CEF.UP – MaR Seminar/Webinar

Tuesday – April 29^th, 2025 | 18:30h – 20:00h | Room 631 | Online

“”Are we good? Or do we need to keep going?”: Unravelling auditors’ evidence sufficiency determinations”

Lisa Baudot – HEC Paris (France)

Abstract:

“Determining when sufficient appropriate evidence has been gathered is a critical aspect of audit judgment, with public regulators frequently citing insufficient evidence as a key deficiency in audits. Drawing on interviews with 45 auditors across firms of varying sizes and using a theoretical framework that integrates both the structured and affective dimensions of professional judgements, our study explores how auditors approach evidence sufficiency determinations. Our analysis reveals the dynamic, cyclical decision-making process auditors employ while assessing evidence sufficiency. Initially, auditors rely on established guidelines, which provide a structured approach. When these guidelines prove insufficient or mismatch the specific scenario, discomfort prompts auditors to engage in deeper evaluation. This might include revising evidence thresholds, adapting rules for evidence comparison, or forming mental models to better understand the situation alongside the collective inputs gathered throughout the process. This iterative process can either resolve the initial discomfort or lead auditors to accept some residual discomfort. As auditors navigate a variety of stopping rules and feelings of (dis) comfort, they continuously recalibrate their sufficiency determinations based on prior experiences, establishing a feedback loop that informs perceptions of comfort, and the evidence required to attain it.”

CEF.UP – MaR Seminar/Webinar

Tuesday – May 6^th, 2025 | 18:30h – 20:00h | Room 631 | Online

“Evolution and current topics in Purpose-Driven Branding”

Francisco Guzmán – University of North Texas (U.S.A.)

Zoe Lee – Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University (Wales, United Kingdom)

Consumers increasingly expect brands to have a social purpose. Brand purpose has been defined as a branding strategy that unites a brand’s core values with a higher cause/purpose, making it a part of brand’s identity and positioning in the long-term, to raise awareness, build emotional bonds with consumers, and positively impact a societal need. In this seminar, the evolution of the concept, as well as current topics, will be discussed. Guest speakers will also present their ongoing research projects within this emerging field.

CEF.UP – MaR Seminar/Webinar

Tuesday – May 13^th, 2025 | 18:30h – 20:00h | Room 631 | Online

“Semantic network analysis in consumer and marketing research: application areas in phygital contexts”

Philipp Jaufenthaler – Faculty of Business and Management, Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck (Austria)

Large-scale text-based data presents significant methodological challenges due to its complexity and volume, necessitating advanced approaches for analysis and interpretation. In this seminar, we will talk about semantic network analysis (SemNA) as an innovative solution and discuss its potential for consumer and marketing research. By integrating quantitative measures, such as co-occurrence patterns of semantic units, with qualitative interpretation of semantic networks, SemNA offers a promising quant-qual framework. This approach not only structures and visualizes data but also enables interpretive exploration and theorization, bridging methodological gaps and uncovering actionable insights. Please bring your laptop.

CEF.UP – MaR Seminar

Tuesday – May 27^th , 2025 | 18:30h- 20:00h | Room 631

MEET THE EDITORS

This seminar is an opportunity to meet and talk with the editors of selected journals, all of them affiliated with FEP – School of Economics and Management of the University of Porto.

Editors will answer questions about the journals, discuss the submission and review processes, and provide attendees with advice on how to increase the likelihood of publication.

• João Oliveira (Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management)
• Luísa Pinto (Journal of Global Mobility)
• Amélia Brandão (International Journal of Consumer Studies)
• Dalila Fontes (Journal of Combinatorial Optimization)

Moderator: Teresa Fernandes (Journal of Strategic Marketing)

CEF.UP – MaR Seminar/Webinar

Tuesday – June 17^th, 2025 | 18:30h – 20:00h | Room 631 | Online

“Brand Activism: Igniting marketing’s social spirit, or lighting the fuse of the culture war?”

Ken Peattie – Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University (Wales, United Kingdom)

Abstract:

“A culture war pitting socially conservative and socially progressive factions against each other is an increasingly visible feature of the marketing environment within many countries. Brand activist campaigns are mostly adopted by companies seeking to express their values and their solidarity with progressive social causes and/or to resonate with younger consumer audiences for whom such causes are important. Such strategies pose risks to brands and their managers, and a misjudged incursion into a culture war battle can result in a backlash from both critics and supporters. Becoming “fake news” targets, accusations of inauthenticity, and being targeted with punitive measures by policymakers in retaliation for taking a stand are among the brand activism risks companies face. This seminar explores these issues and considers what responsible marketing might look like for companies in the midst of a culture war.”