Luis Fonseca

• PhD (Management), ASQ Fellow
• Professor at Polytechnic Institute of Porto

Purpose This paper aims to identify and characterize the motivations for ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) implementation and certification, with a novel, valid and business-oriented scale applied to a large sample. Instead of adopting a normative approach focusing on the internal/external nature of the motivation, this investigation aims to...

This research, aims to analyse the EFQM 2020 Model, supported by a literature review and content analysis, to identify its theoretical foundations and the more relevant novelties compared with the 2013 version. The EFQM 2020 Model is based on the link between an organisation's purpose and strategy, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Develo...

The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) 2020 model is a comprehensive and updated business model that encompasses sustainability and shares features with Industry 4.0, emphasizing transformation and improved organizational performance, yet with different theoretical and practical foundations. This research highlights the EFQM 2020 mod...

Sustainable development addresses humanity's aspiration for a better life while observing the limitations imposed by nature. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly approved the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim to foster the organizational operationalization and integration of sustainability and, therefore, to address the c...

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE...

This special issue not only presents several cases of Lean Six Sigma implementation in Portuguese and Brazilian organisations in different sectors of activity but also addresses the contributions of Lean Six Sigma to Sustainability and Industry 4.0. In this way, it aims to make a strong scientific contribution to both business practice and the scie...

Integrated Management System (IMS) supported by Management Systems Standards (MSSs) of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), such as quality (ISO 9001), environmental (ISO 14001), and occupational health and safety (ISO 45001), is an important tool for approach the Sustainable Development (SD) in the organizations. Thus, the pur...

Examining the energy consumer behavioral model is critical for national governments and academia. This endeavor seeks to uncover effective solutions amid the energy crisis and climate change challenges. This article delves into legislative developments within the energy sector, European Commission recommendations for reducing energy consumption, an...

This study develops and validates an innovative assessment framework designed to integrate circular economy principles into the operations and supply chain of the electric motor industry. Given the rising demand for electric motors across various sectors, effective end-of-life management has become critical for enhancing sustainability. The primary...

This article examines the relationship between business cycles and renewable energy consumption (REC/capita) in the European Union (EU) over the past two decades. Using a panel data regression model, the study identifies GDP growth, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and political stability as significant indicators impacting REC across...

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outline a global agenda for sustainable development, but need more detailed implementation guidelines for businesses, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Given their limited resources, SMEs face significant challenges in adopting sustainability practices aligned with the SDGs. Th...

Keywords: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM); economic and social preferences; consumer choices; econometric model; Partial Least Square (PLS).

Purpose: This research investigates Portuguese manufacturing companies' Industry 4.0 (I4.0) maturity perception level and proposes an index to measure that aim.Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a survey method to gather the companies' perceptions of their I4.0 maturity level and applies subsequent exploratory factor analysis to propose a...

Abstract Purpose – The focus of this research is to investigate if user-generated content (UGC) generated in the Booking platform can support quality management improvement within the hospitality industry by increasing customer satisfaction and eliminating defects more efficiently. Hence, it contributes to understanding how data-driven companies ca...

Due to the increase in gas emissions and the growth of environmental problems globally, companies are striving to reduce their emissions and waste products in order to become more sustainable and preserve the environment. In order to solve this problem, an initiative called Science Based Targets has been created with the aim of defining targets and...

Sustainable development is a subject of intense discussion, mainly due to climate change, pollution, and increased waste, among other factors. The governments of various countries worldwide have been setting environmental targets for emissions and consumption to combat climate change and improve the state of our planet. Therefore, it is necessary t...

Nowadays, for companies to assert themselves in the markets, the focus on sustainability and social responsibility is preponderant and supported by academic research. For this, certification is considered an essential means to achieve high levels of social responsibility and sustainable development. In this study, we investigate the Geo distributio...

Abstract: This study proposes a framework to integrate sustainability within management systems standards and subsequently implement and disclose sustainable development (SD) goals and results. Moreover, it investigates the SD goals (SDGs) and results (SDRs) that Portuguese organizations with integrated management systems (IMSs) disclose to their i...

This study proposes a framework to integrate Sustainability within Management Systems Standards and subsequently implement and disclose Sustainable Development goals and results. Moreover, it investigates the SD goals (SDGs) and results (SDRs) that Portuguese organizations with Integrated Management Systems (IMSs) disclose to their interest parties...

This research evaluates the perceptions from the conformity assessment community regarding the auditability of ISO 9001:2015 and the perception of its ease of use by the audited organisations. The study is supported on a survey promoted by the Strategic, Planning and Operations Task Group (SPOTG) of Subcommittee 2 of ISO TC 176 (TC 176/SC2) aiming...

Currently, certification is an essential tool for a company's sustainability and a seal of trust for the stakeholders. The B Corporation (B Corp) certification system is in line with the leading indicators of sustainable development and social responsibility published by the general assembly of the United Nations, namely: environment, community, wo...

Purpose: This work was carried out in a company of the upholstery sector in northern Portugal to demonstrate that Investment in Preventive Measures, within the scope of Environmental Management and supported by a Circular Economy approach, is a significant investment decision, with transversal benefits to the entire organization. Methodology/Appro...

In the current Industry 4 [...]

This research addresses the benefits of ISO 9001 to understand the reasons behind its worldwide adoption. By applying principal component analysis to the results of a survey encompassing 526 valid responses (24.4% response rate), a more business-oriented scale than the traditional internal/external type of motivation with three main categories of b...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) emerged to deliver sustainable economic, environmental, and social value to organization's extended stakeholders and society in general. This study investigates the similarities, differences, and relationships between B Corp, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 certifications and is supported by a mixed research methodolog...

Purpose: The study purpose was to analyse the excellence and operational efficiency of Portuguese industrial companies through the measurement of lean practices implementation. Additionally, it intended to propose a new model to assess the lean production system. Design/methodology/approach: The research presents an in-depth lean literature review...

The COVID-19 crisis exposed the vulnerability and poor resilience of the global supply chains. The objective of this research is to reflect on the possible impacts of the Coronavirus crisis in the global supply chains and provide some recommendations to overcome the present situation, offering suggestions for future research: (1) What are the conti...

The main purpose of this article is to depict the integration of Lean tools with requirements of ISO 9001:2015 standard as an operationalisation and support tool for a Quality Management System (QMS). The research was carried out through a questionnaire, which was sent to 2040 Portuguese companies. From the two hundred responses, 77 of them were va...

The automotive industry faces major megatrends such as climate change and emissions control, digital transformation, and increased customer power, resulting in more intensive competition, and higher sophisticated vehicles. The application of QFD (Quality Function Deployment) can be particularly valuable to link customer expectations with the techni...

Researchers have focused on the influence of organizational models in the actions, and subsequent outcomes of organizations and the results support the view that there is indeed an association between certain features of organizational models and organizational performance outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to map the organizational models used...

Abstract: This research evaluates IRCA registered auditors’ perspectives of the added value of ISO 9001:2015 to the organizations that adopt it and are certified accordingly, bringing a more independent perspective than previous studies based on quality managers or consultants' views. Supported by a worldwide survey among IRCA registered auditors a...

Organizations can play a significant role in the advancement of Sustainable Development,and companies with Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (QEOHS)-certified management systems address the three Sustainability Dimensions (economic,environmental, and social). This research aims to map the present level of engagement of thos...

Organizations can play a significant role in the advancement of Sustainable Development, and companies with Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (QEOHS) certified management systems address the three Sustainability Dimensions (economic, environmental and social). This research aims to map the present level of engagement of thos...

Organizations, to achieve their mission and create value, need to measure and improve their business and process performance. The application of sound methodologies and tools can lead to an enhanced implementation of business strategies (Bititci et al., 2015), and improved performance (Neely 2005; Franco-Santos, Lucianetti and Bourne 2012). However...

The Portuguese automotive industry is a relevant activity sector for the Portuguese society and economy, both in job creation and value-added generation, contributing to the country’s economic development. The automotive is a high challenge industry, with intense competition, a high number of brands, increased number of models and vehicles, tighter...

Purpose: This paper aims at identifying obstacles, benefits, leading practices and lessons learned in the transition/certification of the revised standard for quality management systems ISO 9001:2015 for organizations in various sector, countries and spanning a range of sizes. Design/methodology/approach: Based on literature review and inputs from...

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is a set of activities to prevent injuries and health problems to workers and to provide safe and healthy workplaces (ISO 14001:2015). According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 2.3 million people lose their lives each year in their professional activities and more than 300 million work-r...

Traditional approaches to protect environment usually rely on a legal framework that enforces measures and behaviors on organizations. However, to achieve sustainability it is necessary to apply other tools that need a stronger commitment from the organizations in the three pillars of sustainable development. The implementation of an Environmental...

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) addresses sustainable development issues, in the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. The positive role of higher education institutions (HEIs), such as Universities and Polytechnic Institutes, in educating decision makers and leaders, and therefore contributing to progress and the public good,...

p> Purpose: With the transition period for ISO 9001 certified organisations to migrate to the 2015 edition ending 15th September 2018, this investigation aims to evaluate the status of ISO 9001:2015 transition process and provide useful knowledge on the corresponding motivations, benefits, and success factors. Methodology/Approach: An empirical st...

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE...

There is a considerable amount of interest in Industry 4.0, the so-called 4fh industrial revolution, however, the concept is not clear in the literature. This research by performing a literature review on Industry 4.0, aims to present an overview of the several industrial revolutions with emphasis on Industry 4.0 and its underlined dimensions. Indu...

The concept of Circular Economy is an emerging topic and the European Union has established a European Circular Economy Strategy in 2015. Although this concept originates from Europe, there is also an increased attention to the Circular Economy in China and the country has implemented regulatory controls in that regard. The scientific interest on t...

Purpose ISO 9001:2015 edition, by adopting modern management and quality approaches, can foster the application of continuous improvement (CI) methodologies. The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of utilization of Kaizen and other CI methodologies within Portuguese ISO 9001 certified organizations, namely, amid organizations that have al...

The purpose of this paper is the assessment of the ISO 14001:2015 transition process among Portuguese ISO 14001 certified organizations, including those that successfully have already achieved ISO 14001:2015 certification. A considerable number of the surveyed companies proceeded with the transition to the ISO 14001:2015 by introducing slight adjus...

To ensure ISO 9001 remains up to date, ISO has revised the International Standard, issuing the ISO 9001:2015 edition. Research suggests that, on one hand, it promotes, facilitates, and emphasizes an improved alignment between quality and business best practices, thereby adding value to certified organizations and, on the other hand, it will require...

A research institute surveyed auditors from around the world to find out what they think of the new ISO 9001revisions. Many auditors think it is more difficult to audit because new auditing approaches and competencies must be established. The new standard facilitates integration with other management systems and fosters alignment between quality an...

Suppliers have an increasing role in the automotive industry and Quality Management Standards (QMS) are key requirements to ensure a competent supplier network, with properly selected and qualified suppliers. By surveying IRCA registered auditors concerning ISO 9001:2015 certified organizations, this research highlights the need for the automotive...

Purpose: The implementation and certification of Management Systems International Standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, achieved a high international recognition, with more than 1 million organizations with their Quality Management Systems certified worldwide. Researchers have been paying considerable attention to this theme and the number of...

Due to the dynamic and inter-connected internal and external environments of the present digital age, organizations are faced with increased challenges to achieve enduring success. After reviewing the major management theories with an organizational focus, and the changes brought with the new ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems International S...

In their quest to achieve superior performance and business results, organizations have extensively adopted models such as ISO 9001 Quality Managements Standards. Research supports that Quality Management System brings significant benefits for organizations competitiveness and success and more than 1 million organizations of all activity sectors wo...

In their quest to achieve superior performance and business results, organizations have extensively adopted models such as ISO 9001 Quality Managements Standards. Research supports that Quality Management System brings significant benefits for organizations competitiveness and success and more than 1 million organizations of all activity sectors wo...

This exploratory research aims to study the reasons for the low implementation level of Six Sigma within Portuguese Small and Medium Enterprises. The results suggest that ISO 9001 certification, and Lean Management, are still regarded as enough for company success. The descriptive analysis and the statistical tests performed led to the conclusion t...

Abstract: The aim of this research is to evaluate, six months after the issuing of ISO 9001:2015, if the 2015 edition has achieved its aims of being in line with modern management and quality management concepts and bring additional value to organizations of all industry and services sectors worldwide. A survey was carried out among IRCA registered...

Variation of aSyn acetylation levels with ageing. Brain protein extracts of WT and T2.KO young (2 month) and old (8 month) mice were probed for acetyl-lysine (red) and aSyn (green) (n = 4 per group). The ratio of acetyl-lysine/aSyn ratio is presented. **p < 0.01, **** p < 0.0001, ordinary one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test....

Acetylation-resistant aSyn mutant maintains the typical NMR signal and membrane-binding ability. (A) Superposition of 2D 1H-15N HSQC NMR spectra of recombinant 15N-labelled aSyn WT (black), K6+10R (red). (D) Residue-specific changes in 1H-15N HSQC signal intensities of aSyn WT (black) and aSyn K6+10R (red) upon addition of SUVs formed by POPC:POPA...

Acetylation-resistant mutant of aSyn is toxic. Lactate dehydrogenase levels (LDH) were measured in the supernatants of primary cultures infected with AVV6 encoding for WT, KQ or KR aSyn, at different time points after transduction. The KR mutant is toxic 3 days after infection, and the toxicity is then indistinguishable at later time points. Data i...

Expression of WT aSyn in the SN is toxic over time. (A) Brain sections immunostained for TH (red panels) and aSyn (Syn-1) (green panels) 1, 2 and 3 weeks after injection with vectors encoding for EGFP or WT aSyn. Scale bar for isolated channels 200 μm and for merged channels 100 μm. (B) Stereological counting of the number of TH-positive neurons in...

Aggregation pattern of aSyn in the rat substantia nigra. Brain sections immunostained for aggregated-aSyn (red) and GFP or pS129 aSyn (green) from representative animals 3 weeks after injection with AAV6 vectors encoding for GFP and WT, KR or KQ aSyn. (A) 5G4 and GFP (GFP group) or pS129 (aSyn groups) merged signal with DAPI is presented. Scale bar...

Raw data. Results from Figs 1F, 2B, 2F, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 5C, 6B, 7B, 7E, 7F, S1, S4, S6 and S7B. (XLSX)

aSyn KxK motifs are less susceptible to chemical acetylation in vitro. Peptide mass spectrometry analysis of chemically acetylated recombinant aSyn, showing the number of acetylation occurrences. Each green bar represents a detected peptide, and a red dash indicates an acetylation. (TIF)

aSyn acetylation in mouse brain, identified by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) (trypsin digestion). Theoretical peptide mass (Da); error (ppm); Start-end identified peptides; peptide sequences; putative acetylation residues. Oxid (M), N-terminal acetylation and acetylation (K) as variable modifications. (DOCX)

Autophagy is impaired upon T2.KD in the cell model of aSyn aggregation. Protein extracts from Scr or T2.KD cells co-transfected with SynT and Synphilin-1 were probed for P62 and β-Actin. Normalized levels of P62 are presented (n = 3). ** p < 0.01, unpaired t-test with equal SD. Data in S1 Data.xls. (TIF)

aSyn constructs, viral vector details, and experimental paradigm. (A) aSyn double mutants mimicking the acetylated (KQ) or the acetylation-resistant (KR) variants of aSyn on K6 and K10. (B) Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) serotype 6 expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), human wild type (WT), KQ, KR variants of aSyn under the...

The process of integration of management systems is being unfolded by a great deal of companies nowadays. A crucial feature of it relates with the audit function and the integrated perceptions of the auditors. This issue is of utmost importance if one takes into account the remarkable effort developed by ISO in the last revisions (2015) of the ISO...

IRCA certificated auditors are confident ISO 9001:2015 will deliver it promises, according to a new study by Nigel Croft, Luís Fonseca and Pedro Domingues

The implementation of international quality management standards and of food safety management systems (FSMS) has significantly increased worldwide. The edition of ISO 9001:2015 brought new concepts and approach to this International Standard, like consideration of organizational context and key stakeholders, risk based thinking, more emphasis on p...

A revision of several paths for the Quality journey is presented: from Quality Gurus and Total Quality Management (TQM) models to the ISO 9000 International Standards Series. Since ISO 9001:2008 is now in the revision process to the expected ISO 9001:2015 version, an analysis is made of he proposed changes and the underlying reasons and the impacts...

Purpose: The research on corporate social responsibility has been focused mainly on Anglo-Saxon countries and big companies. Most scholars agree there is a positive relationship between companies social and economic performance, however, this is not unanimous. Moreover, during economic downturns, companies struggle for survival and might consider c...

The relationship between stakeholders satisfaction and organisational sustainable growth and success is investigated focusing on the importance of a firm’s relationships with critical stakeholders that may lead to better performance, as organisations while integrating business and societal considerations create value for their stakeholders. However...

The relationship between stakeholders satisfaction and organisational sustainable growth and success is investigated focusing on the importance of a firm's relationships with critical stakeholders that may lead to better performance, as organisations while integrating business and societal considerations create value for their stakeholders. However...

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss the impact of Supplier orientation and the resulting Supply Chain Management (SCM) approach, on the organizational performance of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems certified organizations. Methodology/Approach: Following a literature review, a full structural conceptual model was proposed. An onl...

To assure enduring success, firms need to generate economic value with respect for the environment and social value. They also need to be aware of the needs and expectations of relevant stakeholders and incorporate them in their business strategies and programs. These challenges imply that engineers should take into consideration societal, health a...

This research focuses on the influence of company sector and size on the level of utilization of Basic and Advanced Quality Tools. The paper starts with a literature review and then presents the methodology used for the survey. Based on the responses from 202 managers of Portuguese ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certified organizations, st...

Both managers and scholars have convictions about the organizational approaches that best support organizational performance of the respective organizations and its Quality Management Systems. After a literature review of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (including the changes introduced by the 2015 edition), Organizational Culture theories are...

Purpose: The studies on links between sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness have been mainly focused at organizational and business level. The purpose of this research is to investigate if there is a correlation between these three variables at country level. Using international well recognized rankings of countries sustainability, innova...

Purpose: This exploratory research evaluates if there is a relationship between the number of years since an organization has achieved ISO 9001 certification and the highest level of recognition received by the same organization with the EFQM Business Excellence Model. Methodology/Approach: After state of the art review a detailed comparison betwee...

This article describes a study that investigated the main strategic drivers that influence the implementation of sustainability/social responsibility programs. An online survey was administered to managers of Portuguese organizations with certified management systems. The findings suggest that the implementation of such programs is mainly correlate...

Purpose: ISO 14001 is an International Standard of worldwide acceptance based on the concept that better environmental performance can be achieved when environmental aspects are systematically identified and managed giving a major contribution to Sustainability, through pollution prevention, improved environmental performance and complying with app...

A very important part of the globally produced energy is consumed in buildings, being an important share frequently used in the HVAC systems. These ones are increasing both in performance and in complexity, taking advantage from the use of the recent advances in mechanical and power electronic devices, particularly in the speed variation field. How...

Six Sigma is a disciplined approach for dramatically reducing defects and producing measurable financial results (Anand, 2006; Linderman et al. 2003). It should not be a simple statistical tool, but rather a strategic management approach by supporting key projects aligned with the business goals and customer requirements. Although associated with c...

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the rationale behind the ISO 9001:2015 revision and the status of this (still ongoing) process. Key Stakeholders have (and are still working) towards a Quality Management Systems with less emphasis on documentation and new/reinforced approaches like consideration of organizational context and (relevant) Stakehold...

Muitos gestores têm convicções so-bre quais as abordagens organizacio-nais que melhor suportam o desem-penho das respetivas Organizações e dos seus Sistemas de Gestão da Qua-lidade. É objetivo deste artigo refletir sobre tais pressupostos e procurar avaliar se, teórica e empiricamente, existe de facto evidência objetiva que suporte (ou não) estas a...

Modern organizations must be increasingly Agile, Adaptable and Aligned to succeed in today global and dynamic business environment (Lee, 2004). Several authors (Rego and Cunha, 2003) have been stressing the difference between the more traditional role of Managers (stronger rational, formal, bureaucratic and shorter term orientation) versus the role...

Worldwide competitiveness poses enormous challenges on managers, demanding a continuous quest to increase rationality in the use of resources. As a management philosophy, Lean Manufacturing focuses on the elimination of activities that do not create any type of value and therefore are considered waste. For companies to successfully implement the Le...

It was found that according to a large number of Portuguese quality managers: - The economic, environmental and social dimensions are key to organizational sustainable success; - Stakeholder satisfaction is significantly higher when a social responsibility program is present and it is relevant for the organizational sustainable success, as suggeste...

Based on empirical quantitative/qualitative research, it is proven, that under certain conditions, in a situation of economic and financial crisis, Stakeholder oriented and strategically coherent Sustainability/Social Responsibility Programs Stakeholder can have positive effect on organizational survival.

Resumo O objetivo desta investigação consistiu em mapear os conceitos e ferramentas de Responsabilidade Social das organizações portuguesas através de um instrumento de recolha de dados sob a forma de questionário ministrado via internet a Gestores da Qualidade, Ambiente e/ou Segurança e CEO/Diretores Gerais de organizações com sistemas de Gestão d...

In this work we find evidence that according to a large number of Portuguese managers, stakeholder satisfaction is significantly higher when a Social Responsibility programme is present and stakeholder satisfaction is relevant for the organisational sustainable success, as suggested by Freeman (1984) Stakeholder Theory. This work also has relevant...

This study investigates what are the main drivers that influence the implementation of Sustainability/Social Responsibility programs. Based on stakeholder theory, an online survey was administered to managers of Portuguese organizations with certified management systems. The findings suggest that the implementation of a Sustainability/Social Respon...

This study investigates the relationship between social responsibility programmes of organizations and stakeholder satisfaction. Based on stakeholder theory, an online survey was administered to managers of Portuguese organizations with certified management systems. The findings suggest that stakeholder satisfaction is indeed increased with a socia...

Award for the best article published in “Revista Qualidade” (Journal of the Portuguese Association for Quality), 9th Edition – 2013, “Zulema Lopes Pereira”. The 3 Quality Management main pillars - Gurus, ISO 9000 series standards and Excellence Awards Models - are presented and a critical analysis and comparison are made, giving some insights in t...