Sustainability in Higher Education has been investigated mainly through examining institutional approaches, curricula content, or students’ and teachers’ perceptions of sustainability in practice. However, a deep characterisation of the foundations of this phenomenon is lacking. This article aims to address the existing lack of depth and comprehensiveness by identifying and categorising the critical attributes of Sustainability in Higher Education. Categories are the basic levels for knowledge classification, and critical attributes relate to the main perceived characteristics within categories. Both were structured through a literature review and a systematic analysis using the Proknow-C method. A set of 2,513 studies on sustainability in education and related fields, published between 2000 to 2015, enabled the identification of 259 as appropriate for devising four categories: foundations, knowledge, personal, and integrative assets with 4, 4, 4, and 3 attributes respectively. From these, 129 papers presented at least four relationships among attributes of all categories. An assessment between the attributes identified for the selected studies delivered 85 analyses, with the following findings: (i) epistemologies of Sustainability in Higher Education develop in learning context; (ii) creativity should better link foundational and personal assets; (iii) transdisciplinarity is an epistemic transgression; (iv) resilience of active learners emerges in knowledge and personal assets relationships; (v) knowledge deconstruction and affectiveness form active learning; (vi) personal assets need to fit to complex dynamics of reality. Our analysis provides a means of benchmarking existing practice for Sustainability in Higher Education, and can be used as the basis for building capacity in a systematic way

A classificatory literature review on medicines reverse flows is performed. Excessive production/demand uncertainty jeopardize medicines reverse flows. Cordination of the forward supply chain is pivotal for medicines reverse logistics. Green chemistry is a form of circular economy in pharmaceutical supply chain. Failures in monitoring of prescriptions hinder the circularity of medicines. Circular economy of medicines requires deeper investigation as business opportunity.

PurposeBusiness process management (BPM) and lean management (LM) are both recognized for improving organizational performance through continuous improvement, yet their similarities and differences have been poorly discussed so far. This paper aims to find their main differences and similarities using a systematic method for literature review.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a structured literature review known as SYSMAP (Scientometric and sYStematic yielding MApping Process). The method integrates bibliometrics and content analysis procedures to perform in-depth analysis of the literature at hand.FindingsBoth methodologies seek continuous improvement with focus on the customer and process standardization, but they are divergent mainly in relation to the flow they intend to improve. The impossibility of implementing both methodologies in an effective way was also observed, mainly due to the differences they present in relation to how to achieve the continuous improvement cycle.Research limitations/implicationsAs any other literature reviews, the major limitation is to have omitted relevant literature even though all available procedures have been used to avoid this situation.Practical implicationsThis paper offers a novel perspective from the practitioner side. LM may be better used in human-intensive process improvement whereas BPM in technology-intensive ones. Such characteristics open up new opportunities for practitioners aiming at integrating both approaches.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that systematically analyses the body of literature of BPM and LM with the means to better understand their similarities and differences.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a model to evaluate the degree of intellectual capital (IC) maturity into organizations. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative, applied research designed as an exploratory and descriptive investigation. It employs a case study to apply the intellectual capital maturity model, which is developed from the literature review. The Proknow-C method of systematic literature review is the procedure adopted for the literature review in Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science databases. In total, 21 IC constructs were derived from such review and assessed by 18 reviewers (judges). Findings In the scientific literature, IC is mainly viewed as a resource or set of resources an organization for the creation of competitive advantage and value. Using the information gathered about different views on IC, this study proposes a construction of the theoretical model, based on the models of the capability maturity model–Software Engineering Institute and Asian Productivity Organization–Knowledge Management, the management model and the application protocol. Practical implications This research offers view on the nature of the concept of IC showing (IC) as a business asset through maturity scale. The analysis of the concept of IC is focused at organizational and dimensional levels. Originality/value This study contributes to the further development of the concept of IC regarding its measurement in organizations through the maturity scale.

International audienceThis article aims to present a reflexion on some of the main reasons for companies to implement reverse logistics processes. Companies have difficulties in implementing reverse logistics as part of their business processes due to high cost of implementation and due to difficulties in measuring material returns. However, companies that have succeeded in implementing it have increased their competitiveness and improved their corporate image. This paper proposes six critical success factors for the implementation of reverse logistics: good income control, standardised and mapped processes, reduced time cycle, information systems, planned logistic grid and collaborative relations between customers and suppliers. Well-structured and implemented reverse logistics process brings up benefits and advantages to companies, beyond environmental ones