The thermal environment is one of the main factors that influence thermal comfort and, consequently, the productivity of occupants inside buildings. Throughout the years, research has described the connection between thermal comfort and productivity. Mathematical models have been established in the attempt to predict changes in productivity according to thermal variations in the environment. Some of these models have failed for a number of reasons, including the understanding of the effect that several environment variables have had on performance. From this context, a systematic literature review was carried out with the aim of verifying the connection between thermal comfort and productivity and the combinations of different thermal and personal factors that can have an effect on productivity. A hundred and twenty-eight articles were found which show a connection between productivity and some thermal comfort variables. By means of specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 articles were selected for a final analysis. The main conclusions found in this study were: (i) the vast majority of research uses subjective measures and/or a combination of methods to evaluate productivity; (ii) performance/productivity can be attained within an ampler temperature range; (iii) few studies present ways of calculating productivity.

People’s well-being, health and productivity in indoor environments are crucial areas of investigation, particularly concerning sick building syndrome (SBS). Sick building syndrome encompasses symptoms resulting from exposure to harmful factors associated with building use. Headaches, fatigue, malaise and nausea are amongst the complaints associated with SBS. A literature review was conducted, examining studies from Scopus and Web of Science to identify the major impacts of SBS on health, well-being and productivity. Out of 3601 initially identified articles, 134 were analyzed after applying predefined criteria. Three research questions (RQs) were formulated, leading to the following findings: (i) most studies focused on offices (35.48%), highlighting common respiratory symptoms that range from mild to severe based on individual sensitivity, indoor conditions and predictive factors; (ii) indoor air quality (IAQ) emerged as the primary factor influencing SBS, especially within the post-pandemic context. Increasing air circulation and ventilation are viable alternatives to enhance IAQ. (iii) Understanding SBS proves complex, with indications of potentially higher symptom frequencies in women due to historical factors, social roles, lower cold tolerance, limited understanding of female physiology and multiple chemical sensitivity.

Purpose: Quality has undergone several transformations over the past decades. From the inspection to total quality management (TQM), some tools have been created to improve the performance of industrial processes and services, such as control charts and Pareto’s diagram. Now, the fourth industrial revolution (4th IR), Industry 4.0, has become part of the routine of organizations and people. The purpose of this paper is to verify how traditional quality concepts are being adapted within organizations. Design/methodology/approach: As the term “Quality 4.0” is still recent, this research aimed to conduct a literature review on the topic by using the systematic literature review method called Bibliometrix. Through the combination of keywords, 116 papers were found. After eliminating the repeated papers, an analysis was made with the remaining 104 papers, presenting the sources of publication, period of publication, countries, among other characteristics. Finally, a more detailed analysis of the 10 most recent papers published in journals was performed. Findings: The main results of this research are: publications on the topic have increased significantly from 2013, mainly in journals and conference papers; the most important elements connected with Quality 4.0 are Quality Management and Industry 4.0; there is not yet a universal definition for Quality 4.0; however, it seems that digital tools can be used to improve the performance of processes; one can expect a natural evolution from TQM to Quality 4.0, not replacing the traditional quality methods; activities inside organizations will be faster and smarter, due to the use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), combined with traditional quality methods. Originality/value: Identifying new approaches and gaps for quality research may improve the development of new concepts and tools.

Purpose: The changes brought by Industry 4.0 go beyond transformations in the industrial environment. The increasingly frequent digitization and robotization of activities is not only restricted to the industrial environment, but also to people's daily routine. People spend a large part of their time inside buildings, and maintaining adequate Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is an essential factor for a healthy and productive environment. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to verify how the Internet of Things (IoT) is being used to improve the indoor environment, through sensors that instantly measure the conditions of the environment.Design/methodology/approach: The aim of this paper is to verify, through a literature review, how IoT is being used for building control (for energy saving purposes) and to monitor IEQ conditions inside buildings, in order to provide a better environment for occupants, in terms of health and comfort. By combining keywords in databases, PRISMA method was used to select the articles for analysis, and 91 articles were analyzed.Findings: The main findings in this research are: (1) the main purpose for applying IoT inside buildings is to reduce energy consumption; (2) there is an interest in developing low-cost sensoring devices with a learning approach; (3) Machine Learning methods are mainly used for energy saving purposes and to learn about occupants' behavior inside buildings, focusing on thermal comfort; (4) sensors in the IoT era are a requirement to help improve people's comfort and well-being.Originality/value: Studies directly correlating IoT and IEQ are limited. This paper emphasises the link between them, through the presentation of recent methods to control the built environment.

The predicted mean vote (PMV) is the most widely used model around the world to assess thermal comfort in indoor environments. The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the PMV model and also the year in which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. In this context, hospital environments and health professionals are at the center of attention, and a good indoor environment for those professionals to develop their activities is essential. Thus, considering the PMV model and focusing on hospital environments, this study performed a literature review of studies published between 1968 and August 2020. The research identified 153 papers on thermal comfort and its application in hospitals, health centers, and elderly centers. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were adopted to determine the most relevant studies for the four research questions proposed in this study. After applying the exclusion criteria, 62 studies were included in order to identify their main characteristics. In the universe of the 62 studies, this review identified 24 studies that applied the PMV model and 12 where there was a comparison of PMV and the thermal sensation votes (TSV) reported by people. The main findings of this research are: (i) A good thermal environment for professionals and patients is important, and more studies are needed; (ii) there are little explored topics, such as productivity related to thermal comfort in hospital environments; (iii) in addition to thermal comfort, other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters have also been evaluated, such as indoor air quality (IAQ); (iv): the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how the quality of indoor spaces is important in order to ensure occupant’s health.