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A priority must be made on making cities more resilient against crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic to help plan for an uncertain future. However, due to the insufficient transfer of knowledge from, among others, research projects to cities, they are often unaware of the resilience tools available as well as possible standardization activities to foster the integration of relevant stakeholders. To address this issue, this paper analyzes the use of standards and the contribution to standardization in a multi-case study of nine European Framework Program projects and with the Smart Mature Resilience (SMR) project, a more in-depth case study. SMR integrated several European cities in its co-creative approach for developing city resilience tools and the related standards series CWA 17300 on ‘City Resilience Development’. Furthermore, the paper defines five steps for integrating standardization in research projects with a focus on (city) resilience and shows the benefits of the standardization process for fostering the engagement of relevant stakeholders.
René Lindner; Carmen Jaca; Josune Hernantes. A Good Practice for Integrating Stakeholders through Standardization—The Case of the Smart Mature Resilience Project. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9000 .
AMA StyleRené Lindner, Carmen Jaca, Josune Hernantes. A Good Practice for Integrating Stakeholders through Standardization—The Case of the Smart Mature Resilience Project. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9000.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRené Lindner; Carmen Jaca; Josune Hernantes. 2021. "A Good Practice for Integrating Stakeholders through Standardization—The Case of the Smart Mature Resilience Project." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9000.
Circular economy has been claimed as an approach to foster a systemic change in the current model based on disposability. Though, many companies have sprout to deliver circular solutions through either new business models, products or services, a full shift away from the entire system is lacking. In other words, in order to experience a fully transition toward a circular economy model, an inter-organizational approach needs to be deployed. This approach has been named industrial symbiosis whereby interactions among companies are crucial to start developing a circular economy in the so-called meso level. Collaboration among organizations rises as one of the most important factors in developing industrial symbiosis. In that sense, different projects have developed digital platforms with the idea of promoting active participation and collaboration between organizations. Those sorts of platforms ideally enable industrial symbiosis through gathering information about resources and potential substitutes in order to recommend waste-to-resource exchanges. However, depending on the context the platform was built certain characteristics may not apply. Thus, this paper is focused on the characteristics and usefulness of different available platforms that facilitate the exchange of waste as a resource, product or good. Based on this research, it is likely that none of the existing platforms and the upcoming ones will be one-size-fits-all, thus, for industrial symbiosis to succeed it is still important for companies to determine what their needs are and then explore which platform best covers their requirements.
C. Jaca; J. Rincón-Moreno; P. Barrenechea; M. Ormazabal. Promoting Circular Economy Through Industrial Symbiosis Platforms: A Comparative Analysis. Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering 2021, 205 -212.
AMA StyleC. Jaca, J. Rincón-Moreno, P. Barrenechea, M. Ormazabal. Promoting Circular Economy Through Industrial Symbiosis Platforms: A Comparative Analysis. Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering. 2021; ():205-212.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Jaca; J. Rincón-Moreno; P. Barrenechea; M. Ormazabal. 2021. "Promoting Circular Economy Through Industrial Symbiosis Platforms: A Comparative Analysis." Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering , no. : 205-212.
Purpose: The circular economy has multiple benefits and opportunities to achieve sustainability and a better future for the next generations. The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology that guides step-by-step any industrial SMEs in the transition from the linear to a circular model. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have a crucial role in the sustainable development transition, considering that they represent most of the world's companies.Design/methodology/approach: To develop this methodology, two research techniques were used: a focus group and storyboarding.Findings: The resulting methodology, called Ecopyme, comprises five steps: 1) Firm identity, 2) Diagnosis, 3) Planning, 4) Get the ball rolling, and 5) Assessment and feedback. In addition, two key criteria that must be included in the whole process were identified: value creation in the firm through a circular economy and organization commitment from the top management to the staff.Research limitations/implications: The Ecopyme methodology has two limitations: It does not propose either implementation tools or involve consumers and actors at the meso (e.g., Eco-industrial parks) and macro (e.g., cities, provinces, countries) levels.Practical implications: This study will help policymakers understand the SMEs' perspective and remove barriers that may hinder the paradigm shift. The methodology is also a useful tool for consultants and entrepreneurs to incorporate the circular economy (CE) principles into their business.Originality/value: In the CE literature, little attention has been paid to proposing a structured methodology to implement CE in SMEs. Thus, the study provides a step-by-step methodology that guides any industrial SMEs to transition from linear to circular. Also, it provides additional evidence concerning the importance of human commitment in changing firms' paradigm because people can encourage the adoption of responsible production practices if firms commit CEOs, sustainability managers, and staff.
Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Luz Elba Torres-Guevara; Marta Ormazabal; Carmen Jaca. Beyond the circular economy theory: Implementation methodology for industrial SMEs. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management 2021, 14, 425 -438.
AMA StyleVanessa Prieto-Sandoval, Luz Elba Torres-Guevara, Marta Ormazabal, Carmen Jaca. Beyond the circular economy theory: Implementation methodology for industrial SMEs. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management. 2021; 14 (3):425-438.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Luz Elba Torres-Guevara; Marta Ormazabal; Carmen Jaca. 2021. "Beyond the circular economy theory: Implementation methodology for industrial SMEs." Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management 14, no. 3: 425-438.
Ride-sharing and services associated with mobility are developing a growing presence in society, especially those that are focused on mobility in cities. These services are provided to a great extent through a digital platform. Measure the aspects of quality, trust and loyalty are relevant to understand the rationale of this kind of business models. The purpose of this paper is to test empirically the relationship between quality, trust (digital and driver trust), satisfaction (platform and driver satisfaction) and loyalty. Specially, we examine the mediating role of trust among these relationships in on-demand ridesharing services. A sample of 429 respondents completed an on-line questionnaire in four European countries (France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy). We propose a model for investigating this relationship and assess its constructs using exploratory factor analysis, and the whole research model by Structural Equating Modelling, using EQS. 6.4 software. In addition, a focus group with users from the four countries was conducted to confirm the results. The present study contributes theoretically to the field of examining the antecedents and consequences of trust in the sharing economy. In addition, this research proposes several trust-building actions that managers can take to increase both business and the level of loyalty to these digital platforms.
Marta Mas-Machuca; Frederic Marimon; Carmen Jaca. The unexplored potential of trust to boost customer loyalty for transport platforms. Research in Transportation Business & Management 2021, 100618 .
AMA StyleMarta Mas-Machuca, Frederic Marimon, Carmen Jaca. The unexplored potential of trust to boost customer loyalty for transport platforms. Research in Transportation Business & Management. 2021; ():100618.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Mas-Machuca; Frederic Marimon; Carmen Jaca. 2021. "The unexplored potential of trust to boost customer loyalty for transport platforms." Research in Transportation Business & Management , no. : 100618.
Defining the circular economy (CE) as a material and energy model coincides with the definition given by multiple authors in which Industrial Symbiosis (IS) has been deemed as a foundational strategy to support the implementation of the CE. The consumption of secondary materials is essential to achieve a successful transformation from a linear economy to a CE focused on IS practices. In this scenario, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a major role as stakeholders in developing CE systems as it is not possible to create this model with each company working in isolation. However, there is a lack of empirical studies on the role played by relevant local stakeholders such as individual firms interacting in the development of a local CE system. This study aimed to study the challenges that SMEs face in developing a CE system. A case study is selected as a research strategy using a mixed-method approach: a sequential quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) data collection techniques were employed for this research. It was observed that an absence of inter-organisational collaboration and a misunderstanding of the roles played by SMEs may impede the implementation of a local CE system level.
John Rincón-Moreno; Marta Ormazabal; Maria Álvarez; Carmen Jaca. Shortcomings of Transforming a Local Circular Economy System through Industrial Symbiosis: A Case Study in Spanish SMEs. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8423 .
AMA StyleJohn Rincón-Moreno, Marta Ormazabal, Maria Álvarez, Carmen Jaca. Shortcomings of Transforming a Local Circular Economy System through Industrial Symbiosis: A Case Study in Spanish SMEs. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8423.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn Rincón-Moreno; Marta Ormazabal; Maria Álvarez; Carmen Jaca. 2020. "Shortcomings of Transforming a Local Circular Economy System through Industrial Symbiosis: A Case Study in Spanish SMEs." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8423.
Current research on the circular economy (CE) reveals that, while the concept and its application have been extensively explored as shown in several case studies, the definition of tools and criteria measuring “circularity” of products, companies or regions are not well-defined. Therefore, indicators for measuring the different levels of a CE (micro, meso, and macro) should be a high priority for stakeholders (governments, companies, NGOs, civil society, etc.) in order to track progress on CE initiatives. However, the increasing interest on CE has caused a still open debate on the conceptualization of CE which hampers the creation of indicators based on a common conceptual framework. As a result, the absence of standard indicators to track progress on circularity is leading to contradiction and misunderstanding, which represents a challenge to the implementation of CE strategies. Thus, this study tries to address this gap by advancing a set of indicators adapted from existing indicators that guarantees simplicity and effectiveness, closely based on indicators proposed by government bodies. This research carried out an exploratory study to formulate the indicators requirements based on literature, refined through experts’ opinion and then they were tested in Spanish companies located in the Basque Country region through an empirical work to assess this theory. A mix of research methods (e.g. semi-structured interviews and surveys) were used to seek applicability of CE indicators for organisations. The study showed that the proposed indicators currently used for assessing the CE at the macro level were applicable at the micro level based on companies’ responses. This fact demonstrated that the indicators serve the purpose of being applicable to companies regardless of the type of economic activity they were in. Also, it shows that indicators used to monitor progress on CE at the macro level can be translated to the micro level. Consequently, it is recommended that the set of CE indicators focused on the methodology proposed in this study should be used across different industrial sectors in order to observe performance in companies to facilitate the transition to a CE model.
J. Rincón-Moreno; M. Ormazábal; M.J. Álvarez; C. Jaca. Advancing circular economy performance indicators and their application in Spanish companies. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 279, 123605 .
AMA StyleJ. Rincón-Moreno, M. Ormazábal, M.J. Álvarez, C. Jaca. Advancing circular economy performance indicators and their application in Spanish companies. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 279 ():123605.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. Rincón-Moreno; M. Ormazábal; M.J. Álvarez; C. Jaca. 2020. "Advancing circular economy performance indicators and their application in Spanish companies." Journal of Cleaner Production 279, no. : 123605.
Most companies operate on a linear economy that consists of “take, make, use and waste.” However, the growing impact of industries’ emissions on the environment has aroused global concerns about their activities. As a result, companies are increasingly aware of the importance of implementing a circular economy (CE) with environmental, social and economic beneficial results. In this transition to a circular system, companies will need guidance, especially in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are the predominant type of company in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) area. Taking this into account, the objective of this chapter is to provide SMEs with a methodology to understand the value of CE for their corporate strategy, diagnose their business and design an action plan to facilitate the transition to the CE, allowing them to create value and gain a competitive advantage in the market. The CE could be addressed through six fields of action: take, make, distribute, use and recover goods and materials (Park et al. in J Clean Prod 18:1492–1499, 2010; Stahel in Nature 24:6–9, 2016), and a transversal field of action called industrial symbiosis. These six fields of action are the methodology’s backbone. The CE methodology for an SME consists of the following steps: Diagnose the company’s situation, through reflection on the current value proposal, the stakeholders and a preliminary diagnosis regarding its level of CE application through a proposed diagnosis tool. Analyze barriers and opportunities derived from the application of the CE. Propose a CE implementation plan. This chapter will explain, the process followed, and the various results obtained in the rubber-metal company. The proposed methodology makes an important contribution to SMEs’ professionals regarding the step-by-step implementation of the CE using a real case that shows how to identify, plan and capitalize on the opportunities of the circular economy. The case study reveals how SMEs can start implementing the paradigm shift through environmental strategies that do not usually require high amounts of financial resources or technology. Moreover, the case study also highlights the relevance of the CE for creating value and a competitive strategy in the market.
Marta Ormazabal; Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Javier Santos; Carmen Jaca. Guiding SMEs Towards the Circular Economy: A Case Study. Developing Sustainability Competences Through Pedagogical Approaches 2020, 27 -41.
AMA StyleMarta Ormazabal, Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval, Javier Santos, Carmen Jaca. Guiding SMEs Towards the Circular Economy: A Case Study. Developing Sustainability Competences Through Pedagogical Approaches. 2020; ():27-41.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Ormazabal; Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Javier Santos; Carmen Jaca. 2020. "Guiding SMEs Towards the Circular Economy: A Case Study." Developing Sustainability Competences Through Pedagogical Approaches , no. : 27-41.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are key actors in the implementation of the circular economy (CE) concept as a basis for creating sustainable societies. Thus, the main objective of this study is to identify key strategies and resources that may favor CE implementation in SMEs. These key strategies should encourage SMEs to develop eco‐innovations to gain competitive advantage and create and capture value that is coherent with nature. A mixed‐method approach that consisted of a literature review and a focus group for gathering qualitative data was used. This focus group was made up of experts such as researchers and practitioners from universities, sustainable SMEs, and consultancy firms in Spain. A set of strategies and internal and external factors were identified to help SMEs to implement the CE. Finally, some useful dynamic capabilities for implementing the CE in business performance were identified.
Vanessa Prieto‐Sandoval; Carmen Jaca; Javier Santos; Rupert J. Baumgartner; Marta Ormazabal. Key strategies, resources, and capabilities for implementing circular economy in industrial small and medium enterprises. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 2019, 26, 1473 -1484.
AMA StyleVanessa Prieto‐Sandoval, Carmen Jaca, Javier Santos, Rupert J. Baumgartner, Marta Ormazabal. Key strategies, resources, and capabilities for implementing circular economy in industrial small and medium enterprises. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 2019; 26 (6):1473-1484.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVanessa Prieto‐Sandoval; Carmen Jaca; Javier Santos; Rupert J. Baumgartner; Marta Ormazabal. 2019. "Key strategies, resources, and capabilities for implementing circular economy in industrial small and medium enterprises." Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 26, no. 6: 1473-1484.
The European Ecolabel (EU Flower) has the mission to encourage cleaner production and influence consumers to promote Europe’s transition to a circular economy. Nonetheless, little is known about EU Ecolabel evolution; it is not clear what the drivers that encourage its implementation are. Thus, this study aims to assess the growing acceptance of the EU Ecolabel in the European Union, and Spain more specifically, by examining product and service categories and geographical regions. The methodological approach taken in this study is a mixed methodology based on the triangulation method by consulting the EU Ecolabel scheme database, EU Ecolabel delegates from some autonomous regions, and the academic literature. Also, a geographic analysis was run in the ArcGIS Software with data about the accumulation of licenses assigned in 2016. The analysis shows that most products in Spain that have been awarded the EU Ecolabel belong to the following categories: Do-It-Yourself Products (paint and varnish), Paper Products, Cleaning Up Products, and Electronic Equipment. At the same time, the study showed that this ecolabel faces significant obstacles in its diffusion, such as the competition with environmental labels launched previously in Europe and other regional labels. The results of this study indicate the existence of five drivers that may encourage the implementation of EU Flower in a region: (1) public management, (2) communication strategy, (3) sustainable public procurement criteria, (4) local income per capita, and (5) international trade incentives. Finally, this study provides essential recommendations for policymakers to trigger ecolabeling practices such as the need to improve the understanding of the EU ecolabel impact in different levels of activity, which means countries, regions, industrial clusters, firms, and consumers. Also, this investigation identifies areas for further research, and it expresses the need to develop business case studies about ecolabeling with the objective to visualize this phenomenon as an eco-innovation process.
Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Andrés Mejía-Villa; Marta Ormazabal; Carmen Jaca. Challenges for ecolabeling growth: lessons from the EU Ecolabel in Spain. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 2019, 25, 856 -867.
AMA StyleVanessa Prieto-Sandoval, Andrés Mejía-Villa, Marta Ormazabal, Carmen Jaca. Challenges for ecolabeling growth: lessons from the EU Ecolabel in Spain. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 2019; 25 (5):856-867.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Andrés Mejía-Villa; Marta Ormazabal; Carmen Jaca. 2019. "Challenges for ecolabeling growth: lessons from the EU Ecolabel in Spain." The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 25, no. 5: 856-867.
Purpose Literature refers to the key factors of total quality management (TQM) based on studies carried out in individual countries. However, few studies focus on studying the TQM factors in service companies based on multinational data. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the key TQM factors and their impact on internal and external customer performance measures across different countries. Design/methodology/approach The research questions regarding the TQM factors and their effects were examined using a sample of service organisations from three countries (131 from Greece, 70 from Mexico and 151 from Spain). TQM factors and their impact on employee and customer satisfaction were analysed separately for each country. Exploratory factor analyses, coupled with multiple linear regression analyses, were conducted. Findings The key TQM factors identified are common among the three participating countries and can be summarised as follows: quality practices of top management, process management, employee quality management, customer focus, and employee knowledge and education. The adoption level of these five key factors of TQM varies across service organisations in different countries. The results also confirmed that some of the TQM elements are antecedents of customer- and employee-focused performance. Practical implications Multinational service organisations may use such an instrument to evaluate TQM implementation among worldwide operations and then benchmark their performance. In addition, an understanding of similarities and differences among countries would help managers around the world to address difficulties of TQM implementation related to the country culture. Originality/value Previous studies have compared key TQM factors across different countries in manufacturing, but overall, there has been a little attempt in the literature to analyse the adoption of TQM factors among service firms, as well the relationships between quality improvement and performance across different geographical regions.
Nancy Bouranta; Evangelos Psomas; Manuel F. Suárez-Barraza; Carmen Jaca. The key factors of total quality management in the service sector: a cross-cultural study. Benchmarking: An International Journal 2019, 26, 893 -921.
AMA StyleNancy Bouranta, Evangelos Psomas, Manuel F. Suárez-Barraza, Carmen Jaca. The key factors of total quality management in the service sector: a cross-cultural study. Benchmarking: An International Journal. 2019; 26 (3):893-921.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNancy Bouranta; Evangelos Psomas; Manuel F. Suárez-Barraza; Carmen Jaca. 2019. "The key factors of total quality management in the service sector: a cross-cultural study." Benchmarking: An International Journal 26, no. 3: 893-921.
The circular economy has become an important issue in recent years because it makes sustainable development feasible by creating value in the economy and by closing the energy and materials loops. However, since most companies continue to operate under a linear model, it is particularly important to start providing companies with tools that facilitate their shift to the circular paradigm. The main objective of this research is to establish the key elements that are necessary for assessing the level of circular economy implementation. To that end, the Delphi method is used to validate and define the key elements of three categories: circular economy fields of action, industrial symbiosis, and environmental certifications. As a result, this study identifies the key elements that assess the degree of circular economy implementation and that allows small and medium‐sized enterprises to understand where they are and what they need to do to improve their performance.
Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Marta Ormazabal; Carmen Jaca; Elisabeth Viles. Key elements in assessing circular economy implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Business Strategy and the Environment 2018, 27, 1525 -1534.
AMA StyleVanessa Prieto-Sandoval, Marta Ormazabal, Carmen Jaca, Elisabeth Viles. Key elements in assessing circular economy implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Business Strategy and the Environment. 2018; 27 (8):1525-1534.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Marta Ormazabal; Carmen Jaca; Elisabeth Viles. 2018. "Key elements in assessing circular economy implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises." Business Strategy and the Environment 27, no. 8: 1525-1534.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to depict how Kaizen and continuous improvement (CI) are represented in scientific journals focusing on quality management (QM) from the 1980s until 2017. Additionally, the study aims to examine how Kaizen is studied and described and how the relationship between Kaizen and CI is portrayed. Design/methodology/approach The study applies a mixed methods approach to search for tendencies and outlines concerning Kaizen and CI in four scientific journals focusing on QM and two focusing on OM. The data set contains entries from 1980 until 2017, which makes it possible to depict how Kaizen has evolved over more than 30 years. Findings The findings show that Kaizen and CI attained special interest in the mid-1990s, after which interest appears to have decreased. However, the findings imply that a regenerated interest for the areas spiked post 2010. In addition, the results indicate that Kaizen is on the one hand accepted by one part of the management community but on the other hand completely ignored by the rest. Finally, the data illuminate a need to strengthen and clarify Kaizen’s theoretical basis and its relationship to CI. Practical implications If an aspiration exists to increase the success rate of Kaizen implementation, the results from the study highlight the need to address and clarify epistemological, terminological and theoretical issues. Originality/value Prior data mining studies pinpointing how Kaizen and CI have evolved over the last 30 years appear not to exist.
Daniel Carnerud; Carmen Jaca; Ingela Bäckström. Kaizen and continuous improvement – trends and patterns over 30 years. The TQM Journal 2018, 30, 371 -390.
AMA StyleDaniel Carnerud, Carmen Jaca, Ingela Bäckström. Kaizen and continuous improvement – trends and patterns over 30 years. The TQM Journal. 2018; 30 (4):371-390.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel Carnerud; Carmen Jaca; Ingela Bäckström. 2018. "Kaizen and continuous improvement – trends and patterns over 30 years." The TQM Journal 30, no. 4: 371-390.
The important role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in most economies underpins this research, which develops an empirical analysis that allows us to explore the potential for implementation of the Circular Economy in SMEs and the barriers and opportunities they may distinguish from it. To that end, a survey was carried out in Navarra and the Basque Country, Spain. The main results show that companies are focused on complying with the law and, in many cases, they are worried about their company’s image. Moreover, they do not tend to be committed to environmental issues because they do not think it would increase their profits and competitiveness. The focus on cost savings became clear from the Factor Analysis applied to the Take-Transform and Recovery phases of the Circular Economy. In this sense, three factors were associated with the companies’ perception of the Circular Economy: 1) Material Provision, 2) Resources’ Reutilization and 2) Financial Advantage. With regard to the barriers, another Factor Analysis suggested two different categories of barriers: Hard barriers and Human-based barriers, each requiring different strategies for addressing them, must be considered. Finally, the study briefly examines the integration opportunities between SMEs with other companies and industry associations or clusters to develop industrial symbiosis and close their materials loop.
Marta Ormazabal; Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval; Rogerio Puga-Leal; Carmen Jaca. Circular Economy in Spanish SMEs: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 185, 157 -167.
AMA StyleMarta Ormazabal, Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval, Rogerio Puga-Leal, Carmen Jaca. Circular Economy in Spanish SMEs: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 185 ():157-167.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Ormazabal; Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval; Rogerio Puga-Leal; Carmen Jaca. 2018. "Circular Economy in Spanish SMEs: Challenges and opportunities." Journal of Cleaner Production 185, no. : 157-167.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology that is based on the concept of environmental comfort and can serve as a tool that can help companies and employees to implement Kaizen projects. This methodology focuses on the worker’s participation in analyzing and developing improvements related to their workplace. Design/methodology/approach This research is focused on the development of a methodology that encourages worker participation in improvement activities, through the analysis of their working conditions. For this purpose, the proposed methodology was developed in accordance with the dimensions of workplace comfort proposed by Vischer. The employees start working on the analysis of problems and their solutions through the logical framework approach, as it is a tool that encourages worker participation and consensus. The developed methodology was applied in a company, with three different groups of people, which enabled the authors to test its utility. Findings The findings reveal that the proposed methodology is effective in initiating workers in the path of Kaizen. The employees who applied this methodology were able to propose improvement actions that addressed the problems and opportunities that they had previously detected. Moreover, the questionnaire that was used to validate the methodology and was administered to employees shows that the methodology is useful in preparing them for adopting continuous improvement (CI) programs. Research limitations/implications The methodology presented in this paper has been applied and evaluated by a small number of employees. These limitations suggest future research recommendations. Practical implications This participatory methodology could be used by different types of companies to initiate employees on the path of CI, even if they are not familiar with improvement programs or methodologies. In addition, its use could improve the capabilities of employees in areas such as participatory analysis, problem identification and proposal of objectives. These capabilities are necessary in any Kaizen project. As a result of the application of this methodology, the companies could obtain a list of areas of improvement related to their work and propose actions to work on. Originality/value The paper presents the use of environmental comfort in the workplace as the first step in accomplishing a Kaizen project, with a focus on the employee involvement and consensus.
Carmen Jaca; Marta Ormazabal; Elisabeth Viles; Javier Santos. Environmental comfort based (ECB) methodology as a tool for preparing Kaizen application in a catering service company. The TQM Journal 2018, 30, 281 -295.
AMA StyleCarmen Jaca, Marta Ormazabal, Elisabeth Viles, Javier Santos. Environmental comfort based (ECB) methodology as a tool for preparing Kaizen application in a catering service company. The TQM Journal. 2018; 30 (4):281-295.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen Jaca; Marta Ormazabal; Elisabeth Viles; Javier Santos. 2018. "Environmental comfort based (ECB) methodology as a tool for preparing Kaizen application in a catering service company." The TQM Journal 30, no. 4: 281-295.
Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval; Carmen Jaca; Marta Ormazabal. Towards a consensus on the circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 179, 605 -615.
AMA StyleJulieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval, Carmen Jaca, Marta Ormazabal. Towards a consensus on the circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 179 ():605-615.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval; Carmen Jaca; Marta Ormazabal. 2018. "Towards a consensus on the circular economy." Journal of Cleaner Production 179, no. : 605-615.
Carmen Jaca; Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval; Evangelos L. Psomas; Marta Ormazabal. What should consumer organizations do to drive environmental sustainability? Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 181, 201 -208.
AMA StyleCarmen Jaca, Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval, Evangelos L. Psomas, Marta Ormazabal. What should consumer organizations do to drive environmental sustainability? Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 181 ():201-208.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen Jaca; Julieth Vanessa Prieto Sandoval; Evangelos L. Psomas; Marta Ormazabal. 2018. "What should consumer organizations do to drive environmental sustainability?" Journal of Cleaner Production 181, no. : 201-208.
The transport of goods is essential for the economic growth of cities and regions. Urban freight transportation makes up a very small percentage of the total transportation time for goods, but it can represent up to 28% of total transportation costs. To reduce overall costs and increase revenue from this operation, one common methodology used by decision makers is the optimization models. This paper proposes a new methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of urban freight transportation systems using the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) metric, a well-known rate used in the Lean Manufacturing framework. The methodology uses a mathematical model with several objective functions, two of which are multi-objective, to explore the relationships and trade-offs between economic development, quality, performance and availability (partial rates of the OEE). The final objective is to optimize the OEE metrics and the profitability of a transportation system. This methodology was tested using real-data from the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Experiments were run with different companies, costs, demands and travel times in order to validate the proposed approach. The results show the benefits of using multi-objective functions to optimize both OEE (quality, performance and availability metrics) and profits. The proposed methodology provides an ‘ex ante’ evaluation of the tactical and operational decisions made by companies in configuring an urban freight transport system.
Andrés Muñoz-Villamizar; Javier Santos; Jairo R. Montoya-Torres; Carmen Jaca. Using OEE to evaluate the effectiveness of urban freight transportation systems: A case study. International Journal of Production Economics 2018, 197, 232 -242.
AMA StyleAndrés Muñoz-Villamizar, Javier Santos, Jairo R. Montoya-Torres, Carmen Jaca. Using OEE to evaluate the effectiveness of urban freight transportation systems: A case study. International Journal of Production Economics. 2018; 197 ():232-242.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrés Muñoz-Villamizar; Javier Santos; Jairo R. Montoya-Torres; Carmen Jaca. 2018. "Using OEE to evaluate the effectiveness of urban freight transportation systems: A case study." International Journal of Production Economics 197, no. : 232-242.
Purpose Environmental management (EM) is becoming increasingly important in all types of organizations. The food industry represents the top industrial sector of the Spanish economy; however, there is still little knowledge about how it is managed environmentally. The purpose of this paper is to present a descriptive analysis of the Spanish food sector. Design/methodology/approach This study undertook a descriptive analysis based on probabilistic sampling surveys from food companies in Spain. The survey was sent out to 900 companies obtaining 128 answers. Findings The results of this study show that companies with an EM standard tend to have a more developed system and a greater presence of EM tools and actions. Moreover, statistical differences were identified among the characteristics of companies and various factors that affect the evolution of their EM. Originality/value There are no studies that reveal a clear picture of the status of EM in the Spanish food industry. This study presents a clear starting point that might help policy makers, consultants, researchers and other parties to set new improvement routes so companies do not get stuck in their progress toward environmental excellence.
Marta Ormazabal; Elisabeth Viles; Javier Santos; Carmen Jaca. An overview of environmental management in the Spanish food sector: a survey study. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 2018, 29, 49 -62.
AMA StyleMarta Ormazabal, Elisabeth Viles, Javier Santos, Carmen Jaca. An overview of environmental management in the Spanish food sector: a survey study. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal. 2018; 29 (1):49-62.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Ormazabal; Elisabeth Viles; Javier Santos; Carmen Jaca. 2018. "An overview of environmental management in the Spanish food sector: a survey study." Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 29, no. 1: 49-62.
Purpose: This research analyzes the maturity of environmental management as well as the degree of to which the Circular Economy has been implemented in Basque SMEs.Design/methodology/approach: A total of 17 case studies were carried out in industrial SMEs companies in the Basque Country.Findings: The main results show that companies are limited to complying with the law and in many cases are worried about the image of the company, although they are not committed to environmental issues. There is still a lot to do in SMEs, as they are the companies that face the biggest challenges due to a lack of resources.Originality/value: Circular Economy aims to change a linear economy into promoting sustainability of the economy while also engaging in sustainable environmental protection. This research has focused on small and medium enterprises as they represent a 99% of companies in Europe and they are the ones that have the most difficulty reaching a stage of environmental excellence due to their limited resources.
Marta Ormazabal; Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Carmen Jaca; Javier Santos. An overview of the circular economy among SMEs in the Basque country: A multiple case study. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management 2016, 9, 1047 -1058.
AMA StyleMarta Ormazabal, Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval, Carmen Jaca, Javier Santos. An overview of the circular economy among SMEs in the Basque country: A multiple case study. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management. 2016; 9 (5):1047-1058.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Ormazabal; Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval; Carmen Jaca; Javier Santos. 2016. "An overview of the circular economy among SMEs in the Basque country: A multiple case study." Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management 9, no. 5: 1047-1058.
In the turbulent global environment in which organizations now compete, having reliable, accurate and readily available information is a key factor. Information is a strategic company resource. To the extent that TQM is an information-intensive management model, it is not unreasonable to assume that companies committed to TQM models should be efficient when managing information. This study has two main objectives. First, we aim to explore whether the information managed by companies committed to TQM models (in particular a quality management system based on the ISO 9000 international quality standards series) meets the dimensions required for information quality. Second, we aim to explore how information quality dimensions influence information consumers’ overall feeling of being well informed in those companies. Using a quantitative approach, we used a questionnaire survey to capture the perceptions of managers in companies committed to a quality management system based on the ISO 9000 international quality standards series with respect to the information they managed. More specifically we applied a nonparametric test and performed a multiple regression analysis to address the objectives of the study. The analysis shows evidence that the information managed already meets many dimensions of information quality among the companies analysed.
Marta Zárraga-Rodríguez; Manuel Francisco Suárez-Barraza; M. Jesús Álvarez; Elisabeth Viles; Carmen Jaca. Information Quality in Companies Committed to TQM. Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering 2016, 299 -306.
AMA StyleMarta Zárraga-Rodríguez, Manuel Francisco Suárez-Barraza, M. Jesús Álvarez, Elisabeth Viles, Carmen Jaca. Information Quality in Companies Committed to TQM. Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering. 2016; ():299-306.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Zárraga-Rodríguez; Manuel Francisco Suárez-Barraza; M. Jesús Álvarez; Elisabeth Viles; Carmen Jaca. 2016. "Information Quality in Companies Committed to TQM." Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering , no. : 299-306.