1,720,976 research outputs found
Development of an Integrated Analysis Methodology for Lean Manufacturing and Sustainable Development in the Mechanical Engineering Industry
Full text linkQuesta tesi esplora la relazione tra Lean Manufacturing e sostenibilità nel settore della metalmeccanica, concentrandosi in particolare sul suo impatto sulle prestazioni economiche, ambientali e sociali. Lo studio sviluppa un quadro integrato per valutare gli effetti delle tecniche lean sui tre pilastri della sostenibilità. La ricerca è strutturata in tre capitoli, ognuno dei quali impiega un metodo diverso per esaminare questa interazione. Il primo capitolo fornisce una panoramica teorica attraverso due revisioni sistematiche della letteratura (SLR), che esplorano la connessione più ampia tra lean e sostenibilità e gli impatti specifici degli strumenti lean sulle tre dimensioni della sostenibilità. Il secondo capitolo valuta i risultati di un progetto lean presso Schnell SpA, un'azienda metalmeccanica italiana, utilizzando la Sustainable Value Stream Mapping (Sus-VSM) per misurarne gli effetti sulle metriche di sostenibilità. Il terzo capitolo indaga 115 aziende del settore metalmeccanico italiano, analizzando l'adozione della Lean Manufacturing e il suo rapporto con la sostenibilità e identificando le barriere e i fattori che ne favoriscono l'implementazione. I risultati suggeriscono che, sebbene le pratiche di Lean Manufacturing migliorino l'efficienza operativa e la sostenibilità, rimangono ancora delle sfide complesse, in particolare per quanto riguarda le barriere economiche, operative e culturali. La tesi apporta preziose intuizioni su come la Lean Manufacturing possa guidare la sostenibilità attraverso tutti i pilastri, promuovendo la competitività nel lungo periodo attraverso pratiche aziendali responsabili.This thesis explores the relationship between Lean Manufacturing and sustainability within the mechanical engineering sector, focusing specifically on its impact on economic, environmental, and social performance. The study develops an integrated framework to assess the effects of lean techniques on the three pillars of sustainability. The research is structured into three chapters, each employing a different method to examine this interaction. The first chapter provides a theoretical overview through two systematic literature reviews (SLRs), which explore the broader connection between lean and sustainability and the specific impacts of lean tools on the three sustainability dimensions. The second chapter assesses the outcomes of a lean project at Schnell SpA, an Italian mechanical engineering company, using Sustainable Value Stream Mapping (Sus-VSM) to evaluate the effects on sustainability metrics. The third chapter surveys 115 companies in the Italian mechanical engineering sector, analysing the adoption of Lean Manufacturing and its relationship with sustainability and identifying barriers and enablers to its implementation. The findings suggest that while Lean Manufacturing practices improve operational efficiency and sustainability, challenges remain, particularly regarding economic, operational, and cultural barriers. The thesis contributes valuable insights into how Lean Manufacturing can drive sustainability across all pillars, with particular emphasis on fostering long-term competitiveness through responsible business practices
Women and Leadership: How Do Women Leaders Contribute to Companies' Sustainable Choices?
No full textUnlocking Healthy Food Preferences of Older Adults: A Fuzzy Clustering Approach
No full textPopulation aging is a global phenomenon with significant social and economic implications, making healthy eating crucial for maintaining physical and mental health. This study investigates the factors influencing healthy food choices of a sample of 334 Italian older adults by considering cognitive, informative and emotional factors into established theoretical frameworks. Regression analysis and fuzzy clustering were employed to understand the antecedents of healthy food choices and to identify distinct sub-groups of older adults. Three clusters were identified. The Light-healthy group would benefit from efforts to improve the taste and accessibility of healthy foods, while the Health-conscious segment would be more influenced by information emphasising the functional benefits of a healthy diet. Finally, the Unhealthy group requires targeted educational efforts to improve their overall knowledge and trust in healthy food. Implications emerge, especially for companies aimed at fostering healthy eating habits and well-being among this population
Organic Honey - Comparison of Generational Behaviour and Consumption Trends After Covid-19
No full textRecently, consumer eating habits have shifted toward seeking healthier, safer, and more sustainable products and showing a growing interest in honey consumption due to its nutritional versatility and beneficial properties. The study aims to explore, through the administration of a quantitative questionnaire, the perception of organic honey and the factors that lie behind its consumption choice among Italians, analyzing differences and similarities of behavior among generational cohorts (Gen. Z, Gen. Y, Gen. X, Baby Boomers). Secondly, it investigates which of these factors were relevant in increasing the consumption of organic honey in post-Covid. It emerges that there are relevant differences among generational cohorts’ buying behavior. Baby Boomers and Generation X consider the technical aspects of organic linked to the label and prefer buying from local producers; Generation Z and Millennials rely more on the physical features of honey and give relevance to the product brand
Digital technologies and circularity: trade‐offs in the development of life cycle assessment
No full textPurpose This research aims to develop a critical understanding of the employment of digital technologies (DTs) for LCA studies, outlining both the opportunities and challenges associated with circular strategies. Two research questions are thus addressed: (1) What circular loops and aspects are addressed when digital technologies are integrated in the development of a Life Cycle Inventory? (2) Which trade-offs are revealed in the integration of digital technologies in Life Cycle Inventorydevelopment addressing circularity along a life cycle?
Methods This study is based on the problematisation approach, which critically examines existing assumptions in the LCA literature, structured into six principles: defining a domain of investigation, articulating and evaluating assumptions, developing alternative perspectives, involving the audience through qualitative interviews, and assessing the alternative assumptions.
A systematic literature review (SLR) and semi-structured interviews with experts were conducted to explore these issues and suggest future research directions.
Results and discussion It emerges that the DTs are mainly integrated in the Life Cycle Inventory phase capturing closing and narrowing loops, whereas a limited number of cases investigate slowing loops with different aspects investigated. However, even if DTs can facilitate and improve the trustworthiness of the inventory, they can also lead to an increase in complexity because more competencies are needed, it is more difficult to control data collection and elaboration, and more social interactions along the supply chain are needed. At the same time, DTs can reduce flexibility because further improvements are blocked, interfaces can be rigid to connect, and technical and normative updates can be more difficult to implement.
Conclusions DTs improve the development of the Life Cycle Inventory phase, particularly in the context of the circular economy. However, they also introduce new complexities and challenges. The use of blockchain, digital twins, and IoT sensors, for instance, has significantly improved data transparency and traceability, which are critical for circular economy practices, but complexity and training requirements can limit their benefits, so careful consideration must be given to their implementation to maximise benefits and minimise drawbacks
Circular fashion: is fashion for the environment possible? A survey on the propensity to responsible purchasing and consumption
No full textIn recent years, a new business model has appeared on the global economic-industrial scene that aims to integrate the principles of the circular economy with those of the fashion industry, giving rise to the so-called circular fashion. This phenomenon has become the subject of numerous studies in the managerial literature; however, the various research carried out so far has focused mainly on fashion manufacturers and retailers, with limited focus on consumers. This study starts from the assumption that the real protagonists of the circular fashion transition are the consumers with their purchasing and consumption choices, whose understanding is, therefore, crucial for companies wishing to build an efficient circular fashion system. Therefore, the aim is to make an empirical contribution to studies on the attitudes and behaviour of individuals concerning circular processes in the fashion industry, investigating their level of awareness, perceptions, and readiness to adopt new conscious approaches when purchasing, using, and disposing of clothing. These issues are also analysed from a generational perspective to highlight similarities and inconsistencies in perception and behaviour between different age groups. To this end, a quantitative questionnaire was conducted; 386 individuals participated in the study. The results identify a behavioural gap, namely a discrepancy between fashion preferences and actual behaviour among individuals regarding environmental sustainability. As a consequence, fashion companies should reduce the gap perceived by people between fashion and circularity to compete successfully in the marke
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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