Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Covid 19 impacts on projects'

Although projects and project management has grown to be increasingly influential in all aspects of business operations, project success and efficiency is often harder to measure and arguably harder to execute. Many projects may often change the course of intent, exceed the initial budget, or even finish later than expected. This causes a great debate on the different ways to efficiently manage projects and what actually works best in practise. According to different scholars, some sides mention that traditional methods where planning is completed at the very beginning is the most efficient way to manage projects, while others mention the use of adaptive methods where planning is not ‘set in stone’.  Project management as an academic field is relatively well explored, however as the COVID-19 continues to set restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, academic research to increase the empirical data on project management during the pandemic is needed. This study aims to contribute to this academic field to understand the reasoning behind project management adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study will aim to gain understanding to the why’s and how’s of common themes regarding how projects have adapted. The industries this study will focus on will be the Swedish game-development industry and the Swedish heavy industry.  Based on a literature search and review on project management evaluations methods, leadership styles, risk and crisis management, and project management methodologies, semi-structured interviews took place with CEO’s, project managers, and other senior managers in decision making positions, representing a total of six firms with three from each industry. The respondents were categorized based on their industry and if their project was completed or not.  The analysis showed practical similarities in the implementations between projects, such as hygienic aspects in the workplace, remote working, and other practical implementations from the guidelines of the Swedish health authorities. The analysis also found the common theme of project responses being external threat recognition followed by the adaptation of remote working, the expansion of communication and finally the closure of the project. the analysis did however find smaller variations depending on the size of the firm and industry, such that smaller projects did not always need a firm wide remote working unit and that heavy industry projects leaned towards traditional project management methodologies with hints of agile methods, while the game-development projects quite explicitly used agile methods. While the study does contribute to the academic field of project management with empirical data and may provide guidance in future pandemics and similar situations, further research is needed in order to gain a full understanding on the pandemics effect on projects in Sweden, especially through a study covering a larger study size.

Purpose -- Given the enduring COVID-19 pandemic, this thesis set out to reveal an updated perspective of the service-oriented small business experience, particularly in their access and choice of financial resources to fund operations and adapt marketing strategy. By the time this study started, it was clear which businesses had been rising with the new tides of swelled categorical demand vs. those that were persevering like embers in a 'slow burn' state of low income against persistent expenses. Therefore, the research sought to compare the results of marketing experimentation with current plans for increasing resiliency, or enabling robust growth, coming out of the pandemic.  Methodology / Design / Approach -- As the quantitative understanding of the business impacts had been generalized, a closer look was needed into what entrepreneurs and small business leaders were thinking about in the present moment, by reflecting on factors for survival / thriving, until this point and going forward. To capture this wide range of perspectives and strategies in formulation, qualitative methods with a diverse set of businesses were selected. Theoretically, customer-centric marketing principles were employed, focusing on three intangible firm resources (of the resource-based view): 1) Stakeholder Relationships; 2) Brand Equity and 3) Knowledge / Capabilities. Findings -- With the realization that adequate financing is inaccessible and government support perceivably unreliable, small businesses naturally tested several emergent strategies within the limits of their available resources. During times of crisis and radical change, as entire industry ecosystems are reassuming their fundamentals, companies have the opportunity to maximize and develop their resources, in alignment with differing and changing customer demands.  Practical Implications -- While the recommendations are tailored for small business and optimistically many, cities are also suggested to take a resource-based VRIO (Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organizability) approach to supporting the economic value and potential of their retail, restaurant and service-oriented business communities.  Originality / Value -- Applying a modern customer-centric view for the small business resources most potentially valuable and developable, this research contributes a unique crisis-borne framework, which may be conceptually used as a hotbed -- by both internal and external (i.e. municipalities, partners and customers) stakeholders -- for ideating novel marketing strategies and supporting business growth / resilience.  Keywords: Adaptation, Crisis Management, Financial Liquidity, Access to Capital, Government Aid, Alternative Finance, Marketing Strategy, Resource-based View (RBV), Customer-Centric, Stakeholder View, Brand, Authenticity, Knowledge, Capabilities, Marketing Management, Marketing-Finance Interface, Paid Marketing, Organic Marketing, Customer Loyalty, Community and Decision-Making

The world has been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and many companies and organizations have adopted different type of strategies in terms of the workplace in all sectors around the world. Working from home practice has gained prominence as a part of quarantine measures to curb the spread of the disease since the beginning of the outbreak. This abrupt change has a dramatic influence on the business life and employees have been struggling to adapt to their new way of working. Therefore their productivity has changed, too depending on various factors at their new workplace: home. Working from home is only possible with the use of information technology. Information technology makes it possible for the business life to continue owing to its solutions. Owing to the solutions of information technology, employees can communicate with each other and organizations and complete their tasks by sending and receiving written, audio and visual information. It is crucial for everyone’s sake that the employees working in information technology work efficiently, particularly in pandemic times. The key role of their success is played by their managers and coordinators. Therefore, this thesis focuses on IT project managers and coordinators’ productivity. The purpose of this study is to list the factors, as benefits and challenges, influencing the productivity of IT project managers and project coordinators working from home during COVID-19 pandemic and provide recommendations to the project managers and project coordinators and also public and private organizations and companies which prefer to continue working from home to increase their productivity. In this study, qualitative research method and descriptive statistics concerning the selected benefits and challenges are used via a self- administered digital survey responded by 46 project managers/coordinators. It is concluded that working from home due to COVID-19 pandemic has both positive and negative influences on productivity of the IT project managers/project coordinators. Many benefits, such as sleeping longer hours and being able to focus at home without open-office distractions and many challenges, such as being distracted by house chores and being disturbed by family members have been identified as a result of the survey. Respondents contributed to the study further by their valuable recommendations to public and private organizations and also to other IT project managers/coordinators who work from home during the pandemic to increase their productivity. The recommendations to other PM/PC are concerned with routine and discipline, work-life balance, breaks and doing other things, workspace, people around and communication. The recommendations to organizations, on the other hand, are concerned with various types of support, respecting time, flexibility about time, trust, communication and acceptance as family. Both the findings and recommendations may help IT project managers/coordinators and their employers to develop a more comprehensive vision in terms of increasing their productivity while working from home during the pandemic.

Thesis: S.M. in Transportation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, September, 2020
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-176).
Public transportation ridership analysis in the United States has traditionally centered around the tracking and reporting of the count of trips taken on the system. Such analysis is valuable but incomplete. This work presents a ridership analysis framework that keeps the rider, rather than the trip, as the fundamental unit of analysis, aiming to demonstrate to transit agencies how to leverage data sources already available to them in order to capture the various behavior patterns existing on their transit network and the relative prevalence of each at any given moment and over time. In examining year over year changes as well as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ridership, this analysis highlights the complex landscape of behaviors underlying trip counts. It keeps riders' mobility patterns and needs as the focal point and, in doing so, creates a more direct line between results of analysis and policies geared toward making the system better for its riders.
This work makes use of two primary methodological tools: the k-means clustering algorithm to identify behavioral patterns, and linear and spatial regression to model metrics of urban mobility across the city. The former is chosen because of its established history in the literature as a technique for classifying smart cards, and because its simplicity and efficiency in clustering high numbers of cards made it an attractive option for a framework that could be adopted and customized by various transit agencies. Spatial regression is employed in conjunction with classic linear regression to capture spatial dependencies inherent in but often ignored in the modeling of urban mobility data.
Chapter 3 of this work identifies the behavioral dynamics underlying top-level ridership decreases between 2017 and 2018 on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and finds that riders decreasing the frequency with which they ride, rather than leaving the system, is the primary driver behind the loss of trips on the system, despite growth in the number of frequent riders using the system for commuting travel. The following chapter applies a similar framework to understand the precipitous ridership drop due to COVID-19 and discovers distinct responses on the part of two frequent rider groups, with peak rail riders abandoning the system at rates of 93% while half of off-peak bus riders continued to ride during the pandemic. Chapter 5 uses linear and spatial regression to model the percent change in trips due to COVID by census tract and finds that even when controlling for demographics, pre-pandemic behavior is predictive of the percent loss in trips.
Specifically, high rates of bus usage and transfers, along with pass usage, are associated with smaller drops in trips, while riding during the peak is predictive of larger decreases in trips. Chapter 6 presents preliminary thoughts on employing a spatial regression framework on high-dimensional data to learn urban mobility patterns. This work highlights the insights to be gained from an analysis framework that reveals the complex behavioral dynamics present on a transit network at any given time. It further connects these behaviors to other rider characteristics such as home location and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, painting a rich picture of an agency's riders with their existing data and allowing for informed, targeted policy creation. A key finding was that frequent, off-peak bus riders who frequently have to transfer are one of the largest groups of riders and the group most associated with continued ridership during the pandemic.
Future policies should recognize that this group uses the system when and where overall ridership is low, and direction of resources away from these parts of the system will disproportionately hurt riders who are most reliant on public transit and therefore have the most to gain from increased investment. The CTA should work in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure that as public transit ridership recovers from the pandemic, attention is paid not only to those riders who need to be brought back onto the system, but also those who never left it.
by Mary Rose Fissinger.
S.M. in Transportation
S.M.inTransportation Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

A popular area that has increased in interest within the literature of International Business has lately been devoted to the field of international small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Parallelly, the literature concerning uncertainties and crises has also grown, particularly regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In todays’ highly volatile and fast- changing business environment, managing a crisis is a task many organizations are used to. However, the subsequent consequences that certain crises entail are crucial for an organization to overcome as well as adapt to and handle for it to survive as an operating mechanism in the world market. The COVID-19 pandemic entails consequences never experienced before, therefore, the importance of researching the phenomenon becomes vital to develop ways for organizations, particularly international SMEs, to cope with the situation. For this reason, this study began by investigating Swedish SMEs, with international connections, with the purpose to discover how internal communication in SMEs occurs as well as how it is impacted by leadership and organizational climate during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study conducted six semi-structured interviews with managers and executives from six Swedish organizations within the industry and manufacturing sector.  This thesis generated several interesting findings generating an enriched understanding of how and why internal communication during the COVID- 19 pandemic is important to manage for SMEs. The findings inform that internal communication is perceived as highly important by managers and executives to mitigate uncertainties, create a feeling of trust, and create or keep engagement within the firm. Further uncoverings indicate how leadership and organizational climate impact how internal communication occurs, is perceived, and practiced. In other words, leadership and organizational climate can be assumed to influence internal communication in various levels and are important to be aware of. In conclusion, the study has showcased that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the way that internal communication occurs and how it is impacted by both leadership and organizational climate are, within SMEs, intertwined. Moreover, it seems evident that internal communication, leadership, and organizational climate are, independently and interdependently, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which, in turn, impact how they interact.
Ett sedan tidigare populärt område som den senaste tiden fått ett ökat intresse och som har uppmärksammats i litteratur inom internationellt företagande är små och medelstora företag (SMF). Parallellt med detta har även mängden litteratur avseende osäkerheter och kriser ökat, speciellt gällande pandemin av Coronavirussjukdom 2019 (COVID-19). I dagens flyktiga företagsmiljöer är krishantering en uppgift som många verksamheter har erfarenhet av. Trots detta är det avgörande för företag att ta sig igenom, anpassa sig till och hantera de konsekvenser som särskilda kriser kan leda till, för att kunna säkerställa sin överlevnad som fungerande mekanismer i en världsmarknad. Eftersom COVID-19 pandemin medför konsekvenser som tidigare aldrig upplevts blir det extra avgörande att undersöka detta för att ta fram och utveckla verktyg för hur företag, och specifikt SMFs, kan hantera dessa. Med detta som grund påbörjades arbetet med denna forskning genom att undersöka svenska SMF av internationell karaktär med ett syfte att utreda hur intern kommunikation inom SMF uppstår, så väl som hur den påverkas av ledarskap och företagsklimat under COVID-19 pandemin. Sex semi-strukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med chefer och managers från sex olika svenska företag inom industri - och tillverkningssektorn.  Studien genererade ett flertal intressanta resultat som bidrog till en fördjupad förståelse av hur och varför intern kommunikation är viktigt att hantera för SMF under COVID-19 pandemin. Resultaten påvisar att intern kommunikation uppfattas som högst relevant av chefer och managers för att minimera osäkerhet, skapa en känsla av tillit och för att skapa eller bibehålla engagemang inom företaget. Dessutom indikerar dessa rön på hur ledarskap och det interna klimatet påverkar hur intern kommunikation uppstår, uppfattas och praktiseras. Med andra ord kan det antas att ledarskap och företagsklimatet påverkar den interna kommunikationen på flera nivåer vilka är viktiga att vara medvetna om. Sammanfattningsvis har studien visat att hur intern kommunikation under COVID-19 pandemin uppstår och hur den påverkas av ledarskap och företagsklimat inom dessa SMF är sammanflätat. Det blev också påtagligt att ledarskap, företagsklimat och intern kommunikation är påverkade av COVID-19 pandemin, både var för sig och beroende av varandra, vilket i sin tur påverkar deras inflytande över varandra.

This thesis examined the effect of non-financial motives, namely pro-environmental or sustainability preference, in bond pricing on the European secondary market before and during the COVID-19 crisis over the period 02.01.2019-26.02.2021. To estimate the potential yield spread between green bonds and matched conventional bonds, we applied a stringent matching method and fixed-effect regression to explore the green bond premium. The result indicated a small positive premium of 0.46 bps before the COVID-19 (01.2019-02.2020) and a small negative premium of 0.2 bps during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis (03.2020-02.2021), and the premiums have significantly changed between the two study periods, implying that the COVID-19 had a significant effect on the GB premium. Thus, before the pandemic, investors demanded compensation in the form of a higher yield return on investing in green bonds; however, during the pandemic, investors are willing to accept a lower yield on the GBs in comparison to the equivalent CB to finance environmentally-friendly projects. Additionally, the paper investigated bond volatility by analyzing the standard deviation of the daily yield. Although green bonds tended to have a higher volatility, no robust conclusion could be drawn due to a lack of statistical significance.

The mental health impacts of LGBTQ discrimination during the Covid 19pandemic have been severe. "We find that LGBT adults have experienced thepandemic differently than non-LGBT people in some key domains including withrespect to their risk of COVID-19, mental health, employment loss, vaccine attitudes,and willingness to engage in risk-reduction behavior such as social distancing(Dawson).” Additional help is necessary to manage resources for this group at a timewhen their voice isn’t as strong. Another example of a historical pandemic is the influenza pandemic thatoccurred after World War 1. These pandemics changed history, and the way that wethink and operate as a society. The COVID19 virus especially has changed the world.Some examples of how COVID has changed the world include school closures andlimitations on access to healthcare. The LGBTQIA community especially has struggled with access to equitablehealthcare. "In 31 states there is still no employment discrimination protection fortransgender people. private businesses and individuals continue to discriminateagainst same-sex couples. In Colorado, 41% of LGBQ people and 75% of transgenderpeople report needing to educate their health care providers on LGBTQ-specifichealth needs(McAfee).” The mental healthcare system has oppressed LGBTQIApeople. I wish to provide a contribution to a community where marginalizedcommunities are encouraged to gain social justice. By social justice I meanopportunities and privileges distributed equally within a society. They will gainsocial justice by disrupting systems that abuse oppressed marginalized folks. Thisincludes systems like systemic racism, ableism, sexism, and heterosexism andhomophobia. Institutions such as government, culture, and education reinforce thisoppression. These systems are hurtful and repeated by the mental health system.

Throughout the years there have been many pandemics, but none with the same impact and complications of which COVID-19 brought the world at the start of 2020. Previous research on behalf of this issue has been made but not with the specifics of what the authors want to accomplish with this research. The authors want to look at “How has COVID-19 impacted the purchasing process?”. The reasoning behind choosing this research question comes from the problems COVID-19 brought theworld when it came to consumerism. In other words, the purpose was to evaluate how consumers have adapted and changed their ways of making purchases. People got forced, from being in lockdown, to do most/all their shopping through the internet, and for some this was not an easy task. Certain issues were brought to attention with this in mind: Consumers stopped their sporadic purchases and only focused on what was only necessary, at the start of the pandemic consumers started to panic and stocked up on food and household supplies such as toiletries. This research delimits itself from two specific parts: the first one is that the authors wanted to only look at the consumer's perspective and not the retailers. Secondly the issue at hand is a worldwide phenomenon which is considered through the research but with the limitation of having Swedish consumers answering the survey that was sent out to gather information. Marketing philosophy encountered the greatest game changer in our time and foundations of concepts, theories and processes were changed. How the growth of online shopping has increased between chosen groups with the drastic changes within the purchasing processes. From 265 respondents to our survey we analyzed four hypotheses and evaluated how the purchasing process has been affected. We found that consumers agreed with our beliefs that the process has changed. Online shopping has increased since COVID-19 started, but not within a significant change between groups. Consumers were not comfortable purchasing expensive items online which resulted in a problem regarding COVID-19 restrictions.

The global tourism and hospitality industry has benefitted from years of consecutive growth over recent times. However, the health crisis of Covid-19 in 2020 wiped trillions in USD off the industry’s economy taking it back to 1990 levels. Travel restrictions have been implemented across 100% of the world’s destinations at some point since the start of the pandemic, leaving many tourism organisations fighting for economic survival. The impacts to both the demand (travellers) and supply (hotels) to tourism destinations and organisations has resulted in loss of revenue and jobs globally, impacting individuals, families, tourism organisations and countries. With little or no tourism demand, the hospitality industry has been one of the biggest sectors impacted by Covid-19, with hotels bearing the brunt of the economic impacts. This paper looks to discuss if the economic impacts of crises in hotels can be limited by implementing certain strategies or crisis management techniques (CMTs). The paper contributes to the tourism and hospitality industry’s knowledge of crises and the impacts on 4-star hotels specifically, comparing two destinations in Europe, London and Stockholm, to identify if CMTs can be implemented to limit the economic impacts for future crises. This in turn will allow hotel senior managers (HSMs) to implement CMTs to reduce the economic impacts of crises in their hotels. Research is gathered from academic sources, media outlets and primary sources, offering a holistic analysis of Covid-19’s economic impacts in hotels, looking past just financial impacts but wider. A cross comparison of city hotels looks to assess differences in CMTs, gathering primary research and data from HSMs who are in the middle of the crisis and its impacts. Results determine that crises impact destinations differently and thus CMTs will alter depending upon the crisis impacts to a specific hotel or destination. However, there are many strategies that can be implemented to reduce the economic impacts, with the empirical results alluding to many successful CMTs, although these must be relevant and specific to the crisis, hotel and destination.

Thesis: S.M. in Real Estate Development, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Real Estate Development in conjunction with the Center for Real Estate, September, 2020
Pagination: 1-123, 142-146, 124-141. Cataloged from student-submitted PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 144-146).
This paper examines the historic, current and future state of luxury residential amenities and the popularly-called "Amenity Wars" in luxury multifamily housing. The research is based on U.S. urban markets with a special focus on Boston, Massachusetts, where the recent building boom and overall healthy economy have created an active and competitive multifamily development environment. It also aims to answer the question: how has/will COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) impact the thinking behind and programming of residential building amenities? The discussion of recent Amenity Wars trends incorporates themes such as catering to resident needs on a lifestyle level; the draw of physical amenities vs. service-oriented amenities; and demographic and market conditions that have resulted in the current state of multifamily demand.
Following is an exploration of how, as of summer 2020, the coronavirus's rapid person-to-person spread has proved particularly disruptive to the way multifamily housing operates, and how it has challenged existing perceptions about what makes for a desirable multifamily housing experience. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic will represent a profound moment in collective memory with the power to alter not only the planning and programming of multifamily features and amenities, but luxury urban residential demand in general. As such, it is now time to rethink what the future of the Amenity Wars will look like in both the evolving new normal and long-term new normal. This paper demonstrates how, during the pandemic, innovative designs and other creative solutions have already begun to infiltrate multifamily design and construction.
It also establishes that a healthy demand for luxury urban multifamily housing is poised to remain in the long term, along with which additional notable shifts in multifamily feature and amenity programming will occur. Going forward, we should expect to see changes to physical space in the form of more spatially-adaptable buildouts that enable flexibility of use in addition to more private areas and less community focus, as well as a shift toward service over some physical amenities. Additionally, some of the most lasting effects of the pandemic will be in regard to how multifamily buildings are designed to accommodate new demands of teleworking.
by Elise Dubuque.
S.M. in Real Estate Development
S.M.inRealEstateDevelopment Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Real Estate Development in conjunction with the Center for Real Estate

The covid-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of lost lives, hundreds of millions ill, and an unwelcome interruption in our lives and in the world order. During the pandemic, we have been fed with massive amounts of information and regulations on how to act to reduce the spread of the virus. To properly make use of the information we receive, health literacy is needed. Health literacy is the basic reading and writing skills that enable us to obtain health-related information. However, the information we are given often requires advanced reading skills, contextual knowledge, and capabilities to process and adapt the information to personal situations. These are requirements that can prove challenging for individuals with little or no previous education. This study seeks to answer how health literacy impacts the capability to access and process information, and how accessible information regarding the covid-19 pandemic is. The study focuses on refugees, with little or no education studying at Swedish For Immigrants (SFI) track 1. Refugees are relevant to study as refugees are more socio-economically vulnerable, have been seen to be disproportionately affected by the covid-19 pandemic, and can be argued to face greater challenges in accessing information. The study is done through a small number of interviews with individuals from the focus group. The results indicate that the respondents have good knowledge of common symptoms and measures to avoid spreading the virus. However, the findings do show that the information material available on the Swedish authorities’ websites is too difficult to understand for someone with limited reading skills. This also applies to material that is claimed to be easy to read. Yet, the respondents do grasp the overall content due to pictures and illustrations. The findings are compared to a survey of information during the pandemic among non-fluent Swedish speakers conducted by MSB. The comparison shows support for certain findings from the interviews.

This dissertation investigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mobility considering a study case of Bologna by analysing readily available data of public transportation (buses), vehicle and cyclist flows collected from manual passenger counts, automatic traffic and cyclist counters respectively. The timeline of the study was split into four phases covering periods before the pandemic occurred, during the first lockdown, immediately after lockdown restrictions were lifted and post-lockdown stages. Additional data was obtained from the open access data provided by Moovit app on the usage of mobility options during the timeframe of the study. Analysis on data for the modes considered included weekly trip comparisons from 2019 and 2020, comparisons of usage during phases of the study and modal comparisons. Measures (policy and infrastructure wise) enacted by local government authorities in Bologna prior and during this pandemic are also examined considering the role of sustainability and resilience building. Results obtained from the case study are compared to other metropolitan cities to identify some similarities and differences to establish conclusions with recommendations suggested. It is found that Bologna experienced an overall mobility reduction of 76%, 18% and 0.5% during the phases 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Additionally, cycling was the only mode to surpass its initial levels from Phase 1 in Phase 3, showing 31% and 40% increases in usage in Phases 3 and 4. Public transportation (buses) was the most impacted during Phase 2 experiencing about 90% decrease in usage. Private transport (vehicle use) showed the most resilience reaching figures (101.4%) in Phase 4 almost identical to that recorded before the lockdown. This study reveals that withstanding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on transport choices, active travel has a significant role to play in the choice of users in future mobility.

This thesis analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships between international and local humanitarian actors responding to the 4 August 2020 Beirut Port Explosion. The concepts of “the local”, localization, inequality, and remote management provide a theoretical framework for this analysis. Data collection for this case study research includes a review of published and grey literature, and five video interviews with staff of local and international humanitarian organizations in Beirut. Empirical findings show that local-international inequalities—in the forms of limited access, recognition,and control—have been observed in Beirut and Lebanon for decades, and persisted during the port explosion response. This research further suggests that COVID-19 has contributed to an increase in inequality, most notably by reducing the participation of local actors in humanitarian coordination meetings, and disproportionately transferring risk from international to local actors due to a reliance on remote management. Findings also show that the port explosion caused an influx of funding that was disproportionately directed to international actors, and the economic crisis created a currency devaluation that has exacerbated local-international wage disparities and threatened to limit the reach of local NGO activities. Despite the strength of the civil society—shaped by a strong education system, decades of working through crisis, and government inaction—local actors have often been excluded from humanitarian practice in Beirut and Lebanon. At the same time, findings highlight increases in equality: some local actors adapted more quickly than international actors to COVID-19 and were able to leverage their strengths to receive more funding and greater leadership in the port explosion response. These movements demonstrate adaptability in humanitarian practice that would be critically required in any future reform. This thesis concludes with two recommendations: (1) the use of remote management due to COVID-19 is likely problematic and requires further research to identify best practices; and (2) critical localization provides a useful framework to analyze and mitigate the persistence of local-international inequalities infuture humanitarian responses, and helps to find a meaningful way forward.

The aim of this study is to highlight: 1. how the introduction of new technologies in Drama Education at school can renew the context in which performance projects take place and 2. how the constraints imposed by a pandemic, such as those caused by COVID-19, can be overcome through cybertheatre. The phenomenological method is used to analyze a digital and a cyberperformance project, as theatre is an event that takes place between its creators and its spectators. With the use of digital tools in school performances a new experience emerges for students and spectators, as the "living" actor is combined with "non-human" actors. Besides, the cyberperformance provides a solution to a real problem in the midst of a pandemic crisis, as the spectators participate remotely from the comfort of their own home. In terms of interactivity, by giving the spectator the opportunity to use some information or to choose the action of the play, the performances become more interesting, while theatre is being highlighted, as an event that differs from other media such as T.V. or cinema. Finally, the dialogue that can be produced in a chat-forum in cyberperformance works as a reflection to it.

In 2020, several Nordic archives and museums sent out ”question lists”, questionnaires, to collect the public’s experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The collections resulted in an incomparable collection of contemporary cultural history about the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this thesis is to follow the creation of this collection. The thesis is defined through three research questions: one asking about the initial creation of the collection projects, one about the implementation, and one about what will happen to the resulting collection as an archival material. The study is based on previous research about Nordic contemporary Mass-Observation projects and question lists, as well as health narrative studies and research about Covid-19 experiences. Aspects of the previous research are used to create a theoretical framework, based around the concept of actors in accordance with Giddens structural theory (Johansson 2003:422). The three primary terms that are used in the analysis are dialogue, (immaterial) monument, and post-custodial archives, all retrieved from previous research in the field. The empirical data is collected through semi-participatory observation and documentation of the question lists, as well as interviews with responsible personnel at the institutions. The analysis is divided into three chapters, based on the three research questions. The first chapter thus concerns the initial creation of the collection projects, with regards to the design of the question lists, and the institutions’ thoughts and aims with the projects. The term dialogue is used to analyse the interaction between and within the institutions during this process. The second chapter studies the implementation of the actual project and includes an analysis of the question lists themselves as well as the digital interface through which they are made accessible to the public. Here, too, the term dialogue is used, to analyse how the answers are made in the interaction between the institutions and the public. The third chapter studies the institutions’ plans and hopes for the collected experiences, with regards to future research projects and exhibitions as well as archiving. Here, the term monument is used to illustrate the value and usage of the overall collection. Post-custodial archives are also used to highlight discussions about how digital archival collections should be archived and made accessible. The thesis closes with a final discussion chapter, which expands on the questions about what the purposes of these kinds of collections are, as well as about what role and place archiving should have in the creation and implementation of these kinds of Mass-Observation projects. This is a two years master's thesis in Archival science.

Purpose – The unexpected yet drastic influence of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid transition of education to be conducted in digital environments. Replacing face-to-face classrooms with synchronous online learning requires a number of appropriate adjustments which were heavily restricted by the urgency of this global change taking place. With theobserved issues of student participation and involvement in online learning, the purpose ofthis research was to investigate the potential that digital collaborative tools have and if theycan improve the quality of online group discussions among students aged 12 to 16 years old. Method – This study employs a quantitative data collection approach and makes use of the Community of Inquiry framework. A close-ended questionnaire based on the Community of Inquiry survey tool was used to collect students’ impressions and attitudes after they hadparticipated in the experimental study. The experiment consisted of control and experimental groups that partook in online group discussions as part of a regularly scheduled lesson. Findings – Digital collaborative tools were found to change the way in which students experience online group discussions. The attained rates of the Community of Inquiry were overall higher among students in the experimental group. Our findings tested to be statistically significant together with the effect size falling between medium to large extent. This further supports the notion that digital collaborative tools bring in a positive difference into online group discussions and have a potential to increase the quality of online learning when implemented carefully and thoughtfully. Implications – This study emphasizes the importance of developing a clear strategy of how to implement suitable digital collaborative tools into online learning in the most optimal manner that would increase the quality of online learning. This paper can be considered as a startingpoint for future research that could construct further knowledge within the field and extend our findings by investigating other aspects that have an influence on and can have beneficial effects for younger students in online education.

La presente idea de negocio está basada en cubrir la necesidad de reparación en los hogares en Lima Metropolitano, House's Workers, busca brindar la solución a las reparaciones domiciliarias en los rubros de electricidad, gasfitería, carpintería y limpieza y/o desinfección, que pueden suceder en el día a día. La presente idea de negocios está adaptada al contexto en el que nos encontramos actualmente, Covid-19, los cuales nos solicitan contar con los protocolos de bioseguridad; salvaguardando la vida de nuestros clientes y colaboradores. Asimismo, el proyecto busca formalizar un servicio que por muchos años se ha desarrollado de manera informal y, bajo escasos estándares de calidad, de esta manera, también buscamos impulsar la formalidad de las pequeñas empresas en nuestro país. Contamos con un equipo con experiencia en el rubro de servicios y con un personal técnico con experiencia en cada rubro. Finalmente, luego de haber desarrollado el presente proyecto de investigación, podemos indicar que House’s Workers es una idea de negocio rentable, pues cuenta con una utilidad positiva desde el primer año y al término del quinto año contaremos con una utilidad neta de S/. 157,281 soles, con un crecimiento de 10% del segundo al quinto año.
This business idea is based on meeting the need for home repair in Lima Metropolitan, House's Workers seeks to provide the solution to home repairs in the areas of electricity, plumbings, carpentry and cleaning and/or disinfection, which can happen on a day-to-day life. This business idea is adapted to the context in which we are currently in, Covid-19, which ask us to have biosecurity protocols; safeguarding the lives of our customers and collaborators In addition, the project seeks to formalize a service that for many years has been developed informally and, under low quality standards,in this way, we also seek to boost the formality of small businesses in our country We have a team with experience in the field of services and a technical staff with experience in each area. Finally, having developed this research project, we can indicate that House's Workers is a profitable business idea because it has a positive profit from the first year and at the end of the fifth year, we will have a net profit of S/. 157,281 soles with growth of 10% from the second to the fifth year.
Trabajo de investigación

At the moment, the hospitality business is facing serious challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is forcing hotels to quickly adapt to a new operational reality. Such adaptation requires the redefinition of the current business models since they are not adequate for the current global scenario. The main goal of this dissertation is to analyse the main impacts of COVID-19 in the hospitality business and to ultimately propose a general reinvented business model, aiming to contribute to the hospitality industry’s reinvention in the global scenario. To fulfil these objectives, a literature review was developed, and an in-depth interview was conducted with 14 professionals, who work at different hotels. The interview aimed to assess nine building blocks, all related to the business model implemented by hotels: key partners, activities, resources, value proposition, customer relationship, channels, customer segments, cost structure, and revenue streams. Overall, the obtained results demonstrated that the reinvention of the hotels’ business model must include a significant investment in technology and digital communication, since these two dimensions are vital for the industry’s growth and evolution, since they provide customers with a sense of trust and confidence towards hotels.
Atualmente, a indústria hoteleira enfrenta sérios desafios devido à pandemia do COVID-19, o que obriga os hotéis a se adaptarem rapidamente a uma nova realidade operacional. Tal adaptação requer uma redefinição dos modelos de negócio atuais, dado que estes não são os mais adequados ao cenário global atual. O principal objetivo desta dissertação é analisar os principais impactos do COVID-19 no negócio da indústria hoteleira e, em última instância, propor um modelo de negócio geral reinventado, com o intuito de contribuir para a reinvenção da indústria hoteleira a nível global. Para cumprir este objetivo foi desenvolvida uma revisão da literatura e realizada uma entrevista com 14 profissionais, os quais trabalham em hotéis distintos. A entrevista objetivou avaliar nove blocos de construção específicos, todos relacionados com os modelos de negócio implementados pelos hotéis em questão, designadamente: principais parcerias, atividades, recursos, proposta de valor, relacionamento com o cliente, canais, segmentos de clientes, estrutura de custos e fluxos de receita. De uma forma geral, os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a reinvenção do modelo de negócio dos hotéis deve incluir um forte investimento em tecnologia e na comunicação digital, visto que estas duas dimensões são vitais para o crescimento e evolução da indústria hoteleira, pois proporcionam um sentimento de confiança e segurança aos clientes dos hotéis.

The following master’s thesis examines the potential impacts on career beginners during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their newcomer socialisation may be impacted in such unprecedented times, by drawing on qualitative research. Within the framework of this research, newcomer socialisation refers to the process of successfully integrating and adjusting a newcomer into their workplace. This thesis finds evidence for newcomer socialisation being influenced due to the associated burdens of working remotely, resulting in the majority of newcomers not yet feeling entirely integrated in the organisations.

Fitness gyms are experiencing a particular turmoil due to the Covid-19 crisis. The fitness industry is at the heart of wellness and health and is one of the most affected by the pandemic since 2020 (Baron, 2021). The closure of gyms, the cancellation of memberships, and the advent of free online fitness classes are undeniable challenges to face. Fitness gyms must adapt quickly and understand the new needs of their customers. To this extent, fitness gyms need to rethink their business models to overcome this Covid-19 crisis. This research aims to understand the major impacts of Covid-19 on the fitness gyms industry, identify the main changes is and present a possible reinvention of a business model to guide fitness gyms in a post-pandemic era. A literature review has been completed, a survey conducted on social medias and in-depth interviews conducted with diverse fitness gyms professionals exclusively in France. The key findings that can be retained are that fitness gyms should now offer more flexibility, accessibility, and security to their members.
Os ginásios de fitness estão a passar por um tumulto particular devido à crise do Covid-19. A indústria do fitness está no centro do bem-estar e da saúde e é uma das mais afeitadas pela pandemia desde 2020 (Baron, 2021). O encerramento de ginásios, o cancelamento de inscrições, e o advento de aulas de fitness online gratuitas são desafios inegáveis a enfrentar. As academias de fitness devem adaptar-se rapidamente e compreender as novas necessidades dos seus clientes. Nesta medida, os ginásios de fitness precisam de repensar os seus modelos de negócio para ultrapassar esta crise da Covid-19. Esta investigação visa compreender o grande impacto do Covid-19 na indústria dos ginásios de fitness, identificar as principais mudanças é e apresentar uma possível reinvenção de um modelo de negócio para orientar os ginásios de fitness numa era pós-pandémica. Foi concluída uma revisão bibliográfica, um inquérito realizado em meios sociais e entrevistas aprofundadas com diversos profissionais de ginásios exclusivamente em França. As principais conclusões que podem ser retidas são que os ginásios de fitness devem agora oferecer mais flexibilidade, acessibilidade e segurança aos seus membros.

The COVID-19 pandemic could led to one of the worst crises in history (Barro, 2020). It would be the second crisis in the 21st century the Portuguese economy encounters but it is still unknown if its effects would be structural (permanent and related to the supply side) or cyclical (transitory and related to business cycle fluctuations and the demand side). To test for structural change, a linear regression model is used and the Chow test and Chow test for predictive failure are applied. The model uses quarterly data from various sources, ranging from the first quarter of 1998 to the third quarter of 2020, and is estimated in seasonal differences. It considers as dependent variable the natural logarithm of output per worker and as explanatory variables the natural logarithm of physical capital per worker, a time trend, and other variables on the supply and demand side as controls. A Chow test was first applied to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, to rule out any interferences from this period. A structural break was found in the fourth quarter of 2010. Applying a Chow test for predictive failure to a subsample from the first quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2020, the null hypothesis of the pandemic not causing a structural break was rejected. T-tests were used to confirm the location of the breaks. The null hypothesis that a break did not occur was rejected for all the coefficients of the regression variables, pointing for the existence of supply side permanent effects.
A pandemia de COVID-19 poderá causar uma das piores crises de que há memória (Barro et al., 2020). Será a segunda crise que a economia portuguesa enfrenta no século XXI e ainda é incerto se os seus efeitos serão estruturais (permanentes e ligados ao funcionamento do lado da oferta) ou cíclicos (transitórios e ligados a flutuações do ciclo económico e ao lado da procura).Para testar quebras estruturais, é usada uma regressão linear e aplicados o teste de Chow e o teste de Chow para falha preditiva. O modelo usa dados trimestrais de várias fontes, desde o primeiro trimestre de 1998 ao terceiro trimestre de 2020 e é estimado em diferenças sazonais. Considera como variável dependente o produto por trabalhador efetivo e como variáveis explicativas o stock de capital físico por trabalhador efetivo, uma trend temporal e outras variáveis do lado da procura como controlos. Foi aplicado um teste de Chow ao período da Crise Financeira Global de 2008 e uma quebra estrutural foi encontrada no quarto trimestre de 2010. Foi, depois, aplicado um teste de Chow para falha preditiva a uma subamostra do primeiro trimestre de 2011 ao terceiro trimestre de 2020 e a hipótese nula de a pandemia não causar quebra estrutural foi rejeitada. Foram ainda usados testes t para confirmar a origem da quebra. A hipótese nula foi rejeitada para todos os coeficientes da regressão, apontando para a existência de efeitos permanentes no lado da oferta.

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Statistics and Information Management, specialization in Risk Analysis and Management
The current health crisis is shaking the economic and financial world and Portugal was no exception. The present dissertation main goal is to assess the credit risk impact by the current situation due to COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. The key objective is to evaluate credit inherent risk, in order to be able to intervene in advance and to mitigate possible risks, as well as predict likely defaults. In order to predict possible serious effects in terms of credit default having, the present dissertation has as its object the study of the impact of macroeconomic variables and their influence on credit default. An exploratory quantitative approach was used in the empirical study, complemented with a qualitative approach, focused fundamentally on the description of the results obtained with the SPSS software. Linear regression models were tested, which were defined as independent variable o credit default. As dependent variables the indicators of credit risk management; UR, LR, LMC, LCC, LBC, EUR, GDP, PSI, DIG, CPI, ER and CP. Among all these indicators of credit risk management used, the ones that had the greatest impact were the LR, LMC, UR, GDP, CPI and CP have more significant effect. However, the variable CP does not suggest the existence of a direct and reliable relationship between the independent variable, but recent studies refer to it as one of the most important to be considered. As noted in world history, the impacts of financial disasters, reinforce the need for systematic analysis and effective financial stability instruments. In order to forecast those situations, stress testing will be used to predict possible scenarios of induced financial crisis by the current healthy crisis, such as credit risk, in specific. To be able to foresee, a country macroeconomic analysis is needed, by merging several credit components, as established by the Basel agreements. The data herein as reference has taken from Banco de Portugal, INE, Stooq and oecd, since the 2003 to 2020, in order to be provisions regarding economic.

This dissertation is presented in a scientific article format and encompasses two investigations, as well as a general discussion. The first investigation aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on anxiety symptoms by analyzing discrepancies due to sexual orientation in a Portuguesespeaking sample. 1590 inviduals participated in the study, 63% women and 88% selfidentified as heterosexual. The results obtained reveal that anxiety symptoms were higher than expected, and several significant differences were found: women and bisexual participants presented higher anxiety symptoms than men and heterosexual and gay or lesbian participants. It was also visible that anxiety symptoms were negatively correlated with age and positively with the aggravated responses of COVID19, the Fear of COVID-19 and the Negative Impact of COVID-19. Finally, hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that age, gender and sexual orientation explained 9% of the anxiety variation symptoms, moving to 28% when added the Fear and Negative Impact of COVID-19. In conclusion this study provides an important contribution to the understanding of factors arising from the pandemic that may affect the mental health of sexual minorities. The second investigation aims to understand the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences and perception of Portuguese and Brazilian LGB people. The study included 65 participants self-identified as LGB who answered the open-ended question: "As a sexual minority person, please elaborate on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on your life”. A thematic analysis of the participants' responses was carried out, which revealed nine recurrent themes, including mental health, isolation, relationships, work-related problems, financial problems, educationrelated problems, LGBTQI issues, coping and changes, encompassing these themes 18 subcategories. In conclusion, the results give voice to the Portuguese and Brazilian LGB during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing specific challenges intensified by stigma and sexual discrimination, expanded by preexisting social inequalities. In the general discussion, some implications relating to the two investigations presented are discussed and some suggestions are provided according to the results obtained.
A presente dissertação pretende avaliar, através do primeiro artigo científico, o impacto da COVID-19 nos sintomas de ansiedade, analisando eventuais discrepâncias em função da orientação sexual, e, por meio do segundo, compreender o impacto psicossocial nas experiências e perceção de pessoas LGB durante a pandemia COVID19. Neste sentido, espera-se contribuir para a compreensão e o esclarecimento de fatores consequentes da pandemia em curso na saúde mental das minorias sexuais. Relativamente ao estudo exposto no capítulo 1, os dados foram recolhidos através de um site online criado com essa finalidade, no qual foram expostos os objetivos do estudo, as instruções de preenchimento e esclarecidas as questões éticas. Os critérios de inclusão compreendiam ter idade igual ou superior a 18 anos e ser falante nativo de Português (de Portugal ou do Brasil). Colaboraram no estudo 1590 participantes, sendo 63% mulheres e 88% autoidentificados como heterossexual, 6.1% como bissexual e 5.9% como gay ou lésbica. Os participantes responderam à escala de Sintomas de Ansiedade do BSI-18, de modo a identificar problemas ou sintomas vivenciados na semana anterior; à escala de Medo da COVID-19, com o intuito de avaliar a presença de medo resultante da pandemia; e à escala de Impacto Negativo da COVID-19, por forma a medir a perceção dos participantes quanto ao impacto negativo da pandemia nas suas vidas. A consistência interna revelou-se adequada para todas as medidas, em concreto .94 pontos na escala de Sintomas de Ansiedade do BSI-18 e .86 pontos nas escalas Medo e Impacto Negativo da COVID-19, traduzindo uma excelente confiabilidade. Foi realizado um Teste-t de amostras independentes que revelou que as mulheres da amostra apresentaram níveis mais elevados de sintomas de ansiedade (M=1.14) comparativamente com os homens (M=.86). A ANOVA de uma via demonstrou que os participantes autoidentificados como bissexuais apresentaram níveis mais elevados de sintomas de ansiedade (M=1.45), seguidos dos gays ou lésbicas (M=1.30) e heterossexuais (M=.99). O teste de correlação de Pearson permitiu constatar que os sintomas de ansiedade se correlacionam forte e negativamente com a idade (r=-.203), e se correlacionam forte e positivamente com o Medo da COVID-19 (r=.363), com o Impacto Negativo da COVID-19 (r=.426) e com as respostas agravadas da COVID-19 (r=.505). A análise de regressão linear hierárquica explicou inicialmente 9% da variância dos sintomas de ansiedade quando inseridas as variáveis idade, género a orientação sexual, aumentando para 28% quando inseridos o medo e o impacto negativo da COVID-19, traduzindo que todas as variáveis em análise eram preditoras de sintomas de ansiedade. O estudo em análise procurou explorar a relação existente entre os sintomas de ansiedade, o género, a orientação sexual e os fatores inerentes à COVID-19, tais como o medo, o seu impacto e a perceção das respostas agravadas pela mesma. As principais conclusões evidenciaram o impacto desigual da COVID-19 na saúde mental da população mundial, em específico em quem se encontrava em situações de vulnerabilidade, salientando, desta forma, a necessidade de se promover a criação e desenvolvimento de estratégias de intervenção psicológica que deem resposta às dificuldades sentidas por esta população. No que tange à investigação exibida no capítulo 2, os dados foram recolhidos por meio do site utilizado no primeiro artigo, contando igualmente com a explanação dos objetivos, das instruções de preenchimento e do asseguramento das questões éticas. Os critérios de inclusão incluíam ter idade igual ou superior a 18 anos e ser falante nativo de Português (de Portugal ou do Brasil). Contou-se com respostas de 65 participantes autoidentificados como LGB, dos quais 47.7% gay ou lésbica e 44.6% bissexual, sendo 52% homens. Os participantes responderam à pergunta aberta “Enquanto uma pessoa pertencente a uma minoria sexual, descreva de que forma a pandemia da COVID-19 impactou a sua vida?”. Foi realizada uma análise temática das respostas dos participantes que evidenciou a presença de nove temas, compreendendo 18 categorias, nomeadamente saúde mental (depressão, ansiedade, medo, raiva e solidão), isolamento (distanciamento social e impedimentos de lazer), relacionamentos (família e amigos), problemas relacionados ao trabalho, problemas financeiros, problemas relacionados à educação, questões LGBTQI (barreiras em saúde, voltar para o armário, eventos de comemoração do orgulho e namoro virtual), coping (procura de apoio, acesso a informações e atividades físicas) e mudanças (mudanças comportamentais e oportunidade de crescimento). O presente estudo pretendeu explorar a relação existente entre a pandemia, o seu impacto psicossocial e a orientação sexual. Como principais conclusões do estudo retém-se o maior risco e sofrimento percecionados pelas pessoas LGB durante a pandemia COVID-19 comparativamente a pessoas heterossexuais, demonstrando a importância de se ter em conta esta população para o desenvolvimento de estratégias para lidar com a pandemia em curso, bem como o ajuste por parte dos serviços de saúde física, mental, específicos e educacionais e a criação de redes de apoio social no decorrer da pandemia.

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an emergency health crisis, in addition to having far-reaching economic, organizational and psychosocial impacts, with previously more vulnerable populations such as people from sexual and gender minorities appearing to be most affected. In this sense, the present dissertation chose to carry out two different studies, which would investigate some of these impacts focusing in a Brazilian population. The first was a study of quantitative nature and focused on gender perspectives, evaluating aspects related to work-related quality of life (WRQoL) during the pandemic in a sample of Brazilian nationals composed of 190 women and 147 men. Results showed that women reported significantly higher levels of COVID-19- related fears, and lower levels of overall WRQoL, well-being, career satisfaction, and control over work. Gender, fear, and the negative impacts of COVID-19 were significant predictors of overall WRQoL, of career satisfaction, and of control over work. The second study was of qualitative nature and sought to give voice to sexual minorities, contemplating the perceptions of 65 lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) Portuguese and Brazilian people regarding the psychosocial impacts of the pandemic on their lives. The thematic analysis of participants' responses revealed 9 recurring themes, encompassing 18 subcategories to occur: mental health (depression, anxiety, fear, anger, and loneliness), isolation (social distancing and leisure impediments), relationships (family and friends), work -related problems, education-related problems, financial problems, changes (behavioral changes and opportunity to grow), coping (seeking support, accessing information and physical activities), and LGBTQI topics (health barriers, going back into the closet, pride celebration events , and online dating). The results of this dissertation seek to contribute to the analysis of the psychosocial effects of the COVID19 pandemic on the increased vulnerabilities of sexual and gender minorities in Brazilian context, demonstrating specific challenges exacerbated by preexisting social inequalities.
A pandemia do coronavírus resultou em uma crise emergencial de saúde, além de ter impactos econômicos, organizacionais e psicossociais abrangentes (Amsalen, et al., 2021; Ashraf, 2020; Dubey, et al., 2020; International Labour Organization, 2021), sendo que as populações anteriormente mais vulneráveis, como as pessoas de minorias sexuais e de género, parecem ser as mais afetadas (Del Boca et al., 2020; Farré et al., 2020; Moore, et al., 2021; Ruprecht, et al., 2020). Nesse sentido, para a presente dissertação optou-se pela realização de dois estudos distintos, que indagassem algumas dessas disparidades durante a pandemia, focando no entendimento dessas questões na população brasileira. Ambos os projetos foram aprovados pela Comissão de Ética da Universidade da Beira Interior (CEUBI-Pj-2020-088). O primeiro estudo, de origem quantitativa, focou-se nas minorias de género e tencionava avaliar os aspetos do contexto organizacional e da qualidade de vida relacionada com o trabalho (QVRT) durante a pandemia, já que as mudanças no trabalho geradas pela pandemia do coronavírus parecem impactar desproporcionalmente homens e mulheres (Del Boca et al., 2020; Farré et al., 2020; Matos et al., 2020). Partindo desse pressuposto, a escolha de uma amostra brasileira deve-se ao fato do Brasil ser um país que tradicionalmente tem demonstrado desigualdades de género, emprego (OXFAM Brasil, 2018) e QVRT (Bachion Ceribeli et al., 2016). Além disso, até onde sabemos, nenhum estudo brasileiro focou na avaliação da QVRT durante a pandemia na lente do género. Uma amostra brasileira por conveniência composta por 190 mulheres e 147 homens concluiu um inquérito online contendo a escala Medo da COVID-19, a escala de Impacto Negativos da COVID-19 e a escala de Qualidade de Vida Relacionada com o Trabalho, que demonstraram uma excelente consistência interna: a = 0,87, 0,87 e 0,93 respetivamente. Para a análise dos dados, foram calculadas as estatísticas descritivas para avaliar o perfil da amostra, testes t e ANOVAs para a comparação entre os gêneros, testes de correlação de Pearson para avaliar a associação entre as variáveis e regressões lineares múltiplas para avaliar os fatores preditivos da QVRT na amostra. As mulheres reportaram níveis significativamente mais elevados de medos relacionados com a COVID-19 e níveis mais baixos de QVRT global, bem-estar, satisfação na carreira e controlo sobre o trabalho. Encontrou-se correlação positiva da QVRT com todas as outras dimensões da mesma escala, e uma correlação negativa da QVRT com o medo e com o impacto negativo do COVID-19. O género, o medo e os impactos negativos da COVID-19 foram preditores significativos da QVRT global (13,4% de variação), satisfação na carreira (10% de variação) e controlo sobre o trabalho (3% da variação). O segundo estudo, de natureza qualitativa, procurou dar voz às minorias sexuais, contemplando as perceções de pessoas lésbicas, gays e bissexuais (LGB) quanto aos impactos psicossociais da pandemia em suas vidas. Neste projeto, optou-se pela inclusão de brasileiros e portugueses, uma vez que em Portugal, apesar de várias conquistas políticas, na realidade, essas pessoas ainda enfrentam preconceito sexual (Pereira e Monteiro, 2017). No Brasil, esse contexto é ainda mais preocupante, já que este é um dos países com maior índice de crimes por homofobia, e as leis e medidas destinadas a proteção dos direitos da comunidade LGBT ainda são ineficazes (Mello, et al., 2014). Participou neste estudo uma amostra de conveniência de 65 indivíduos LGB, sendo que 32 participantes eram de Portugal e 33 do Brasil. Utilizou-se a abordagem de entrevista online num formato assíncrono. Todos os inquiridos concluíram um inquérito estruturado com questões sociodemográficas e uma única questão aberta: "Como pessoa pertencente a uma minoria sexual, por favor desenvolva como a pandemia da COVID-19 impactou a sua vida". A análise temática das respostas dos participantes, revelou nove temas recorrentes, abrangendo 18 subcategorias a ocorrer: saúde mental (depressão, ansiedade, medo, raiva e solidão), isolamento (distanciamento social e impedimentos de lazer), relacionamentos (familiares e amigos), problemas relacionados com o trabalho, educação, dinheiro, alterações (mudanças comportamentais e oportunidade de crescer), coping (procurar apoio, aceder a informações e atividades físicas) e questões LGB (barreiras de saúde, voltar ao armário, eventos de celebração do orgulho e namoro). Os resultados desta dissertação procuram contribuir para a análise dos efeitos da pandemia COVID-19 no aumento das vulnerabilidades de minorias sexuais e de género no Brasil, demonstrando os desafios específicos exacerbados por desigualdades sociais preexistentes e apontam para a urgência em colocar essas questões no centro das estratégias, através de políticas públicas mais inclusivas e práticas clínicas que promovam a diminuição do fardo das minorias sexuais e de género a longo prazo.

Вороненко В. В. Ефірне мовлення спеціалізованих телевізійних каналів про спорт: загальнонаціональній вимір : кваліфікаційна робота магістра спеціальності 061 "Журналістика" / наук. керівник А. І. Тернова. Запоріжжя : ЗНУ, 2020. 79 с.
UA : Магістерська робота "Ефірне мовлення спеціалізованих телевізійних каналів про спорт: загальнонаціональній вимір". Обсяг основного тексту: 79 сторінок. Кількість використаних джерел – 89. Мета роботи полягає у комплексному дослідженні структурних і змістових характеристик новинних та аналітичних телевізійних проєктів «Залишайся з футболом», «Великий футбол» та «Футбол NEWS» на телеканалах «Футбол 1/2/3». Для досягнення мети дослідження ми виконали такі завдання: 1) ) визначили жанри спортивної журналістики; 2) з’ясували складові новинних випусків на телебаченні; 3) визначили складові аналітичних телевізійних випусків; 4) зібрали фактичний матеріал для дослідження; 5) проаналізували зміст і структуру телевізійних новинних та аналітичних програм на телеканалах «Футбол 1/2/3»; 6) провели експертне інтерв’ю серед працівників та адміністрації телеканалів «Футбол 1/2/3» на предмет відмінностей робочого процесу під час припинення змагань через пандемію, що викликав коронавірус COVID–19, та по їх поновленню. Об’єкт дослідження: телевізійні програми «Залишайся з футболом», «Великий футбол» та «Футбол NEWS» на телеканалах «Футбол 1/2/3» за квітень і липень 2020 року. Предмет дослідження: структурні особливості побудови програм, змістове наповнення проєктів та специфіку подання матеріалів та рубрик ведучими та журналістами в ефірі. Для виконання поставлених завдань у дослідженні застосовані такі методи: аналізу, синтезу, систематизації (теоретичний розділ), моніторингу, порівняння, опису (практичний розділ), у третьому розділі використано метод опитування. Теоретичну основу дослідження складають праці К. Алексєєв, Є. Войтик, О. Дєдов, А. Зенюк, Т. Коженовська, А. Лісневська, Т. Ніколаєва, Л. Шестьоркіна та ін. Наукова новизна результатів полягає в тому, що: вперше: – охарактеризовані структурні й змістові трансформації новинних та аналітичних проєктів під час припинення спортивних змагань через COVID–19; – визначені зміст, наповнення та особливості транслювання саме аналітичних телевізійних проєктів «Залишайся з футболом» та «Великий футбол»; удосконалено: – наукові підходи до визначення інформаційних та аналітичних жанрів журналістики; – структурно-змістові характеристики наповнення спеціалізованих телеканалів (зокрема інформаційного проєкту «Футбол NEWS»); набуло подальшого розвитку: – визначення функцій та характерних рис різноформатних спортивних програм на загальноукраїнському просторі; – дослідження історії появи та впливу на спортивне телебачення наслідків пандемії, що викликав коронавірус COVID–19. Практичне та теоретичне значення одержаних результатів. Матеріали кваліфікаційної роботи магістра можуть бути використані під час подальших наукових розробок; сприятимуть підготовці до практичних занять у закладах вищої освіти на профільному факультеті. Одержані результати будуть корисними для тележурналістів-практиків під час створення авторських спортивних телевізійних проєктів.
EN : Master's thesis "On-air broadcasting of specialized television channels about sports: a national dimension". Main text: 79 pages. Number of sources used - 89. The purpose of the work is to comprehensively study the structural and semantic characteristics of news and analytical television projects "Stay with football", "Big football" and "Football NEWS" on TV channels "Football 1/2/3". To achieve the goal of the study, we performed the following tasks: 1)) identified genres of sports journalism; 2) found out the components of news programs on television; 3) identified the components of analytical television programs; 4) collected factual material for research; 5) analyzed the content and structure of television news and analytical programs on TV channels "Football 1/2/3"; 6) conducted an expert interview among employees and administration of the TV channels "Football 1/2/3" on the differences in the work process during the termination of competitions due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus COVID-19, and their renewal. Object of research: TV programs "Stay with football", "Big football" and "Football NEWS" on TV channels "Football 1/2/3" for April and July 2020. Subject of research: structural features of program construction, content of projects and specifics of presentation of materials and rubrics by presenters and journalists on air. To perform the tasks in the study, the following methods were used: analysis, synthesis, systematization (theoretical section), monitoring, comparison, description (practical section), in the third section the survey method was used. The theoretical basis of the study are the works of K. Alekseev, E. Voytyk, O. Dedov, A. Zenyuk, T. Kozhenovskaya, A. Lisnevskaya, T. Nikolaeva, L. Shestorkina, and others. The scientific novelty of the results is that: for the first time: - the structural and semantic transformations of news and analytical projects during the termination of sports competitions through COVID-19 are characterized; - the content, content and features of broadcasting of analytical television projects "Stay with football" and "Big football" are determined; improved: - scientific approaches to defining information and analytical genres of journalism; - structural and semantic characteristics of the content of specialized TV channels (including the information project "Football NEWS"); was further developed: - definition of functions and characteristic features of various sports programs in the all-Ukrainian space; - study of the history of the appearance and impact on sports television of the effects of the pandemic caused by the coronavirus COVID-19. Practical and theoretical significance of the obtained results. The materials of the master's qualification work can be used during further scientific developments; will promote preparation for practical classes in higher education institutions at the profile faculty. The obtained results will be useful for practicing TV journalists during the creation of author's sports television projects.

The online convenience sample of 249 nurses all treated COVID-19 patients in the past year—with 45.0% in the emergency department and 36.9% in intensive care. Nurses were 68.7% female with a mean age of 32.17 years, as well as mostly white (69.1%). Some 28.5% had COVID-19, with 16.1% testing positive more than once in the past year. Using paired t-tests comparing scores for before versus during the pandemic, their physical health status and mental/emotional status were each significantly worse during the pandemic, their level of self-efficacy for performing nursing tasks was significantly worse during the pandemic, and their fear level was significantly higher during the pandemic. Nurses negotiated the pandemic with just moderate social support, while having moderate work setting concerns (e.g., safety), and rating the work climate as “to some extent” less favorable than before the pandemic. Nurses suffered moderate burnout using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory—while females suffered higher burnout than males (p = .000) and non-whites higher burnout than whites. Past month mean Perceived Stress Scale scores were moderate. Nurses used alcohol/drugs closest to 30% of the time to cope with stress, while 35.7% increased use during the pandemic. They reported moderate mental distress over the past year, while 61.0% reported insomnia, 57.4% anxiety, 39.0% depression, 35.7% trauma, and 27.3% received counseling. Nurses reported moderate well-being over the past two weeks, and moderately high satisfaction with life. Backward stepwise regression found higher burnout significantly predicted by: fewer years working in nursing; higher Body Mass Index; more concerns at work (e.g., safety); higher past month perceived stress; higher past year mental distress; and, lower past two weeks’ well-being—with 52.2% of the variance predicted. Qualitative data reinforce important recommendations.

In the Republic of Congo, the first positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed in March 2020, forcing the government to take measures to protect the community, preventing the rapid spread of the disease. This study was carried out in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in northern Congo, to assess the impacts caused by the pandemic on the charity organization Sabine Plattner African Charities (SPAC). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 respondents from 3 stakeholder groups: SPAC, Congo Conservation Company (CCC) and Mbomo Community (located on the outskirts of the Park). The impacts of the pandemic were studied in the 3 projects developed by SPAC: Conservation & Research, EduConservation and Early Childhood Development. Impacts were analyzed from various perspectives, with the main impacts being identified at the level of education and work. Perceptions towards the virus were also evaluated. Compared to the Ebola pandemic, which caused severe direct health impacts, the COVID-19 pandemic caused less fear in the community, and the impacts were mostly indirect, due to prevention measures and changes in economic activities. A SWOT analysis was carried out for each of the three main groups of stakeholders. The vaccine was accepted and desired by all groups of respondents. Regarding conservation, there were no negative impacts in the Park caused by the pandemic. Cooperation of human communities with ecosystems and organizations has very positive results for conservation in the face of a pandemic situation.
Na República do Congo, o primeiro caso positivo de COVID-19 foi confirmado em março de 2020, obrigando o governo a tomar medidas que protegessem a comunidade, evitando a rápida propagação da doença. O presente estudo realizou-se no Parque Nacional de Odzala- Kokoua, no norte do Congo, permitindo avaliar os impactos causados pela pandemia na organização de caridade Sabine Plattner African Charities (SPAC). Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas a 29 entrevistados de 3 grupos de stakeholders: SPAC, Congo Conservation Company (CCC) e Comunidade de Mbomo (localizada na periferia do Parque). Estudaram-se os impactos da pandemia nos 3 projetos desenvolvidos pelo SPAC: Conservation & Research, EduConservation e Early Childhood Development. Foram analisados os impactos em várias perceções, sendo que os principais foram identificados ao nível da educação e do trabalho. As perceções sobre o vírus também foram avaliadas. Em comparação com a pandemia do Ébola, que causou graves impactos diretos na saúde das comunidades e da vida selvagem, a pandemia COVID-19 causou menos medo na comunidade e os impactos foram na sua maioria indiretos, devido a medidas de prevenção e mudanças nas atividades económicas. Foi realizada uma análise SWOT para cada um dos três grupos principais de stakeholders. A vacina foi aceite e desejada por todos os grupos de entrevistados. Em relação à conservação, não houve impactos negativos no Parque causados pela pandemia. A cooperação das comunidades humanas com os ecossistemas e organizações provou causar resultados muito positivos para a conservação em situação de pandemia.

Os estudos indicam que a pandemia provocada pelo COVID-19 gerou impactos significativos na saúde de populações vulneráveis, incluindo os estudantes universitários. Os elevados índices de sofrimento psicológico dessa população agravaram-se ainda mais com a pandemia, gerando consequências na sua saúde e bem estar (Cao et al, 2020; Maia & Dias, 2020; Son et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020). O presente estudo exploratório utilizou um design qualitativo para investigar as perceções dos estudantes universitários sobre os impactos e as oportunidades que o período da pandemia COVID-19 causou em suas vidas. Participaram do estudo 431 estudantes de uma universidade pública portuguesa, com idade entre 18 e 65 anos, que responderam a um instrumento online autoaplicável. Em seguida foi realizada a análise de conteúdo, a categorização das questões abertas e, posteriormente, a análise no SPSS. A maioria dos participantes (60%) sofreram impactos com a pandemia, tendo 25% desses declarado que tiveram consequências negativas nas relações sociais, 19,5% sentiram mudanças negativas na rotina e 19,3% declínio na saúde mental. Não obstante, 37,7% mencionaram ter tido novas oportunidades, como maior produtividade, mais disponibilidade de tempo e um maior crescimento pessoal. Através da análise multivariada de correspondência (ACM) e da análise de Clusters, foram identificados dois perfis consistentes de necessidades: um constituído por um grupo com foco na menor produtividade e desmotivação, e outro grupo com maior foco nas questões das relações sociais, do isolamento social e das mudanças de rotina. Os resultados do estudo contribuiram para perceber os perfis dos estudantes universitários e, dessa forma, colaborar para futuras intervenções com a população universitária.
Studies indicate that the pandemic caused by COVID-19 generated significant impacts on the health of the population, including college students. The high rates of psychological distress in this population were further exacerbated by the pandemic, generating consequences on their health and well-being (Cao et al, 2020; Maia & Dias, 2020; Son et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020). The present exploratory study used a qualitative design to investigate college students' perceptions about the impacts and the opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic period caused in their lives. A total of 431 students of a public university in Lisbon participated in the study, aged between 18 and 65 years, who responded to a self-applied online instrument. This was followed by the content analysis, which consisted in the categorization of the openended questions and also the analysis in SPSS. Most participants (60%) were afected by the pandemic, with 25% stating that they experienced negative consequences in social relationships, 19.5% experienced negative changes in the routine, and 19.3% experienced a decline in their mental health. Nevertheless, 37.7% mentioned that they had new opportunities, such as increased productivity, more time available, and a higher personal growth. Through multivariate correspondence analysis (MCA) and a cluster analysis, two consistent needs profiles were identified: one representing a group that focused on a lower productivity and unmotivation, and another group focusing more on issues of social relationships, social isolation, and negative routine changes. The results of the study helped to understand the profiles of college students and thereby collaborate for future interventions with the college population.