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Doctoral Thesis in Business Management presented to Faculty of Economics of Coimbra University Purpose: In an increasingly interconnected world every action matters. Sustainable supply chain management is a field full of opportunities for deeper investigations, in order to understand how to use power and influence in a proper way to develop business in a responsible way, through an approach where all can win. The first goal of this investigation is to map academic publications on the subject and the intellectual knowledge contained therein, covering past research trends and identifying potential future paths of research in the fields of corporate social responsibility and supply chain management, through a systematic review and bibliometric analysis. The second goal was to investigate the impact of the supply chain leadership and supply chain followership on purchasing social responsibility, considering the mediator effects of information sharing and shared values, since these variables contribute to a better understanding of the leadership and followership phenomena as key drivers of a sustainable supply chain management. The third goal was to identify the impact of supply chain leadership and supply chain followership on corporate social responsibility, considering the mediating effects of shared values, information sharing and purchasing social responsibility. The fourth goal was to identify how corporate social responsibility affects firm value, specifically through the analyses of social responsible behaviours impact on shared value shared value creation, in order to achieve higher performances performance and greater competitive advantages. The fifth goal was to analyse how supply chain leadership and supply chain followership affects firm value, specifically, through the analyses of transformational leadership and followership behaviours on shared value creation, in order to higher performance and greater shared values alignment. By doing so, new insights on sustainable supply chain management to assure business sustainability are provided. Methodology: The answers to the relationships proposed were drawn from the partial and cumulative results that were tested in the four partial and complementary models developed, corresponding to four empirical partial investigations produced. To test the proposed research hypotheses, this investigation uses a structured questionnaire to gather data from a cross-sectional sample of supply chain partners from the biggest Portuguese energy supplier. The initial three investigation models considered a sample of 425 partners, and the fourth later model considered a sample of 456 partners, since 31 additional responses had been fulfilled later in the investigation. Structural Equation Modelling is used to test the proposed hypotheses, and a multi-group analysis is conducted to find how suppliers’ dependency can impact the suggested relationships. Findings: The main findings of this investigation are: (i) there is a growing academic appeal to perform empirical studies involving supply chain partners, with the objective of monitoring the performance of companies through robust indicators and understanding how actions taken by leading organisations are contributing to the creation of value and competitive advantages, in a multidimensional and holistic approach; (ii) supply chain leadership has a positive impact on supply chain followership, information sharing, shared value, shared values and purchasing social responsibility, showing indirect effects on corporate social responsibility and performance through the proposed mediating variables; (iii) supply chain followership has a positive impact on information sharing, shared value, shared values and corporate social responsibility, showing indirect effects on performance; (iv) corporate social responsibility has a positive impact on competitive advantages, shared value and performance; (v) information sharing has a positive impact on performance and corporate social responsibility; (vi) shared values has a positive impact on purchasing social responsibility, corporate social responsibility and performance; (vii) shared value has a positive impact on performance; (viii) performance has a positive impact on corporate social responsibility; (ix) supply chain leadership dependency appears to moderate some of the proposed relationships. Implications/Originality: This research provides empirical evidence on the influence of supply chain leadership, supply chain followership and corporate social responsibility on organizational value creation, contributing to a better understanding of the impacts of social responsible behaviours on business sustainability, filling the gaps identified on past literature. The overall results may support the importance of a social responsible leadership, identifying how a sustainable company may create value for itself, and for everyone with whom it interacts. Consequently, researchers conducting studies on business strategy can incorporate these conceptual approaches as key elements in strategic business planning. In addition, supply chain management researchers can evaluate the inclusion of supply chain leadership, supply chain followership and corporate social responsibility in the studies carried out, in order to evaluate how these variables can translate on tangible assets, life cycle management, time to market, quality and product innovation. Limitations: The research only considers suppliers of one company. The relationships between variables need to be explored in other practical case studies and longitudinal investigations to improve the possibility of generalisation and establishing more reliable causal relationships.

Esta dissertação analisa dois momentos distintos da intervenção estatal na economia: a criação de sociedades de propósito específico e, após sua instituição, o controle exercido sobre elas. Mais especificamente, são avaliados os instrumentos de controle aplicados sobre a criação, funcionamento e extinção dessas sociedades. Para isso, analisa-se, do ponto de vista dogmático, se a criação ou extinção das sociedades de propósito específico podem ser realizadas por ato unilateral do Poder Executivo, ou se, em contrário, são atos complexos, dependentes de prévia autorização legislativa. Superada essa análise, passa-se à abordagem do problema de pesquisa deste trabalho: quais as implicações de uma maior intervenção estatal na economia através de sociedades de propósito específico, em termos de controle na criação, funcionamento e extinção dessas entidades? O eventual aumento da participação estatal na economia é aferido pelo crescimento do número de sociedades de propósito específico no âmbito das estatais e pelo aumento dos valores geridos por essas entidades. Os mecanismos de controle são analisados pela compulsoriedade em sua existência e efetiva implementação, bem como pela capacidade em concreto de evitar infrações das mais diversas naturezas. Tem-se por hipótese que a intervenção estatal na economia através de sociedades de propósito específico, na forma em que é exercida atualmente, tem dificultado o controle pelos órgãos competentes para a fiscalização do emprego de recursos públicos. A primeira justificativa deste trabalho está relacionada com a eventual necessidade de prévia e específica autorização do Poder Legislativo para o aumento da participação do Estado na economia através de sociedades de propósito específico. Neste caso, a preocupação é com o respeito ao princípio da separação dos Poderes e aos mecanismos de checks and balances previstos na Constituição Federal. A segunda justificativa diz respeito aos mecanismos de controle atualmente aplicados à criação, funcionamento e extinção das sociedades de propósito específico. Neste ponto, os recentes casos de infrações de diversas naturezas, sobretudo criminais e ambientais, chamaram a atenção para a existência de eventuais falhas no controle dessas entidades. O tema será abordado através de análise doutrinária, jurisprudencial e empírica, esta última através de estudo de casos. Além disso, serão apresentadas propostas para um melhor controle das sociedades de propósito específico. This dissertation analyzes two distinct moments of state intervention in the economy: the creation of special purpose entities and, after their establishment, the control exercised over them. More specifically, the control instruments applied for the creation, operation and extinction of these companies are evaluated. For this, it is analyzed, from the dogmatic point of view, if the creation or extinction of the special purpose entities can be carried out by unilateral act of the Executive Branch, or if, on the contrary, they are complex acts, dependent on previous legislative authorization. Overcoming this analysis, is addressed the research problem of this dissertation: which are the implications of greater state intervention in the economy through special purpose entities, in terms of control over the creation, functioning and extinction of these entities? The possible increase of state participation in the economy is gauged by the increase in the number of special purpose entities within the state-owned companies and the increase in the amounts managed by these entities. Control mechanisms are analyzed for their compulsory existence and effective implementation, as well as for their specific ability to prevent infringements of various kinds. It is hypothesized that state intervention in the economy through special purpose entities, as currently practiced, has made it difficult for the competent bodies to control and supervise the use of public resources. The first justification of this dissertation is related to the possible need of prior and specific authorization of the Legislative Branch for the increase of the state participation in the economy through special purpose entities. In this case, the concern is with respect for the principle of separation of powers and the checks and balances mechanisms provided for in the Federal Constitution. The second justification concerns the control mechanisms currently applied for the creation, operation and extinction of special purpose entities. At this point, recent cases of infringements of various kinds, especially criminal and environmental, have drawn attention to the existence of possible failures in the control of these entities. The subject will be approached through doctrinal, jurisprudential and empirical analysis, the latter through case studies. In addition, proposals will be presented for better control of the special purpose entities.

Num mercado energético liberalizado cada vez mais competitivo têm sido desenvolvidas novas estratégias de negócio pelas empresas comercializadoras de energia com o objetivo de aumentarem o nível de satisfação dos seus clientes e incrementarem as respetivas quotas de mercado. Essas estratégias têm potenciado uma oferta cada vez mais abrangente de produtos e serviços de eficiência energética, assim como de soluções para a produção de energia proveniente de fontes renováveis. Assim, as empresas têm traçado um caminho alinhado com os objetivos da União Europeia (UE) com vista a proporcionar uma resposta adequada face aos desafios ambientais, económicos e sociais que o mundo atravessa atualmente. A presente investigação pretende analisar de que modo ocorreu a liberalização do mercado elétrico em Portugal, determinando quais foram os fatores que influenciaram a oferta disponibilizada por parte das comercializadoras em produtos e serviços potenciadores de um melhor desempenho energético por parte dos seus clientes, quer através da implementação de soluções de eficiência energética, quer através da implementação de sistemas de produção de energia para autoconsumo. Adicionalmente, pretende-se determinar qual a comercializadora portuguesa que apresenta uma oferta mais competitiva no mercado energético nacional. Através de revisão de literatura, entrevistas realizadas a peritos do setor energético e com base nas informações disponibilizadas nas páginas de empresas portuguesas que comercializam energia elétrica no mercado nacional, foi possível aferir os fatores mais importantes para a alteração dos comportamentos das organizações perante a liberalização do setor, nomeadamente: (i) os desafios energéticos do século XXI, (ii) o aumento dos preços da energia elétrica, (iii) o desenvolvimento tecnológico, (iv) os Planos de Promoção da Eficiência no Consumo (PPEC) e (v) o meio empresarial competitivo que caracteriza o novo mercado liberalizado. Adicionalmente, através de um estudo comparativo efetuado (benchmarking), foi possível comparar as principais ofertas disponibilizadas pelas comercializadoras de energia elétrica com maior impacto no mercado nacional. Algumas destas soluções foram aplicadas em caso de estudo, realizado em parceria com a EDP Comercial, de modo a determinar quais as vantagens das mesmas para os clientes, tendo-se concluído o seguinte: (i) as soluções propostas resultam em benefícios económicos efetivos para os clientes e (ii) a EDP é a empresa que opera no mercado nacional que apresenta um portfólio mais alargado de produtos de valor acrescentado que contribuem para o atingimento das metas da UE e, deste modo, para um mercado energético europeu mais sustentável.