Revista de Administração da UFSM

Lean tools for sustainability in organizations: an analysis by levels of knowledge and agreement by common sense

2025-06-02T09:24:05-03:00

Purpose: Investigate the differential perceptions of distinct groups, both with and without knowledge of lean and sustainability, and compare them with the responses of Toyota experts, aiming to identify the agreements and divergences in the evaluations of lean manufacturing tools concerning the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic.

Methodology: A literature review involving 131 articles was conducted, resulting in the identification of 40 lean manufacturing tools described as having an impact on sustainability. This was followed by exploratory research, employing a self-administered online questionnaire, and comparing results between groups to identify convergent responses.

Findings: The findings demonstrate that all groups provided identical responses for 26.4% of the possible answers. Specifically focusing on the group of experts, an increase to 8.3% in unique responses was observed. In the non-expert group, only 0.6% of responses specific to this group and Toyota were added.

Practical implications: Gaining an understanding of lean tools that impact sustainability represents a valuable outcome. However, identifying which perspectives align with Toyota's opens new avenues for discussion and research.

Originality/Value: Much of the research explores the implementation of lean tools based on the views of experts alone. Yet, no studies have been found comparing the influence of the dissemination of these tools through common sense, thereby allowing for responses that are equivalent to Toyota's.

Evaluation of the Transboundary Aquifer Agreements from the WEFE Nexus perspective

2025-06-02T09:24:08-03:00

Purpose: Recognizing the holistic perspective that encompasses the interconnections between water,
energy, food, and ecosystems, it becomes important to highlight the discussion about aquifer studies
integrating the concepts of WEFE Nexus. Considering that the management of transboundary aquifers
relies on agreements signed between countries, it is relevant to investigate this topic by including it in
the framework of the WEFE Nexus. In this regard, the objective of this study is to understand how the
water-energy-food-ecosystem Nexus context is addressed in transboundary aquifer agreements.
Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative approach, developing a core concept for the WEFE Nexus,
composed of five analytical perspectives. This framework was developed through a systematic review
of the literature based on SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. Transboundary aquifer agreements
were subsequently analyzed according to each analytical perspective, facilitating the identification of
key issues, gaps, and opportunities in alignment with the WEFE Nexus context.
Findings: We noted that none of the agreements fulfilled all the created perspectives. None of
the agreements included data illustrating synergy among water, energy, food, and ecosystem
resources, nor did they provide guidelines concerning the trade-offs among these resources. There
are opportunities to enhance agreements and advance the objectives of the WEFE Nexus through
improvements in Monitoring, Stakeholders, and Governance perspectives.
Originality/value: The WEFE Nexus approach seeks to achieve a better balance in the use of natural
resources essential for human well-being. However, technical improvements are necessary within
the agreements, taking into account the individual characteristics and requirements of each aquifer
within the context of the WEFE Nexus. Finally, the primary contributions of the research are associated
with providing a fresh approach and perspective to the discourse surrounding the management and
governance of transboundary aquifers. In this regard, it extends beyond the scope of water alone and
encompasses the other interconnected resources within this context.

Dynamic capabilities and the ecosystem context of the Scientific and Technological Park at PUCRS

2025-06-02T09:24:09-03:00

Purpose: To understand how the development of dynamic capabilities in a science and technology park influenced the trajectory of the smart city movement in an innovation ecosystem from 2002 to 2022.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A single case study was used, with a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, to analyze a science and technology park based on interviews with its coordinators.

Findings: The research revealed that the dynamic capabilities of the science and technology park were driven by initiatives for change, innovation, technology acquisition, and process reorganization. These capabilities, in turn, are related to the dimensions of smart cities, manifesting themselves in transformation, multifunctionality, autonomy, management, and processes.

Research limitations/Implications: Given the complexity of regional development processes, which involve a series of interconnected variables, the analyses in this study present limitations inherent to this multifaceted nature.

Practical implications: The development of dynamic capabilities in the technology park has led to innovative initiatives, contributing to the advancement of the city as a smart model.

Social implications: The collaboration between the university, technology park, and city has strengthened the innovation ecosystem, boosting regional development.

Originality value: This research presents an original contribution by relating dynamic capabilities to smart cities, opening new perspectives for future investigations and filling a gap in the literature.

Environmental, social and governance [ESG] consulting model

2025-06-02T09:24:03-03:00

Purpose: This study proposes to develop a consultancy model to evaluate the level of maturity of ESG practices.

Design/Methodology/approach: Business Model Canvas [ESG] as a framework for creating a business model focusing on Environmental, Social and Governance [ESG] consultancy services. A five-level maturity scale was applied to the dimensions that characterize the diagnostic checklist model for ESG practices. The Delphi research method was used to evaluate the content of the diagnostic checklist for ESG practices.

Findings: As a result, a hypothetical consultancy called ENGES Consulting Ltda. was created, constituted through the creation of the social contract, creation of the mission, vision and values, in addition to the development of a business model based on the Business Model Canvas strategic management tool [BMC] A checklist model was also created for diagnosing ESG practices and their respective maturity level.

Originality/relevance: The relevance and contribution of this study in the scientific aspect lies in the proposal of a consultancy model to assess the maturity level of ESG practices in disparate organizations.

Practical implications: The practical contribution lies in understanding Environmental, Social and Governance [ESG] management practices based on the ESG practices diagnosis checklist model and the respective level of maturity, identifying strengths and points that demonstrate implementation or execution weaknesses, in addition to providing a way to compare results (benchmarking) obtained between organizations.

Beyond the chimarrão: the influence of FOMO (fear of missing out) on conspicuous consumption among gauchos

2025-06-02T09:24:01-03:00

Purpose: This study delves into the impact of fear of missing out on conspicuous consumption practices among gaucho consumers. Conspicuous consumption refers to the ostentatious display of wealth and possessions to achieve social status, while the fear of missing out is the anxiety associated with missing out on social experiences or events.

Design/methodology/approach: To examine this relationship, an online survey was conducted with 389 individuals residing in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The survey, administered through Google Forms, comprised four sections utilizing a five-point Likert scale.

Findings: Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and simple linear regression. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between the fear of missing out and conspicuous consumption behaviors. This indicates that the fear of missing out plays a substantial role in influencing consumers' purchasing decisions, steering them towards acquiring products that signal status and social affiliation. These insights underscore the importance of understanding the fear of missing out within the context of conspicuous consumption.

Originality: By recognizing this connection, marketers can devise targeted strategies that resonate emotionally with consumers and effectively influence their purchasing choices.

Interorganizational performance evaluation: metrics for interorganizational cost management

2025-06-02T09:23:59-03:00

Purpose: Faced with the lack of a comprehensive model that assesses the multidimensionality of IOCM and its underlying aspects, the objective of this research was to propose a set of metrics to assess relational performance during Interorganizational Cost Management efforts.

Methodology: A literature review was carried out, based on the procedures suggested by ProKnow-C, consisting of two sets of articles (i) performance evaluation and (ii) interorganizational cost management, of which a content analysis was carried out to propose a set of metrics.

Results: From the theoretical assumptions and empirical findings evidenced by the relevant literature, the metrics were constructed considering as measurement objects open book accounting, purpose of information, interorganizational cooperation, management information systems and IOCM. In addition, characteristics that represent interorganizational performance evaluation systems were identified. It was identified that the evaluation of performance in the management of interorganizational costs constitutes a theme in development that covers several research possibilities.

OriginalityContributions: In the emerging organizational context, in which organizations have sought to establish collaborative alliances, interorganizational performance assessment is evolving to meet new organizational configurations. At the same time, interorganizational relationships have triggered joint efforts to promote interorganizational cost management. The study summarizes characteristics of extended systems and essential elements for the functioning of IOCM and translates these characteristics into metrics capable of evaluating the performance of interorganizational relationships.

Belonging relationship of leaders’ multilevel skills for digital transformation

2025-06-02T09:23:57-03:00

Purpose: The research objective is to identify the alignment and interdependence between the leaders’ skill levels for digital transformation (DT) in the metal-mechanical industrial sector.

Design/methodology/approach: This research adopted an exploratory and quantitative approach, carried out based on a survey with the leaders of twenty-two industries associated with Sindimetal RS, totaling 201 respondents. The technique of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and multinominal logistic regression was applied to identify the relationship between skills at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

Findings: The data obtained with the application of multinominal logistic regression demonstrate sufficient validity for the acceptance of the results considering the percentage of correctly classified cases and the relations of belonging of the leaders’ skills to the organizations’ DT. It is worth noting that the correlations between the organizational, team, and individual levels were evaluated and evidenced by the Spearman test, and the relationships between skills belonging to the lower/higher levels were analyzed by logistic regression demonstrating the existence of cyclical movement between the levels as a fundamental dynamic process in multilevel theory.

Originality/value: For academic, organizational, and societal purposes, the multilevel study of skills can be reapplied in research aimed at other industries. As managerial contributions, the multilevel model of leaders’ skills for the industry’s DT will serve as a basis for analyses regarding self-assessments of skills already existing in industry leaders and will assist in identifying multilevel development needs.

Validation of the subjective career success scale among Brazilian professors

2025-06-02T09:23:54-03:00

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the validation of the Dual Aspect Importance & Achievement Career Success Scale (DAIA-CSS) in Brazilian Portuguese, in the context of federal university professors.

Design/methodology/approach: The authors used Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to examine the adequacy of the factorial structure of the seven dimensions of the measurement model. The validation was carried out based on a sample of 999 university professors.

Findings: Through CFA, adjustments to the measurement model according to the additions of modification indices and correlations between the items, verification of the indicators of general adjustment of the model and convergent and discriminant validity, evidence of validity was found for the factorial structure of the DAIA-CSS measurement instrument for its application in Portuguese.

Originality/value: This research presents, as a theoretical contribution, the validation of an instrument for measuring subjective career success in the context of Brazilian university professors. For individuals, understanding the dimensions of subjective success can help them better understand themselves and their careers, which can also contribute to other areas of their personal lives. Finally, for organizations, understanding individual differences in the importance and achievement of subjective success can contribute to the development of human resource policies and practices.

Women and the capital market: study on the profile of brazilian female investors

2025-06-06T17:53:43-03:00

Purpose: The growing participation of women in the Brazilian capital market contrasts with the limited knowledge about the profile of these investors. To fill this gap, this study aims to understand the profile of Brazilian female investors, analyzing factors that influence their investment decisions, such as education, age, social class, family background and geographic region.

Methodology: To test the research hypotheses, a quantitative approach was used with the aid of the Sider® tool and libraries in Python, NumPy for numerical operations, SciPy for statistical tests such as Chi-square, Statsmodels for advanced analysis and Matplotlib/Seaborn for data visualization. Clustering techniques with the K-Means algorithm were applied to identify the profiles of the investors, based on sociodemographic factors.

Findings: Factors such as education, economic class and family background significantly influence investment intention. Although most investors have a conservative profile, focused on low-risk assets, investors with higher income and education tend to diversify their portfolios, including more sophisticated assets. Three investor profiles were identified: experienced and financially stable (Cluster 1), young investors seeking to build wealth (Cluster 2) and young investors just starting out on their financial journeys (Cluster 3).

Originality: The research contributes to the literature on personal finance by understanding the profile of Brazilian female investors based on sociodemographic factors, given the low density of studies on this subject. The results of the research allow for various applications, supporting the creation of public policies on financial education and aimed at building a more inclusive capital market.

Environmental management systems: analysis of the degree of maturity of companies in the Rio Grande port complex

2025-06-06T17:53:45-03:00

Purpose: Analyze the maturity levels of the environmental management system of private sector companies in the port of Rio Grande.

Methodology: As a method, this study applied a mixed quantitative and qualitative research approach. The method included multiple case studies in two companies, evaluated based on an instrument developed by Peixe (2014), which measures the maturity of EMSs on a five-level scale, ranging from reactive initiatives to formalized proactive practices.

Findings: The findings indicate that both companies are in the "Proactive Initiative" stage, showing significant commitment to formal environmental practices, but without reaching the "Proactive" stage, in which all actions are fully implemented.

Research limitations: Limitations of the study include the small number of companies and the reliance on self-reporting, which may compromise the objectivity of the data. Furthermore, the methodology could benefit from the inclusion of more detailed qualitative analysis, such as interviews with environmental managers.

Originality/value: This work is original because it adapts and applies an environmental maturity methodology specific to the Brazilian port context, providing a detailed view of the progress of sustainable practices in this sector. The research contributes by demonstrating the importance of EMS for environmental sustainability and offers managerial insights to improve the integration between environmental and operational practices.