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From purpose to action: How purpose-driven leadership drives performance.
Publication . Ribeiro, Marco André Ferreira; Costa, Carla Filipa Gomes da; Ramos, Filipe Roberto de Jesus
This thesis explores Purpose-Driven Leadership as an emerging
and impactful paradigm in leadership studies, integrating
conceptual development with empirical analysis across diverse
organizational contexts. The research employs Natural Language
Processing techniques, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation, coword, and network analysis, to identify key leadership trends and
examine established research patterns. Five major trends are
highlighted: digital transformation, organizational performance,
educational leadership, leadership development, and gender and
diversity in leadership. Core leadership competencies, such as
communication and decision-making, emerge as central themes,
alongside transformational, ethical, and servant leadership
approaches. Additionally, leadership’s role in crisis
management, sustainability, and ethics is reinforced as common
areas of study. By juxtaposing emerging trends with established
research patterns, Purpose-Driven Leadership is identified as a
timely and significant area for further investigation.
A systematic review of 58 peer-reviewed studies conceptualizes
Purpose-Driven Leadership as a leadership paradigm that
integrates the organizational purpose as its core. The Inverted
Pyramid of Purpose model is proposed, structuring purpose
implementation across organizational, team, and individual
levels. Despite growing interest in Purpose-Driven Leadership,
empirical research remains limited, underscoring the need for a
dedicated measurement tool.
To address this gap, the Purpose-Driven Leadership Scale is
developed and validated through a structured multi-stage
methodology. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses
reveal a five-factor model: Implementation and Communication,
Integrity and Authenticity, Alignment, Commitment, and
Empowerment and Transformation. Empirical findings from 831
professionals across healthcare, STEM, and education sectors
demonstrate that Purpose-Driven Leadership exerts the strongest
positive impact on job performance, primarily through enhanced
work engagement, compared to Transformational and
Transactional leadership. Moderation analyses further highlight
the role of authenticity, work-life balance, and communication in
amplifying leadership effectiveness.
Overall, these findings position Purpose-Driven Leadership as a
transformative leadership approach that fosters organizational
unification, employee engagement, and high-performance,
providing a foundation for further research and practice.
Mental health of portuguese nurses in 2024 : what has changed since 2017? a cross-sectional observational comparative study
Publication . Seabra, Paulo; Lopes, Joaquim Oliveira; Pessoa, Ezequiel; Capelas, Manuel Luis
Background: Nurses’ mental health has become an increasingly pressing concern worldwide because of its impact on health systems, patient health outcomes, job satisfaction, and workforce attrition.
Aim: This study updates and compares findings from a national survey initially conducted in 2017 to assess the mental health of Portuguese nurses and examine associations with socio-professional variables.
Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was expanded to include 1894 nurses working in hospitals, primary care, and other settings. The General Health Questionnaire-24 was used to assess mental health perception.
Results: Results indicate a substantial decline in mental health perceptions across all indicators compared with 2017. Participants reported more negative assessments of overall mental health, with notable increases in somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia (the most affected domain), social dysfunction, and severe depression. Moreover, participants reported increased use of psychotropic drugs. Protective factors identified include specialised training, increased time off (particularly weekends), and engagement in sports or hobbies.
Conclusions: Being the largest group in Portugal’s healthcare workforce, and reflected globally, nurses play a pivotal role in the health system. Their mental well-being directly impacts patient care quality and safety.
These findings support the implementation of targeted strategies to safeguard nurses’ mental health and enhance healthcare delivery.
Training on the impact of climate change on public health : reflections and lessons learnt
Publication . Viegas, Susana; Santos, João Almeida; Kazmierczak, Aleksandra; Assunção, Ricardo; Viegas, Carla; Martins, Carla
Torque regulation is influenced by the nature of the isometric contraction
Publication . Bauer, Philipp; Gomes, João Sá; Oliveira, João; Santos, Paulo; Pezarat-Correia, Pedro; Vaz, João R.
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a continuous visual feedback and the isometric contraction nature on the complexity and variability of force. Thirteen healthy and young male adults performed three MVCs followed by three submaximal isometric force tasks at a target force of 40% of their MVC for 30 s, as follows: (i) push isometric task with visual feedback (Pvisual); (ii) hold isometric task with visual feedback (Hvisual); (iii) hold isometric task without visual feedback (Hnon-visual). Force complexity was evaluated through sample entropy (SampEn) of the force output. Force variability was analyzed through the coefficient of variation (CV). Results showed that differences were task-related, with Pvisual showing higher complexity (i.e., higher SampEn) and decreased variability (i.e., lower CV) when compared with the remaining tasks. Additionally, no significant differences were found between the two hold isometric force tasks (i.e., no influence of visual feedback). Our results are promising as we showed these two isometric tasks to induce different motor control strategies. Furthermore, we demonstrated that visual feedback’s influence is also dependent on the type of isometric task. These findings should motivate researchers and physiologists to shift training paradigms and incorporate different force control evaluation tasks.
Defining a new Brand Construct: Trendy Brands
Publication . Vieira, Jorge Manuel Gouveia; Bicho, Marta Liliana Nunes; Cruz, José Manuel Teixeira dos Santos
"Purpose: This thesis seeks to answer our main research question: What are the defining characteristics of Trendy Brands?
This thesis aims to conceptualise and validate a novel construct in branding theory—Trendy Brands—and to explore its impact on consumer behaviour. Despite frequent references to trend and trendiness in the literature, the attribute has lacked a consistent conceptual foundation or empirical validation. Addressing this gap, this research seeks to define the characteristics of Trendy Brands, develop a reliable measurement scale, and assess the construct’s predictive value in relation to key Brand Equity outcomes, including brand loyalty and consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices.
Methodology: A mixed-method and multi-method approach was employed, consisting of four complementary studies. The first two studies involved systematic literature reviews to identify and synthesise the most relevant brand determinants and the conceptual evolution of brand value over the past two decades. The third study employed qualitative methods, including focus groups and semi-structured interviews, following an abductive approach to identify and categorise brand traits associated with trendy brands. In the fourth study, a series of quantitative analyses were conducted using three independent samples to develop and validate the TRENDY scale. Techniques included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as nomological and discriminant validation assessments.
Findings: This research defines Trendy Brands as those that align with current social and cultural trends, while embodying boldness, innovation, and desirability, ultimately captivating consumers and stimulating passion. The construct was operationalised through a psychometrically validated scale, demonstrating high reliability and robustness across multiple studies. Findings show that Trendy Brands significantly influence core Brand Equity outcomes—especially brand loyalty and willingness to pay a premium. Furthermore, the thesis introduces the concept of the Trendy Brands Journey, highlighting the dynamic nature of trendiness and its potential to be cultivated across brand lifecycles. The proposed TRENDY construct is distinct from related concepts such as Brand Coolness and Brand Love, as demonstrated through discriminant and nomological validation.
Originality/Value: This thesis offers a substantial theoretical contribution by introducing and validating a new construct—Trendy Brands—that had not previously been formally defined or empirically tested within branding literature. It addresses the lack of clarity in existing models of brand equity and expands the theoretical framework to include contemporary consumer–brand dynamics rooted in socio-cultural relevance and trend alignment. Methodologically, it combines qualitative and quantitative techniques in a rigorous, replicable framework. The TRENDY scale provides a valuable tool for academics and practitioners to assess, compare, and develop new brand strategies. Practically, the research offers actionable insights for brand managers aiming to enhance brand desirability, justify premium pricing strategies, and foster deeper consumer engagement. The work is especially relevant in saturated markets where emotional and symbolic brand attributes serve as critical differentiators"