Para contornar algumas limitações da avaliação de desempenho tradicional (i.e., chefia avaliar o subordinado) torna-se pertinente uma abordagem à avaliação 360º, pois esta envolve mais do que um avaliador, permitindo controlar eventuais idiossincrasias dos mesmos. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo procura perceber as perceções de diferentes profissionais no que respeita aos facilitadores e às barreiras da avaliação 360º no mercado de trabalho português. Recorreu-se a um método do tipo qualitativo, tendo sido realizados quatro Focus Group. As informações recolhidas permitiram concluir que a avaliação 360º assume particular relevância quando comparada com a avaliação de desempenho tradicional, pois permite a participação ativa de todos/quase todos os atores organizacionais. Para além disso, promove o anonimato e a confidencialidade dos envolvidos, a sua formação enquanto avaliadores e a descentralização do poder avaliativo das chefias.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an entrepreneurship training and education programme, which has already had five editions in the Sabor region of Portugal’s northern interior. This evaluation was conducted in order to propose new guidelines to improve the Sabor Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP). Design/methodology/approach – The research included primary data collection using mixed methods (i.e. quantitative and qualitative). Questionnaires were distributed to 103 entrepreneurs who participated in the SEP, and interviews were conducted with entities involved in developing this programme. The data were processed using cross-sectional content analysis of the interviews and descriptive analysis of the completed questionnaires in order to ascertain the opinions of all the parties involved in the SEP. Findings – The results show that the SEP has been modified throughout the five editions, which has contributed to better performance. Based on the findings, new guidelines were proposed for the programme, such as the implementation of new phases and improvement of various methods used. The proposed phases include the validation and full development of business ideas, management decision training for entrepreneurs, help with financing solutions and support during new companies’ first three years. The results also indicate that the SEP needs to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that includes public policies and the involvement of other local entities that are active in the region and that have the skills entrepreneurs need. Originality/value – This study’s findings have theoretical and practical implications, which provide empirical evidence of how evaluating entrepreneurship education and training programmes can make them more effective and efficient. In addition, the results contribute to the evolution of the existing knowledge about entrepreneurial ecosystems

In this paper different propagation models for coverage prediction of WiMAX microcellular and picocellular urban environments and for WiMAX indoor femtocells at 3.5 GHz are compared with experimental data. Results obtained for different urban and indoor environments show that statistical models are quite far from good agreement with experimental data while deterministic ray-tracing models provide appropriate prediction in all different complex analyzed environments.

Together with cell-free networks, small cells enable ultra-dense networks in 5G. Although small cell networks will be part of heterogeneous networks, the comparison of service quality of urban micro (UMi) small cells between 4G and 5G second phase scenarios is still of great relevance. Usage of video (VID), is considered. Quality of service (QoS) is determined by considering a packet loss ratio (PLR) lower than 2%, for different sub-6 GHz frequency bands. The aim is to compare the system capacity between 4G and 5G enhanced mobile broadband in different bands. ITU defined two UMi cell scenarios for urban micro cells that consider two-slope (TS) path loss models (PLMs). In this work, we have included TS-PLMs into the LTESim (4G) and 5G-air-simulator. The service quality and system performance bands have then been evaluated. Results shows that it is possible to support more user terminals (UTs) with 5G (up to 26 UTs) than with 4G (10 UTs only). When PLR<2%, the average delay decreases and the average goodput increases when 5G is considered. The maximum average goodput also increases with 5G.

In this paper an all-IP Enhanced-Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) is considered, where enhancements include link level behavior, high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) channel, resource management, Diffserv architecture, and Radio Resource Management schemes. An overview of E-UMTS deployment scenarios and service needs is presented based on the views of relevant players. Deployment and mobility scenarios are considered, including expected population density and usage of service mix for three environments, namely offices, urban/vehicular, and business city center. In addition, based on population and service penetration values, E-UMTS traffic generation and activity models are described and characterized. Based on these scenarios and characterizations, system level simulations are carried out and the enhanced service quality performance is demonstrated, including blocking probability, handover failure probability and end-to-enddelay in each deployment scenario. By using system level simulations, services and environmental conditions can be mapped into deployment strategies (and supported system capacity) whose evaluation is essential prior to field trials and real implementation. On the one hand, costs depend on the prices of the spectrum, equipment, operation and maintenance, as well as on the number of cells which, in turn, depends on the cell radius. On the other, revenues depend on the price per MB and on the supported throughput. As the goal of operators and service providers is to maximize the profit, the profit in percentage was obtained for the three considered scenarios. Its optimum values are found for cell radii around 31, 257, and 310 m for offices, vehicular and business city center scenarios, respectively.

This chapter covers all issues related to performance evaluation and traffic modeling of mobile and wireless networks. As such, the main focus is on the development of novel techniques for modeling and evaluation of already existing technologies and concepts for current and future wireless networks.

The intangibility of banking services makes the evaluation of service quality and customer convenience difficult to measure. This paper aims to construct an integrated evaluation system for retail banking service quality and convenience at the bank branch level by combining cognitive mapping with measuring attractiveness by a categorical based evaluation technique. We strive to introduce transparency in the decision making process and add to the performance literature in retail banking. Strengths, weaknesses and practical applications of our multiple criteria evaluation system are also discussed.

Bank branch performance evaluation is a difficult endeavour. Some of the main reasons for this difficulty are the complexity inherent in the variety of aspects considered in the evaluation, and the multiple and conflicting interests of the different stakeholders involved. In this paper, we show how cognitive mapping and measuring attractiveness by a categorical-based evaluation technique can be used to support the evaluation of bank branches through the development of multidimensional performance evaluation systems, and to deal explicitly with the trade-offs between the different dimensions of performance and interests of different stakeholders. A case study is discussed where these techniques are used in a constructive way, making the learning activity easier and introducing transparency in the decision-making process. The strengths and weaknesses of the integrated use of these two operational research techniques in this context are also discussed.