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- Lean, Six Sigma and ISO Management Systems Standards: An Integration FrameworkPublication . Marques, Pedro; Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Sá, José Carlos; Mateus, Ricardo J G; Pinto, Francisco Maria Ribeiro Da Costa SilvaPurpose - This paper proposes a conceptual framework to integrate three relevant business models: Lean Management, Six Sigma and international ISO Management Systems Standards (MSS). It explores the multiples synergies among them from an organizational excellence viewpoint. Design/methodology/approach - From the literature review, Lean Management, Six Sigma, and international Management Systems Standards based on the Annex SL common structure provided by ISO are thoroughly discussed and compared. From this, logical synergies and complementarities between these three approaches are identified, explored and discussed. Altogether, those linkages will drive the development of a conceptual framework to guide their integration. Findings - The integration model relies on many organizational excellence principles and its guidelines help managers and team leaders to properly utilize a set of Lean and Six Sigma methods and tools according to their purpose. In addition, the model provides a clear relationship between those tools and the clauses of requirements included in the ISO Management Systems Standards. Research limitations/implications - The framework does not cover other normative references for management systems that are not published by ISO, such as SA 8000 on social accountability systems. In addition, it does not discuss management standards for specific sectors of activity, such as IATF 16949 for the automotive industry, ISO 13485 for medical devices, among others. Practical implications - The model and its guidelines are useful for all those organizations that developed or intend to develop management systems based on ISO standards.
- Comprehensive Risk Assessment Of Industrial Radiography Process Within Industry 5.0: Towards Continuous Safety ImprovementPublication . Pereira, José Cristiano; Dores, Joana Maria Costa Martins das; Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dosThe radiographic inspection of critical jet engine hardware involves inherent risk factors. Failure to address these risks appropriately can lead to catastrophic operational accidents, including loss of life and aircraft destruction. Recognizing and mitigating these risks is crucial, with the human factor playing a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the inspection process. In the context of Industry 5.0, a groundbreaking paradigm that prioritizes human needs and well-being in technological advancements, our study seeks to illuminate the risks associated with the failure of radiographic inspection of critical hardware. Furthermore, we aim to explore how the Industry 5.0 framework can be effectively leveraged to optimize this inspection process. This research endeavors to generate practical insights into each process variable, offering actionable strategies to prevent failures in both inspection procedures and critical hardware components. Its significance extends to inspectors, manufacturing engineers, safety engineers, and company decision-makers, providing guidance on implementing a risk assessment program rooted in Industry 5.0 principles for process optimization. Distinguishing itself as an innovative endeavor, this study pioneers the application of the Industry 5.0 approach to radiographic inspections. Methodologically, it employs a thorough review of state-of-the-art literature, standards, and regulations to identify risk factors. Subsequently, the study illustrates how Industry 5.0 concepts can be applied to formulate effective responses to these risks. The outcome comprises a comprehensive list of identified risks and practical examples showcasing the application of Industry 5.0 concepts. The ultimate goal is to enhance the overall quality, reliability, and profitability of companies engaged in jet engine hardware maintenance, manufacturing, and other processes employing X-ray and gamma rays. The result can be used as a guideline by jet engine hardware maintenance, manufacturing professionals, and other organizations using X-ray and gamma rays in their processes. Although the primary focus is on the radiographic inspection within a jet engine repair station, the study findings can be generalized to other industries that use industrial radiographic inspection and whose sustainability is affected by inspection failure, resulting in waste, rework, and unnecessary energy consumption. The study provides guidelines to be used by professionals, engineers, inspectors, and decision-makers. The study outlines measures that can significantly improve operational performance, enhance safety standards, reduce costs, minimize waste, and positively impact organizational sustainability. By addressing a critical gap in the literature, our study introduces a pioneering perspective on the transformative potential of Industry 5.0 concepts in radiographic inspections. The guidelines provided can be instrumental for developing risk assessment programs, further contributing to the improvement of organizational quality, safety, and overall financial wellbeing. This study sets the stage for future academic research, inspiring scholars to delve deeper into refining inspection quality and processes.
- Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Public Administration: A Systematic Literature ReviewPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Espirito Santo, PaulaThe advent of machines power-driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) have strongly influenced the world in the 21st century. The future of AI is promising and is offering a wide range of opportunities for scholars and academics. Although the theme has received a considerable attention over the last years, much has been speculated and little is known about its impacts on the Public Administration. Thus, the purpose of this article is to make the result of those impacts less ambiguous. To this end, we have conducted a systematic review to provide a comprehensive analysis on the latest impacts of AI on the Public Administration. Our intent is to narrow the field of study, while AI is being continuously strengthened with new empirical evidences.
- Service Robots in the Hospitality Industry: An Exploratory Literature ReviewPublication . Rosete, Ana; Soares, Barbara; Salvadorinho, Juliana; Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Amorim, MarleneThe service sector is changing drastically due the use of robotics and other technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), Big Data and Biometrics. Consequently, further research opportunities in the service industry domain are also expected. In light of the above, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potentialities and limitations of service robots in the hospitality industry. To this end, this paper uses a conceptual approach based on a literature review. As a result, we found that in contexts of high customer contact, service robots should be considered to perform standardized tasks due to social/emotional and cognitive/analytical complexity. The hospitality industry is therefore considered closely related to empathic intelligence, as the integration of service robots has not yet reached the desired stage of service delivery. In a seemingly far-fetched context of our reality, organizations will have to decide whether the AI will allow the complete replacement of humans with robots capable of performing the necessary cognitive and emotional tasks. Or investing in balanced capacities by integrating robot-human systems that seems a reasonable option these days.
- Artificial Intelligence in Government Services: A Systematic Literature ReviewPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Espirito Santo, Paula; Melão, NunoThe aim of this paper is to provide an overview on how artificial intelligence is shaping the digital era, in policy making and governmental terms. In doing so, it discloses new opportunities and discusses its implications to be considered by policy-makers. The research uses a systematic literature review, which includes more than one technique of data analysis in order to generate comprehensiveness and rich knowledge, we use: a bibliometric analysis and a content analysis. While artificial intelligence is identified as an extension of digital transformation, the results suggest the need to deepen scientific research in the fields of public administration, governmental law and business economics, areas where digital transformation still stands out from artificial intelligence. Although bringing together public and private sectors, to collaborate in the public service delivery, presents major advantages to policy makers, evidence has also shown the existence of negative effects of such collaboration.
- Multichannel service failure and recovery in a O2O era: A qualitative multi-method research in the banking services industryPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Amorim, Marlene; Melão, NunoThis article aims to investigate how service providers are employing their channels to support the handling of customer complaints in an online to offline era. It provides a timely contribution by characterizing multichannel recovery practices, discussing its implications for customers, and discovering new trends. The study employs a qualitative multi-method research, which includes not only more than one method of collecting data, but also more than one method of analyzing data. Data collection involved 50 records of customer complaints, 10 semi-structured interviews, direct observation and internal bank reports. The results suggest that multichannel customers are not willing to interact with a large number of channels to solve their problems leading to a high number of interactions. Customers expect a complex recovery not in terms of interactivity but in terms of depth. Recovery solutions, such as apologizing and monetary compensations are non-permanent solutions, that are inefficient in the long term and imply financial losses. Despite the investment that is required, this investigation advocates for permanent solutions. To avoid service failures and complex recovery processes, it is possible that companies are improving their operations management in search of new strategies that are blurring the boundaries of O2O into a mix of offline and online channels (O2).
- Addressing Service Failure and Recovery in Digital Service Systems: Opportunities and ChallengesPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Santos, Vasco; Amorim, Marlene; Melão, NunoDigital service systems are changing the world as we know it, enabling companies to embrace new forms of relationship with their customers. The aim of this article is to propose a categorization of service failures in digital service systems and an illustration of recovery solutions based on life situations. Thus, this article used an exploratory case study research conducted in a Portuguese private bank. Data collection involved multiple sources, such as semistructured interviews, customer complaints from an online database, and direct observation. The case revealed that digital service systems are not failure proof and service failures are inevitable. As a result, companies are struggling to consistently maintain high service standards across all channels and, for that purpose, have essentially invested on automated interactions. On the other hand, humanized recovery solutions are expected to enable organizations to make significant progress, including prevention and corrective actions, that will mitigate the perception of poor service delivery. While current studies tend to focus on what is going wrong in digital engagement, researchers have hitherto not investigated sufficiently this digital breakdown and the subsequent recovery solutions.
- Emergent Digital Strategies and Networks: Advancements to Service Management ResearchPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Amorim, Marlene; Melão, NunoThe purpose of this research is to report and explore new channel strategies, which allow delivering services through new digital technologies. Therefore, we have conducted an in-depth qualitative case study to generate comprehensiveness and rich knowledge. The case focused on a Private bank in Portugal and counted with several sources of data collection, gathering 42 semi-structured interviews, more than 80 direct observations and more than 3,600 internal documents, for triangulation and corroboration purposes. The results suggest that organizational synergies are changing the business landscape by encompassing triadic elements channels-services-firms. While some organizations are implementing this strategy around the world, we found that it provides greater channel freedom of choice to customers when compared with the previous strategies. Thus, our findings identify a set of potential advantages, as well as risks of adopting digital business networks as a strategy. This article also studies technologydriven solutions in business networks, as customers are becoming active co-producers.
- Gender Inequalities in the Military Service: A Systematic Literature ReviewPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Menezes, SofiaThis paper provides an in-depth analysis of the literature regarding gender inequalities in the military service. In doing so, it discloses challenges and opportunities for women’s integration and finds new avenues for future research. Recent scientific research has evidenced that women still represent a growing minority in most Western militaries. Women’s integration deserves equal opportunities across all branches and levels of responsibility in the military, however, their expansion to ground combat roles is still a challenge to the military and policy-makers. Scholars have also reported about the decision to increase the number of women in combat roles, as it may potentiate adverse experiences, due to closer proximity to men in circumstances with little or no privacy. Conversely, scientific research has shown that more egalitarian women reported significantly less sexual harassment victimization. Furthermore, our insights suggest that it might be fruitful to integrate women in ground combat roles as special forces’ operators, with a view to induce a reduction of marginalization and sexual harassment, by gaining respect in a male-dominant culture. The presented idea should be interpreted with caution and needs to be supported by empirical research; although we are convinced that future research will be revealing and might represent a game-changing situation to women inequalities in the armed forces.
- Artificial Intelligence in Government Services: A Systematic Literature ReviewPublication . Reis, João Carlos Gonçalves dos; Santo, Paula Espírito; Melão, NunoThe aim of this paper is to provide an overview on how artificial intelligence is shaping the digital era, in policy making and governmental terms. In doing so, it discloses new opportunities and discusses its implications to be considered by policy-makers. The research uses a systematic literature review, which includes more than one technique of data analysis in order to generate comprehensiveness and rich knowledge, we use: a bibliometric analysis and a content analysis. While artificial intelligence is identified as an extension of digital transformation, the results suggest the need to deepen scientific research in the fields of public administration, governmental law and business economics, areas where digital transformation still stands out from artificial intelligence. Although bringing together public and private sectors, to collaborate in the public service delivery, presents major advantages to policy makers, evidence has also shown the existence of negative effects of such collaboration.