Abstract
The Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of the North of Portugal (CCDR-N) promoted NORTINOV 2015, a project created to define a regional innovation strategy for the North of Portugal based on automotive clusters and Information Technology, Communication and Electronics (ITCE) clusters. Accordingly, it developed a technology forecast for the year 2015 in order to help the North of Portugal cope with the intensifying global competition and rapid technological changes. This paper describes the methodology used to identify critical technologies for the regional economy of the North of Portugal under the project NORTINOV 2015. It involved three main steps: technology identification and study, in which a list of emerging technologies was implemented; refinement of emerging technologies, in which 90 technologies were identified and finally, classification and hierarchisation of technologies, in which 30 technologies were identified as critical for the crafting of regional innovation strategy. In this final step, a workshop involving major stakeholders of the three clusters under study played a major role. Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Abstract
This study analyses the distribution of power among the several blockholders of a firm and the identity of those blockholders as a determinant of firm leverage. Using a sample of 694 firms from 12 Western European countries, our results support a negative relationship between ownership concentration in the hands of the main blockholder and firm leverage. Moreover, we detect that the presence of a second and third large shareholder (beyond the first blockholder) has a significant positive effect on the leverage ratio. In addition, the results show that contestability in family firms plays a more relevant role. Finally, we show that family firms do have significant impact on firm leverage level, and this impact varies depending on the legal framework and institutional environment. In our main sample the results show family firms negatively affect market leverage, supporting the theory that family firms are more averse to an increase in the debt level due to the risk of bankruptcy and financial distress as a result of having an under-diversified portfolio. In contrast, the opposite effect is found in the sample that excludes the United Kingdom. This last result cannot be explained by agency theory, given that family businesses are those that suffer less from Type I agency problems. This result suggests either some difficulty in financing their investments by issuing new equity or the need to use debt as a signal of the quality of its investments. Our results prove to be stable against a battery of robustness tests. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Abstract
PurposeRecent years witnessed an exponential growth of the Portuguese real estate market. This growth has generated the need to implement effective management control tools to allow companies to improve their planning and monitoring of activities. Drawing on the agency and goal-setting theories, this paper explores the impact of companies' participative budgeting processes on employee performance in the real estate industry.Design/methodology/approachFor this purpose, a questionnaire was developed and a sample of 116 employees that participate in the budgeting process of real estate organizations collected, with data analyzed using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results show that participation in the budgeting process has an impact on employees' performance through budget goal commitment, trust and job satisfaction. However, no statistical support was found for the role of budgetary slack in this process.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted in a single industry and is based on self-reported measures of employees that participate in the budgeting process of their organizations.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the need for real estate organizations to involve their staff in the elaboration of budgets, contributing to a higher level of commitment to established goals, job satisfaction, trust and performance. Real estate organizations should provide adequate working conditions, foster their employees' autonomy and recognize their work.Originality/valueThe findings encourage real estate companies to extend the participation in the budget process to employees and, ultimately, to mitigate the probability of budget failure.

Abstract
Purpose orporate social responsibility (CSR) is an evolving concept which is increasingly being adopted by companies with the purpose of creating sustained organizational growth. However, while the impact of CSR practices on employees' behaviors and attitudes has been recognized over the years, the relationship between CSR practices and employee performance remains underexplored. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on social identity theory and using the partial least squares structural equation method, this research examines the impact of CSR practices on employees' performance in a sample of 171 employees belonging to the construction industry. Findings The findings do not support the existence of a direct relationship between employees' perception of CSR and their performance; instead, they indicate that this relationship is mediated by job satisfaction and organizational trust. Research limitations/implications The data concerns employees' self-reported measures on their perceived CSR and the study was conducted in a single industry. Practical implications Adopting CSR initiatives in company strategies is worthy as the perceptions of employees and their performance is positively influenced by their organization's CSR activities. Managers should properly communicate and involve internal stakeholders in socially responsible practices to increase their awareness. Originality/value This article analyzes the impact of employees' perception of CSR on employees' performance through the roles of employee organizational trust and job satisfaction as mediating variables in a highly socially pressured industry such as construction.

Abstract
Purpose The paper aims to explore the relationship between gamification and design thinking approach to innovation in the context of the early stage of innovation process (ESoIP). Design thinking is conceptually appropriate to support innovative, complex and uncertain business environments. Still, its practices have demonstrated some difficulties in managing the ESoIP, such as lack of structure and clarity around goals. This paper argues that gamification can enhance and complement design thinking in the management of firms' ESoIP. Design/methodology/approach Given the need to achieve a deeper understanding of the linkages between gamification and design thinking, the paper follows an exploratory theory building approach for this complex reality of innovation. The case study research method was conducted in three firms (Trivalor, Novartis and Microsoft) that applied a gamification approach to the ESoIP. Findings The results demonstrate that gamification has the power to enhance and complement design thinking practices by getting tasks more organized and improving coordination and employees' engagement in the innovation process. Practical implications The paper provides critical managerial contributions on how firms can use gamification to improve design thinking approaches to ESoIP. Its consequences are also crucial to innovation, R&D, and product/service development managers interested in using gamification to support the ideation and concept development of new solutions complementing traditional design thinking approaches. Originality/value Merging the gamification and design thinking approaches is novel, particularly on firms' ESoIP. The paper provides a comprehensive discussion of design thinking shortcomings and the role that gamification can play in overcoming them.

Abstract
With the collapse of communism, some former communist States of Eastern Europe managed to muddle through their way to a market economy and entered the European Union. This brought about the acceleration of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) among the European economies and accelerated the globalization process. Although there is plenty of research on FDI and trade among countries, the aim of this chapter is to analyze how trade between Portugal and the Czech Republic have evolved over form 2000 until 2015. The chapter seeks to complement previous studies on FDI and trade as Portugal and the Czech Republic are part of the European Union, but have had different historical, cultural, and economic paths. The main conclusion of the chapter is that trade between both countries has grown significantly. The main reason affecting trade between both countries is the economic unrest Portugal has been through since 2008. © 2017 by IGI Global.