Abstract
PurposeThis study seeks to develop an Environmental Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (ESBSC) articulated through a strategic map for collaborative implementation by municipalities by municipalities. In addition, it aims to elucidate the architecture of this tool.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses qualitative methodology, initiating with document analysis, followed by municipal-level surveys and an interview with the Norte Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N).FindingsThe study constructs an ESBSC that adopts an integrative approach to sustainability, focusing on municipal joint action. The tool fosters synergies and enhances cooperation. By incorporating a strategic mix, the tool contributes to improving the environmental management performance of the participating municipalities.Practical implicationsThis study introduces a tool designed for municipalities that aspire to incorporate environmental sustainability into their strategies. This tool facilitates the implementation and management of a long-term environmental strategy, with potential implications for organization and its culture. In addition, it highlights critical environmental factors that should serve as a starting point in future studies or applications of this tool.Social implicationsInvolving both an academic institution and multiple municipalities, this research identifies critical environmental factors that enhance environmental awareness within municipalities and designs a tool that, when consciously adopted, can influence the culture dynamics of the population involved. Furthermore, it proposes a structured and systematic research method for creating an ESBSC for joint municipal action.Originality/valueTo the best of authors' knowledge, this research constitutes the first exploratory attempt to devise an environmental strategy for joint municipal action. Although the tool emphasizes the environmental component, it promotes an integrated vision of sustainability. Despite the extensive application of balanced scorecards in various organizational contexts, their utilization in fostering environmental sustainability at a municipal level remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by developing a tailored strategic tool that operationalizes environmental priorities within municipal governance frameworks.

Abstract
This paper analyses how the harmonization between supply and demand uncertainty and supply chain responsiveness (SC fit) impacts business performance. The study analyses data obtained from a sample of 179 manufacturing companies from Portugal. The business performance of companies with different types of SC fit (high-high fit and low-low fit) and misfit (positive and negative) were analyzed and discussed. The results indicate that SC fit is positively related to business performance, economic and productivity, and commercial performance separately. This study advances the literature as the results indicate that SC fit positively affects both commercial and economic, and productivity performance. In contrast, previous empirical studies have mainly addressed the impact only on financial and operational performance.

Abstract
Managing supply chain (SC) relationships to deal with challenges posed by contemporary social and business environments is a difficult task that can be facilitated with the use of digital technologies. The growing complexity of supply chains, characterized by over-dependencies on geographically dispersed partners across different regions, increases risks related to managing these relationships and highlights the importance of collaboration and balancing the power dynamics between SC partners. Previous studies have shown that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can be considered the weakest link in terms of digitization and balance of power. This article aims to analyse how buyer-seller power relations moderate the relationship between the adoption of digital technologies in supply chain management (SCM) processes and innovation performance in the context of SMEs. Data were collected from manufacturing SMEs operating in Portugal. The results support the assumption that the use of digital technologies in processes related to SCM has a positive effect on SMEs innovation performance. The results also suggest that non-mediated power and reward-mediated positively moderate the relationship between the adoption of digital technologies and innovation performance, while the impact of coercive-mediated power was not confirmed. The article contributes to theory and practice by advancing the literature and guiding managers in the challenging task of carrying out digital transformation initiatives, considering their relationship with the power dynamics in the complex context of SMEs.

Abstract
In today's volatile, uncertain, and complex business environments, manufacturing companies must not only adapt to market demands but also minimize the time between problem occurrence and resolution. The implementation of lean manufacturing systems has been crucial in this regard. However, traditional approaches have shown notable inefficiencies that can be effectively addressed through digitalization. By embracing digital solutions, manufacturing companies can ensure efficient continuous improvement, driving performance to higher levels. This study aims to find a digital solution for a specific company that faces daily challenges associated with low visibility into production. An investigation revealed that the Lean tools used by the company were outdated, directly affecting the generated information and consequently, decision-making. The integration of a Manufacturing Execution System into the factory's dynamics was the solution found. In this context, a step-by-step methodology is proposed to guide the implementation. As a result, a prototype of the system was designed. The validation of the system by end-users demonstrates the success of the proposed methodology.

Abstract
Subgroup discovery (SD) aims at finding significant subgroups of a given population of individuals characterized by statistically unusual properties of interest. SD on event logs provides insight into particular behaviors of processes, which may be a valuable complement to the traditional process analysis techniques, especially for low -structured processes. This paper proposes a scalable and efficient method to search significant SD rules on frequent sequences of events, exploiting their multidimensional nature. With this method, it is intended to identify significant subsequences of events where the distribution of values of some target aspect is significantly different than the same distribution for the entire event log. A publicly available real -life event log of a Dutch hospital is used as a running example to demonstrate the applicability of our method. The proposed approach was applied on a real -life case study based on the public transport of a medium size European city (Porto, Portugal), for which the event data consists of 133 million smartcard travel validations from buses, trams and trains. The results include a characterization of mobility flows over multiple aspects, as well as the identification of unexpected behaviors in the flow of commuters (public transport). The generated knowledge provided a useful insight into the behavior of travelers, which can be applied at operational, tactical and strategic business levels, enhancing the current view of the transport services to transport authorities and operators.

Abstract
Natural gas (NG) is commonly used in kitchens, powering stoves, ovens, and other appliances. While it is known for its efficiency and convenience, NG contributes to the release of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and can have significant implications for human health. In this study, the importance of the use of NG in kitchens on human exposure to NO2 was analyzed. An extensive literature review in the field was conducted, and the NO2 levels were assessed in kitchens with NG cookers in Aveiro and electric cookers in Porto, both in Portugal. Higher levels of NO2 were found in kitchens in Aveiro, where NO2 levels outdoors are lower than in Porto. This pollutant can spread to other rooms, especially when ventilation is lacking, which is particularly concerning during colder seasons and at night. As around 70% of the time is spent at home, this can have a significant impact on human exposure to NO2. Therefore, although Aveiro has low levels of NO2 outdoors, its population may be exposed to much higher levels of this pollutant than the Porto population, a city with air quality issues, but predominantly using electric cookers. This finding emphasizes the need for the stricter regulation of NG use indoors to protect human health and also suggests a shift in human health protection policies from mere monitoring/control of outdoor air quality to a comprehensive assessment of human exposure, including exposure to indoor air quality.