Life cycle sustainability assessment-based tools

This chapter establishes a baseline of ideas of what Life Cycle Thinking means: going beyond the traditional focus, understanding and including the whole environmental, social, and economic implications of decision-making processes to identify potential conflicts, synergies, and trade-offs. The life cycle methodologies for sustainability assessment are described, providing an overview of the tools and criteria currently applied, available software and databases, and ongoing challenges. While Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a consolidated tool, based on the ISO standards, Life Cycle Costing (LCC), the tool aimed at the assessment of the economic domain using a life cycle perspective, has not been widely integrated into sustainability assessment until the last decade. Concerning the social dimension, Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) is still at an early stage of development, but it is a promising methodology to face the challenge of integrating the social aspects towards a holistic approach to sustainable development

Leading change: a multiple-case study of leadership practices in Latin American universities

Universities have to develop in a highly complex environment, which shapes their structural and organisational characteristics. In this context, academic leaders not only have the challenge to forecast future trends but also to implement the changes needed to achieve this future. The specific causes of change success or failure have been a topic of much debate in the organisational literature. One of the lessons learned by researchers related to effective change is that leadership is a key element to achieve successful change. Although the effects of leadership on the results of change initiatives are still not well understood, research provides support for a positive link between leadership and effective implementation of change. In fact, some researchers posited that good management is a sine qua non condition to get a successful change, but leadership is what really makes the difference between the success and failure of change. However, more empirical research is needed to understand the actual practices performed by leaders.Universities have to develop in a highly complex environment, which shapes their structural and organisational characteristics. In this context, academic leaders not only have the challenge to forecast future trends but also to implement the changes needed to achieve this future. The specific causes of change success or failure have been a topic of much debate in the organisational literature. One of the lessons learned by researchers related to effective change is that leadership is a key element to achieve successful change. Although the effects of leadership on the results of change initiatives are still not well understood, research provides support for a positive link between leadership and effective implementation of change. In fact, some researchers posited that good management is a sine qua non condition to get a successful change, but leadership is what really makes the difference between the success and failure of change. However, more empirical research is needed to understand the actual practices performed by leaders. The article analyses what leadership practices perform the leaders and which of them contributes to successful leadership in university change processes. To this end, a qualitative multiple-case study was utilised. A multiple-case study design has all the advantages of a single-case design; but using several case studies, this replication enhances the validity and credibility of the findings. Six change processes in two universities were analysed. Data collection, in each case, was accomplished through direct observation, analysis of secondary documents and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was carried out in two steps: first, a within-case analysis, and then a cross-case analysis. Matrixes were built in order to organise and summarise the data. To ensure the quality of the research, member checking, and data and researcher triangulation were performed. The results showed three important aspects of successful leadership. Firstly, leaders have to maintain good relationships with the stakeholders, which could be achieved by transformational leadership behaviours. Secondly, they have to be able to manage the administrative aspects. And finally, they have to hold the capacity to implement changes that solve the “wicked problems” of the university. Nevertheless, it was also found that leaders, most of the time, have ‘no room to lead’ and/or to learn how to make desired changes work. They are so busy complying with bureaucratic procedures that they have little time left to lead. Besides, most of the time, they are appointed without having the leadership qualities required and are rarely trained in the management of change in complex organisations such as universities. Taken together, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the leadership role to promote successful change in Latin American Universities.Valenci

Integrating text mining and citation analysis in the decision-making process for library collections

In recent years, the scientific production in Ecuador has registered a considerable increase, due to the implementation of government policies designed to improve the quality of education. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have also tried to stimulate research and scientific production to even higher quality standards with the pressure to rack up publications in high-impact journals. However, research and scientific production can flourish only in an environment where access to scientific knowledge is easily available. Consequently, Ecuadorian universities have increased their budget by approximately five times in order to provide access to digital databases and other electronic resources. Unfortunately, these efforts have not yielded the expected results to cover the minimum level of access to knowledge, due to the high costs of subscriptions to scientific journals. Therefore, decision making in library collection development becomes a very important process that needs to get the attention deserved. In general, at the University of Cuenca, funds for library collection development are allocated by faculties; each faculty decides what to subscribe or unsubscribe, generally following historical spending patterns, electronic journal usage data, and in some cases, based on their own finances and priorities. Nevertheless, these indicators have been subject to recurring debates, due to their unclear relation with the current and future library needs of information. More research is required for the construction of accurate indicators regarding the library collection performance and the growing needs of collection development. The aim of this article is to have a deep insight of the local use of the collection, contextualised to the references cited in scientific articles published by authors affiliated to the University of Cuenca. To achieve this goal, a set of the last 10-year publications were analysed. The full article and reference list were extracted using text mining methods. Text parsing and text filtering techniques were used for data extraction of each text corpus. Each word was classified as a text tree; in which, through the recognition of identities and the extraction of relationships, a data structure was constructed. This structure allowed the application of data mining techniques, such as clustering, decision trees and classification methods. By integrating text mining and citation analysis in the decision-making process for library collections, the authors aim to provide a dynamic solution that assists library managers to make economic decisions based on an “as realistic as possible” perspective of the users' needs.In recent years, the scientific production in Ecuador has registered a considerable increase, due to the implementation of government policies designed to improve the quality of education. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have also tried to stimulate research and scientific production to even higher quality standards with the pressure to rack up publications in high-impact journals. However, research and scientific production can flourish only in an environment where access to scientific knowledge is easily available. Consequently, Ecuadorian universities have increased their budget by approximately five times in order to provide access to digital databases and other electronic resources. Unfortunately, these efforts have not yielded the expected results to cover the minimum level of access to knowledge, due to the high costs of subscriptions to scientific journals. Therefore, decision making in library collection development becomes a very important process that needs to get the attention deserved. In general, at the University of Cuenca, funds for library collection development are allocated by faculties; each faculty decides what to subscribe or unsubscribe, generally following historical spending patterns, electronic journal usage data, and in some cases, based on their own finances and priorities. Nevertheless, these indicators have been subject to recurring debates, due to their unclear relation with the current and future library needs of information. More research is required for the construction of accurate indicators regarding the library collection performance and the growing needs of collection development. The aim of this article is to have a deep insight of the local use of the collection, contextualised to the references cited in scientific articles published by authors affiliated to the University of Cuenca. To achieve this goal, a set of the last 10-year publications were analysed. The full article and reference list were extracted using text mining methods. Text parsing and text filtering techniques were used for data extraction of each text corpus. Each word was classified as a text tree; in which, through the recognition of identities and the extraction of relationships, a data structure was constructed. This structure allowed the application of data mining techniques, such as clustering, decision trees and classification methods. By integrating text mining and citation analysis in the decision-making process for library collections, the authors aim to provide a dynamic solution that assists library managers to make economic decisions based on an “as realistic as possible” perspective of the users' needs.Valenci

Transformational leadership and stakeholder management in library change

This article aims to analyse the role of library managers as change agent when implementing Library 2.0, using transformational leadership and stakeholder management approaches. To do so, a case study in a Latin American academic library was performed. The experiences acquired for a period of six years were analysed, during which three library managers were involved in managing change. Qualitative data from documents, interviews, and observations were collected, and qualitative analysis methods were used to obtain in-depth understanding of the change process. Results show that lack of transformational leadership and stakeholder management contribute to delayed implementation and limited adoption of innovations. Although library managers recognized the importance of different stakeholders to implement changes, they did not apply systematic and proactive strategies to define and manage them. All in all, library managers should be trained as change agents, with emphasis on transformational leadership and stakeholder management skills

Analysis of the process of institutionalizing citizen participation in Ecuador

El proceso constituyente ampliado vivido en Ecuador desde 2007 para la aprobación de su nueva Constitución y su posterior aplicación, generó importantes expectativas en el ámbito específico del desarrollo democrático mediante la implementación de los denominados sistemas de participación ciudadana a nivel municipal. Este artículo ofrece un análisis cualitativo basado en fuentes documentales y en información extraída de entrevistas y grupos de discusión con políticos, técnicos y ciudadanos, con el fin de comprender las características y logros del proceso de institucionalización de la participación ciudadana y evaluar su calidad democrática. Pese a buenas prácticas en el ámbito de la participación social, los resultados ofrecen un escenario de democracia débil altamente instituida, con avances poco significativos en términos de demo-cracia participativa y directa planteadas en su Constitución.The extended constitutional process Ecuador has undergone since 2007 for the approval of its new Constitution and its subsequent application generated high expectations in the specific area of democratic development as the so-called citizen participation systems were implemented at the local level. This article offers a qualitative analysis based on documentary sources and infor-mation extracted from interviews and discussion groups with politicians, technicians and citi-zens, to understand the characteristics and achievements of the process of institutionalization of citizen participation and to assess its democratic quality. In spite of the good practices in the area of social participation, the results offer a scenario of highly institutionalized weak democ-racy, with little progress in terms of the direct and participatory democracy established in its Constitution

Improving sustainability of e-waste management through the systemic design of solutions: the cases of Colombia and Ecuador

The rapid increase in consumption of electronic devices, coupled with the low development of effective regulatory frameworks, the missing engagement of the stakeholders, as well as the lack of awareness of consumers and widespread informal recycling activities have been identified as the main challenges for a sustainable management of Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment WEEE or E-waste in developing countries. To tackle this situation, policymakers often take a simplistic approach focusing only on technical and economic aspects, while overlooking the interests of all stakeholders and the causality of the phenomenon. In contrast, many developed countries have implemented legislation incorporating the principle of extended producer responsibility, which requires a firm engagement of relevant actors to achieve effective cooperation. This chapter describes a systemic design methodology which ensures high-level involvement of all pertinent actors. It was successfully applied for the development of the national policy for WEEE management in Colombia (2014-16) and for identifying solutions shaped in a participatory process in Ecuador (2018)

The effectiveness of inter-municipal cooperation for integrated sustainable waste management: a case study in Ecuador

There is an increasing awareness that effective waste management is essential for transitioning towards a circular economy and achieving sustainable development goals. Scholars have studied inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) as a governance solution with the potential to generate economies of scale and reduce financial costs in waste management. However, previous research has not yet focused on measuring the effectiveness of different types of cooperation on social and environmental outcomes. We analyse the effect of different types of IMC, ranging from indirect to collaborative, on Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) indicators. Our embedded qualitative case study in the emerging metropolitan region of Cuenca-Azogues (Ecuador) found that municipalities that invested in more complex cooperation types achieved better integrated waste management performance, particularly on final disposal, citizen participation, inclusion of recyclers and environmental sustainability

Toward a sustainability balanced scorecard for managing corporate social responsibility: a conceptual model

El Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) permite a las empresas realizar un seguimiento de las operaciones organizativas y medir su impacto en los objetivos de la empresa. Para monitorear el impacto de las actividades de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) y asegurar su alineación con la estrategia de la empresa, los elementos de RSE deben integrarse en los cuadros de mando de la organización. Los principales objetivos de este estudio son tres: (1) identificar los principales elementos de RSE y la propuesta de un esquema de análisis de las estrategias de RSE; (2) evaluar las implementaciones de RSE locales y regionales utilizando los elementos previamente identificados, y (3) incorporar las métricas de RSE identificadas en un panel de gestión basado en los hallazgos de los pasos anteriores. En este estudio se utilizaron tanto una revisión sistemática de la literatura como un análisis en profundidad de los estudios de casos. Los resultados muestran que cuatro elementos: principios, dimensiones, partes interesadas y medios se pueden aplicar para analizar las estrategias de RSE de manera consistente. Además, se propone una estructura para un cuadro de mando de gestión que incorpora subcategorías e indicadores para la evaluación de estrategias de RSE sostenibles alineadas con los objetivos de la empresa.The Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) allows companies to track organizational operations and measure their impact on company objectives. To monitor the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and ensure its alignment with the company’s strategy, CSR elements need to be integrated into the organization’s dashboards. The main goals of this study are threefold: (1) identify the main CSR elements and the proposal of an analysis scheme for CSR’s strategies; (2) assess local and regional CSR implementations using the previously identified elements, and (3) incorporate the identified CSR metrics into a management dashboard based on the findings of the previous steps. Both a systematic literature review and in-depth analysis of case studies were used in this study. The results show that four elements: principles, dimensions, stakeholders, and means can be applied to analyze CSR strategies consistently. In addition, a structure for a management dashboard that incorporates subcategories and indicators for the assessment of sustainable CSR strategies aligned with the company goals is proposed.Ambat

Management tools for process mapping and modeling in assembly industry

En un mundo altamente globalizado afectado por políticas económicas y una pandemia COVID-19 latente, las empresas necesitan organizarse o reorganizarse para lograr operaciones eficientes. La correcta gestión de las organizaciones ha llevado a sus administradores a adoptar modelos de gestión ingeniosos que orientan sus actividades hacia el cumplimiento de sus objetivos. Así, las herramientas de gestión se han presentado como una alternativa eficaz para el control de procesos y actividades. Según un estudio previo, las principales herramientas que permiten el mapeo y modelado de procesos son Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR) y Event Process Chain (EPC). Este artículo analiza sus características a partir de la compatibilidad y afinidad con cuatro casos de estudio dedicados a la industria maquiladora utilizando este estudio previo. Además, se estudian las ventajas y desventajas de las tres herramientas relacionadas con la posible adaptabilidad en las cuatro empresas. Este trabajo utiliza matrices de calificación cualitativa, que responden preguntas específicas, determinan el potencial de mejora de la gestión organizacional y crean una metodología para mapear y modelar procesos.In a highly globalized world affected by economic policies and a latent COVID-19 pandemic, companies need to organize or reorganize to achieve efficient operations. The correct management of organizations has led their administrators to adopt resourceful management models that guide their activities towards fulfilling their objectives. Thus, management tools have been presented as an effective alternative to control processes and activities. According to a previous study, the main tools that allow process mapping and modeling are Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and Event Process Chain (EPC). This article analyzes their characteristics based on compatibility and affinity with four case studies dedicated to the assembly industry using this previous study. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the three tools related to the possible adaptability in the four companies are studied. This work uses qualitative qualification matrices, which answer specific questions, determine the potential improvement of organizational management, and create a methodology for mapping and modeling processes.Ambat

Process mapping and modeling: a theoretical tool analysis

El desarrollo tecnológico y los continuos cambios en las políticas económicas han motivado la búsqueda de una mayor eficiencia en todos los niveles de una organización. Las organizaciones incluyen en su gestión mejoras que facilitan el control de sus procesos y actividades. En este sentido, las herramientas de gestión para el mapeo y modelado de procesos tienen una influencia positiva en el desempeño de las empresas ya que su inclusión fomenta la mejora y optimización de las actividades diarias. Sin embargo, existe evidencia de desventajas en la aplicación de algunos métodos adoptados. Este artículo analiza las debilidades y fortalezas de los modelos y herramientas de gestión disponibles para cubrir tres propósitos específicos. En primer lugar, explorar diferentes herramientas y modelos para el mapeo y modelado de procesos utilizados en la gestión empresarial. En segundo lugar, priorizar herramientas que permitan su integración con la norma ISO y los sistemas de costeo de procesos. Finalmente, establecer las ventajas y desventajas de las herramientas priorizadas, así como sus principales características. Para ello, este trabajo contempla un análisis teórico y comparativo de los métodos Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR) y Event Process Chain (EPC).The technological development and continuous changes in economic policies have motivated looking for greater efficiency in all levels of an organization. Organizations include in their management improvements that facilitate the control of their processes and activities. In this sense, management tools for process mapping and modeling have a positive influence on the companies’ performance since their inclusion encourages the improvement and optimization of daily activities. However, there is evidence of disadvantages in the application of some adopted methods. This paper analyzes the weaknesses and strengths of the available management models and tools to cover three specific purposes. Firstly, exploring different tools and models for process mapping and modeling used in business management. Secondly, prioritizing tools that enable their integration with the ISO standard and process costing systems. Finally, establishing the advantages and disadvantages of prioritized tools, as well as their main characteristics. To this end, this work contemplates a theoretical analysis and comparison of the methods Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and Event Process Chain (EPC)