Portuguese Context Research Articles

Challenges of Women's digital inclusion in the Portuguese context

The gender barrier in the technological area represents a significant challenge for the members States of European Union. Also, in Portugal the participation of men and women in ICT is still uneven. This position is the result of the historical evolution of the position of women in the Portuguese society. This article aims to review the digitally index of women and the level of representation of women specialists in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Portugal comparing with the position occupied by men and the rank occupied by women in other members States of the European Union. It also intended to know the policies that have been implemented in Portugal with the aim of improving the digital inclusion of women. To achieve our goals, we supported our study in statistics data and we recapitulate Portuguese policies adopted to strengthen female representation in the digitally and ICT market. Furthermore, we looked at the 2020 European Commission report on this subject (which presents pre-pandemic COVID-19 data, 2021 (which represents data during the period of the pandemics and the period of the emergence State in Portugal) and the 2022 report (which represents post-pandemic data to understand the evolution and impact of female digital inclusion caused by the COVID-19 period. The research technique adopted is document analysis based on the systematization of statistical data from the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, reading articles, academic books on the subject and the political programs implemented in Portugal to meet the digital challenges of women. we conclude that Portugal is on the right path, however, it is still too early to assess the success of the measures implemented.

Sexual identity in the workplace: Reasons for (not) coming out

Extant research on non-normative sexual identity and non-heterosexual people exposes the various forms of discrimination and oppressive practices and behaviors from peers, supervisors and subordinates, clients and organizations in general. This situation creates a dilemma to those workers regarding the self-disclosure of their sexual identity. Most studies shows that the majority usually prefer not to reveal their sexual orientation and or sexual identity in their organizational settings. In the Portuguese context, investigation in this area of research is still scarce. The present paper aims to contribute to this debate by extending knowledge on the reasons underlying the decision to share with others the sexual orientation and/or gender identity at work. To examine the reasons non-heterosexual workers and with non-normative sexual identity offer for disclosing or not to those with whom they interact at work, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants with different socio-professional profiles and geographical locations. Women and man were recruited from the personal network of one of the researchers using a convenience and snowball sampling approach. The study findings provide insight into the main reasons why the interviewees choose to disclose or not to disclose. Participants reported as main reasons for disclosure: friendship relationships in the workplace and an inclusive working environment. On the other hand, the decision for non-disclosure results from the anticipated sexual discrimination, the perception of a hostile environment and the lack of friendship relationships. The main results are in line with other studies conducted in international contexts. The study highlights the heteronormativity of Portuguese work settings and the persistence of sexual discrimination of workers with non-normative sexual identity despite the development of Portuguese legislation regarding sexual equality.

Sexual violence perpetrated by health professionals.

Sexual violence (SV) perpetrated by health professionals concerns any sexual conduct, whether physical or verbal (with or without contact), toward a patient. There has been little scientific study and some disagreements have emerged regarding its definition, which has even been confused with violation of professional boundaries. In this descriptive-exploratory study, we aimed to characterize this phenomenon in the Portuguese context, using a sample of 491 participants who completed an online questionnaire adapted for this study. The results showed that 8.96% of the participants (5.5% indirect victims) suffered SV by a health professional, and the sociodemographic characteristics are very similar to those of SV in other contexts. Thus, after confirming this is not a problem alien to the Portuguese reality, we discuss the practical implications for prevention and intervention with victims.

Social Media Addiction Scale validation in a Portuguese sample

This study aims to validate a scale to measure addiction to social media (SMAS) for the Portuguese population (SMAS-PV). The original 14 items’ SMAS was translated and back-translated from English to Portuguese. Psychometric scale validation procedures were followed. SMAS-PV’s properties were assessed in a sample of 605 Portuguese university and high-school students. A Parallel Analysis was carried out as a criterion for extracting factors in Exploratory Factorial Analysis (EFA), EFA for ordinal data, with unweighted least squares (ULS). This was followed by confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether the structure pattern fitted the Portuguese context. The resulting scale, with eight items in a two-component structure, compulsive feelings, and social consequences, demonstrated high reliability and validity. The Portuguese version of the social media addiction scale presented good psychometric qualities, constituting a credible instrument for assessing social media addiction. Participants with the highest addiction levels spend more time connected to social media.

Portuguese Students’ Perceptions About the Motivational Climate in Physical Education

Purpose: To validate the English version of the L’Echelle de Perception du Climat Motivational within a Portuguese context and analyze students’ perceptions of the motivational climate in physical education and its relationship to demographic variables, participation in extracurricular sports, and students’ grades. Methods: A total of 476 Portuguese students participated in the study and completed the L’Echelle de Perception du Climat Motivational (249 men = 52.3%; 227 women = 47.7%). Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the importance of motivational climate in physical education classes. Results: Our results suggest that the Portuguese version of the L’Echelle de Perception du Climat Motivational is valid and reliable. Furthermore, motivational climate is a predictor of both extracurricular sports participation and grades. Discussion and Conclusion: The finding that motivational climate is a predictor for extracurricular sports participation and grades supports the relevance of the climate fostered by physical education teachers and its influence on learning. This study discusses implications for research and practice.

Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish EFL teachers’ perceptions on the use of OER language processing technologies in MALL: A replication study

AbstractThis study replicates the research conducted by Pérez-Paredes, Ordoñana Guillamón and Aguado Jiménez (2018) on language teachers’ perceptions on the use of OER language processing technologies in mobile-assisted language learning. It expands the initial research study by adding Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish educational contexts, surveying 239 English as a foreign language teachers in these three countries. The main findings indicate that there are several differences among the three countries, including institutional support regarding the use of mobile devices and the training provided to the teachers. Based on the data collected in these countries, it was found that mobile devices are mainly used for teaching and learning on online platforms. Smartphones were one of the most used devices in English language teaching, while computer labs at schools seem to have lost their popularity. Regarding the technologies available, the results of the study reveal that the participants are most familiar with online dictionaries, spell checkers, and online collocation dictionaries, and the participants’ qualifications are linked to certain differences in familiarity and use of technologies in the classroom. Variables such as gender, age, and years of experience do not show any difference in the familiarity or frequency of use of those technologies. The main findings of the study point out the importance of institutional support and training regarding the use of mobile devices and open educational resources, which are no longer a choice but a necessity in education.

A New Framework for Circular Refurbishment of Buildings to Operationalize Circular Economy Policies

The current policies aimed at promoting the decarbonization of existing buildings under the principles of the circular economy are in need of practical measures tailored to local conditions to increase their effectiveness. The lack of standard practices for assessing buildings’ refurbishment strategies toward energy efficiency and CE principles reflects this reality. To tackle this issue, a new framework for refurbishing circular buildings, is proposed in this paper, based on circular procurement and incorporating a lifecycle perspective. This framework articulates a dialogue between local authorities and private stakeholders through a set of steps that encompass building mapping, selective disassembly, (re)design, and (re)build practices, providing opportunities to implement policy-based incentives. The application of the framework within the Portuguese context demonstrates the potential to identify critical moments within the refurbishment process that can materialize in a new set of CE policy actions to be implemented at the building level. These policies are aligned with local construction permitting procedures and take advantage of the resources and incentives offered by the local administration, such as tax incentives.

Notes on the Stage Music of Jorge Peixinho: Contributions Towards a Dialogue Between Theatre and Music

ABSTRACT Jorge Peixinho (1940–1995) was one of the most significant Portuguese composers of the second half of the twentieth century. His work encompasses several genres but focuses, in particular, on avant-garde chamber music. Between 1964 and 1993, Peixinho collaborated with several theatre directors, composing music for their productions, as well as writing music for other genres such as performance art, ‘happenings’, and some of the most innovative mixed-media experiments in Portugal at the time. During this period, avant-garde theatre and music were two worlds that were mutually unaware of each other. Avant-garde theatrical productions sought to be in line with what was happening in Europe, but the musical accompaniment was neglected, just as it was in opera. In the Portuguese context, Jorge Peixinho’s contribution sought to fill this gap. This article seeks to contextualise Jorge Peixinho’s stage work and to compile a list of the shows for which the composer wrote music.

Women in science: Rising numbers but an eternal glass ceiling

This paper provides an account of my perception as a woman doing science, and examines the general situation and evolution of women's participation in science in Portugal. I will start with a slightly broader perspective, emphasizing a few global trends in women's participation in science and alluding to one persistent obstacle: gender discrimination. These trends also define the Portuguese context. Despite significant progress in opening the door to women's participation in science, it remains challenging for women to pursue a viable career path in research and ascend the hierarchy. Beyond the glass ceiling, top positions are still reserved for a predominantly male old guard. Yet pioneering women have shown that changes can happen and have opened the door for us to collectively continue this important work—something that I am proud to be part of.

How to forecast mental healthcare needs? Distinguishing between perceived and unperceived needs and their impact on capacity requirements

The provision of mental healthcare is vital for the sustainable development of societies. However, current systems in several countries fail to meet citizens' needs and are called to identify new planning approaches to ensure the balance between supply and needs. Nevertheless, the estimation of mental healthcare needs is challenging since there are perceived needs, that are explicitly expressed, and unperceived needs, that are not explicitly expressed and are difficult to measure. To deal with this challenge, this study aims to build estimates for the future needs of mental healthcare services by departing from a simulation model based on a Markov cycle tree that considers both perceived and unperceived needs. The development and application of the proposed model to the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region in Portugal followed a mixed-method approach consisting of: i) a set of interviews with mental healthcare experts, providing information on key aspects entailing mental healthcare needs in general, and in the Portuguese context in particular; ii) a Markov cycle tree model, reflecting the information gathered in the interviews; and iii) a survey conducted to estimate key parameters required to apply the Markov model to the Portuguese context. The results indicate that mental healthcare needs are expected to increase by 2030, reaching 68.62% of the total population, with 21% of these representing perceived and unsatisfied needs, while 20% represents unperceived needs. Also, more than 95% of the required capacity by 2030 is expected to be missing. The suggested tool thus distinguishes among perceived and unperceived needs, helping policy makers and managers who aim to plan the future operations of mental healthcare systems.

Project Management Maturity in Renovation and Remodelling Construction Firms

Project Management Maturity Models (PMMM) are considered practical tools to deal with poor Project Management (PM) performance, an issue that concerns academics and practitioners. However, the models that exist are something close to “one size fits all”. This means that those models might not be suitable for activity sectors with specific requirements, such as construction, in particular, the renovation and remodelling construction firms. The present research proposes a PMMM to assess the PM capabilities of Portuguese renovation and remodelling Project-Based Firms (PBF). To achieve this goal, the authors developed documental research, followed by exploratory research through qualitative analysis. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and performed a content analysis of the fully transcribed interviews. Compared with the literature review’s findings, qualitative analysis results made it possible to find closure on previous research that indicated two models to have the best fit for an assessment project on construction PBFs: the OPM3 from the PMI and the MMGP-Prado. Based on those findings, the latter has the best fit for an assessment project on construction PBF. However, the model needs adjustments to fit the Portuguese context of renovation and remodelling organisations. This article presents a new PMMM for Portuguese renovation and remodelling construction firms based on obtained results. Furthermore, regarding construction PM, this article is among the few that studied PMMM on renovation and remodelling construction companies. Unlike large construction companies, these are small organisations that academics do not target for research.

How active are right-wing party members? Portuguese right-wing delegates, from a comparative and a General Incentives Model (GIM) perspective

This contribution explores the role of the incentives and benefits of party affiliation, along with the ideological reasons for being politically active, in particular as a party delegate. The rational for party affiliation and for activism has developed over recent decades, ranging from individual to collective reasons. The incentives that explain activism have been an essential part of the discussion on the reasons for becoming a party member, particularly following the seminal study on the General Incentives Model (GIM)’s, Seyd and Whiteley (1992). Later developments from Whiteley et al. (2019) provided evidence on the activism of radical political forces, as is the case of UKIP in the United Kingdom. Following the GIM framework, this study explores these themes within a Portuguese context, and from a comparative perspective. To date, investigations in this field have rarely focused on Portugal. The research question is: how do delegates view their party’s incentives and benefits, and how is this influenced by their ideological self-positioning on the left–right scale? We argue that the larger the party, the lower the members’ assessment will be of the incentives and benefits achieved. In methodological terms, this study is based on the MAPP project and surveys, applied to Portuguese political party members, including delegates from right-wing parties. The relevance of this article lies in the application of the GIM to delegates of right-wing political parties, in a comparative perspective, considering a downward trend and a Southern European country that has, to date, been little explored in this context (Sierens et al. 2022). The goal is to find evidence of how right-wing party members and delegates view the incentives and benefits that play a role in party activism.

COVID-19 pandemic and local executive-opposition institutional relations: a survey analysis

ABSTRACTLocal governments were on the front line in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also had to rethink their action mode and carry out a swift digital transition. These changes affected the performance of local democracy, in particular, the nature of Local Executive-Opposition Institutional Relations (LEOIR). Using new survey data on the perceptions of local elected representatives, we run an ordered probit regression model to understand the perceived effect of exceptional measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on LEOIR in the Portuguese context. The results show, through the lenses of local key informants, that the Executive’s capacity to explain to its constituents the exceptional measures adopted and its formal duty to communicate these decisions to the Municipal Assembly have aggravated the conflictual nature of LEOIR. This study contributes to local governance research by elucidating how accountability and communication practices can soothe or aggravate Executive-Opposition institutional tensions in extraordinary times.

Participatory methodology guidelines to promote citizens participation in decision-making: Evidence based on a Portuguese case study

Citizens' role evolved to become active agents in decision-making. However, existing policy definition procedures are still not tailored to engage citizens and the participation of specific groups. Moreover, it is vital to understand citizens' interests and motivations to set the methods and build democratic methodologies that make them feel comfortable and willing to participate. In this context, this paper explores how policymakers view the role of citizens in policymaking. Specifically, it looks at the obstacles outlined by policymakers to the involvement of citizens in the policy definition. Second, it explores how citizens view their participation and the respective challenges. This study was conducted within the Portuguese context, following a methodology supported by mixed methods research, which combined interviews with policymakers and questionnaires applied to citizens. Furthermore, this research shows detailed data about how the Portuguese population and how particular groups wish to engage in decision-making. Guidelines are presented in the following areas: willingness to be identified, subjects, topics, methods, and channels to participate. The findings suggest there is significant heterogeneity on the engagement modes. Therefore, to promote the inclusion of different groups of citizens, policymakers should tailor participatory methodologies to these, in line with the guidelines of this paper.

Aggregated Use of Energy Flexibility in Office Buildings

Due to climate change consequences, all Member States of the European Union signed an agreement with the goal of becoming the first society and economy with a neutral impact on the planet by 2050. The building sector is one of the highest energy consumers, using 33% of global energy production. Given the global increase for energy demand, implementing energy flexibility strategies is crucial for a better integration of renewable energy sources and a reduction of consumption peaks arising from the electrification of energy demand. The work described in this paper aims to develop an optimization algorithm to use the existing aggregated energy flexibility in office buildings to reduce both the electric energy costs of each office, considering the tariffs applied at each moment and the total power peak, aiming to reduce the entire building’s cost of the contracted power, considering the Portuguese context. The obtained results conclude that it is possible to reduce both the costs associated with electric energy consumption and contracted power. Nevertheless, since the cost of contracted power has a lower impact on the overall energy bill, it is more beneficial to focus only on the reduction of costs associated with electric energy consumption in the considered case study.

Psychological empowerment for the future of work: Evidence from Portugal

AbstractIn the competitive global marketplace, it is becoming important for organizations to empower employees for productivity reasons. One of the organizational empowerment models with greater support and consistency in the various studies in which it has been used is Spreitzer's Model of Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace, published in 1995. The model is composed of four dimensions that allow the measurement of the components of meaning, competence, self‐determination and the impact of work on individual empowerment. The present study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties, in the Portuguese context, of the referred model. After the translation and adaptation of the psychological empowerment scale, the questionnaire was applied to a sample of 545 workers from Portuguese industrial organizations. The results of the application of structural equation modeling allow identifying the same components defined by the Spreitzer model, so it can be considered a reliable and valid instrument to measure organizational empowerment in the Portuguese context. However, we consider that complementary studies are necessary to analyze the psychometric properties of the scale and to further advance the research. The results obtained allow us to affirm that empowerment will be a basic strategy to improve the organizational transformations that companies constantly face. It is therefore important for Portuguese organizations to analyze the level of psychological empowerment of their employees, in order to find solutions to problems such as turnover, talent attraction, performance, work demotivation and improve human resource management practices. This is particularly important following the COVID‐19 pandemic in which the psychology of employees was tested due to working from home and social distancing requirements.

Development of delay mitigation measures in construction projects: a combined interpretative structural modeling and MICMAC analysis approach

Construction delays are recurrent worldwide, regardless of the type of work, and can result in severe impacts, such as time and cost overruns and conflicts. This work aims to present a methodology to develop mitigation measures for the causes of Delays in Construction Projects (DCPs). Prior works have explored strategies to develop these measures but systematically failed to consider that the interrelationships among causes affect the significance of the impact of each cause. The methodology proposed combines the Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) and Matrix Cross Impact Matrix Multiplication (MICMAC) analyses approaches and is grounded on the opinions of construction experts collected during Focus Group Interviews (FGI). First, the critical causes of DCPs are identified. Second, the ISM model is built, representing the interrelationships between the causes and their hierarchy. Third, the MICMAC analysis is performed, revealing the strengths of the relationships among the influencing causes. Fourth, mitigation measures are developed to address the root causes identified in the previous steps, but they are designed to target and mitigate other causes, given their hierarchical relationships, driving power, and levels of dependence. Applying this methodology to the Portuguese context revealed 16 critical causes, which were then hierarchized into six levels of influence. Inadequate bidding and contract award processes and deficient communication between parties were deemed root causes, and 23 measures were put forward to mitigate DCPs. Therefore, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by designing an innovative and practitioner-wise methodology to develop mitigation measures in relation to DCPs and revealing some measures for the Portuguese context.

Pole dance: More than sport. An insight in portuguese reality

Pole dancing is a sport with a specific competition code of points, divisions and categories, rules and penalties. However there are other reasons beyond the practice of sport that led individuals to seek and maintain in pole dance. This modality presents unique characteristics that distinguish it from other sport activities and is gathering more and more support in Portuguese context. As so, and given the few studies devoted to Portuguese reality, the aim of this investigation was to deepen the knowledge about the practice of pole dancing in Portugal, knowing the motivations that lead the individuals to initiate themselves in this modality, the benefits and the motives they recognize to continue practicing. In data collection, the questionnaire survey was privileged, made with closed-answer and open-answer questions, addressed to Portuguese pole dancing schools and to the Associação Portuguesa de Varão Desportivo (APVD), having participated in the study a total of 99 persons. The results obtained through statistical content analysis, revealed that the motives to initiate this practice are varied and reflect some lack of knowledge of this modality, as curiosity and the wish to experience something new and that it is disruptive emerges as primary purposes. When benefits are addressed, psychological, physical and social gains emerge. When referring the motives to stay in the pole dance, personal overcoming is highlighted as the main reason. Key words: Pole dance, motivations, benefits, Portuguese reality, sport.

Systematising experts’ understanding of traditional burning in Portugal: a mental model approach

Background Traditional burning is a practice with social and ecological value used worldwide. However, given the often improper and negligent use of fire, this practice is often associated with rural fire ignitions. Aims Systematise experts’ understanding of traditional burning and identify its challenges in the Portuguese context. Methods Twenty-eight Portuguese experts from industry, academia, NGOs and public entities with in-depth involvement in fire and forest management were interviewed to create a mental model of traditional burning in Portugal. Key results Eight dimensions were identified: motivations behind traditional burning, alternative solutions, risks before a traditional burn, risks during a traditional burn, underlying causes of risk, exogenous elements and factors, potential impacts, and activities leading to a successful traditional burn. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive understanding of traditional burn practice in the Portuguese context and offers a baseline to support stakeholders and policymakers in managing traditional burning’s social and environmental impacts in the future. Implications This research offers several implications across the eight dimensions identified, including the need to improve regulations on the use of fire and fuel reduction policies, promote fire use education and feasible and affordable alternatives to traditional burning, and increase communities’ commitment to mitigation actions.

Liquid biopsy in the management of advanced lung cancer: Implementation and practical aspects

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In recent years, the discovery of actionable molecular alterations has changed the treatment paradigm of the disease. Tissue biopsies have been the gold standard for the identification of targetable alterations but present several limitations, calling for alternatives to detect driver and acquired resistance alterations. Liquid biopsies reveal great potential in this setting and also in the evaluation and monitoring of treatment response. However, several challenges currently hamper its widespread adoption in clinical practice. This perspective article evaluates the potential and challenges associated with liquid biopsy testing, considering a Portuguese expert panel dedicated to thoracic oncology point of view, and providing practical insights for its implementation based on the experience and applicability in the Portuguese context.