Previous investigations in fitness centers have indicated that interaction between customers and staff members play a crucial role in the service delivery process, being a source of value creation that can influence customers perceptions and behavioral intentions. However, despite available research demonstrating the influence of this variable on perceived value and repurchase intention in these facilities. Evidence on how interactions between members and staff influence users’ emotional responses is lacking. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among service encounter, consumer trust, and members loyalty in fitness centers. Data were collected by means of an on-line questionnaire surveyed to a total of 235 active users from different fitness centers across Portugal. Data analysis procedures included a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) followed by the development of a structural equation model (SEM). The results of the analysis demonstrated good psychometric properties. In addition, significant relationships were found between service encounter and consumer trust as well as between consumer trust and loyalty. However, service encounters did not influence significantly consumer loyalty. These results provide empirical evidence of the role of customer-employee interactions as a source of intangible value (i.e. emotional and social) creation in fitness centers. These interactions can be a source of value-in-use that can lead to other positive outcomes for managers, customers and staff members in these facilities such as increased members’ sense of community, customer engagement and loyalty.

Cross-Cultural Validation of COSF and LOHAS Scales: Examining Slow Fashion Consumption Behaviors in Portugal and the Czech Republic

The purpose of the paper is (1) to validate and measure the invariance of the COSF and LOHAS scales across countries (Portugal and the Czech Republic) and establish their convergent and discriminant validity, (2) determine the variables that explain perceived customer value, purchase intention, and willingness to pay a price premium, and (3) assess the differences between participants who have and have not already bought slow fashion products. Quantitative data were collected via questionnaire survey between April and October 2024 in Portugal (n = 1728) and the Czech Republic (n = 1652). The positive correlation between the COSF and LOHAS scales suggests that individuals inclined toward slow fashion consumption will likely exhibit broader sustainable and health-conscious lifestyles, integrating sustainable practices into various aspects of their lives, not just in fashion. The findings contribute to understanding the relationships between consumer values (COSF and LOHAS) and purchase behavior, which can inform marketing strategies, especially in the growing slow fashion market. Policymakers and companies in the fashion industry can use these insights to promote sustainability and environmentally conscious consumption. Also, the study reveals significant differences between Portuguese and Czech consumers regarding sociodemographic characteristics and slow fashion consumption behaviors. Marketers can use these insights to tailor their campaigns to specific cultural and demographic groups, adjusting messaging based on income perception, education level, and purchase behavior. Consumer values such as authenticity, equity, and environmental consciousness (COSF and LOHAS) influence purchasing decisions. Slow fashion brands can use this information to develop products that resonate with these values, such as emphasizing sustainable materials, ethical production practices, or local craftsmanship, appealing directly to consumers who prioritize these attributes.

Projects are important “instruments of change” in realizing this shift toward sustainability in organizations and society. However, the deeper integration of sustainability is reported to be challenging. Current research on sustainable project management is limited in its coverage of the different organizational roles that contribute to the consideration of sustainability in projects, project management and project portfolio management. This paper discusses the contribution of different roles in the project organization, and the permanent organization, to the integration of sustainability considerations, and identifies the necessary interactions between these roles. The study concludes that the integration of sustainability considerations into project and portfolio management, and the subsequent alignment of strategy, portfolio, and projects, relies on the interplay of a number of roles in both the temporary project organizations and the permanent organization.

The housing configuration in a given area generally reflects similarities in terms of structural, location and neighborhood characteristics, indicating the formation of distinct housing sub-markets. This paper aims to identify the existence and evolution of housing sub-markets in the municipality of Oporto in 2019 and 2022. These sub-markets were identified with the help of the recent methodology of hierarchical cluster analysis with contiguity restrictions. Whereas traditional clustering techniques have long been used in market segmentation studies, those studies tend to incorporate location/neighborhood restrictions in an ad hoc form. Contiguity restricted cluster analysis addresses this issue directly. Results identified three well-defined and relatively stable sub-markets. Their delimitation, complemented by an analysis of the characteristics that define them, provides valuable information for homeowners, municipalities, lenders, and real estate investors and developers.

This paper examines the value creation of Iberian transnational corporations (TNCs) from 2013 to 2023, focusing on the impact of geoeconomic fragmentation. Using data from 7,040 TNCs, we find that total shareholder returns (TSR) exhibited variability, driven by macroeconomic recoveries and geopolitical disruptions, with differences between Portuguese and Spanish firms. Lower geoeconomic risk is associated with higher TSR, emphasizing the importance of stable environments for multinational corporations. Additionally, firms with negatively skewed stock returns show higher corporate value as investors demand lower expected returns, particularly for firms not at extreme skewness levels. Our findings highlight the role of risk management and diversification strategies in enhancing firm performance when experiencing geoeconomic challenges. Results provide insights for corporate leaders, investors, and policymakers on the effects of global fragmentation on TNCs’ performance. Our results are robust to alternative models and variable specifications.