain effect - A case study about the power of nano-influencers

Authors
Au Yong Oliveira, M; Cardoso, AS; Goncalves, M; Tavares, A; Branco, F;

Publication
Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI

Abstract
This article serves to show how things are changing when it comes to business and social networking. Nowadays, it is hard to find a business that does not have an account on any social network, and we can safely say that social media is a crucial aspect for any business enterprise - to sell their products, to be seen and, obviously, to make more money. We talk about the possibility to mix innovation, business strategy and social media. To complement this research, we focused our work on a Portuguese start-up - Strain - that intends to prove marketing is changing and that it actually welcomes the change, with social networks at the base of their business. They intend to use online influencers to promote the image of a brand, free of charge, and earn discounts on it. It is, indeed, a win-win situation, where each of the three parts (the company itself, clients and Strain) is a winner one way or the other. © 2019 AISTI.

2021

Accessibility of mobile applications for tourism-is equal access a reality?

Authors
Madeira, S; Branco, F; Goncalves, R; Au Yong Oliveira, M; Moreira, F; Martins, J;

Publication
UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract
With the increasing use of smartphones in people's daily lives, mobile accessibility has become a key factor for them. Tourism is one of the sectors that has benefited the most from this growth but has not yet reached its full potential as accessibility has not yet been fully exploited. The main goal of this study is to assess accessibility in mobile applications for the tourism sector. Thus, 14 mobile applications were analyzed, using a manual and automatic methodology through the proposal of an evaluation model divided by quantitative and qualitative requirements, as well as the use of features such as VoiceOver and TalkBack. The results show a high overall number of errors in most quantitative requirements as well as non-compliance with most qualitative requirements. On iPhone 4, "Viseu - Guia da Cidade" was the application with the highest rating, while on Wiko GOA, it was the "JiTT.Travel Funchal" application. In turn, on iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone XR, Nokia 5.1 and OnePlus 6 devices, the best results were achieved by the "Viseu - Guia da Cidade," "JiTT.Travel Funchal" and "TUR4all" applications. Regarding the accessibility of mobile applications on different versions of the same mobile operating system, it was concluded that there are no differences in their accessibility on both operating systems (iOS and Android). Finally, regarding the accessibility of applications on smartphones with different screen sizes, there are also no differences in their accessibility.

2021

Web Accessibility on Online Platforms for the Tourism Sector in Portugal

Authors
Branco, F; Pereira, L; Goncalves, R; Martins, J;

Publication
2021 16th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI)

Abstract

2021

Web Accessibility on Online Platforms for the Tourism Sector in Portugal [Acessibilidade Web nas Plataformas Online do Setor do Turismo em Portugal]

Authors
Branco, F; Pereira, L; Gonçalves, R; Martins, J;

Publication
Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI

Abstract
Information and communication technologies provide their users with permanent global connectivity through a wide range of devices and with the Internet as their main support. Currently assuming a very significant economic relevance for a considerable group of countries, the Tourism sector is in the mindset of a digital transformation, in the scope of which a good part of its services is evolving towards ICT and Internet supported versions. In this context, the assurance of universal access to websites (Web accessibility) that support the businesses of organizations in this sector gains special relevance. This article presents an analysis at the level of Web accessibility of 240 websites directly related to the tourism sector, using TAW-Test de Acessibilidad Web evaluation tool. Despite the growing concern to provide more and more inclusive means, the overwhelming majority of websites did not reach the minimum level of accessibility, thus not assuring properly functional access for those who have a disability or limitation. © 2021 AISTI.

2022

A bibliometric analysis and visualization of e-learning adoption using VOSviewer

Authors
Martins, J; Goncalves, R; Branco, F;

Publication
UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract
Even though being perceived as a novel approach, multiple authors claim that the digital transition of all sectors in society started when information and communication technologies (ICT) started to be an integral part of our daily lives. The education sector currently represents one of the contexts where the use of ICT is more promising and allows to reach greater benefits, mostly due to the wide range of tools, applications, and management and methodological approaches that are associated with e-learning. With the above in mind, a bibliometric analysis of the e-learning adoption topic has been performed, aiming on delivering a detailed analysis of the status of the topic. This analysis was carried out by analyzing the scientific literature indexed in the Scopus database that addressed the multiple stages of the e-learning adoption process (i.e., acceptance, adoption, and use). Our study analyzed 896 documents published between 1989 and 2021, of which 98.3% represented papers published in journals and conference proceedings.

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