In a globalization context, underlined by the speed of technological transformation and increasingly competitive markets, the perspective of human capital, as an asset of strategic importance, stands out in differentiating human resource practices. Under this reality, the employer branding (EB) concept gains more and more importance as a strategic tool to attract, retain, and involve human capital, given that this has become a source of competitive advantage to companies. Within this context, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between employer branding strategies implemented by organizations, as well as their impact on the employee’s affective commitment, evident in certain organizational cultures, which are sustained over time. The methodological framework applied to this study is quantitative, and the data collection was carried out with the application of an employer branding and an affective commitment questionnaire. To achieve a good representation of the active population, the sample of the quantitative study was composed of 172 individuals, working in the public and private sectors in Portugal, exercising different positions in the different sectors of activity. Results obtained with these techniques indicate a high level of affective organizational commitment (AOC) of employees in the organizations surveyed, suggesting that affective commitment develops when the individual becomes involved and identifies with the organization.

A research about factors that lead students to choose online courses, as well as the acceptance of these courses, can provide very relevant information for higher education institutions’ decision makers to amend these offers to students’ interests and needs. An investigation through questionnaire was developed involving students who attended online post-graduate courses. It was intended to know which factors affect students' decision to opt for postgraduate online courses. A model, based on the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model), was tested to find out what factors determine the intention to use online learning. The results shows that most respondents favour online courses and that their decision, when choosing this type of course, is mainly influenced by time management flexibility, avoiding going to school and the course curriculum interest. The test of the model, with structural equations, shows that attitude regarding online courses and perceived usefulness are factors that predict the intention to use. It was also concluded that the perceived ease of use induces a direct and indirect effect on the intention to use. The most significant results are consistent with published studies and can help the higher education institutions to define offer and communication strategies to reach a greater number of candidates for online learning.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions with a face-to-face model have found themselves in the contingency of migrating to online learning. This study explores the perspective of all the lecturers at a Portuguese private higher education institution who were invited to participate, regardless of their research area, in this questionnaire. It aims to propose and test a conceptual model that combines attitudes, preferred activities, and technological experience with the sentiment about the impact of this experience on students’ learning process, on their teaching activity, and on the strategy of higher education institutions. An online questionnaire was conducted to 65 lecturers engaging in emergency online lecturing. The obtained results showed that lecturers reveal a positive attitude towards online lecturing, tend to prefer activities in which they feel most comfortable in face-to-face lecturing, and consider having technological experience useful for online activities. Lecturers have a positive sentiment about the impact of online learning on students’ learning, their faculty career, and the strategy of higher education institutions. The proposed conceptual model test shows that the model has well-fitting conditions. The results confirm the hypotheses formulated: namely, the predictive effect of attitude, preferred activities, and technological experience on sentiment. Faculty engagement in emergency online lecturing shows that the members are available to participate in the changing process, and the proposed conceptual model can be used to assess this readiness.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming medical practice, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, personalisation, and clinical efficiency. However, this transition raises complex ethical challenges related to transparency, accountability, fairness, and human oversight. This study examines how the literature conceptualises and distributes ethical responsibility in AI-assisted healthcare. Methods: This semi-systematic, theory-informed thematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Publications from 2020 to 2025 were retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore databases, and MDPI journals. A semi-quantitative keyword-based scoring model was applied to titles and abstracts to determine their relevance. High-relevance studies (n = 187) were analysed using an eight-category ethical framework: transparency and explainability, regulatory challenges, accountability, justice and equity, patient autonomy, beneficence–non-maleficence, data privacy, and the impact on the medical profession. Results: The analysis revealed a fragmented ethical landscape in which technological innovation frequently outperforms regulatory harmonisation and shared accountability structures. Transparency and explainability were the dominant concerns (34.8%). Significant gaps in organisational responsibility, equitable data practices, patient autonomy, and professional redefinition were reported. A multilevel ethical responsibility model was developed, integrating micro (clinical), meso (institutional), and macro (regulatory) dimensions, articulated through both ex ante and ex post perspectives. Conclusions: AI requires governance frameworks that integrate ethical principles, regulatory alignment, and epistemic justice in medicine. This review proposes a multidimensional model that bridges normative ethics and operational governance. Future research should explore empirical, longitudinal, and interdisciplinary approaches to assess the real impact of AI on clinical practice, equity, and trust.

A company’s competitive advantage largely depends on the longevity and quality of its customer relationships, making it essential to understand which tools best support these interactions. In particular, identifying the factors that shape the impact of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems on business performance is crucial. This study examines the influence of CRM on the business performance of Portuguese companies by employing a conceptual model structured around five dimensions: customer-centric management (CCM), CRM organization (CRMO), operational CRM (OCRM), customer service quality (CSQ), and technological turbulence (TT). Data were gathered via a questionnaire completed by employees of Portuguese firms using CRM systems, yielding a total of 228 valid responses. Of the nine hypotheses tested, eight were confirmed. The results indicate that CRM organization (CRMO) exerts the strongest positive influence on business performance (0.457), followed by customer service quality (CSQ), operational CRM (OCRM), and customer-centric management (CCM). The study also confirms that technological turbulence (TT) moderates the relationship between the CRM dimensions and business performance. These findings suggest that the proposed model is well-suited to the context of Portuguese SMEs and provide valuable insights for managers aiming to enhance competitiveness through the strategic use of CRM systems. Additionally, the results offer a relevant contribution to the academic literature on CRM and business performance.

This study integrates the relationship of business ethics in marketing campaigns and the importance of the repercussion on organizational performance with the aim of creating a guide of business ethics in marketing campaigns for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This guide allows SMEs to analyse their ethical dimension as well as to raise awareness and instill commercial ethics actions in the marketing campaigns common practice in organisations. The qualitative methodology has been applied and the proposed theoretical model uses a set of dimensions of ethics, commercial ethics, codes of conduct, marketing, and marketing campaigns to analyse the relationship of commercial ethics with marketing campaigns and its influence on organisations. The result demonstrates the influence of commercial ethics on advertising actions, when applied positively, enables and promotes the brand image, thus contributing to the organizational performance.