The current chapter presents the general introduction to the research theme of the
current dissertation. Starting from the presentation of the research context, the
research problem is framed. In a second section, the conceptual framework that has
been adopted in the different studies ¡is outlined. Next, the research objectives and
research questions are stated. This chapter further provides an overview of the
research design of all the studies in view of the particular research questions, aligned
with the general research objective. The chapter concludes with an overview of the
dissertation.
