Abstract:A systematic literature review of supply chain maturity models with sustainability concerns is presented. The objective is to give insights into methodological issues related to maturity models, namely the research objectives; the research methods used to develop, validate and test them; the scope; and the main characteristics associated with their design. The literature review was performed based on journal articles and conference papers from 2000 to 2015 using the SCOPUS, Emerald Insight, EBSCO and Web of Science databases. Most of the analysed papers have as main objective the development of maturity models and their validation. The case study is the methodology that is most widely used by researchers to develop and validate maturity models. From the sustainability perspective, the scope of the analysed maturity models is the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and environmental dimension, focusing on a specific process (eco-design and new product development) and without a broad SC perspective. The dominant characteristics associated with the design of the maturity models are the maturity grids and a continuous representation. In addition, results do not allow identifying a trend for a specific number of maturity levels. The comprehensive review, analysis, and synthesis of the maturity model literature represent an important contribution to the organization of this research area, making possible to clarify some confusion that exists about concepts, approaches and components of maturity models in sustainability. Various aspects associated with the maturity models (i.e., research objectives, research methods, scope and characteristics of the design of models) are explored to contribute to the evolution and significance of this multidimensional area.

Drosophyllum lusitanicum (L.) Link (Droseraceae), Erva pinheira orvalhada, an endangered carnivorous plant, is a local endemic of clearings in pine, cork oak and oak forests or their successional shrublands in the western Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. The conservation status, distribution and population dynamics of this species are only partially known, both for Spanish and Portuguese occurrences. Portuguese distribution data from herbarium and bibliographic sources were collected for this study. Field work on 50 populations was undertaken in order to improve knowledge on their conservation status and possible threats. Natural causes, infrastructure and housing construction are stressed as the most important threats. Germination tests were carried out and the distribution patterns, plant height and the number of flowers were studied in an arbitrarily chosen population. A relatively high light requirement and low competitive ability to gain light are considered factors likely for the microdistribution pattern. Drosophyllum lusitanicum cannot compete for light in habitats with intense competition. Seeds from D. lusitanicum have reduced probability of germination when adult plants are already growing in the area. It is hypothesized that seed germination shows a similar pattern to flowering, viz over a considerable time rather than in a sudden flush. This strategy may be a key factor for the species’ survival, representing attempts to take advantage of available resources, preventing intraspecific competition and, finally, preventing sudden total disappearance of a population, resulting from any catastrophic events due to natural causes or to human activity. As a result of this study, some conservation measures are suggested.  © The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 140, 383–390.

Purpose Through the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to explore the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted among the students of a public higher education institution (HEI) in Portugal, from March to May of 2020. The data were analyzed with the structural equation modeling technique, considering environmental attitude, knowledge, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control as exogenous latent variables, and pro-environmental intention and behavior as endogenous latent variables. Findings The results show that the students’ environmental attitude and knowledge have no significant impact on their pro-environmental intention, while the students’ subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have a positive impact on their pro-environmental intention. The results also reveal that the students’ perceived behavioral control and pro-environmental intention have a strong and positive impact on their pro-environmental behavior. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on the students from a single public HEI, in accounting and administration area, and deepens environmental behavior in relation to resources’ consumption. Practical implications This study provides findings that can be useful for HEIs to be more effective in their policies, strategies and practices to improve students’ environmental behavior. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature by exploring the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior in a Portuguese HEI and extending the TPB considering the additional variable environmental knowledge.

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the environmental impacts of consumers’ behaviour. As this environmental awareness increases, consumers tend to focus more on green products and how purchasing these products represents an effective way to protect the environment. Through the application of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), in this research, we studied the influence of some key variables on college students’ green purchasing behaviour, namely perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, green attitudes, and green purchase intentions. The TPB model was extended to the analysis of the influence of the companies’ green communication on students’ green purchase behaviour. To achieve the proposed goal, from March to April of 2021, a survey was conducted among the students of a higher education institution (HEI) in Portugal, allowing us to gather 432 valid responses. The findings suggested that all the variables, except the subjective norms, had a positive influence on the students’ green purchase intentions. Moreover, it was observed that students’ intentions had a positive influence on their green purchase behaviour. This research provides important results not only for policymakers to promote more sustainable behaviours among consumers but also for companies to be more aware of the importance of green communication.

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While many researchers tend to agree that quality improvement efforts lead to operational and customer-related organizational gains, the financial bottom-line impact of quality efforts is still debatable. Utilizes a sample of 68 certified Portuguese firms to shed some light on the nature of the relationships between quality improvement efforts and financial performance measures. Uses factor analysis, cluster analysis, and analysis of variance to analyze the data gathered using a survey-based research instrument. Concludes that quality efforts directed toward the customer tend to be associated with higher financial performance in terms of net profit after tax.

This study aims to explore whether consumers’ attention to companies’ green marketing communication influences their green purchase behaviour. It also analyses the importance of consumers’ characteristics, namely gender, education, and green attitudes, in their attention to companies’ green marketing communication. An online survey was carried out on the population residing in Portugal over 18 years of age, allowing us to collect 690 valid responses. Data analysis techniques including descriptive analyses, parametric and non-parametric tests, linear correlation, and regression analysis were used. The achieved results allow us to conclude that consumers are attentive to companies’ green marketing communication. A strong correlation between consumers’ attention to companies’ green marketing communication and green purchasing behaviour was identified. The results also confirm that individuals with higher educational levels and green attitudes and females are the most attentive to companies’ green marketing communication.

PurposeThe study aims to improve the understanding of the online sustainability disclosure phenomena considering the quantity and nature of the content of the information related to sustainability disclosed in the corporate website of companies, providing evidence about the website sustainability disclosure of different size companies and characterizing the website sustainability disclosure of the Portuguese mold companies.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis methodology was used to the corporate websites of 83 companies in the sample. A direct approach was followed where the researcher is asked to read and classify the text in a previously defined category, but where the possibility of identifying new categories from the collected data is not excluded.FindingsThe information on sustainability disclosed by the mold companies is limited, whether in quantity or concerning the type of information. The information disclosed about environmental and social aspects is scarcer, being the focus more on aspects related to the economic dimension of sustainability, particularly in the areas related to products and services and customers.Research limitations/implicationsThe research design can be broadened to include other sustainability dissemination tools and other research methodologies, such as case studies, to provide a deeper understanding of the concerns and initiatives/practices of sustainability of mold companies.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to the knowledge of sustainability dissemination practices in SMEs, an area of research that needs to be more explored and, in an industrial sector (molds) that have not received much attention in this area.Originality/valueBased on the premise of the importance of corporate sustainability communication, the study focuses on the Internet as an information dissemination tool. It provides indications on the theme and information type that can be used to report the company's sustainability.