Search results

The purpose of this paper is to present a lightweight approach to help diagnose and eliminate issues in existing business processes, which cause participants to resist following them as modelled. The analysis is made accessible by the use of drillable graphical dashboards.

Two action research cycles in two distinct industries were used to test and refine the approach, while also solving the specific organizational issues.

The approach was considered simple to use and proved capable of identifying pain points causing friction in the smooth operation of business processes. Various longer-term positive effects were reported by one of the organizations that is ISO 9001-certified.

This type of research benefits from experiments in new cases with different contexts that can challenge it. In particular, it would be interesting to evaluate the approach in an organization with a more ad hoc view of processes, as opposed to the more standards-based cases of this paper.

Using the proposed approach to tune the processes, so that participants are more willing to follow them, removes some inconsistency of operations and potential non-conformities in audits.

The proposed approach is aimed at the “social sustainability” of the business processes, as it seeks to eliminate people grievances with those processes and make them sustainable in the long term.

Although there is a lot written about process improvement, the literature is scarce in lightweight, pragmatic approaches to identify and resolve the social aspects that cause participants to deviate from the processes, or see them as a burden instead of valuable help for their everyday tasks.

The influence of digital media and mobile technologies on the interpersonal dynamics of young individuals across various aspects of their daily lives underscores the significant role of digital media in shaping their experiences. Research exploring how individuals engage with mobile applications (m-apps) has revealed the constraining effects of platform norms and politics on users' expressive identities. This chapter examines the evolving landscape of media consumption, engagement and civic participation amidst the proliferation of new media modalities, focussing on m-apps. The authors highlight the pervasive adoption of mobile apps across diverse categories and the escalating temporal investment individuals allocate to these platforms for fostering interpersonal connections. Drawing from a feminist and intersectional perspective, the authors explore how young adults navigate the technicity and imaginaries of m-apps, incorporating them into their daily routines and (re)negotiating their gender and sexual identities. Through the MyGender project, the authors investigate the relationship between m-apps and power dynamics, examining the construction and reconstruction of gender and sexuality across platforms. The findings underscore the need for critical engagement with digital technologies as sociocultural products actively reshaping gender relations and sexual practices. The text ends with an overview of the book, briefly presenting the remaining nine chapters.

This research analysed visitors’ trust in and perceptions of the authenticity and value of the World Heritage (WH) brand based on theories of information seeking behaviour and perceived value.

Data were obtained through a self-administrated online survey and the 818 questionnaires completed. Quantitative methods were applied including PLS-SEM modelling.

The findings show that trust in the WH brand influences individuals’ perceptions of WH sites (WHSs), and brand authenticity is an important determinant of visitors’ perceived WHS value.

This study extends the existing theoretical research on WH brand management and tourism behaviour by evaluating data on natural, tangible and intangible WHSs.

Stemming from a critical approach towards technology (understood as a producer of meanings, subjectivity and agency, and, thus, shaped by power relations) and taking into account the role of broader societal norms and structures in technological uses and gratifications, this chapter explores the (re)negotiations of gender and sexual identities among Portuguese young adult app users. It focuses on if app usage allows these users to break heterocisnormativity and hegemonic notions of masculinity. For that purpose, the study conducted six focus groups involving 31 participants and 25 semi-structured interviews with young adults (18–30 years old). The scripts were designed to collect data about mobile app usage practices and what meanings interviewees attribute to used platforms, navigating through imaginaries, meanings, appropriations, incorporations and mostly negotiations. Analytically, this study contributes to an enhanced understanding of how apps might change young adult lives concerning gender and sexual identities and to challenging uses and gratifications theory, which, after almost 80 years since its first formulations, has gained new impetus with the ongoing digitisation process and the so-called interactive technologies that integrate it.

This study seeks to develop an Environmental Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (ESBSC) articulated through a strategic map for collaborative implementation by municipalities by municipalities. In addition, it aims to elucidate the architecture of this tool.

The research uses qualitative methodology, initiating with document analysis, followed by municipal-level surveys and an interview with the Norte Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N).

The study constructs an ESBSC that adopts an integrative approach to sustainability, focusing on municipal joint action. The tool fosters synergies and enhances cooperation. By incorporating a strategic mix, the tool contributes to improving the environmental management performance of the participating municipalities.

This study introduces a tool designed for municipalities that aspire to incorporate environmental sustainability into their strategies. This tool facilitates the implementation and management of a long-term environmental strategy, with potential implications for organization and its culture. In addition, it highlights critical environmental factors that should serve as a starting point in future studies or applications of this tool.

Involving both an academic institution and multiple municipalities, this research identifies critical environmental factors that enhance environmental awareness within municipalities and designs a tool that, when consciously adopted, can influence the culture dynamics of the population involved. Furthermore, it proposes a structured and systematic research method for creating an ESBSC for joint municipal action.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this research constitutes the first exploratory attempt to devise an environmental strategy for joint municipal action. Although the tool emphasizes the environmental component, it promotes an integrated vision of sustainability. Despite the extensive application of balanced scorecards in various organizational contexts, their utilization in fostering environmental sustainability at a municipal level remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by developing a tailored strategic tool that operationalizes environmental priorities within municipal governance frameworks.