Analyzing consumer-based brand equity on Facebook: the impact of brand gender

In recent years, Facebook and other social media have become key players in branding activities. However, empirical research is still needed about the way in which consumer-based brand equity is created on social media. The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between masculine and feminine brand personality and brand equity, on Facebook, and to analyze the mediating role of consumer-brand engagement and brand love on this relationship. Data were collected using an online survey with 614 valid responses. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Results support 7 of the 11 hypotheses with significant relationship between analyzed constructs. This study confirms the advantages of a clear gender positioning and extends prior research by suggesting that brands with a strong brand gender identity will encourage brand love. Results also highlight that brand love has a mediating role on the relationship between brand gender and overall brand equity.

A feminização na educação básica: Os docentes do género masculino na educação de crianças

O presente estudo tem por tema as representações de docentes do género masculino que exercem a sua actividade na educação pré-escolar ou no 1º ciclo do ensino básico acerca da sua carreira profissional, num contexto educativo e institucional histórica e socialmente feminizado. A grande finalidade do estudo era abordar e dar a conhecer o serviço desses profissionais, na sequência dos seus contactos com colegas, pais e crianças, e indagar se na perspectiva dos inquiridos, o fenómeno da feminização dos níveis de educação em que laboram pode ser avaliado como um problema ou disfunção social, ou como resultado das políticas educativas praticadas no nosso País, a longo e curto prazo. Como objectivos específicos a que se procurou dar resposta estiveram, nomeadamente, a indagação das razões que poderão ter levado estes docentes a ingressar nas carreiras profissionais em causa, o grau de aceitação que experienciaram nas suas instituições de formação inicial, no mercado de trabalho e nas comunidades em que desenvolvem a sua actividade profissional. Os dados através dos quais se procurou dar consecução a tais objectivos foram recolhidos com base na realização de entrevistas semi-estruturadas a doze docentes da educação básica, sendo seis educadores e seis professores. A análise dos testemunhos dos inquiridos pareceu indicar, por um lado, que os mesmos terão beneficiado, no geral, de um enquadramento profissional não discriminatório e de uma boa aceitação por parte dos colegas, dos pais e das crianças, e, por outro, que, no seu entender, o estado de feminização deste sector educativo é uma consequência natural do contexto político, cultural e social que o País tem vindo a atravessar nas últimas décadas. ABSTRACT; This study is subject to the representations of male teachers who pursue their activities in pre-school education or the 1st cycle of basic education about their career, educational and institutional context in a historical and socially feminized. The major purpose of the study was addressing and raising awareness of the service of these professionals, as a result of their contacts with colleagues, parents and children, and whether, in view of respondents, the phenomenon of feminization of the levels of education may be operating in assessed as a problem or social dysfunction, or as a result of educational policies practiced in our country, the long and short term. As specific objectives to be sought to answer were, in particular the question of the reasons that may have led these teachers to enter the career in question, the degree of acceptance that experienced in their initial training, labour market and communities in which they conduct their business. The data through which we tried to achieve such objectives have been collected based on the performance of semi-structured to twelve basic education teachers, six educators and six teachers. The analysis of the testimonies of the respondents seem to indicate, first, that they have benefited, in general, a non-discriminatory business environment and a good acceptance by colleagues, parents and children, and secondly, that in their view, the state of feminization of education is a natural consequence of the political, cultural and social that the country has been experiencing in recent decades.