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Purpose: Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) provides useful and comprehensive information on product system performance. However, it poses several challenges for decision-making process due to (i) multidimensional indicators, (ii) conflicting objectives and (iii) uncertainty associated with the performance assessment. This research proposes an approach able to account uncertain life cycle sustainability performances through multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) process to support decision-making. Design/methodology/approach: Our method is structured in three phases: i) assessing the uncertainty of LCSA performances, ii) propagating LCSA uncertainty into MCDA methods and iii) interpreting the stochastic results. The approach is applied on an illustrative case study, ranking four alternatives to biodiesel supply. Findings: The recommendation generated by this approach provides an information about the confidence the decision maker can have in a given result (ranking of solutions) under the form of a probability, providing a better knowledge of the risk (in this case due to the uncertainty of the preferred solution). As such, stochastic results, if appropriately interpreted, provide a measure of the robustness of the rankings generated by MCDA methods, overcoming the limitation of the overconfidence of deterministic rankings. Originality/value: The fundamental contributions of this paper are to (i) integrate LCSA uncertainty into decision-making processes through MCDA approach; (ii) provide a sensitivity analysis about the MCDA method choice, (iii) support decision-makers' preference choices through a transparent elicitation process and (iv) provide a practical decision-making platform that accounts simultaneously uncertain LCSA performances with stakeholders' value judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have become popular in the most diverse contexts of use. This research sought to investigate how AI tools were applied in agribusiness by assisting producers in decision-making. Design / methodology / approach: To this end, online and semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and rural producers who use this type of technology on their properties. Findings: AI was found to be present in machinery, software, and other applications applied for crop monitoring, soil quality verification, and management in general. Users are quite optimistic with the results, especially in decision support during planting period. These differences are perceived before and after technologies utilization. However, interviewers still believe that the human presence is fundamental in the farming. Research limitations / implications: As limitations, it is highlighted the schedule for conducting the interviews, as well as the fact that they were performed online. Despite this, it was possible to verify the importance of the use of technology for the agribusiness sector, serving as support for the management of rural properties. Originality / value: In the Information Systems studies field to relate the use of AI and decision-making in a sector such as agribusiness is something recent and innovative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- Risk tolerance, understood as the willingness of accepting a certain amount of risk which was perceived in an uncertain scenario, has been broadly studied under the framework of personal financial. This research aims to validate a scale for investment risk tolerance when dealing with real assets, in a business context. Design/methodology/approach -- A survey was performed with 150 managers, directors, and entrepreneurs who make investment decisions regarding real assets in the commerce, industry, and service sectors. Exploratory factorial analysis was performed was applied to detect the dimensionality of Risk Tolerance construct. Findings -- Risk Tolerance in real assets investments is a construct composed by two dimensions, the first factor is related to the familiarity of the decision-maker with the company and its investments, and it was denominated comfort and security, following the original dimension from personal finance research. The second dimension refers to the unpredictability and the complexity of risky investments in real assets, and it was denominated 'black box effect'. The last factor, however, did not achieve the standards of reliability and it need further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The research objective is to analyze the influence of key factors contributing to consumers' purchase intention grid-connected photovoltaic systems among residential energy consumers. Design/methodology/approach - A survey based on Korcaj et al. (2014) was conducted in a major Brazilian city; 209 valid responses were obtained directly. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings - Among significant decision influences are environmental, financial, and autarchy benefits onto perceived global benefit and perceived behavioral control construct onto purchase intention; perceived social benefits, however, were not a relevant influence as opposed to previous studies. Research limitations/implications - Weakness of the model's reliability leading to the exclusion of the perceived total cost construct, which in turn could reduce sample bias and increase the reliability of the model and regarding clarity regarding the product "solar photovoltaic energy system", as no text was used; this could have left questions unanswered due to the lack of knowledge of respondents about solar technology. Practical implications - The high purchasing power and high education level, along with favorable weather and geography, may contribute to promising perspectives for the product. Furthermore, to promote adhesion of the technology in the city there is a need to increase benefits, to reduce perceived technology costs, and to value the importance of solar energy generation among reference groups. Social implications - The analysis of factors influencing the city's residents' intentions of to adopt photovoltaic systems favors further promotion of the technology in the city. Originality/value - It contributes to the development of consumer behavior studies regarding the adoption intention of ecologically sustainable technologies, i.e., GCPSs, thus, filling a gap in the literature on consumer behavior for this product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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From a theoretical reference on consumer behavior in traditional retail, this article explores the role of window display as a predictor of store entry and purchase decision. The study carried out in a Brazilian capital is a replication of Sen, Block and Chandran's (2002) seminal research and had 364 participants. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Results indicate fashion trend, price and sale information as the main drivers of the decision to enter the store, which is the most relevant factor for consumers when deciding to buy a product. These findings confirm not only the relationship between window display and decision making, but they reveal window display as an antecedent of consumer decision making in traditional retail. Additionally, our findings show the sensitivity of Brazilian consumer to novelty and fashion trends, as well as their predisposition to enter stores and purchase products when they are on sale or when payment alternatives are announced. Regarding academic contributions, this is a first step in understanding retail shopping experience, being window display the staring point. Thus, studies on store atmosphere, visual identity construction as well as price strategies can benefit from this content. Considering also the growth of e-commerce and the need to attract consumers to the physical stores, these results contribute to the studies on retail business strategies, suggesting the relationship between the effect provoked by window displays and business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment and sustainable development, in recent years, have been considered relevant and present issues in society because of the impact they cause in our daily lives. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze, through heuristics, the decision-making of individuals related to the preservation of the environment. Developed for this, a kind of applied research with a quantitative and exploratory approach, making use of bibliographic research and data collection through a questionnaire based on the Likert scale, with five points. To perform the analysis of the data, using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software, were applied descriptive statistics and simple correlation. It was evident that the highest correlations are related to the understanding and comprehension of the issues addressed in this study and the smaller are related to the behavior of individuals on environmental issues. Thus, it can be affirmed that there is an understanding of the environmental and sustainability issues that emerge in the current context, however are still required attitudes towards environmental actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to verify how the accounting professional is positioned in relation to moral dilemmas involving torts and Triangle Cressey in the exercise of their professional activity in the convergence to international standards of accounting environment. We sought to identify which components of the triangle and which individual characteristics influence the intention of this act professional. We also assessed whether there was flexibility in the choice of accounting practices brought about by the convergence of international accounting standards. The results corroborate the model shown in Cressey in that it suggested that the proposed scenarios accounting professionals would take advantage of a moment of exchanging the firm to make adjustments that will benefit the Company's results (Opportunity), trying to justify this procedure because it is a common practice in the market (Rationalization), trying to turn something into something unethical acceptable. It was verified that the variables act of judgment and severity of the act were also statistically significant in relation to the intention to act the accounting professional. Have the flexibility not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]