Bruno Sousa

Prof. Bruno Sousa

Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA)
+1
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

13Years (2014-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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29 April 2021 in Journal of Organizational Change Management
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Vasco SantosVasco Santos
Vasco Santos
PRPaulo Ramos
Paulo Ramos
Bruno SousaBruno Sousa
Bruno Sousa
NANuno Almeida
Nuno Almeida
MVMarco Valeri
Marco Valeri
Purpose: This paper aims to present a content analysis of two major constructs among tourism settings, namely involvement and emotions, strictly related to tourist behaviour, due to the fact that there are still some critical gaps in the knowledge about tourists' emotions and involvement.Design/methodology/approach: An in-depth content analysis of involvement and emotions was adopted as the methodological approach. This methodology addressed an amalgam of different definitions, frameworks, mixed theoretical and practical applications and approaches, results, comparisons as well as a blend of a set of scales of involvement and emotions by confrontating of authors.Findings: The major findings state that emotions and involvement demonstrate greater progress and scientific development to the level of tourism, marketing and consumer behaviour, representing an important issue for the integrated tourism experiences.Originality/value: This study presents a critical reflection on the importance of emotions and involvement in specific contexts of leisure and tourism.

19 January 2021 in Journal of Organizational Change Management
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Vasco SantosVasco Santos
Vasco Santos
PRPaulo Ramos
Paulo Ramos
Bruno SousaBruno Sousa
Bruno Sousa
MVMarco Valeri
Marco Valeri
Purpose: Wine tourism has stood out as a very recognized and valid tourism and marketing segment, growing worldwide and urging the complex needed advances on wine tourism practices performance. This paper aims to develop a new framework strictly applied to the global wine tourism system, taking into account emerging and future constructs and dimensions that precede and consequence it. Design/methodology/approach: The systematic mapping study (SMS) was adopted as the selected research methodological approach, both to analyze and to structure a broad research field concerning methods, designs and research, focuses on the papers published in reliable academic databases such as Emerald, ProQuest, Sage, Science Direct, Scopus, Wiley, Web of Science, Taylor and Francis and Wiley were properly selected and analyzed. Findings: The following four dimensions were found to comprise the global framework of the wine tourism system: (1) support features (governance, public policies and economic investment; supply development; physical and capacity conditions; requirements of health safety; opinion makers and leaders: managers/stakeholders/players/marketers and benchmarking and value chain); (2) innovation ecosystem (profile of the new generations of wine tourists; virtual and augmented reality: digital and hybrid wine events; smart wine tourism companies; digital channels and platforms: blogs, websites, applications; wine tourism creative activities for all [from kids to seniors] and sustainable and ecologic wine tourism practices); (3) wine tourism experience dimensions (storytelling; involvement; winescape; attachment; emotions and sensory) and (4) behavioural intentions (satisfaction; loyalty; and WoM). Research limitations/implications: The framework still needs to be empirically applied in wine tourism settings to enrich tourists’ robustness in cross-cultural wine tourism experiences, covering a wider spread of abroad wine tourism destinations and products. Practical implications: This framework is a useful tool and becomes vital to their continued success, as a key reference of wine tourism management and marketing. As a wine tourist's visitation frequency plays a role in his/her travel motives, product and service quality of tour packages must be improved and monitored. Originality/value: This is the first research study to demonstrate the combined use of the main domains forming the wine tourism system within a global perspective, covering of the most critical aspects.

19 May 2021 in Current Issues in Tourism
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Vasco SantosVasco Santos
Vasco Santos
Bruno SousaBruno Sousa
Bruno Sousa
PRPaulo Ramos
Paulo Ramos
MVMarco Valeri
Marco Valeri
This paper aims to present an extensive content analysis of two major constructs directly related to tourist behaviours (i.e. involvement and emotions), because there are still some critical gaps in the knowledge about tourists’ emotions and involvement. An in-depth content analysis of involvement and emotions was adopted as a methodological approach. To address the content analysis, a set of papers published in renowned scientific databases, such as Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, Emerald, Taylor and Francis, Elsevier, Sage and Wiley were selected and analysed. The major findings state that emotions and involvement demonstrate greater progress and scientific development to the level of tourism, marketing and consumer behaviour, representing an important issue for the integrated tourism experiences. Future studies should analyse and evaluate the role and impact of emotions and involvement in post-pandemic contexts. Hence, there is a growing potential for managers and stakeholders to achieve the benefits derived from the study outcomes.

23 September 2019 in Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Bruno SousaBruno Sousa
Bruno Sousa
GAGisela Maria Alves
Gisela Maria Alves
Purpose: This paper entails a reflection on medical tourism services and guest experiences. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how relationship marketing relates to other relevant variables in consumer’s behavior applied to medical tourism contexts and guest experiences. This study aims at discussing the customer behavior in healthcare management and medical tourism contexts and addresses the predisposition for the destination and the influence of relationship marketing on behavioral intentions.Design/methodology/approach: The paper starts from a conceptual framework based on relationship marketing theory. From this theoretical base, the concepts of trust, commitment and cooperation and behavioral intentions are derived. A theoretical model is developed specifying antecedents of satisfaction and loyalty in healthcare management and medical tourism contexts.Findings: The conceptual model shows that tourist destinations in the context of healthcare and medical tourism can be managed together with the study of the tourist consumer behavior and should focus on aspects that reinforce relationship marketing to the site, as planning services excellence, communication strategies, promotion services, integrated experiences and combating seasonality.Originality/value: This study has already identified that the global movement of tourism is seemingly showing an increased focus on the niche product or niche service. In this case, the question seems to be whether the further growth in demand for healthcare management and medical tourism – as a niche tourism example – products will continue until they take a form of mass tourism. The new vogue of medical tourism forces to challenge and re-visit the power relationships that exist within contemporary tourism and the host–guest relationship.

31 May 2019 in Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
JFJéssica Ferreira
Jéssica Ferreira
Bruno SousaBruno Sousa
Bruno Sousa
FGFrancisco Joaquim Barbosa Gonçalves
Francisco Joaquim Barbosa Gonçalves
Purpose: This study aims to establish a relationship between creative tourism and experiences in the traditional handicrafts of Barcelos (Portugal). Based on a qualitative approach, it also aims at analyzing the failures and absences from the tourist market by creating new proposals and responses to the demand. The conceptual framework of this study develops three proposals: first, to present new concepts and opportunities for the tourism market; second, to establish a direct relationship between the local traditional handicrafts, creative tourism and experiences; and finally, to promote traditions that add value to the local development. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses an ethnographic case analysis research design to investigate the propositions (ten in-depth interviews with technicians and artisans in Barcelos, Portugal). The key constructs are drawn from empirical research among handicraftsmen in which data analysis was carried out based on a qualitative analysis. Findings: The results suggest the experience, knowledge and importance of learning this dynamic in an entrepreneurship tourism perspective. Creative tourism and experiences are growing and strengthening the territories and consumer satisfaction in specific artisan, cultural and tourism entrepreneurship contexts. Research limitations/implications: This study fills a large gap in the territorial market, associating the knowledge of new concepts with the success of the tourism entrepreneurship. The findings provide solutions for helping handicraftsmen to improve their decision-making logic and increase the speed of market growth. There has been an increased emphasis on local and handmade goods that are linked to the culture and tourism of specific destinations. Originality/value: Tourism managers and artisan entrepreneurs can use the outcome of this study to gain in-depth understanding of customer experiences (i.e. consumers of local handicrafts) and develop effective marketing strategies and further stage the operational environment that can maximize customers’ perceived experiential value.

9 December 2020 in Information
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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BMBeatriz Monteiro
Beatriz Monteiro
Vasco SantosVasco Santos
Vasco Santos
Isabel Pinto ReisIsabel Pinto Reis
Isabel Pinto Reis
Marta Correia SampaioMarta Correia Sampaio
Marta Correia Sampaio
Bruno SousaBruno Sousa
Bruno Sousa
Manuel Luís Au-Yong-OliveiraManuel Luís Au-Yong-Oliveira
Manuel Luís Au-Yong-Oliveira
Most business enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and many of them are without a human resource and recruitment department. Thus, one of the challenges that organizations currently face is to find a strategy to retain and attract talent. To overcome this difficulty, enterprises must invest in employer branding policies and be aware of the factors that differentiate them from others when attracting employees. This study aims to develop an employer branding model applicable to SMEs, to increase and enhance the attraction and retention of talents. An exploratory approach based on a quantitative perspective was adopted to develop an employer branding model applied to SMEs, with two major reference employer branding models and frameworks used as the main support. The model of employer branding was applied to SMEs regarding four dimensions, whereby essential questions are asked, namely (1) organizational culture (e.g., do employees have a job description aligned with the corporate culture?), (2) company strategy (e.g., what is the strategy if business volume decreases?), (3) company reputation (e.g., how do you perceive and treat negative feedback?), and (4) reward systems (e.g., do you feel that your employees are motivated intrinsically or extrinsically or both?), ordered by layers based on a logical sequence. The new proposed model is expected to serve as a useful strategic tool and as a basis for attracting, retaining and managing talent, specifically in the SMEs context. This new model provides a set of strategic and competitiveness benefits for SMEs, while contributing to making enterprises more profitable. The model also contributes to SMEs having a better image and reputation, enabling them to stand out from others in the war for talent.