Search

Intrapreneurship has long been recognised as a way to develop competitive advantages. This is particularly evident in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), so the intrapreneurial orientation (IO) of these companies should be evaluated from multiple perspectives. Research on this topic involves a wide variety of elements that not only have a direct impact on intrapreneurial behaviour but also change over time. Nonetheless, the development of a holistic system for evaluating IO in SMEs appears to be of great interest to academics and practitioners. Based on the epistemological convictions embodied in multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), this study sought to combine cognitive mapping techniques and the Choquet integral (CI) to develop a new IO evaluation system for SMEs. To this end, a panel of experienced decision makers with expertise in the subject under analysis was recruited. The results of a practical application of the proposed evaluation system and composite index were validated both by the panel members and a board member of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department of the Portuguese Institute for the Support of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Innovation (in Portuguese, Instituto de Apoio às Pequenas e Médias Empresas e à Inovação (IAPMEI)). The contributions and limitations of the proposed dual methodology are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information technology is an open door for governments to service citizens in a more timely, cost-efficient and effective manner. Even considering citizen resistance, cultural adversity or changes in the economic agents’ relationship, few would contest that concern over the state of electronic government (e-government) has increased over the years. This concern has been responsible for the emergence of a wide range of new initiatives devoted to development of the information and knowledge society, which occupies a central place in government policies and planning strategies worldwide. In this paper, we aim to analyze the evolutionary patterns of e-government in Portugal and, based on an application of the Delphi technique, provide development prospects considering the perceptions of a panel of administrative agents. Despite the low use of e-government services, our study demonstrates that the administrative agent expresses overall satisfaction with its use. Additionally, the high level of modernization allows us to forecast the increased use of information and communication technologies in terms of e-government services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Credit-scoring becomes increasingly important in poor economies and recessions. Decreasing liquidity due to reduced access to both money and debt markets has induced banks to impose restrictions on offering credit, including credit for mortgage loans. In this paper we analyze the internal rating system used by one of the top-five banks in Portugal, and propose a methodological framework which, based on an application of the Delphi technique, allows adjusting trade-offs among evaluation criteria and provides decision makers with a fairer, more accurate and transparent mortgage risk evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]