O olhar da popula����o vimaranense atrav��s da imprensa local da Capital Europeia da Cultura

A nomea����o de Guimar��es como Capital Europeia da Cultura (CEC) em 2012, para al��m de suscitar o natural orgulho e refor��ar a auto-estima dos residentes, veio colocar na ordem do dia a necessidade de medir os efeitos que a concretiza����o deste mega-evento pode provocar na cidade e no resto do munic��pio. A discuss��o dos benef��cios e dos custos e um alargado envolvimento da comunidade tende a permitir encontrar formas de reduzir os impactos negativos e aumentar os impactos positivos. Para isto, importa realizar debates e promover a participa����o e envolvimento da comunidade. Esta comunica����o analisa o envolvimento da popula����o e das associa����es locais na Capital Europeia da Cultura 2012 atrav��s da cobertura feita pela imprensa local �� prepara����o do evento. A an��lise de conte��do ��s not��cias publicadas abrangeu o per��odo que medeia entre Janeiro e Agosto de 2011 e respeitou a dois seman��rios locais. Com base na an��lise efectuada, pode concluir-se que tem existido uma forte reac����o negativa por parte da popula����o e das associa����es locais �� entidade organizadora da CEC 2012, que colocam em quest��o o envolvimento e participa����o prevista dos vimaranenses no evento. Resta saber se a nova gest��o, nomeada em Agosto de 2011, ser�� capaz de recuperar o entusiasmo e apoio da popula����o vimaranense ao projecto a tempo de se constituir como um factor de sucesso deste mega-evento.

Capital Intelectual: sua divulga����o no setor banc��rio em Portugal

The importance of intangible resources has increased dramatically in recent years comparing to tangible ones. The economy in which we live is the result of competitive pressures that have imposed the implementation of business at an international level as well as a requirement in the application of sophisticated technologies that allow us to follow this fast evolution. In this age of information and innovation organizations will only survive if they are inserted in a global network of strategic relations, generically called as the network economy by Lev (2003). The service sector has stood out against the more traditional sectors of the economy. The intensive use of knowledge and a strong customer orientation created a new reality in today���s organizations: a growing importance attached to innovation, to the quality of products and services offered, to the information and communication technologies adopted, and to the creativity and particular abilities of human resources. The concept of intangible assets is more common in an accounting language and intellectual capital is most often applied in the context of management, being associated with a more comprehensive, multidimensional approach, representing all the knowledge that the institution owns and that it applies in the form of expertise, the creativity and organizational competencies that lead to innovation and to the sustained attainment of future economic benefits. An analysis of the scope of intellectual capital is fundamental to take more appropriate management decisions so that a more appropriate accounting treatment could be given by the accounting standardization organizations. This study intends to analyse the practices of information disclosure of the intellectual capital in the banking sector in Portugal, complementing the analysis of the disclosure of intangible assets in the context of accounting standards with the disclosure of intellectual capital in the context of organizational management. In particular, our main aims are to identify the extent of disclosure of intellectual capital made by banks in Portugal and also to identify the factors that determine such a disclosure. The disclosure in the context of accounting standards will be studied by checking the disclosure of intangible assets through the items listed in the International Accounting Standard 38 developed by the International Accounting Standards Board. The context of management was analysed by means of creating a voluntary disclosure index based on assumptions of the model Intellectus, developed by the Centro de Investigaci��n sobre la Sociedad del Conocimiento ��� Instituto de Administraci��n de Empresas (CIC-IADE) of the Universidad Aut��noma of Madrid, and of the model Intellectual Capital Statement (made in Europe) (InCaS), both promoted by the European Commission and that we have adapted to the banking sector. When analysing the disclosure of intangible assets based on the context of accounting standards and the voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital, this study has tried to raise awareness about the importance of issuing reports on the intellectual capital as an alternative tool to take management decisions in the existing organizations and reflects the transparency and legitimacy that these institutions seek through a more extensive and more detailed information disclosure of their intellectual capital. Based on a complimentarily of economic theories, together with social and political theories, we tried to check the extent, evolution and tendencies of the compulsory disclosure of intangible assets and of the voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital analysed in the period 2001-2011. Banks characteristics were also analysed in order to deduce those factors that determine or promote a larger disclosure in this sector. Based on these objectives, we adopted a longitudinal approach to explore the extent and the development of the disclosure of intangible assets as well as the factors that have determined it. Furthermore, we sought to assess the impact of the adoption of IAS 38 in the financial statements of the organizations in this sector. The disclosure index created on the basis of the disclosure requirements stated in IAS 38 from IASB was applied to the consolidated financial statements of the seventeen banks that rendered their statements in Portugal from 2001 to 2009. Since the information disclosed in the context of accounting standards may not have an important role as a management tool once it was not able to reflect what really contributes to the competitiveness and organizational growth, the voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital was analysed according to the information obtained from the 2010 annual individual reports of the banks operating in Portugal in that year and from their respective websites in 2011. We tried to analyse the extent of the voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital and of each of its components, human capital, structural capital and relational capital. The comparative analysis of their annual reports and their web pages allowed us to assess the incidence of the disclosure and discover what channel the banking sector focuses on when disclosing their intellectual capital. Also in this analysis the study of the disclosure determinants has allowed us to conclude about the influence of particular characteristics in the voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital. The results of the analysis to the extent of the disclosure of intangible assets in the consolidated financial statements of the banking groups in Portugal in the period 2001-2009 have shown an average information disclosure of 0.24. This information disclosure evolved from an average value of 0.1940 in 2001 to 0.2778 in 2009. The average value is 0.8286 if it is only considered the disclosure of the intangible assets that the banks possessed. The evolution of this index means an increase in the average disclosure from 0.7852 in 2001 to 0.8788 in 2009. From the first results that are related to the extent of the disclosure of intangible assets in the financial statements, we can verify that the banking groups present a low disclosure level of these resources. However, when considering the disclosure of only the intangible assets that each institution owns, the disclosure level appears to be in compliance with the disclosure requirements for this sector. An evolution in the disclosure of intangible assets for the period considered was confirmed, showing an increase in the information disclosure of intangible assets in 2005, the year in which the accounting rules for intangible assets changed. The analysis that focused on the disclosure in the context of management tried to understand the extent, the incidence and the determinants of the voluntary information disclosure of intellectual capital in the annual reports of 2010 and on their web pages in 2011, studying the 32 banks operating in Portugal in this period. The average voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital in the 2010 annual reports is 0.4342 while that in web pages is 0.2907. A review of the components of the intellectual capital allowed us to assess the importance that the banks confer to each of these components. The data obtained show that the relational capital, and more specifically the business capital, is the most disclosed component by banks in Portugal both in the annual reports and in their institutional web pages, followed by the structural capital and, finally, by the human capital. The disclosure of the human capital and the structural capital is higher in the annual reports than that in the websites, while the relational capital is more disclosed in the websites than in the annual reports. The results have also shown that the banks make a complementary use of both sources when disclosing information about their structural capital and relational capital but they do not show any information about their human capital in their websites. We tried to prove the influence of factors that could determine the accounting disclosure and the voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital in this sector. The change in the IASB accounting rules as from January 1st 2005 gave a greater disclosure of accounting information of intangible assets in the financial statements of banks. The bank size and corporate governance measures have statistically proved to have an influence on the extent of the accounting disclosure of intangible assets and on the voluntary disclosure of the intellectual capital. Economic and financial variables such as profitability, operating efficiency or solvency were not determinants of information disclosure. The instability that the banking sector has experienced in economic and financial indicators in recent years as a result of the global financial markets imbalance has worsen indicators such as profitability, efficiency and solvency and caused major discrepancies in the economic situation between banks in Portugal. This empirical analysis has contributed to confront the disclosure required by accounting rules performed in the financial statements of organizations with that performed in the main disclosure media which is available for entities and which is increasingly requested in the process of taking management decisions. It also allowed us to verify whether there is homogeneity between institutions in the fulfilment of the requirements for information disclosure of intangible assets. However, as for voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital, there are large disparities in the disclosure extent between organizations. Regardless of this sector specific characteristics, the voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital made by banks in Portugal follows the trends in other sectors and the practices adopted in other countries, namely regarding the amount of information disclosed, the incidence of the disclosure on the indicators of relational capital and the importance of variables such as size as determinants of disclosure of intellectual capital. For a further knowledge in this field, we created a specific index for the banking sector, considering appropriate indicators for an incisive, comprehensive analysis in order to consider the most relevant indicators of intellectual capital components. Besides, confronting the analysis of disclosure in the context of accounting standards with the study of voluntary disclosure brought a new analysis approach to the research on intellectual capital disclosure. With this study, we have also intended to raise greater awareness of the need for harmonization in the intellectual capital disclosure on the part of the regulatory banking authority by means of a demanding, consistent and transparent report of intellectual capital with simple, clear, objective indicators so that those interested in disclosing intellectual capital information in the organizations in this sector may obtain more harmonized and comparable information. A research on the disclosure quality of intellectual capital, together with the application of other analysis methodologies in this sector, might be a promising approach for future research. Applying the voluntary disclosure index to the same sector in other countries may also contribute to the knowledge of disclosure practices in different geographical environments. We highlight the relevance of further studies contributing to the harmonization and consistency in the presentation of an intellectual capital report so as to enable organizations to disclose the resources that contribute most to their competitiveness and growth.

Inmuebles_ clasificaci��n, valoraci��n y reconocimiento inicial seg��n el IASB

Las normas internacionales de contabilidad asientan en cuatro bases fundamentales: Reconocimiento; Valoraci��n; Presentaci��n y Divulgaci��n. Los principales aspectos a considerar en los inmuebles son su reconocimiento y valoraci��n, es decir, encontrar su valor y decidir entre capitalizar (reconocer en la contabilidad) o ���despesar��� (llevar a la cuenta de p��rdidas y ganancias). En el presente trabajo abordaremos de forma muy simple el tratamiento contable de las normas internacionales relacionadas con el inmovilizado, abordando apenas su valoraci��n y su reconocimiento inicial. Nuestro punto de partida son las IAS 16, IAS 40 y IAS 38, adem��s del an��lisis de otras normas que est��n asociadas para el proceso de valoraci��n y reconocimiento de los bienes inmovilizados.

Divulga����o dos activos intang��veis nas contas consolidadas das sociedades

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo realizar un an��lisis emp��rico relativo a los factores determinantes en la divulgaci��n de los intangibles en las cuentas consolidadas de las principales entidades bancarias portuguesas y espa��olas, de acuerdo con los requisitos de divulgaci��n establecidos en la IAS 38. Para ello, se ha analizado el contenido de los Estados Financieros de siete bancos portugueses y siete espa��oles durante el periodo comprendido entre los a��os 2006 y 2009. Sobre la base de otros estudios que han abordado este tema, se ha intentado verificar qu�� factores influyen en el grado de divulgaci��n de los intangibles, llegando a la conclusi��n de que el valor invertido en los mismos y el ��ndice de rentabilidad son determinantes en el nivel de su divulgaci��n. En efecto, observamos que el volumen de intangibles representados en el balance est�� relacionado positivamente con el ��ndice de divulgaci��n, sin embargo el ratio de rentabilidad de la entidad bancaria tiene una asociaci��n inverso, es decir, se revela que el ��ndice de divulgaci��n aumenta cuando la rentabilidad del banco disminuye.

Extens��o da divulga����o volunt��ria do capital intelectual nos grupos banc��rios

Com o presente estudo procuramos analisar a extens��o da divulga����o volunt��ria do capital intelectual nos relat��rios anuais e nas p��ginas Web dos grupos banc��rios em Portugal. Os resultados revelaram que os grupos banc��rios divulgam em m��dia 0,5335 de informa����o do capital intelectual nos relat��rios anuais e 0,3493 nas suas p��ginas Web. O componente mais divulgado, tanto nos relat��rios anuais como nas p��ginas Web, �� o capital relacional, seguido do capital estrutural e do capital humano. Os grupos banc��rios em Portugal atribuem maior import��ncia �� divulga����o de informa����o do capital neg��cio nos relat��rios anuais e do capital sociedade nas p��ginas Web.

A divulga����o do capital intelectual no setor banc��rio em Portugal.

divulga����o do capital intelectual no setor banc��rio em Portugal.

O n��vel de divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital humano nas empresas cotadas em Portugal

Esta comunica����o tem como objetivo principal analisar o n��vel de divulga����o de informa����o volunt��ria sobre o capital humano nu amostra de 46 empresas cotadas na Euronext Lisbon. Recorrendo �� t��cnica de an��lise de conte��do estudamos os relat��rios anuais de contas consolidadas de 2008 a 2012. Para determinar o n��vel de divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital humano desenvolvemos um ��ndice de divulga����o (IDVCH), que varia entre 0 e 1, sendo composto por 45 indicadores, baseado no estudo de Silva et al. (2012).Os dados recolhidos para a constru����o do ��ndice foram codificados de forma bin��ria: 0 para ���n��o divulga��� e 1 para ���divulga���. Os resultados obtidos apontam para um n��vel m��dio de divulga����o de 0,46, sendo poss��vel afirmar que as empresas cotadas em Portugal t��m ganho consci��ncia e se preocupam em divulgar voluntariamente informa����o sobre o capital humano, fator de sucesso muitas vezes esquecido pelas organiza����es e pela Contabilidade.

Perceptions of residents of hosting the ���Guimar��es 2012 European Capital of Culture���: An ex-ante approach

The European Capital of Culture is an annual mega-event, which can provide a good forum though which to challenge and engage local citizens, thus generating feelings of common citizenship. In addition, it presents an ideal opportunity to promote the restructuring of the hosting urban space. However, the success of both the organization and the city that hosts the cultural event depends on the residents��� commitment towards it, the consistency of the tourism attractions and activities supplied, and the capacity of anticipating and monitoring the evolution of tourists��� preferences. The present study aims to assess the intention to participate and the impacts perceived by residents of Guimar��es from hosting one of the 2012 European Capitals of Culture (2012 ECOC) in the ex-ante period (2011). Through a convenience sample of 471 usable surveys applied to the local population, conducted between October and December 2011, we tried to identify some of these potential impacts. According to the results received, 40% of residents had a low or very low knowledge of the cultural program, although only 11% demonstrated no intention of attending any activity during the event. The comparison of the mean scores of the expected 2012 ECOC impacts by gender reveals that the most valued and least valued factors are common to female and male respondents. With regard to the differences between those that intended to attend the event and the ones that did not, expected participants rated positive and negative impact factors more than did the ones that did not intend to attend.

A Divulga����o de Informa����o sobre o Capital Humano nas empresas cotadas em Portugal. Uma an��lise emp��rica de 2008 a 2012.

Esta investiga����o emp��rica tem como objetivo principal analisar o n��vel de divulga����o de informa����o volunt��ria sobre o capital humano das empresas cotadas na Euronext Lisbon de 2008 a 2012, bem como identificar os seus fatores determinantes. Estudamos os relat��rios anuais de contas consolidadas recorrendo �� t��cnica de an��lise de conte��do, numa amostra composta por 46 empresas. Para determinar o n��vel de divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital humano desenvolvemos um ��ndice de divulga����o (IDVCH), composto por 45 indicadores, baseado no estudo de Silva et al. (2012). Os dados recolhidos para a constru����o do ��ndice foram codificados de forma bin��ria: 0 para ���n��o divulga��� e 1 para ���divulga���. Os resultados obtidos apontam para um n��vel m��dio de divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital humano de 0,46, verificando-se uma evolu����o positiva e estatisticamente significativa do IDVCH durante os cincos anos. Os setores de atividade que apresentam maiores ��ndices de divulga����o s��o o setor financeiro, o setor de telecomunica����es e o setor p��blico. Identific��mos atrav��s da an��lise univariada e multivariada que os fatores que influenciam positivamente o n��vel de divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital humano s��o: a rendibilidade, a dimens��o do conselho de administra����o, a dispers��o geogr��fica dos colaboradores, e a integra����o da sociedade no ��ndice PSI-20. N��o se obteve signific��ncia estat��stica para se concluir sobre os resultados das vari��veis independentes: a dimens��o da organiza����o, o endividamento, o tipo de auditor, o setor de atividade e a idade da organiza����o. O modelo de regress��o linear m��ltipla, (em que consider��mos o IDVCH como vari��vel dependente), �� explicado na ordem dos 40% pelas vari��veis independentes que analis��mos. A originalidade desta disserta����o incide no facto de tratarmos isoladamente a componente do capital humano, e de apurarmos quais os fatores que influenciam o seu n��vel de divulga����o nas empresas cotadas em Portugal.

Normativo Contabilistico para Pequenas e Microentidades:implica��oes ao nivel do Relato Financeiro

Fruto do processo de harmoniza����o contabil��stica vivido no seio da Uni��o Europeia, a partir de 2010, as entidades portuguesas passaram a dispor de um novo Sistema de Normaliza����o Contabil��stica.(SNC). As entidades de menor dimens��o podem, por op����o, utilizar a Norma Contabil��stica e de Relato Financeiro para Pequenas Entidades(NCRF-PE), consagrada no SNC. Todavia, a Lei n��35/2010 de 2 de Setembro veio estabelecer um regime especial simplificado das normas e informa����es contabil��sticas das microentidades aprovado pelo Discreto-Lei n��36-A/2011, de 9 de Mar��o. Face �� inexist��ncia de estudos que versem sobre a transi����o para o normativo contabil��stico das pequenas e microentidades, esta disserta����o tem como objectivo conhecer o n��vel de prepara����o dos T��cnicos Oficiais de Contas(TOC) aquando da adop����o destes normativos,analisando o sei impacto ao n��vel do processo contabil��stico e do relato financeiro.Para o efeito foi utilizada a t��cnica do question��rio, cujas respostas indicam que a maioria dos TOC concorda com a exist��ncia destes normativos, considerando estar razoavelmente preparado a quanto da sua aplica����o. O n��vel de prepara����o destes profissionais �� tanto maior quanto maior o n��vel das habilita����es acad��micas dos TOC bem como, a antiguidade na profiss��o. No que concerne ��s mudan��as ao n��vel de relato financeiro, destacam-se algumas rubricas do Balan��o(Activos Tang��veis, Activos Intang��veis, Subs��dios e Capital Pr��prio) onde os inquiridos consideram ter havido um maior impacto na sequ��ncia da adop����o dos novos normativos.

Broad and restricted scope of the concept of civil service: a multipolariza����o do conceito de publica nos modelos hibricos. A capacidade transformadora dos memorados de entendimento: Portugal e Irlanda

Analise do conceito de Fun����o Publica, identificando, �� partida, uma dicotomia conceptual, entre um modelo marcadamente continental(broad concept of civil service) e um modelo restrito(restricted scope of the concept of civil service), caracter��stico dos pa��ses anglo-sax��nicos, aflorando a reforma da Administra����o Publica, na senda da New Public Management, como o caminho para a afirma����o de modelos h��bridos, com caracter��sticas de laboraliza����o da Fun����o Publica e de flexiseguran��a, que surgem como consequ��ncia da pulveriza����o daquela dicotomia, revelando uma miscigena����o entre os modelos iniciais e elementos externos, de acordo com as idiossincrasias de cada pa��s. Posterior estudo de caso, versando sobre Portugal e a Irlanda , dois pa��ses que, s��o contrario do que a tradi����o anglo- sax��nica da Irlanda faria adivinhar, partilham um conceito amplo de Fun����o Publica(broad concept of Civil Service), apoiado num sistema de carreira(carrear sytem). Percorrerem, quase em simult��neo, o caminho de um regate econ��mico-financeiro desenvolvido pelo Fundo Monet��rio Internacional, Banco Central Europeu e Comiss��o Europeia. Procurara investiga-se se o acordo firmado entre os dois pa��ses e a Troika, materializado nos respectivos Memorando de Entendimento e sucessivas revis��es, no per��odo compreendido entre 16 de Dezembro de 2010 e 31 de Dezembro de 2012, introduziu modifica����es nos respectivos modelos de Fun����o Publica, designadamente for��ando-os a uma aproxima����o do restricted scope of the concept of Civil Service e, com isso, projectando-os para a adop����o de modelos h��bridos.

Os determinantes da divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital intelectual: estudo da banca em Portugal

O objetivo do presente estudo consiste em analisar os determinantes da divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital intelectual nos bancos que desenvolveram a sua atividade em Portugal, em 2010 e 2011. Esta an��lise contempla igualmente a divulga����o sobre os diferentes componentes do capital intelectual: o capital humano, o capital estrutural e o capital relacional, obtendo-se, para o efeito, os dados nos relat��rios anuais e nas p��ginas Web destas entidades no per��odo considerado. Os resultados revelaram que as dimens��es organiza����o e conselho de administra����o s��o considerados os determinantes da divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital intelectual, tanto nos relat��rios anuais como nas Webpages. As vari��veis econ��micofinanceiras de rendibilidade, de efici��ncia e de solvabilidade n��o se apresentaram, na an��lise multivariada, como fatores que determinam a divulga����o de informa����o sobre o capital intelectual pelos bancos em Portugal. Saliente-se, no entanto, que numa an��lise univariada, a solvabilidade apresenta um n��vel de associa����o estatisticamente significativo com a divulga����o de informa����o, revelando que os bancos com menor solvabilidade divulgam mais informa����o sobre o seu capital intelectual.

�� sistema capitalista, quanto do teu Portugal s��o lavagens de capital?

Ouvimos tamb��m muitos a falar em branqueamento de capitais, crimes financeiros, abuso de informa����o, manipula����o do mercado, etc.. Salvo o devido respeito, contudo, poucos sabem o qu��o dif��cil �� a prova destes crimes! Sabiam que p.e. at�� meados de 2008, crimes como o abuso de informa����o ou a manipula����o do mercado eram insuscept��veis de interfer��ncia nas comunica����es?! Sabiam que at�� hoje, o C��digo dos Valores Mobili��rios n��o prev�� a criminaliza����o das pessoas colectivas e, portanto, dos pr��prios bancos?! Abstract: We hear too many to talk about money laundering, financial crimes, insider trading, market manipulation, etc .. Unless all due respect, however, few know how hard it is to prove that the crimes! Standing knew that by mid-2008, crimes such as dealing or market manipulation were incapable of interference in communications ?! They knew that to date, the Securities Code does not provide for the criminalization of legal persons and therefore the banks themselves ?!

Modelos de regress��o para estima����o do volume de ��rvores comerciais, em florestas de Paragominas

Em fevereiro de 2009, o Minist��rio do Meio Ambiente criou a Resolu����o CONAMA 406, que determina que, a partir do segundo Plano Operacional Anual (POA), s�� ser�� aceito, pelo ��rg��o ambiental competente, o c��lculo do volume de ��rvores em p��, mediante equa����o de volume, desenvolvida especificamente para o Plano de Manejo Florestal Sustent��vel (PMFS). Em fun����o disso, necessita-se especificar um modelo estat��stico para estimar o volume comercial das ��rvores. Neste trabalho, ajustou-se o modelo estat��stico ��s informa����es coletadas em povoamento de floresta Ombr��fila densa, localizada no munic��pio de Paragominas, Estado do Par��, com o objetivo de selecionar o de melhor ajuste e precis��o. A amostra foi composta de 234 ��rvores, distribu��das em sete classes diam��tricas, com amplitudes de 12 cm, no intervalo de 49 at�� 127 cm. Obteve-se o volume real, medindo-se as circunfer��ncias nas sec����es, a cada 2 m, determinando-se o CAP e a altura comercial real. A sele����o para a escolha do melhor modelo teve como refer��ncia o valor da estat��stica F, o mais alto coeficiente de determina����o (R��), o menor erro padr��o da estimativa em percentagem (Syx%) e a an��lise de res��duos, por meio do Desvio M��dio Porcentual (DMP). Com base nas estat��sticas mencionadas, concluiu-se que o melhor entre os modelos tradicionais, a ser empregado na ��rea, foi o proposto por Schumacher-Hall. Finalmente, concluiu-se que o modelo alternativo, com vari��vel dummy, �� melhor e deve ser o adotado em florestas nativas da Amaz��nia.

Perceptions of residents of hosting the ���Guimar��es 2012 European Capital of Culture���: an ex-ante approach

The European Capital of Culture is an annual mega-event, which can provide a good forum though which to challenge and engage local citizens, thus generating feelings of common citizenship. In addition, it presents an ideal opportunity to promote the restructuring of the hosting urban space. However, the success of both the organization and the city that hosts the cultural event depends on the residents��� commitment towards it, the consistency of the tourism attractions and activities supplied, and the capacity of anticipating and monitoring the evolution of tourists��� preferences. The present study aims to assess the intention to participate and the impacts perceived by residents of Guimar��es from hosting one of the 2012 European Capitals of Culture (2012 ECOC) in the ex-ante period (2011). Through a convenience sample of 471 usable surveys applied to the local population, conducted between October and December 2011, we tried to identify some of these potential impacts. According to the results received, 40% of residents had a low or very low knowledge of the cultural program, although only 11% demonstrated no intention of attending any activity during the event. The comparison of the mean scores of the expected 2012 ECOC impacts by gender reveals that the most valued and least valued factors are common to female and male respondents. With regard to the differences between those that intended to attend the event and the ones that did not, expected participants rated positive and negative impact factors more than did the ones that did not intend to attend.