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As one of the world's leading technology companies, HP occupies an essential position in the printer and personal system markets. In order to analyze HP's current market value and predict its future financial performance, this thesis values HP by applying three models: EDCF, DEP, and APV. Based on the financial statement from 2019 to 2023, this thesis conducts a common size analysis of the financial data to facilitate the comparison between various indicators. HP's asset structure and profitability are analyzed and the company's beta is also tested. To analyze HP's position and environment in the technology industry, Dell Inc. will be analyzed as its main competitor. At the same time, the intrinsic value of HP is estimated based on the financial statements for the next ten years which is predicted. The valuation results are compared with HP's stock price at the end of 2023 to determine whether HP's stock price is overvalued or undervalued. In order to improve the accuracy of the valuation, sensitivity analysis is also used to evaluate the impact of variables such as internal factors and external market factors on the company's value. Studies have shown that HP's intrinsic value is greatly affected by the market risk premium. This thesis also uses SWOT and PESTEL to analyze the company's strengths, weaknesses and operating environment which will help to identify the company's competitiveness. It also helps to identify HP's potential opportunities and risks in technological innovation and market expansion. The impact of the macro-economy on HP's development is also analyzed. The results of this thesis provide a reference for investors and management, which helps to understand the market positioning and future development potential of HP and other technology companies. The limitations of the study are the subjectivity of data forecasts and the uncertainty of the market environment

The cosmological constant is normally introduced as an additional term entering the Einstein–Hilbert (EH) action. In this letter, we demonstrate that, instead, it appears naturally from the standard EH action as an invariant term emerging from spacetime symmetries. We then demonstrate that the same constraint emerging from this invariant suppresses the short wavelength modes and it favors the long wavelength ones. In this way, inside the proposed formulation, the observed value for the vacuum energy density is obtained naturally from the zero-point quantum fluctuations.

The mutual information method has demonstrated to be very useful for deriving the potential order parameter of a system. Although the method suggests some constraints which help to define this quantity, there is still some freedom in the definition. The method then results inefficient for cases where we have order parameters with a large number of constants in the expansion, which happens when we have many degenerate vacuums. Here, we introduce some additional constraints based on the existence of broken symmetries, which help us to reduce the arbitrariness in the definitions of the order parameter in the proposed mutual information method.

Markets in Macau are not merely places for commercial retail, they are also social spaces. As a centre of communal life, markets are of great significance to the lives of Macau residents. However, with the rise of supermarkets and online shopping, the role of traditional markets has been reduced. At the same time, the messy and unkempt nature of traditional markets has become a negative factor of their social viability. The result has been a downward spiral of poor operation, decline in rental yield and loss of customers. Can the markets be revitalized for Macau residents? Can the social attributes of markets be reactivated? How can the experience of markets be re-imagined for different user groups? The present thesis is organized into 5 parts. The first part deals with the background of research. It also describes the purpose and significance of the research and discusses research methodology. The second part details market pressures in Macau, including insufficient land and space resources, poor sanitary environment, and tourism promotion needs. The third part examines the idea of “walkable cities” in terms of four concerns—usefulness, safety, comfort, and spatial interest—and in terms of specific case studies. The fourth part concerns a design project for a market at ZONE A in Macau. The thesis details the needs of a market in this zone and considers them in the light of the idea of walkable cities. Overall, this thesis attempts to contribute to public discussion of the future of markets in Macau in terms of service, socialisation and promotion

In the age of the information society, the prominence of internet communication and social media has meant that the role of face-to-face encounters in public life has been diminished. This trend has been exacerbated by public health concerns in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. The social role of architecture and its contribution to the sustainability of interpersonal relationships has become a significant issue for architects. As a place to accommodate sporting activities and social space in the community, sports centers play an important role in promoting social cohesion and interaction. This is the focal topic of the present thesis. The principal tasks of this thesis are as follows: (1) This thesis collects and studies relevant literature on sports centers as social spaces. A special emphasis is placed on discussions of social spaces. The intention is to articulate design characteristics of community sports centers that merit further exploration. (2) This thesis selects three representative sports facilities as case studies and considers how they promote the formation of social bonds and interactions. The thesis offers a review of design ideas, planning strategies and specific methods of implementation. (3) This thesis takes the design project for a sports center in New District A in Macau as an example, and puts forward a design strategy of ""vertical intensification + shared application"". This strategy aims to promote the integration of the sports center with the urban environment, while creating a flexible public space that can adapt to the needs of spontaneous and social activities. The intention is to make the sports center a place that promotes community interaction and connectivity. Overall, this thesis argues that community sports centers can become important places to promote social interaction through well-designed architectural space. Specific design factors and strategies explored in this thesis provide useful points of reference for architects. Through on-going processes of optimization and innovation, sports centers can better serve the community of Macau

In a fast-paced and densely populated city, community activity centers can provide a social place for residents. This thesis is a study of this promise of social life for a new urban development in Macau. Community centers play an important role in promoting community cohesion and resident participation. Yet, public space for Macau residents is increasingly unable to meet growing and diversified needs. In what ways can the development of activity centers improve the quality of life of residents? Can transitional spaces between different functional areas in community centers play a more effective role in promoting social interaction within the community? The principal tasks of this thesis are as follows: (1) an in-depth examination of the impact of shared transitional spaces on the overall design of community activity centers, (2) a discussion of transitional spaces in community centers in terms of the functional efficiency of these centers and the interactive experience of users, and (3) articulation of principles and recommendations for the design of transitional spaces in community centers. Overall, this thesis argues that, by designing efficient and user-friendly shared transitional spaces, architects can better serve the community and its users, and foster a closer connection between architecture, people, and communities

Cantonese opera has a long and profound history and has evolved over 700 years, making it unique and distinctive. In a diversified media and entertainment, Cantonese opera culture in Macao, like many other aspects of traditional Chinese cultures, is facing a general decline. Specific challenges include loss of audience, the decline and disintegration of professional groups, and reduced scope of the active repertoire. How can a new venue for traditional Cantonese opera promote a positive response to the contemporary challenges that threaten its cultural vitality? How can a new design approach respond to local issues and contemporary architectural production? Can programmatic diversification of a performance venue (cultural exchange, art display, education) be a useful strategy? This thesis consists of five parts. Part 1 of this thesis outlines the background of research, describes the purpose and significance of the research, and deal with issues of research method. Part 2 considers the artistic characteristics of Cantonese opera, including the spatial characteristics of traditional Cantonese opera theatres, the characteristics of Cantonese opera costumes, and the changing characteristics forms of performance. Part 3 is focused on the uses of parametric models in architectural design. Part 4 offers three case studies of opera houses in China, the Guangzhou Opera House, the Harbin Grand Theatre, and the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong. Part 5, the core of this thesis, proposes a design of a new performance venue for Cantonese Opera House in Macao. Overall, this thesis offers an account of main considerations in the transformation process from traditional Cantonese opera venues to modern Cantonese opera houses and situates these considerations in the context of contemporary discussions of parametric architecture

Theories and models try to describe the complexity of how people embrace and make use of innovations. The determinants of behavior concerning battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have traditionally revolved around factors such as vehicles’ price and range. Surprisingly, despite being small and one of the wealthiest territories in the world, Macau SAR faces challenges in BEV market penetration, underscoring the need to explore alternative causes of behavioral intention. To explain the adoption of technologies, this paper focuses on technology show-off (TS), which combines Rogers’ (2003) concepts of visibility and trialability of technology in a single construct as a determinant of behavioral intention. Therefore, when individuals perceive technology as more visible and available for trial, their behavioral intention to adopt it strengthens. Using structural equation modeling for quantitative analysis, this study examines the significance of TS in terms of the intention to adopt battery electric vehicles. The findings highlight the salience of the technology show-off construct in explaining behavioral intention, underscoring its significance in the context of modern society’s characteristics. This study contributes to advances in understanding technology acceptance and highlights the importance of incorporating experiential aspects (such as TS) into the traditional technology acceptance models.

The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between perceived organisational support and co-worker support, with turnover intentions, and the role of perceived job alternatives. Turnover intentions have been a global issue for employers. In this study, we would like to investigate whether the previous global findings could also be applied in Macao. Although some similar researches were conducted in Macau, it’s not exactly the same as ours. We would like to further focus on the front-line and non-frontline group. A quantitative methodology was applied using a cross-sectional design through an online questionnaire disseminated via social media and completed by 339 full-time workers in Macao. We found that only perceived organisational support, not co-worker support, showed a negative relationship on turnover intentions. the effect seems weak for the general sample but stronger for non-frontline workers. Concerning the moderating effect of perceived job alternatives, the analysis confirmed a significant interaction to predict turnover intentions. We discussed that employees may feel trapped in their current positions due to limited job prospects elsewhere. However, employees who perceive high levels of organisational support are more likely to remain loyal and engaged even when external alternatives are scarce. Practical implications include that it might be beneficial for both employees and organisations if organisations in Macao could develop effective human resources policies and retention strategies to enhance employee retention and mitigate the negative consequences of turnover. In this study, we confirmed a negative relationship between POS and turnover intentions, but still, the effect seems weak. The effect of POS on turnover intentions seems much stronger for non-frontline employees. We confirmed co-worker support had a negative correlation with turnover intentions, which was not enough to predict turnover simply based on co-worker support. Moreover, Perceived job alternatives are confirmed to have significant interaction with POS but non-significant interaction with co-worker support on turnover intentions

This dissertation examines the current implementation of specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the Macau legal system, despite the non-mandatory nature of these goals and how they were implemented. The SDGs, established by the United Nations, provide a comprehensive framework for addressing global social, economic, and environmental challenges. While Macau is not obliged to adopt the SDGs, this study aims to explore the extent to which the principles and objectives of specific SDGs have been integrated into the legal system of Macau. Through an analysis of relevant laws, and policies, this research seeks to identify alignment and visible gaps between the SDGs and the Macau legal framework. The findings of this study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the voluntary implementation of the SDGs in Macau and provide insights for other jurisdictions facing similar circumstances

The dissertation is about the study on the usage of mediation as the dispute mechanism on the cross-border family dispute issue in the Guangdong -Hong Kong- Macau Greater Bay Area through a comparative law aspects. Under the background of the Country’s Policy in integrating the citizens of the two SARs into China. The citizens of different provinces in PRC and the two SARs have frequent contact such as in business, in personal affairs and so on, the more the contact the more the possibility disputes will arise. With three different jurisdictions and the backlogs from the Courts, to find out the possibility of using another dispute resolution is essential. The study found out the perspectives of the disputed / litigated parties, courts and legal practitioners in usage of mediation, the nature of mediation in use in GBA and the strengths and limitations on the usage of mediation. This research used a mixed methods including doctrinal legal research, comparative legal research method and empirical legal research method. It result from the finding that though there is no specialized legislation in usage of mediation in Macau SAR, there is practice in usage of family mediation. Besides that the judicial mediation in PRC is not the mediation we defined in the literature review, thus it is the conciliation. Whether the recent development in Hong Kong SAR on the procedures M-FDR and M-CDR are in conflict with the facilitative mediation which has all along been practiced in Hong Kong SAR. In conclusion, the perspectives in usage of mediation in PRC and Hong Kong SAR are higher than Macau SAR and the nature of mediation in usage are different in the three jurisdictions. Lastly, in the dissertation provided some reflections on the development of family mediation mechanism in Macau SAR and how to merge the different natures of mediation in GBA

Against the backdrop of escalating global climate change and China being the world’s largest carbon emitter, this study explores the impact of the carbon trading system on green finance in Chinese power sector. This study uses a quantitative research method, namely a difference-in-differences (DID) model, to investigate power companies that participated or had the potential to participate in carbon trading in 2019 and 2022. The key finding is that companies that participated in carbon trading had significantly higher green finance than those that did not participate, indicating that the carbon trading system has a positive impact on promoting green finance. However, the impact does not significantly intensify after the national carbon trading scheme was implemented in mid-2021. The green finance of listed companies and state-owned enterprises were less affected by carbon trading, possibly because these companies rely on alternative financing options and government financial support. Due to the findings, this study recommends that policy makers should strengthen the promotion of the carbon trading scheme and provide more support for non-listed companies and non-state-owned enterprises. At the same time, the companies should actively participate in the carbon market to take advantage of the industrial policies to enhance green finance, and ultimately promote environmental protection and their own sustainable development

In today's rapidly changing and fiercely competitive environment, talents are the key factor for a company's success and success, and a good strategy for retaining talents is how to use effective management measures to grasp employees' focus, vitality and service on work enthusiasm can generate dedication and loyalty to the enterprise, making the enterprise more consolidated and sustainable. Previous studies have shown that human resource management measures can increase employee contribution. Therefore, this study takes the important role of human resource management as an intermediary to explore how the human resource management of Macau's hospitality industry is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in post-pandemic human resource management. At the same time, the company's commitment to its employees after the outbreak is further analyzed for the success of the solutions made by the human resource management of the hospitality industry in Macau. The research results are expected to be used as a reference for leaders or managers in the hospitality industry when an unexpected pandemic occurs, by enhancing and improving human resource management. The qualitative research method was adopted, and in-depth interviews were conducted with hotel employees. The key findings of this research were that there are five factors affecting human resource management post-pandemic in the hospitality industry. More importantly, we found that Macau’s hospitality industry needs to transform in the future, which will also have a key impact on human resources management

This study delves into the television news practices of TDM (Teledifusão de Macau, S.A.) and TVS (Televisão Santomense) over the past five years (2018-2023), using a systematic approach, this research begins with an introduction outlining the broadcasters' contexts and influences. A content analysis of a representative sample of news programs from both channels forms the core of the study. To gain deeper insights, the research employs a mixed methodological approach. Qualitative data is gathered through interviews with the chief journalist of TVS and 150 residents from Água Grande and Cauê Districts (Angolares ). Additionally, a quantitative analysis is conducted through an online survey targeting the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries in Macao, garnering 150 responses. The findings highlight the need for improvements to increase viewership. While both broadcasters cover similar news topics (politics, economics, social issues), their presentation styles differ. TDM and TVS adopt a formal and structured approach, but their visual storytelling techniques reflect cultural and regional preferences. The study then interprets the results, examining historical context, cultural influences, and audience preferences to understand the divergent approaches to television journalism. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights to enhance news viewership and offers a deeper understanding of the factors shaping television journalism in these two distinct contexts

This study analyses how to contribute to the Portuguese cultural language in Macau. Macau has a long Portuguese governing history, which has lasted for around 450 years and formed the Portuguese cultural heritage. One of the elements is Portuguese and Patuá languages, the languages the Macau residents used to speak. Since the Portuguese and Patuá cultural heritage influence happened, the Macau government has tried to preserve the Portuguese cultural language as much as possible. In Macau, the University of Saint Joseph is a part of the Portuguese and Patuá language contribution in conducting Portuguese programmes for students. This study aims to find out how to effectively promote the Portuguese and Patuá cultural language via the Macau education system and how to benefit the development of the Portuguese cultural language in Macau. To find out the efficient way of the Portuguese and Patuá cultural language contribution at the University of Saint Joseph, we applied snowball analysis to find the key interviewees to conduct face-to-face semi-structured interviews with six interviewees. The results show that the Portuguese and Patuá cultural languages are vital to the Macau education system, especially for students learning Portuguese. For students, learning Portuguese should be compulsory in Macau

Previous research has explored the development of online music and singers in Guangdong Province; however, there is a gap in understanding how singers establish and maintain a strong online presence through effective online marketing strategies. To fill this gap, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to deeply investigate how Guangdong singers leverage digital platforms for effective music promotion and fan engagement. Online questionnaires were distributed via Xiaohongshu and WeChat, collecting 153 valid responses from fans, which were analyzed to understand interaction methods and their impact on singers. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three Guangdong singers and one music company employee, and the interview data were thoroughly analyzed.The findings indicate that Guangdong singers utilize specific social media platforms (such as TikTok) to create and share personalized content and establish direct interactions with fans. These strategies are crucial for successful music promotion and fan engagement. In the highly competitive online music market, adopting such targeted digital marketing strategies allows singers to significantly enhance their visibility and fan engagement. This approach not only holds significant importance for the personal development of singers in Guangdong but also has far-reaching implications for the prosperity of the music industry and the creative economy as a whole

Source-based summary writing is an important aspect of academic writing at the undergraduate level; it includes summarizing and paraphrasing when producing texts in essay, report, or thesis formats. For university students whose second language or foreign language is English, source-based writing can be a challenging task as it involves and requires complex cognitive processes as well as reading-and-writing demands. Organized into three phases, this mixed method, small-scale exploratory feasibility case study investigated: (i) challenges and difficulties in online and offline English source-based summary writing of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students in Macao, identifying the cognitive and writing processes they experienced in a timed reading-writing task; and (ii) how to design and conduct interventions that could be used to diagnose, assess, and address essay challenges in source-based summary essay writing in everyday classroom sessions. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a summary online writing essay using Inputlog, a keystroke logging software, and retrospective think-aloud protocol in Phase One, a source-based summary essay writing task in a quasi-experiment in Phase Two, and a survey questionnaire and error analysis of pre-test and post-test essays of the control and experimental groups in Phase Three. The processes of reading and writing in English were found to be challenging and complex for EFL university students to perform in a limited time. As an initial exploratory feasibility, efficacy trial, deliberately small scale to address issues of risk, this study found that the diagnostic assessment tools and interventions had the potential to improve the summary writing processes and proficiency of EFL students, focusing on their cognitive writing skills in everyday class sessions. The thesis recommends scaling up the research in future studies, in terms of sampling and the duration of interventions designed to improve source-based summary essay writing and the cognitive writing processes that are part of this