Browsing by Author "Amado, Carla"
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- Academic self-initiated expatriates’ management in host transnational higher education institutions: motivations, perceived challenges and work performancePublication . Tran, Nguyen Hai Ngan; Amado, Carla; Pereira dos Santos, SérgioThis study aims to enhance sustainable global human capital management in transnational higher education (TNHE) by exploring the motivations of academic self-initiated expatriates (ASIEs) and the incentives for host institutions to attract international talent. Grounded in the international adjustment framework and the ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) framework, it addresses the underexplored management of ASIEs within TNHE contexts, identifying factors that enhance their adjustment, motivation and performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative research approach, the study employed predefined theoretical frameworks to conduct 22 in-depth interviews with both host institution managers and ASIEs in 11 TNHE programmes across Vietnam.FindingsThe study reveals significant gender imbalances among ASIEs, with most originating from non-English-speaking countries. Visa and work permit acquisition challenges are prominent for both ASIEs and host institutions. Although ASIEs' qualifications are highly valued, adaptability proves to be a more decisive criterion for selection. Most participants reported job satisfaction; however, notable differences emerged regarding motivations, salary expectations, retention preferences, performance management and determinants of success in expatriate roles.Originality/valueThis study contributes to TNHE literature by providing tailored recommendations for sustaining ASIEs' management practices. By extending the AMO framework to TNHE, this research offers actionable insights into the role of culturally tailored motivation- and opportunity-enhancing practices that can help mitigate ASIEs' adaptation challenges. The findings underscore the need for targeted human resource management (HRM) policies that address the specific needs of ASIEs, aiming to strengthen ASIEs' retention and institutional alignment.
- Ageism in health care: A systematic review of operational definitions and inductive conceptualizationsPublication . São José, José; Amado, Carla; Ilinca, Stefania; Buttigieg, Sandra Catherine; Larsson, Annika TaghizadehPurpose International and national bodies have identified tackling ageism in health care as an urgent goal. However, health professionals, researchers, and policy makers recognize that it is not easy to identity and fight ageism in practice, as the identification of multiple manifestations of ageism is dependent on the way it is defined and operationalized. This article reports on a systematic review of the operational definitions and inductive conceptualizations of ageism in the context of health care. Design and Methods We reviewed scientific articles published from January 1995 to June 2015 and indexed in the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane. Electronic searches were complemented with visual scanning of reference lists and hand searching of leading journals in the field of ageing and social gerontology. Results The review reveals that the predominant forms of operationalization and inductive conceptualization of ageism in the context of health care have neglected some components of ageism, namely the self-directed and implicit components. Furthermore, the instruments used to measure ageism in health care have as targets older people in general, not older patients in particular. Implications The results have important implications for the advancement of research on this topic, as well as for the development of interventions to fight ageism in practice. There is a need to take into account underexplored forms of operationalization and inductive conceptualizations of ageism, such as self-directed ageism and implicit ageism. In addition, ageism in health care should be measured by using context-specific instruments.
- Ageism in health care: a systematic review of operational definitions and inductive conceptualizationsPublication . São José, José; Amado, Carla; Ilinca, Stefania; Buttigieg, Sandra Catherine; Taghizadeh Larsson, AnnikaInternational and national bodies have identified tackling ageism in health care as an urgent goal. However, health professionals, researchers, and policy makers recognize that it is not easy to identity and fight ageism in practice, as the identification of multiple manifestations of ageism is dependent on the way it is defined and operationalized. This article reports on a systematic review of the operational definitions and inductive conceptualizations of ageism in the context of health care.Design and Methods We reviewed scientific articles published from January 1995 to June 2015 and indexed in the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane. Electronic searches were complemented with visual scanning of reference lists and hand searching of leading journals in the field of ageing and social gerontology. Results The review reveals that the predominant forms of operationalization and inductive conceptualization of ageism in the context of health care have neglected some components of ageism, namely the self-directed and implicit components. Furthermore, the instruments used to measure ageism in health care have as targets older people in general, not older patients in particular. Implications The results have important implications for the advancement of research on this topic, as well as for the development of interventions to fight ageism in practice. There is a need to take into account underexplored forms of operationalization and inductive conceptualizations of ageism, such as self-directed ageism and implicit ageism. In addition, ageism in health care should be measured by using context-specific instruments.
- Assessing the efficiency of mother-to-child HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries using data envelopment analysisPublication . Santos, Sérgio Pereira dos; Amado, Carla; Santos, MauroAIDS is one of the most significant health care problems worldwide. Due to the difficulty and costs involved in treating HIV, preventing infection is of paramount importance in controlling the AIDS epidemic. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to establish international comparisons on the efficiency of implementation of HIV prevention programmes. To do this we use data from 52 low- and middle-income countries regarding the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Our results indicate that there is a remarkable variation in the efficiency of prevention services across nations, suggesting that a better use of resources could lead to more and improved services, and ultimately, prevent the infection of thousands of children. These results also demonstrate the potential strategic role of DEA for the efficient and effective planning of scarce resources to fight the epidemic.
- Assessing the efficiency of mother-to-child HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries using DEA: an exploratory studyPublication . Santos, Sérgio Pereira dos; Amado, Carla; Santos, MauroAIDS is one of the most significant health care problems worldwide. Due to the difficulty and costs involved in treating HIV, preventing infection is of paramount importance in controlling the AIDS epidemic. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to establish international comparisons on the efficiency of implementation of HIV prevention programmes. To do this we use data from 52 low- and middle-income countries regarding the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Preliminary results indicate that there is a remarkable variation in the efficiency of prevention services across nations, suggesting that a better use of resources could lead to more and improved services, and ultimately, prevent the infection of thousands of children.
- Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the performance of organ transplant services using data envelopment analysisPublication . Manoel, Márcia N. F.; Santos, Sérgio; Amado, CarlaOrgan transplant is one of the best options for many medical conditions, and in many cases, it may be the only treatment option. Recent evidence suggests, however, that the COVID-19 pandemic might have detrimentally affected the provision of this type of healthcare services. The main purpose of this article is to use Data Envelopment Analysis and the Malmquist Index to assess the impact that the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 had on the provision of solid organ transplant services. To this purpose, we use three complementary models, each focusing on specific aspects of the organ donation and transplantation process, and data from Brazil, which has one of the most extensive public organ transplant programs in the world. Using data from 17 States plus the Federal District, the results of our analysis show a significant drop in the performance of the services in terms of the organ donation and transplantation process from 2018 to 2020, but the results also indicate that not all aspects of the process and States were equally affected. Furthermore, by using different models, this research also allows us to gain a more comprehensive and informative assessment of the performance of the States in delivering this type of service and identify opportunities for reciprocal learning, expanding our knowledge on this important issue and offering opportunities for further research.
- Assessment and determinants of the quality of life in portuguese citiesPublication . Barreira, Ana; Amado, Carla; Santos, Sérgio; Andraz, Jorge; Guimaraes, Maria Helenathe quality of life (QoL) in cities has increasingly been used as a symbol of urban success. Studies addressing this issue tend to focus, however, on large cities and/or on cities from different countries. By using a set of data from a single country, comprehending cities with different population sizes and densities, observations for 11 performance dimensions, and an approach combining the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique and multivariate regression modeling, this study analyses the QoL of Portuguese cities and explores some of its determinants. the results of this analysis show that both small and large cities can offer high levels of QoL with "transport and accessibility," "safety," "housing," "education," and "culture and entertainment" being the dimensions that most contribute to the QoL assessment. While Lisbon and Oporto (the two largest Portuguese cities) are benchmark cities, some of the highly populated cities located in their Metropolitan Areas present the most potential for improvement in terms of QoL. the results also show that cities located in the hinterland tend to present higher QoL scores than those on the coast. Equally, cities with lower population size and density, those that are district capitals and those with higher per capita current public expenditures present higher levels of QoL. These findings suggest, therefore, that the cities' typology, their population size and density, and their dependence from local governments' public expenditures can significantly contribute to the differences identified in their QoL performance.
- Challenges and success factors of transnational higher education: a systematic reviewPublication . Tran, Nguyen Hai Ngan; Amado, Carla; Santos, Sérgio Pereira dosThis paper provides an analysis of the literature on transnational education to identify the key challenges and success factors for the sustainable operation of transnational higher education (TNE) programmes as perceived by key stakeholders. Probing the stakeholders' perspectives and applying a systematic approach, this study analyses 227 English-written articles retrieved from the Web of Science database published from 2000 to 2021. Key challenges identified include difficulties in managing the TNE programmes, ensuring quality assurance, adapting the curricula to the local contexts, accommodating offshore students' learning styles, creating studying environments for TNE students equivalent to those in the home institutions, ensuring preparedness of the academic staff, and facilitating the knowledge transfer in the host countries. The analysis also highlights six factors for the sustainable development of TNE programmes, including the effectiveness of the operations, the internationalization of the curricula, the transnational experience of the students, the development of the transnational staff, the existence of a proper regulatory framework in the host countries, and the development of a global systematic data collection for quality assurance. In addition, the evidence collected suggests that while the transition from domestic into a foreign programme can be rewarding, it demands appropriate planning and implementation.
- Challenges for performance assessment and improvement in primary health care: the case of the Portuguese health centresPublication . Amado, Carla; Santos, Sérgio Pereira dosPrimary care is currently at the heart of health service policy, both in Portugal and internationally. At the same time, interest in the measurement of efficiency of health care delivery has increased considerably. However, very few studies have focused specifically on performance assessment in primary health care provision. In this paper we aim to contribute to a discussion regarding appropriate ways to compare the performance of primary health care providers. Following a review of the literature, a conceptual framework for performance assessment of health centres is developed and tested using the Portuguese case. Our empirical analysis uses data from 2004 and 2005 for all the Portuguese health centres and compares the geographical equity of access to services, technical efficiency and quality of services across District Health Authorities. Data Envelopment Analysis is the technique used to measure technical efficiency. From our empirical analysis, we conclude that there is evidence of large variation in equity of access to services, in technical efficiency and quality of services across District Health Authorities. Our findings suggest that a better use of resources could lead to more and improved services. Whilst formative evaluation could contribute to this, the challenge is to engage health care professionals in the evaluation exercise.
- Comparing the quality of life of cities that gained and lost population: An assessment with DEA and the Malmquist indexPublication . Amado, Carla; Barreira, Ana; Santos, Sérgio; Guimaraes, Maria HelenaThis study compares the quality of life (QoL) of cities that lost population with that of cities that gained population. A unique dataset composed of observations for 11 dimensions of QoL for all mainland Portuguese cities is used. By employing a non-parametric approach (data envelopment analysis), and by using a Malmquist-type index, this study identifies differences in QoL between the group of cities that lost population and the group of cities that gained population, as well as differences within each group. Despite the heterogeneity in cities that shrunk, this group presents, on average, higher QoL than cities that have grown.