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This study aims to analyze the reasons that motivate Brazilian companies to implement Quality Management Systems, according to ISO 9001:2015 requirements. Based on information collected in the literature, a questionnaire was developed and answered by professionals that work with the mentioned standard in their companies. An Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted with the collected data to group the validated variables into two constructs that present the most part of information variance. These constructs were entitled “internal improvements related motives” and “market related motives”. The findings of this research confirm and complement previous studies performed in Brazil and in other countries.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how COVID-19 pandemic forced several companies to reflect on their activities. Many organizational changes have been conducted and others will still be necessary. Some reflections are presented, as some aspects are well consolidated in academic literature while they are neglected by many leaders of companies. The authors believe that this viewpoint can support leaders to enhance organizational development. Design/methodology/approach Part of the information presented here is characterized by the authors’ points of view, as it is a viewpoint. However, the authors carried out searches on scientific bases and published press reports aiming to support the reflections presented in this text. Findings The reflections presented in this viewpoint focus on the following aspects: periodic critical analysis of companies business models, business continuity management systems, risk management, resilience principles in supply chain management, necessary changes in production systems, occupational health and safety systems and new ways of working. For the authors, the correct conduction of these aspects can guarantee companies survival; however, many leaders worldwide still neglect them. Originality/value The reflections presented here can be useful for leaders interested in conducting a critical analysis in their business, considering necessary organizational changes to face the COVID-19 pandemic consequences.

espanolEl articulo tiene como objetivo presentar el proceso de construccion y validacion de una escala para evaluar la percepcion de calidad de los cursos de pregrado a distancia. Para este fin, se emplearon cuatroprocedimientos: (1) revision de la literatura; (2) validacion teorica o con expertos; (3) validacion semantica y (4) validacion estadistica, a traves del modelado de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM), con la generacion de una construccion de segundo orden (calidad), utilizando el software SmartPLS 2.0. La escala Likert se estructuro en funcion de la solicitud de una puntuacion entre cero y diez y se puso a disposicion en una plataforma en linea. La validacion de la Escala de Evaluacion del Grado de Educacion a Distancia (EALDIS) incluyo una muestra de 1,060 estudiantes de diferentes cursos de educacion a distancia en Brasil. Los resultados de las distintas etapas: validez discriminante y predictiva, confiabilidad compuesta, alfa y Cronbach, coeficientes de trayectoria y tamano del efecto presentaron indicadores de validacion muy adecuados. Por lo tanto, la conclusion del trabajo es un instrumento de investigacion validado y confiable, con 83 items y 8 construcciones, que pueden contribuir a la evaluacion de loscursos de formacion docente a distancia. portuguesO artigo tem por objetivo apresentaro processo de construcao e validacao de uma escala para avaliacao da percepcao da qualidade de cursos de licenciatura na modalidade a distância. Para tanto, quatro procedimentos foram empregados: (1) revisao da literatura; (2) validacao teorica ou de face; (3) validacao semântica;e (4) validacao estatistica, por meioda Modelagem de Equacoes Estruturais (MEE), com geracao de um constructo de segunda ordem (Qualidade), usando-se o softwareSmartPLS 2.0. A escala do tipo Likert foi estruturada a partir da solicitacao de atribuicao de uma nota entre zero e dez e disponibilizada em uma plataforma online. A validacao da Escala de Avaliacao de Cursos de Licenciatura a Distância (EALDIS) contou com uma amostra de 1.060 estudantes de diferentes cursos de licenciatura a distância do Brasil. Osresultados das diversas etapas:validadesdiscriminante e preditiva, confiabilidade composta, alfa e Cronbach, coeficientes de caminho e tamanho do efeito apresentaram indicadores de validacao muito adequados. Assim, tem-se como conclusao do trabalhouminstrumento de pesquisa validado e confiavel,com 83 itens e oitoconstructos, podendo contribuir para a avaliacao de cursos de formacao de professores em nivel superior na modalidade a distância. EnglishThe article presents the process of construction and validation of a scale to evaluate the qualityof distance learning teacher training courses. Four procedures were used: (1) review of the literature; (2) theoretical or face validation; (3) semantic validation and (4) statistical validation, by usethe Structural Equation Modeling(SEM), with the generation of a second-order construct (Quality) using SmartPLS 2.0 software. The Likert scale was structured based on the request to assign a grade between zero and 10 and made available on an online platform. The validation of the Distance Learning Teacher Training Course Evaluation Scalehad a sample of1,060 students from different undergraduate courses in Brazil. The results of the various steps: discriminant and predictive validity, compound reliability, alpha and Cronbach, path coefficients and effect size presented very adequate validation indicators. Thus, the conclusion of the work is a validated and reliable research instrument, with 83 items and 8 constructs, which can contribute to the evaluation of teacher education courses at a distance level.

This study aims to analyse the main benefits observed due to ISO 9001:2015 implementation and certification in Brazilian companies. A survey with market professionals was conducted in order to perf...

O Lean Manufacturing é uma estratégia de produção aplicada em empresas de diversos segmentos. Seu principal objetivo é reduzir ao máximo os desperdícios a fim de maximizar o lucro. A transição para o referido estágio, entretanto, não é simples e muitas são as barreiras enfrentadas para se alcançar os objetivos supracitados. Nesta trajetória, as empresas apresentarão diferentes estágios de maturidade e a mensuração desta maturidade torna-se importante. Tomando por base as informações mencionadas, o presente artigo tem por objetivo identificar quais são as principais métricas utilizadas por empresas brasileiras na avaliação da maturidade de sistemas lean. Métricas utilizadas em projetos lean foram listadas a partir da literatura e informações sobre a aplicação das mesmas foram levantadas junto a 43 profissionais que participaram de uma survey. Respondentes outliers foram identificados a partir do Escalonamento Multidimensional (EMD) e, na sequência, as métricas foram ordenadas via um mecanismo utilizado pelo software SPSS para combinação linear de variáveis, empregado na Análise Fatorial Exploratória. Os resultados evidenciaram que as métricas mais aplicadas estão relacionadas à produtividade dos funcionários, número de reclamações dos consumidores, tempo de setup, lead times e índice de estoques. Os resultados decorrentes deste estudo poderão ser utilizados por outros pesquisadores em suas futuras pesquisas.

This article analyses the difficulties observed in adopting the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) program in production systems. The research strategies used for this purpose consisted of a literature review, a panel of experts and a survey with professionals working in manufacturing companies. Altogether, 69 market professionals took part in the survey and the collected data was analyzed through the PLS-SEM technique. Results indicate that there is a causal relationship between difficulties associated with the planning phase of a TPM program and issues associated with its implementation. This is an original research and the results are valuable to business professionals desiring to properly implement TPM, as well for researchers interested in the mechanics of total productive maintenance system’s adoption. Resumo: Este artigo analisa as dificuldades observadas na adoção do programa Manutenção Produtiva Total (TPM) em sistemas de produção. As estratégias de pesquisa utilizadas para esse fim consistiram em uma revisão da literatura, um painel de especialistas e uma pesquisa com profissionais que trabalham em empresas de manufatura. Ao todo, 69 profissionais do mercado participaram da pesquisa e os dados coletados foram analisados pela técnica PLS-SEM. Os resultados indicam que existe uma relação causal entre as dificuldades associadas à fase de planejamento de um programa de TPM e questões associadas à sua implementação. Esta é uma pesquisa original e os resultados são valiosos para profissionais de negócios desejando implementar adequadamente o TPM, bem como para pesquisadores interessados nos mecanismos da adoção do sistema de manutenção produtiva total.

Purpose This paper aims to present the fundamental aspects for the development and validation (D&V) of attitudes’ measurement scale, as well as its practical aspects that are not deeply explored in books and manuals. These aspects are the results of a long experience of the authors and arduous learning with errors and mistakes. Design/methodology/approach The nature of this paper is methodological and can be very useful for an initial reading on the theme that it rests. This paper presents four D&V stages: literature review or interviews with experts; theoretical or face validation; semantic validation or validation with possible respondents; and statistical validation. Findings This is a methodological paper, and its main finding is the usefulness for researchers. Research limitations/implications The main implication of this paper is to support researchers on the process of D&V of measurement scales. Practical implications Became a step-by-step guide to researchers on the D&V of measurement scales. Social implications Support researchers on their data collection and analysis. Originality/value This is a practical guide, with tips from seasoned scholars to help researchers on the D&V of measurement scales.

© 2019 This research aims to evaluate the engineering students' perception regarding sustainability. For this, a survey was developed based on sustainability parameters from a detailed analysis of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (BICG). The parameters were initially divided into seven groups: Financial and Productivity Aspects (FPA); Concern With Employees (CWE); Support for Local Communities (SLC); Ethical and Corporate Governance Issues (ECI); Environmental Aspects (ENA); Sustainable Aspects in the Operations Network (SON); Customers, Development of New Products and Services (CPS). The survey was conducted with engineering undergraduate students from two Brazilian universities. The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling technique, namely the PLS-SEM algorithm. The collected 162 answers enabled the validation of the model tested, and showed that the students, in general, do not consider SLC and CWE when they are analyzing sustainability. Additionally, the most important construct was the CPS. This is an exploratory study and we believe that these findings may contribute to expand the debate about the sustainability insertion in engineering courses, helping educators in their didactic activities. There were not found similar studies in the literature, which highlight the originality of the research. The statistical validation of the results and the contribution to expand the debate regarding sustainability in engineering education justify the value of this study.

The main objective of this exploratory research was to develop and validate a model to measure the maturity of manufacturing cells that operate according to the lean philosophy. A theoretical model was constructed based on parameters from the literature and information provided by a panel of experts. Using a questionnaire based on this theoretical model, a survey of 101 cell managers was carried out and the data collected were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that the maturity of a manufacturing cell can be measured using the three constructs ‘Employee Knowledge and Skills’, ‘Quality and Continuous Improvement’ and ‘Cell Configuration’. Of these, the second had the greatest impact on cell maturity. The results also show that a fourth construct, ‘Leadership, Autonomy and Communication’, influences maturity indirectly. These findings may be used by managers of manufacturing cells and by researchers.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to integrate Brazilian agro-industrial co-operatives’ horizontal, lateral and vertical integration diversification and expansion strategies, such as operation area and membership, with financial models. Several studies have tried to assess the importance of diversification on the financial outcomes in agricultural co-operatives with limited success.Design/methodology/approachThe three main concepts were combined in a working model. A survey was developed to gather data on financial, diversification and expansion strategies from 67 co-operatives (44 per cent return rate). Data were processed using a partial least squares structural equation model.FindingsThe findings suggest that expansion is directly responsible for both the financial output and diversification strategy; however, no hard evidence supports the view that the diversification of production in some agro-industrial co-operatives leads to positive financial results.Research limitations/implicationsOnly larger Brazilian co-operatives (>$50m in annual revenues) were considered. Co-operatives facing other scenarios or smaller co-operatives could have different outcomes.Practical implicationsBesides diversifying their co-operatives for financial reasons, managers should also consider risk aversion and adapting to new farmers’ portfolios as probable reasons.Originality/valueExtant literature asserts that diversification leads to financial growth; as the co-operatives studied show no such causal relationship, it follows that they diversify their portfolios for other purposes.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems are meant to increase accuracy and velocity in objects identification, supporting Industry 4.0. However, there are challenges that need to be faced. Th...

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between religious beliefs and the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior in entrepreneurial intention. Originality/value: The article stands out by promoting the understanding of entrepreneurship from the Theory of Planned Behavior proposed by Ajzen (1991), aligning it with religious beliefs. Design/methodology/approach: It is an exploratory and descriptive study, of a quantitative nature. The survey method was used to collect the data, in which a sample of 448 students from the Business Administration courses at two public universities in the northeast of Brazil was obtained. Structural Equation Modeling was used to treat and analyze the data. Findings: The results demonstrated that personal attitude, perceived control, and religious beliefs influence the entrepreneurial intention of university students, which did not occur with subjective norms. However, subjective norms influenced the personal attitude and perceived control of university students. The university students presented a predisposition to entrepreneurship and recognized that they have the necessary skills to create a business. However, the choice to become an entre preneur may not be motivated directly by the expectation of its social referents. Moreover, university students did not perceive the influence of religious beliefs in the manifestation of their behavior, because vocation and prosocial motivation are far from the environmental context in which university students are inserted or because they are not practicing a religion that fosters such beliefs.

The main purpose of this study is to determine the Critical Success Factors (CSF) of Brazilian business incubator management and understand how they are structured. These factors are essential to i...

This article aims to evaluate the production line automation projects developed by Brazilian and Colombian companies from the Project Management perspective, through the analysis of the app...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the main factors that influence the organizational change in a steel company. Design/methodology/approach The methodological procedures used were literature review and survey. The literature review allowed the listing of 24 factors and these factors were grouped into three constructs (Behavioral Aspects, Cultural Aspects and Management Aspects). The survey allowed the quantification of each factor based on information provided by employees who work in the mentioned company. The data collected were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling technique. Findings For the Behavioral Aspects, the following factors were validated: fear of the unknown; insecurity and anxiety; stress and feeling of suffering. For the Cultural Aspects the following factors were validated: multiculturalism in the company; low degree of risk acceptance and low performance acceptance; excessive concerns about consensus. Finally, for the Management Aspects, the following factors were validated: lack of clarity in communications; lack of alignment of goals; lack of leadership engagement. Originality/value The results are valuable for the company studied and for other managers interested in subject. The findings presented here can broaden the debate about this topic and contribute with professionals that wish to evaluate the mentioned factors.

The process of Outsourcing Logistics Service (OLS) is deemed incipient in the management of organizations, not only because of the operational problems it presents, but also of its difficulties fitting into the company’s overall strategy. The present theoretical study, building on the resource-based view of the firm, aims to propose a framework that guides managers in developing strategies to OLS starting from the operational structure to establish the necessary resources, capabilities, and routines. In addition, taken into account is the importance of analyzing risks and resilience in the environment, concomitantly with the analysis of the operational structure. Thus, four questions were developed, aimed at leading operations managers to reflect on the development of the strategy. The framework proposed for OLS considers the supply chain management department as the main interlocutor of the strategy. This framework can be adapted according with the necessity of the contracting company, and its main intention is to enable the establishment of a project that contemplates the necessary resources, the capabilities (criteria), and the operational routines (subcriteria) for the selection of a logistics service provider in the market, one which truly addresses the needs of the organization. This framework is already intrinsic in the practical actions of the authors, because of their extensive advisory activity over the last five years in OLS to logistics service provider. In addition, it is worth mentioning that so far in the tacit applications of this framework there has been no application similar to another. Resumo O processo de terceirização de serviços logísticos (TSL) é considerado incipiente na gestão das organizações, não só pelas suas questões operacionais como também pelas dificuldades de se criar elos com a estratégia da empresa. O presente estudo teórico, fundamentado na Teoria Baseada em Recursos, visa propor um framework que oriente o gestor a desenvolver estratégia em processos de TSL partindo da estrutura operacional, estabelecendo os recursos necessários, as capacidades centrais e as rotinas operacionais. Considera-se também a importância de analisar os riscos e a resiliência no ambiente, concomitantemente com a análise da estrutura operacional. Para isso foram desenvolvidos quatro questionamentos com o intuito de levar o gestor de operações a reflexões acerca do desenvolvimento da estratégia. O framework proposto para a TSL considera o departamento de gestão da cadeia de suprimentos como o principal interlocutor da estratégia. Esse framework pode ser adaptado conforme as necessidades da contratante e a sua principal intenção é possibilitar o estabelecimento de um projeto que contemple os recursos necessários, as capacidades centrais (critérios) e as rotinas operacionais (subcritérios) para a seleção, no mercado, de um operador logístico que atenda realmente as necessidades da organização. Vale ressaltar que, até o momento, nas aplicações tácitas desse framework, intrínseco às ações práticas propostas pelos autores desse artigo na extensa atividade consultiva desenvolvida nos últimos cinco anos em relação à TSL para operadores logísticos, nenhuma aplicação semelhante à outra ocorreu.

Cleaner production is a fast-growing area with numerous important developments seen over the years, which have led to substantial improvements, both in technological, process and organization terms. Yet there is a paucity of literature organizing the body of knowledge on the benefits and difficulties seen in this field. Thus, following a systematic literature review protocol, this paper provides a ten-year state-of-the-art analysis on the benefits and difficulties faced in the implementation of cleaner production strategies, and outlines some means via which they may be addressed. Main results point out that companies and governments have been able to successfully reap both tangible and intangible benefits after Cleaner Production implementation as its appeal to attract customers and reap reputation gain increases, for example. However, the results also show a series of difficulties that remain and hinders the widespread advancement of this methodology.

O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar o conhecimento sobre Sustentabilidade dos alunos do curso de Administração de Empresas de uma universidade privada paulista e a influência deste em suas atitudes, comportamentos e consumos sustentáveis. Com base nas respostas de 131 alunos da pesquisa quantitativa (survey) desenvolvida, constatou-se, por meio da Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (MEE), que há influência do conhecimento sobre Sustentabilidade nas atitudes, no comportamento e no consumo dos alunos. Contudo, não se confirmou a influência da atitude no consumo. No cursopesquisado, o tema Sustentabilidade tem sido abordado, porém não em uma disciplina específica, mas de maneira fragmentada em diversas disciplinas, de forma transversal. Esta pesquisa contribui tanto para o meio acadêmico quanto para a sociedade, no sentido de propor à universidade pesquisada, bem como a outras públicas ou privadas, que alterem no Projeto Pedagógico de Curso (PPC), as linhas pesquisas voltadas à Sustentabilidade, e insiram atividades de extensão que visem à transformação das atitudes em comportamentos e práticas sustentáveis dos alunos, agindo como cidadãos.

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is associated with the idea that every organization should integrate environmental, economic and social issues as part of their organizational philosophy. In companies with a higher degree of development in terms of CSR, sustainable practices are integrated into management systems. When focusing on Latin America, this integration may be at its first steps, but there is a vacuum in the literature in this field. Based on this reality, this paper aims to evaluate the integration between CSR practices and management systems in companies in Brazil based on experts’ perceptions. Employing a conceptual model covering how stakeholder demands are incorporated in organizational practices using a continuous improvement approach, we performed a survey with experts in the area. Results revealed opportunities for improvements in all CSR practices evaluated, most of which were considered by the experts to have been implemented only superficially. In a comparative analysis, two practices stood out in relation to the others: reporting of CSR results to stakeholders and evaluation of the performance of CSR activities using pre-established indicators. Practices associated with planning of CSR activities are the most superficially implemented, adversely affecting CSR performance. The authors believe that the findings of this study could be useful for business managers and academics as guidance towards improved CSR efforts.

The study discusses the country-of-origin-image (COI) as a country-specific-advantage (CSA) for internationalised firms. We developed and validated a scale to measure the importance of the incorporation of the COI as a resource in a firm's international strategy, the COI-CSA. Several psychometric procedures were adopted. We analysed data gathered from two case studies, validation procedures with experts and researchers, and three data sets from executives working in internationalised firms. The results validate the COI-CSA scale as a multidimensional construct reflected in a set of four dimensions: textual and visual elements, senses, cultural resources, and natural resources.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the difficulties observed during implementation of quality management systems (QMSs) in Brazilian manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach The methodological strategy used was a literature review, a panel of experts and a survey. Through the literature review, 15 difficulties associated with the implementation of QMS were raised; these were organized into latent variables by specialists in the subject and served as the basis for a survey. In total, 123 professionals working with quality management in manufacturing companies participated in the research and the data collected were analyzed by means of second-order confirmatory factorial analysis. Findings The results allowed the validation of the 15 difficulties observed in the literature, and it was evidenced that these difficulties are structured in four latent variables as follows: difficulties associated with employees; difficulties associated with QMS structuration; difficulties associated with integration; and difficulties resulting from the planning. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this research is the sample size, because 123 professionals that work with quality management in manufacturing companies participated in the research. It should be noted, however, that all parameters evaluated through the second-order confirmatory factorial analysis were validated. Practical implications The findings have great value for both quality management professionals, who may use those findings to guide the pre-implementation phase of a QMS, and researchers, who may use those findings as a foundation for future studies, in the development of models or tools related to QMS implementation. Originality/value No other paper was found on the scientific basis with the same focus for Brazilian manufacturing companies, thus demonstrating originality. The value of the research lies in the fact that the results presented here, statistically validated, may be used by other researchers and market professionals.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify what are the main causes that lead strategies to decline at execution phase. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted the strategy of survey with the 69 Brazilian businessmen. The questionnaire was developed from 16 causes pointed out in the literature and the results analyzed using Cronbach’s α coefficient, multidimensional scaling, exploratory factor analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient. Findings The results of statistical analysis showed that the main causes are primarily associated to leaders’ defaults during execution strategies, lack of support and feedback of senior management, no involvement of the teams during the strategies formulation, failure of communication on the strategic objectives in all organizational levels, and others. Research limitations/implications The 69 businessmen work in different sectors and there may be specific causes for each sector. The research presented by this paper did not have objectives to analyze specific sectors of the economy. Practical implications The results are extremely important and useful for managers during the implementation phase of the strategies and researchers in the field of business strategies. Originality/value There are no research with the same focus and objective presented by this paper about Brazilian companies.

A modelagem de equações estruturais com estimação por mínimos quadrados parciais (PLS-SEM) tem sido empregada nas mais variadas áreas de pesquisa, aumentando a quantidade de artigos publicados com o uso desse método de modo exponencial. Há vários motivos para que isso esteja ocorrendo, mas um deles é o fato do software SmartPLS ter facilitado o uso do PLS-SEM. Este artigo tem o objetivo de apresentar sete exemplos didáticos com conjuntos de dados reais e disponíveis àqueles que queiram aprender ou ensinar PLS-SEM, tratando de temas como: avaliação do modelo de mensuração, avaliação do modelo estrutural, multicolinearidade, variável latente de segunda ordem, mediação, moderação com variável numérica e categórica (MGA – multi-group analysis).

This research aims to integrate the theories of Explicit Memory and Interactivity, contributing to the theoretical development of both. We investigated whether the interactivity precedes the explicit consumer memory. Data collection was carried on by sending online questionnaire to 876 undergraduate male students, with a return of 453 valid questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling of the constructs Explicit Memory and Interactivity. The analyzes indicate that interactivity increases explicit consumer memory, filling a theoretical gap of this concept about its effects. Moreover, it is a concept related to the future, not only to the past and to present, as shown by the classical definitions. As for explicit memory, its formation results from the individual's interactions with the environment, which was not explained by classical theories. The results indicated that interactivity and explicit memory are almost independent of each other, having low correlation or almost nil.

With increased consumption of green products, organizations have promoted their products and services as green to attract an environmentally growing segment. However, 98% of the products advertised as green have some element characterized as greenwashing, affecting consumer satisfaction. Given the need to classify subjective, ambiguous and imprecise indicators as consumer satisfaction degree of green products, a computational model of measurement is proposed that incorporates fuzzy logic techniques to reduce the incidence of uncertainty in decision analysis processes, facilitating decision-making. The fuzzy rule-based system created allows the efficient handling of uncertainties and vagueness of input data, measuring the relationships between various input variables to analyze consumer behavior and perception of greenwashing. The Mamdani's Inference Method was used to make different combinations of linguistic variables and to evaluate the relationship of these variables to consumer behavior, implementing a quantitative method of decision-making regarding the behavior of the variables. As a result, it is observed that greenwashing confuses and influences the consumer in green product confidence in retail. After the application of the system, it is concluded that the results are feasible and with the use of fuzzy logic, the system can help in the analysis and determination of the consumer satisfaction degree, and can helps companies to make future forecasts about consumer behavior of green products. The proposed approach enriches the information on the attitudes of green consumers when they perceive greenwashing. Besides, the system facilitates the decision-making and actions of both consumers and companies that apply the greenwashing as a marketing strategy.

Our aim was to discover the most important factors that influence the development of greener products in the mechanical industry, emphasising green design in product creation based on current environmental issues and considering product development as one important aspect of product life cycle management. This model is important to the mechanical industry because this sector relies heavily on raw materials, and recycling products is one way to improve environmental conditions. We used exploratory factor analyses to assess new product development, communication in change management, concurrent engineering, green products design worries and supplier involvement risks perception. The factor analyses initially found 10 constructs, but the 10th was eliminated because it had only one variable, and 5 were eliminated because they yielded Cronbach’s alpha values less than 0.6. To develop this model, we sent questionnaires to 2000 professionals in the Brazilian mechanical industry through LinkedIn discussion groups...

O objetivo com a presente pesquisa foi avaliar a relação da preocupação ambiental do consumidor com sua efetiva declaração de compra de produtos verdes no varejo. Orientado por uma linha de pesquisa que busca explicar o fato de o comportamento ter como precedente a intenção e não a atitude, foi avaliado se a preocupação dos consumidores com o meio ambiente está sendo convertidas em intenção de compra e posterior declaração de compra. O problema que orientou a pesquisa pode ser expresso pela seguinte questão: a preocupação ambiental está relacionada com a intenção de compra para se tornar compra declarada de produtos verdes no varejo? Para responder a essa questão e atender ao objetivo proposto, foi realizada uma pesquisa de natureza quantitativa por meio de um survey com 1.233 consumidores reais de quatro capitais brasileiras, avaliando-se a percepção que eles possuem de si mesmos e dos outros. A análise de dados foi feita utilizando-se a modelagem de equações estruturais por meio do software SmartPLS 3.0. Os resultados indicam que os consumidores pesquisados não demonstram relacionar diretamente sua preocupação ambiental com a compra declarada de produtos verdes, que revelou ser formada pela intenção de compra. Isso foi observado nas duas condições, quando os consumidores responderam sobre a sua percepção e sobre a dos outros (sociedade).Palavras-chave: Consumo verde. Preocupação ambiental. Varejo. Comportamento do consumidor. The relationship of environmental concern with green products consumer in retail Abstract The purpose with this research was to evaluate the environmental consumer concern with their actual purchase statement for green products in retail. Guided by a line of research that seeks to explain the fact that the behavior has as a precedent the intention and not the attitude was assessed to consumer concern about the environment and these are converted into purchase intent and purchase later statement. The problem oriented research can be expressed by the following question: Environmental concern is related to the purchase intention to become declared purchase of green products at retail? To resolve this matter and meet the proposed objective, a quantitative research through a survey with the 1233 actual consumers of four brazilian capitals assessing his perception as an individual was carried out and as he watches others. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 3.0 software. The results indicate that consumers surveyed do not demonstrate directly relate their environmental concerns with the purchase declared for green products, which were shown to be formed by purchase intent. This perception takes place in the two conditions, when they respond on their perception and when they answer about how he observes others (society).Keywords: Green consumption. Environmental concern. Retail. Consumer behavior.

The present paper aims to develop a model of World Class Manufacturing, to achieve this goal was elaborated a questionnaire with 35 assertive divided in 7 areas suggested by literature review. This questionnaire was send to manufacture specialists, product developers and technician through LinkedIn the participants was select by researchers in discussion groups taking in consideration their experience using the professional profile. About 1000 invite was send to professional from metal-mechanic sector which returned 180 valid questionnaires. The data was analyzed through factor analyses and was obtained 7 constructs, which explained 67% of data variance. The KMO was 0,84, which is considered good for, analyzes purpose. The seventh factor was eliminated because it Cranach’s Alpha was below 0,6 and the remained factor was nominated as: Lean Manufacturing, Human Resources Management to achieve flexibility, Marketing Integration, Costs Reduction and Flexibility.

This paper presents the critical factors that constitute a successful deployment of the dimensional management system (DMS) methodology in manufacturing industries. DMS refers to a process by which the whole integrated product development (i.e. conception, design, manufacturing and inspection) is systematically defined and monitored to meet predetermined dimensional quality goals. A deep research on academic literature was performed to raise 26 factors considered critical for a successful DMS implementation. Professionals who work in this area were surveyed about the importance of each factor, both in a conceptual view and degree of application of this same factor according to their experience. The survey was conducted in two different approaches to provide a clear comparison between these two contrasting aspects. After that, a management model that considers the top-rated factors obtained from the survey results, analysed by statistical multidimensional tools, is proposed. The factor importance/application ranking is a preliminary model which aims at offering a starting point for researchers concerned in continuing this analysis or to offer a guide for industries interested in this methodology.

The association between scientific knowledge and attitudes toward science has historical, social and political implications. Therefore, it becomes essential to assess public attitudes in face of science as these relate to the changing context of scientific practices and their implications on practical and social problems. Thus, this paper presents results of a survey developed from a mixed approach, which evaluated the public perception of science and attitudes in face of the scientific and technological development, from the perspective of biotechnology, in a public composed of undergraduate students from different places of São Paulo State, in Brasil. The results obtained by confirmatory factor analysis are indicators that show that the conceptions that people have about science directly and positively influences their attitudes to science.

ResumoO objetivo principal da pesquisa descrita neste artigo foi oferecer gratuitamente para pesquisadores e profissionais da área de Administração um instrumento de medida de competências interculturais (CIs), em português, validado de acordo com os procedimentos recomendados na literatura. CIs são conhecimentos, habilidades e motivações que permitem aos indivíduos adaptarem‐se em ambientes multiculturais. A pesquisa traduziu e adaptou um instrumento preexistente em inglês para o português e, com os dados obtidos por meio de uma survey com 268 estudantes universitários brasileiros, validou‐o mediante uma análise fatorial confirmatória. Os resultados mostraram que, após purificação da escala, tanto o instrumento como os constructos foram válidos no novo contexto. A pesquisa contribui para a administração de instituições de ensino superior em geral, pela oferta de um instrumento de medida de CIs, e para a teoria, pela verificação da validade de constructos em contextos diferentes daqueles em que já tinham sido testados. CIs são particularmente importantes para gestores que, cada vez mais, se veem envolvidos em transações que atravessam fronteiras. A demanda por CIs entre gestores faz com que quase 1/4 dos estudantes que buscam intercâmbios internacionais seja de Administração. A importância das CIs para os gestores e a frequência de intercambistas da área de Administração tornam a pesquisa particularmente relevante tanto para a teoria quanto para a prática de gestão.AbstractThe main objective of the research described in this paper was to make freely available to researchers and management professionals a measurement instrument of intercultural skills (ISs), in Portuguese, validated according to the procedures recommended in the literature. ISs are CI knowledge, skills and motivations that enable individuals to adapt to multicultural environments. This research translated and adapted an English instrument to Portuguese using data from a survey of 268 Brazilian university students. The instrument was validated through a confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that, with removal of impure items, both the instrument and the constructs are valid in the new context. The research contributes to the administration of academic institutions by making available an instrument of intercultural measurement and to theory, by verifying the validity of constructs in contexts different from those in which they had already been tested. ICs are particularly important for managers who increasingly find themselves involved in transactions that cross borders. The demand for ICs in managers explains why almost 1/4 of tertiary students seeking international exchanges programs are registered in business courses abroad. The importance of ICs for management and the frequency with which exchange students come from business courses makes this research particularly relevant to management theory and practice.