A carregar...
26 resultados
Resultados da pesquisa
A mostrar 1 - 10 de 26
- Integrative sustainable intelligence: a holistic model to integrate corporate sustainability strategiesPublication . Silvestre, Winston Jerónimo; Fonseca, AnaOrganizations have been showing a growing awareness regarding the importance of corporate sustainability. However, the integration of sustainability concerns in companies' long-term planning, strategic management, processes, and activities is still challenging, disconnected, and often conducted in isolation. Based on a qualitative exploratory research combining different perspectives found in the literature, the present research presents a theoretical framework that is expected to enhance the adequate development and management of organizational sustainability-oriented practices — the Integrative Sustainable Intelligence model. This model provides organizational managers with a structured framework to adequately understand, select, implement and assess sustainability promoting actions, based on the development of structural and systematic disruptive tools and involving the exchange of collaborative ideas between organizational stakeholders. The adoption of the Integrative Sustainable Intelligence model is expected to foster change processes and innovations in the search for solutions for sustainability-oriented business models.
- Portuguese primary healthcare – sustainability through quality managementPublication . Duarte Silva, Sónia; Fonseca, AnaPurpose The purpose of this paper is to apply quality management tools and practices in the design of an integrated accreditation model for Local Health Trusts, in order to contribute to the sustainability of the Portuguese Primary HealthCare Service. Following the guidelines of the Portuguese Health Quality Strategy, the proposed model is an adaptation of the model from Agencia para la Calidad Sanitaria de Andaluzia. Design/methodology/approach The development of the integrated accreditation model was based on a literature review, complemented with observation and analysis of the usual working methods in a Local Health Trust (Western Oporto Health Trust). Findings Local Health Trusts include not only clinical management units but also non-clinical administrative units. Therefore, the National Model for Accreditation of HealthCare Institutions is not easily or directly applicable to them. To overcome this problem, the model proposed in this study incorporates ISO 9001 principles, widely accepted regarding organizational management. The success of the application of this model is highly dependent on the ability of public Primary HealthCare organizations to deal with potential problems such as resistance to change, lack of leadership and inadequate people management and involvement. Originality/value The integrated accreditation model proposed in this research is expected to promote the cohesion of Local Health Trust units, encouraging integrated quality management practices and continuous improvement strategies, leading Local Health Trusts, Primary Care and HealthCare in a global perspective toward sustainability.
- Eco-design and sustainability in packaging: a surveyPublication . Monteiro, J.; Silva, F.J.G.; Ramos, S.F.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Fonseca, A.M.According to “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” of the United Nations, there are seventeen goals essential for the World Sustainable Development. One of these goals has direct implication for the industrial sector – ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. In a world where globalization is more and more present, packaging emerges as a link between all points around the world, allowing transporting and commercializing products on a global level, from producers to consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to study how the packaging industry is adapting itself to the increasing demands of the markets, while complying with the global environmental requirements and sustainable goals established by international organizations. Accordingly, this paper aims to analyse precisely this industry, intending to understand how the theme of Ecodesign and sustainability are faced by packaging manufacturers, and what are the key-factors associated to the success of their implementation in the companies. Characterization of the industry is also presented, defining how companies should organize and prepare themselves in order to have a diminishing environmental impact, a raw-materials sustainability policy and consider environmental aspects through the packaging’s life cycle – Eco-design.
- Perceived importance of sustainability dimensions in the Portuguese metal industryPublication . Armindo, J.; Fonseca, Ana; Abreu, Isabel; Toldy, Teresa MartinhoThe growing interest of stakeholders regarding the contribution of organizations to Sustainable Development is influencing organizational behavior and strategic planning. The purpose of the present paper is to analyze the perception of the importance of organizational sustainability dimensions in a relevant economic sector: the metal industry. Survey data was collected from a sample of 211 Portuguese industries, and non-parametric statistical tests were used to validate five research hypotheses regarding the importance of the economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of sustainability. The results obtained demonstrate awareness of the sampled industries regarding all sustainability dimensions, recognizing that their importance has been increasing over the years, and prospecting that this importance will continue to increase in the future. The industries in this sample revealed different degrees of perceived importance for the different sustainability dimensions: the highest importance was given to the economic dimension, and culture was considered the least important sustainability dimension. However, the perception of the respondents is that these differences will be less relevant in the future. The results also show that companies with certified management systems reveal a higher perceived importance regarding sustainability dimensions. Also, industries with higher values of annual turnover, number of employees and export sales tend to give higher degrees of importance to sustainability dimensions. Considering the economic, environmental and social impacts of metal industries at an international level, the awareness of this industrial sector regarding the importance of sustainability is a relevant step to the commitment towards Sustainable Development.
- Indoor air quality in healthcare units - a systematic literature review focusing recent researchPublication . Fonseca, Ana; Abreu, Isabel; Guerreiro, Maria João; Barros, NelsonThe adequate assessment and management of indoor air quality in healthcare facilities is of utmost importance for patient safety and occupational health purposes. This study aims to identify the recent trends of research on the topic through a systematic literature review following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology. A total of 171 articles published in the period 2015–2020 were selected and analyzed. Results show that there is a worldwide growing research interest in this subject, dispersed in a wide variety of scientific journals. A textometric analysis using the IRaMuTeQ software revealed four clusters of topics in the sampled articles: physicochemical pollutants, design and management of infrastructures, environmental control measures, and microbiological contamination. The studies focus mainly on hospital facilities, but there is also research interest in primary care centers and dental clinics. The majority of the analyzed articles (85%) report experimental data, with the most frequently measured parameters being related to environmental quality (temperature and relative humidity), microbiological load, CO2 and particulate matter. Non-compliance with the WHO guidelines for indoor air quality is frequently reported. This study provides an overview of the recent literature on this topic, identifying promising lines of research to improve indoor air quality in healthcare facilities.
- A componente ambiental na sustentabilidade empresarialPublication . Pontes, Vera; Fonseca, AnaO conceito de Desenvolvimento Sustentável no contexto empresarial implica a integração de preocupações relativas aos impactes das empresas nas vertentes económica, social e ambiental. O objectivo principal deste trabalho foi o de avaliar a importância da componente ambiental na estratégia de sustentabilidade de empresas portuguesas, através da análise de Relatórios de Sustentabilidade publicados. Como conclusões principais, a componente ambiental é relevante na gestão da Sustentabilidade Empresarial, e é fundamental sensibilizar e motivar as empresas para orientarem o seu desenvolvimento rumo à Sustentabilidade.
- The role of regional administration on the promotion of social responsibility practices: a case study in the Amazon regionPublication . Oliveira, Maria do Perpétuo Socorro Lamego; Oliveira, Evailton Arantes; Fonseca, AnaThe Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy of Amazonas (CREA-AM), a regional administration body located in the city of Manaus, Amazon, Brazil, supervises the execution of technological professions in order to prevent inadequate practices. In 2017, CREA-AM approved and implemented an inspection plan to supervise professionals and companies with potential to cause environmental impacts in the Amazon region. The present study assesses the effectiveness of this inspection plan and identifies improvement opportunities regarding the promotion of adequate environmental management practices in professionals’ and companies’ activities, particularly important in developing countries with a growing economy. The methodology used was data collection and analysis of records of administrative processes in the environmental area: 12 non-compliance processes in 2017 and 17 in 2018, and 202 Technical Responsibility Annotations in 2017 and 541 in 2018. The results led to the creation of a new model for the management of environmental surveillance in CREA-AM that is expected to contribute to the promotion of corporate social responsibility practices in the Amazon region.
- Investigating context factors in the strategic management of corporate sustainability integrationPublication . Fonseca, Ana; Abreu, Isabel; Silvestre, Winston JerónimoAdequately understanding the role of context factors in the successful development of corporate sustainability-oriented initiatives is an important step towards an integrative vision of sustainability at the organizational level. In the present research, an extensive and structured literature review enabled the identification of 19 context factors relevant for sustainability integration processes. The importance of these context factors was confirmed through a quantitative exploratory research with 156 experienced sustainability professionals from 42 different countries. The results obtained reveal that Commitment, Engagement, Information, Communication and Trust have the highest levels of perceived importance. The results also indicate that the relative importance of these context factors is higher for small and medium sized companies and for companies located in countries with lower Gross Domestic Product. The role of the context factors was analyzed on the scope of the operational stages of a strategic management framework focusing corporate sustainability integration – the Integrative Sustainability Intelligence model. The main contributions of this paper are: the identification of context factors relevant for corporate sustainability integration processes, combining the perspectives of scholars and sustainability professionals; the analysis of the role of the most relevant context factors in the strategic management of corporate sustainability integration processes, enabling the identification of pathways to promote their successful operationalization.
- Strategies to promote circular economy in the management of construction and demolition waste at the regional level: a case study in Manaus, BrazilPublication . Oliveira, Maria do Perpétuo Socorro Lamego; de Oliveira, Evailton Arantes; Fonseca, A.M.Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) cause environmental impacts in a worldwide scale. The existing international concern regarding the adequate management of CDW is justified by the large amount of this waste produced in a daily basis, together with its potential hazardous effects on ecosystems and human health. In this scope, the application of Circular Economy principles to the construction industry is of the utmost importance to define management strategies regarding CDW. Although highly dependent on policies developed at the national level, the promotion of circularity in construction materials usage is also at the reach of local administration bodies. The present research identifies strategies for CDW management at the regional level, involving different stakeholders of the construction industry. These strategies were successfully operationalized through a case study focusing CDW management in the municipality of Manaus, in the centre of the Amazon Forest. The characterization of the reference situation regarding CDW management in Manaus revealed several deficiencies, namely the lack of reuse and recycling opportunities, the unsupervised disposal of CDW in illegal landfills, together with insufficient surveillance procedures and inadequate policies from regional authorities. Improved CDW management strategies were identified and operationalized: valorization of CDW through the enhancement of reuse and recycling opportunities, operationalized through a mobile phone application; reinforcement of training and surveillance practices; and alterations in the municipal policies regarding CDW disposal in the public landfill. The CDW management strategies described and validated in this research are applicable to other Brazilian municipalities or to other countries’ realities, promoting sustainability-oriented practices that can co-exist with economic development.
- Smart management of waste from construction sites: mobile application technology in the city Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilPublication . Oliveira, M.P.S.L.; Oliveira, E.A; Wanderley, A.; Campos, A.M.; Fonseca, A.M.Construction and demolition waste (CDW) can be defined as a mixture of surplus materials generated from construction, renovation and demolition activities, including site cleaning, road works and demolition (Shen et al., 2004). Inadequate management of CDW, affects the environment, the economy and society (Jin et al. 2019). Besides increasing construction costs and real estate prices, CDW can have major negative impacts on the environment (Borja et al., 2019), namely the contamination of soil and watercourses with heavy metals that can cause diseases in the population and wild animals. These negative impacts are of major importance in sensitive natural environments, justifying the relevance of this research in the city of Manaus, in the central Amazon, Brazil. A previous study involved the quantification of CDW produced at 4 construction sites in the city of Manaus, and the costs involved in its management and disposal (Oliveira et al., 2019). The results showed that high quantities of wood and paper waste are produced, with considerable disposal costs, in spite of the high potential to recycle and re-use these types of waste. Metal waste was found to be the only CDW that was being adequately recycled in the construction sites under study, showing the importance of the implementation of an organized system to collect and recycle CDW in the city of Manaus (Oliveira et al., 2019). A similar case study conducted in the city of Santiago, capital of Chile, led to a quantification of the CDW volume for further management improvement proposals (Bravo et al., 2019). According to this study, in Santiago the generated volume of CDW per building area is 0.186 m3/m2, with a management cost of 75.47 US$/m3 (Bravo et al., 2019). These values are of the same magnitude as the ones found in the research study conducted in Manaus (Oliveira et al., 2019). Ogunmakinde et al. (2019) describe CDW management in Nigeria, highlighting the existing corruption and unethical practices of large companies who prefer to dig and bury the CDW in clandestine landfills, refusing to comply with environmental laws to avoid loss of profits. This lack of social and environmental responsibility in construction companies is unfortunately also a reality in Brazil. However, surveillance and monitoring of CDW production and disposal may not be the solution to combat clandestine landfill, as demonstrated in the study of Tsiliyannis et al. (2019), conducted in Athens, Greece. Environmental education and good practice are the best weapons we have in environmental management, and adequate CDW management requires a change in the behavior and attitude of each citizen (Mak et al., 2019). The studies conducted in the present investigation sought to define the current model of CDW management in the construction sites of the city of Manaus, its advantages and disadvantages, in order to verify the possibility of implementing a Circular Economy system (Farooque et al., 2019). This system could result in cost savings in civil construction and in the reduction of negative environmental impacts caused by the illegal disposal in clandestine landfills, which harms the lives of the citizens of the city of Manaus and the surrounding environment, the Amazon rainforest itself. Circular Economy CDW management systems have already been implemented in European cities (Fratini et al., 2019; Kravchenko et al., 2019), so why not extend this practice to cities in Latin America, which are also affected by the environmental and financial impacts of inadequate waste management on urban construction sites. In order to implement a Circular Economy model, construction companies must be adequately involved in this system, for example through the promotion of sharing and renting equipment, customers access and involvement, or the redesign of a product in order to make it more durable and easier to reassemble if repair is needed (Kravchenko et al., 2019). Scientific initiatives to develop new materials using CDW raw materials are very important for the sustainability of CDW management, such as ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) which uses a fraction of waste together with natural sand (Wang et al., 2019). Technological developments are of the utmost importance in the process of improving environmental management in a Circular Economy model: digital networks and robotics are increasingly inserted in the context of environmental management, accompanying the development of the new “Industry 4.0” in the manufacturing sector (Sarc et al., 2019). Although the Circular Economy model is not yet implemented in Brazil, good practice initiatives are encouraged, as the one described in this paper regarding CDW waste management in constructions sites in the city of Manaus through the use of start-up technologies like mobile applications. These have an exponentially growing market worldwide, demonstrated by the increasing use of mobile applications running on smartphones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices (Kaur & Kaur, 2019). The main objective of this research is to enhance adequate environmental management in construction sites through the development of a mobile application for CDW management. This tool can be used by construction companies, waste disposal companies, and even urban citizens who need to dispose construction waste.
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »