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This study aims to evaluate two bacterial cellulose (BC) films as an alternative textile surface suitable for use in the manufacture of clothing prototypes.

A combination of experiments for the production and characterization of BC films with traditional techniques for sewing fabrics was carried out. BC films were produced from the bacterum Gluconacetobacter hansenii UCP1619 and from Kombucha, a consortium of microorganisms grown on sugared tea. The BC films were then purified, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and evaluated for mechanical strength. Two clothing prototypes were developed by combining BC films with a flat fabric composed of 70% linen and 30% polyester to assess the viability of the garment for future clothing making using biomaterials.

The results showed that the combination of flat fabric with BC-based biomaterials is a viable alternative for the innovative use of BC films in the manufacture of apparel products, especially after optimizing the mechanical properties of the artefact.

BC application studies in the textile industry are still in their early stages, although they are attracting more and more the attention of researchers around the world. The experiments carried out in this research provide new information on the handling and application of this material in innovative products for the textile industry.

This study aims to analyse the extent of online social responsibility (SR) information disclosure by Portuguese municipalities and to identify related determinant factors, based on Institutional Theory and Legitimacy Theories.

A content analysis was performed on webpages from 60 sampled municipalities, and an information disclosure index was created.

Descriptive statistics obtained indicate the Total Disclosure Index (TDI) value was 0.46. The Economic Information sub-category exhibits the highest value (0.66), followed by the Social and Environmental Information categories (0.61 and 0.36, respectively).

The multivariate analysis results indicate that LA21 implementation the existence of tax burdens, the characterisation of a municipality as urban and environmental/SR certification application positively influence SR information disclosure. TDI is negatively affected by the existence of an inactive population (i.e. by the percentage of individuals ≤19 and ≥65 years of age).

Despite all the studies carried out in order to analyze the impact of quality management systems' implementation and certification on companies' financial performance, conclusions reached so far have a contradictory nature. Some authors conclude that there is a positive relationship between ISO 9001 certification and companies' financial improvement, while others do not find evidence to support such a relationship. The purpose of this paper is to present the main results derived from a research project developed in order to analyze the economical impact of quality management system implementation and certification on companies' performance.

This paper describes the results obtained from studying the economic impact of quality management systems, based on the adoption of a case study methodology. The authors' goal was to reconstruct the companies' financial history with the aim of identifying the benefits and costs directly related to their quality management systems. The analyzed time period ranged from the year when the company decided to implement its quality management system up to the present.

Results show that it is not unanimous that certified companies would be less profitable if they had not implemented their quality management systems.

This paper tries to be an important contribution to the worldwide research related to the quality management systems' impact on companies' financial performance.

The purpose of this paper is to present a comparative analysis and usage overview of the most common business excellence models: the European Foundation for Quality Management Model, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Model, the Deming Prize Model and the Iberoamerican Model for Excellence in Management.

In order to achieve such goals, the authors have performed a set of statistical analysis over public data sets, related to each one of the analyzed models, as well as making a comparative analysis of the model contents.

The different business excellence models do share a similar set of principles and criteria. However, different adoption patterns have been found across regions of the globe, regarding the use of such business excellence models over the last decades.

As far as the authors were able to find out, based on the literature review carried out, this is the first time that a set of statistical data results, related to the worldwide implementation of business excellence models, is being presented for publication.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

This study aims to focus on the development and testing of a social risk management scale that could be applied to identify internal and external dimensions of strategic risks.

This study applied a quantitative approach for testing an theoretical model in the Brazilian mining sector, using partial least squares–structural equation modeling to assess reliability and validity of the dimensions and model.

Results points that internal and external risks have similar impact on general risk in the mining sector on the company studied. The research also identifies multidimensional scales consisting of internal (company policy, attitudes, loss of assets, human resources and operational) and external risks (market, strategic, social, credit, liquidity, loss of assets and technological). The results also points the relative importance of these dimensions and sub-dimensions on general business strategic risks.

The scale was tested in just one company and, as a case study approach, the results are of limited generalization. Also, the scale was developed in the mining sector, so also the scale may require adaptation to applications in other contexts.

The multidimensional and hierarchical approach applied to modeling and scale development helps managers to understand the nature of risks and how to minimize them in business strategic settings.

The study points out cues for managers to reconcile divergent sources of strategic risks that affect business, taking in to account the social dimension as a central element of risk management.

The study proposes and tests a scale with a multidimensional and hierarchical approach for social risk managing.

The purpose of this paper is to explore employment perception of students as a relevant indicator of higher education quality, using blended multi-criteria decision-making methods.

The differential impact of these variables was analyzed in this paper taking a sample of 641 students and six higher education lecturers identified as experts on young vocational careers. The traditional study of student behavior and perceptions of employability does not incorporate the uncertainty associated with multi-criteria decision processes and is therefore less adapted to the human reasoning process. This research applies traditional techniques together with fuzzy techniques capable of managing more effectively the uncertainty associated with student actions and behaviors.

This research shows that it is important to consider previous work experience, academic achievement and soft skills developed during education experiences. In this way, this research shows the lecturers how to adapt their pedagogical practices according to students' perceptions of employability and assess their students' perceptions of employability. In addition, lecturers will be able to incorporate the uncertainty associated with decision-making processes to optimize employability perception.

Higher education-related research on uncertainty environments as multi-criteria decision problems is still in early stages. The incorporation of the uncertainty associated with decision-making processes to this field allows to optimize employability perception thanks to its adaptation to real human behavior in the adoption of decisions.

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the recent empirical literature on job stress and burnout among prison staff with a focus on predictors, outcomes of stress and burnout and the mediating role that stress and burnout can play between its predictors and outcomes.

The authors followed systematic literature review (SLR) protocols for the social sciences, and searches were done on two large research databases: SCOPUS and Web of Science. Articles included in the study were from January 2015 to March 2020. After the screening and eligibility processes, 48 articles met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, and 33 articles were included in the full-text qualitative analysis.

Characteristics of the samples, main authors and journals and measures used to assess stress and burnout are presented, showing that most research was done in the USA, with cross-sectional studies using similar measures of stress and burnout. Results from the qualitative analysis were organised around the main research questions. Most studies explored the antecedents of stress and burnout in the context of the job demands – resources model. Common predictors that consistently increase stress and burnout among different samples include perceived dangerousness of the job and work–family conflict. Participation in decision-making and social support consistently decrease job stress.

This paper presents a SLR on stress and burnout among prison officers in a pre-COVID-19 pandemic era, providing an important picture of the published scientific research on the topic as well as implications for theory and practice.

The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively analyze and compare people’s objectives when participating in two sets of co-creation initiatives – business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) – to what the theory in the field states about that participation.

A qualitative approach has been adopted; it uses laddering, a qualitative technique, in a novel manner through the analysis of an abstract product: the co-creation process.

Results in B2C point to a disconnection between the motivation of participants and what the theory suggests that should be expected from a co-creation agenda. In the B2B setting, the disconnections are much smaller.

The research used small and narrow samples. Additionally, the research considers only the consumers’ perspective.

Considering the context in which they compete (industrial or consumer market), companies must come up with better selection criteria for co-creators and must be more specific in setting and pursuing the goals of the co-creation projects. By doing so, organizations can achieve more fruitful results in those innovation initiatives.

The present study is innovative in the use of laddering to understand not a product nor a service, but a process: co-creation. The study reveals that, despite the buzz about co-creation, practical examples suggest that this process may not be as fruitful or satisfying as the theories suggest.