Healthcare waste management is an essential field for both researchers and practitioners. Although there have been few studies using statistical methods for its evaluation, it has been the subject of several studies in different contexts. Furthermore, the known precarious practices for waste management in developing countries raise questions about its potential barriers. This study aims to investigate the barriers in healthcare waste management and their relevance. For this purpose, this paper analyses waste management practices in two Brazilian hospitals by using case study and the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. The barriers were organized into three categories – human factors, management, and infrastructure, and the main findings suggest that cost and employee awareness were the most significant barriers. These results highlight the main barriers to more sustainable waste management, and provide an empirical basis for multi-criteria evaluation of the literature.

Purpose - This study aims at developing a framework of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) in public educational organizations.Theoretical framework – There are 3-sections: Strategic planning in public sector, Balanced Scorecard and BSC in the public sector. Strategic management in public administration is an important issue, with the BSC as one of the most widely used tools. Although, the application of this technique in public schools is still unexplored and uncommon, it does possess the potential to improve their effectiveness.Methodology - A 3-stage qualitative approach: (i) 8 semi-structured interviews with the principals of participating schools; (ii) 4 stages of focus groups with 3 of the principals from different schools; and (iii) non-participant observation using a field diary. Also, the data were analyzed through content analysis and cross-referencing the different forms of data collected.Findings - The results do not indicate a vast knowledge concerning the BSC’s techniques and tools, or an alignment between management planning posture, principles nor objectives of BSC application. Also, school planning is realized through the expertise of the Principal, without instruments of strategic management. Finally, adapted BSC models and strategic maps were proposed in public schools to collaborate and facilitate the strategic management process.Research, Practical & Social implications - The paper contributes towards developing new research agendas for strategic management in Brazil, with the possibility of improving public results and to appoint new practices in public schools.Originality/value - We have collaborated with the creation of a tool to use in the strategic planning of primary schools and pushing BSC studies into public sectors.

Purpose: Despite the school organizational culture broad literature, there is still a gap on culture and educational management, mainly in the public environment. To fill out this space, this article wants to point out the cultural factors that creates school management change in the Brazilian public school context.Design/methodology/approach: The sample is a polar multi-case approach with two high performance and two low performance Brazilian schools. The authors conducted 12 interviews, three each school, with school principal, pedagogical coordinator and administrative officer. To analyze the data, the authors applied synthetic analysis to identify the cultural factors and your conduciveness to change in schools.Findings: The results point out organizational culture as low understood in public municipal schools. These results also indicate the cultural dimensions power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, long-term orientation and indulgence as influencers of school management. Therefore, organizational culture is a factor to change and improve performance in public school management.Research limitations/implications: Despite the low comprehensiveness by the school managers, the authors pointed out the importance of the cultural factors, such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, long-term orientation and indulgence, in the school management. Future research could assess quantitatively the cultural factors presented here.Social implications: The paper provides cultural aspects in the school environment that should be considered in the school management improvement process and school principals’ actions.Originality/value: The results fulfil the gap of organizational culture and school management in the public sector studies, by pointing out cultural factors of change in the school environment.

This study explores how Brazilian logistics companies manage road safety by identifying key practices, motivators, and barriers. While traffic safety has been widely studied, few investigations adopt an organizational perspective, especially in the logistics sector. Addressing this gap, we applied a mixed-methods approach combining expert input (qualitative phase) and a structured survey of industry professionals (quantitative phases). The findings reveal that practices such as infrastructure development, driver training, and compliance monitoring are perceived as most effective. Motivators include operational planning and economic incentives, while major barriers involve lack of internal motivation, awareness, and resource constraints. Factor analysis confirmed the structure of practices, motivators, and barriers, while a SWOT framework provided strategic insights into internal strengths and external challenges. This study offers practical recommendations for integrating safety into strategic planning, improving training, and strengthening collaboration with public actors. By aligning safety efforts with long-term business goals, logistics providers can enhance both operational performance and social responsibility. These results contribute to global discussions on sustainable logistics by supporting key Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3.6 (road safety), SDG 8.8 (safe working environments), SDG 9.1 (sustainable infrastructure), and SDG 11.2 (safe and accessible transport).