This study synthesizes what is known about time-to-impact in quality improvement (QI) and transformation initiatives and, drawing on a large body of High Performance Organization (HPO) transformation cases, identifies which factors delay or accelerate impact and which organizational practices shorten benefit lead-times. It combines a structured synthesis of academic studies addressing impact, time-to-impact, timing evidence, and associated factors/practices with a case-survey of 54 documented HPO transformation cases that were systematically coded using a common framework. Factors and practices are prioritized based on their recurrence across cases, after which the resulting empirical patterns are mapped back to literature-based categories to assess convergence and divergence. Across the HPO cases, the most recurrent sources of delay are weak change communication and dialogue, weak follow-up and accountability, inconsistent leadership attention, and limited transparency in performance measurement and reporting. The most recurrent accelerators are strong communication and knowledge sharing, a tight review cadence with closed feedback loops, transparent measurement and reporting, and cross-unit collaboration. The most frequently reported time-to-impact reduction practices include institutionalizing a recurring communication-and-review cadence, increasing measurement transparency, clarifying leadership roles and accountabilities, and creating structured dialogue channels supported by internal coaches or champions. Overall, the findings overlap substantially with the literature, but differ in emphasis, and the study positions time-to-impact as a distinct dimension of improvement effectiveness while offering an evidence-informed, prioritized set of practical levers grounded in both research and cross-case practice.

This study investigates how effectively European Union Member States transform circular economy (CE) practices into social well-being, addressing a critical but underexplored dimension of circular transition research. While existing CE assessments primarily emphasize material flows, recycling performance, and resource productivity, far less is known about how circularity contributes to consumer-relevant and inclusive social outcomes. Using an output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) framework under variable returns to scale, the study evaluates the social efficiency of CE across 27 EU countries, drawing on indicators of circular material use, material intensity, international recycling flows, self-perceived health, social inclusion, and real income. The results reveal substantial heterogeneity in social efficiency, showing that higher levels of circular activity do not automatically translate into stronger well-being outcomes for consumers. Countries such as Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Spain achieve full efficiency, indicating effective alignment between circularity practices, welfare structures, and socially inclusive outcomes. Conversely, several countries operate under decreasing returns to scale, suggesting that CE initiatives may dilute social effects and generate uneven distributional outcomes when implemented beyond their optimal capacity. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of policy coherence, institutional capability, and consumer-oriented governance in ensuring that circular economy strategies deliver inclusive and socially sustainable benefits.

This paper explores the association between supplier management orientation (SMO), information integration (II), organizational culture (OC) and supplier delivery performance (SDP). A systematic questionnaire survey was employed to gather cross-sectional data from 403 manufacturing firms in Uganda's Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area were analyzed using SmartPLS 4. The study shows a full mediating role of OC in the relationship between SMO, II and SDP. A positively significant relationship was established between II and OC, and between OC and SDP. Also, the relationship between SMO and OC was positively significant. Whereas the effect of SMO, II, OC on SDP is significant, related literature remains limited. This signifies a deficiency in the current literature that necessitates additional research to investigate other external factors that substantially impact SDP. Managers need to nurture cultural qualities, like teamwork, openness, and responsiveness, that enhance employees to effectively interpret information and act in a coordinated manner. This study extends the Resource-Based View Theory to the SDP domain, by drawing insights on the mediating role of OC in the relationship between SMO and SDP.

Sugarcane must be harvested at the time of maturity, known as the Period of Industrial Utilization (PIU). The PIU analysis is expensive and is performed in a laboratory by measuring an index defined as Total Recoverable Sugar (TRS). The fact is that harvesting is the most expensive stage in sugarcane production and decision-making in this segment depends on TRS level estimates. However, forecasting models aimed at replacing laboratory analyses do not meet the reality regarding the estimation of the TRS index. There is a great demand for tools capable of estimating the index and/or the factors that affect TRS. In this context, this article presents a case study whose objective is to apply statistical models to estimate the TRS index in the sugarcane production of a mill in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. Variance Analysis (ANOVA) with one classification and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models are applied by using Minitab®. These models are based on covariates related to the TRS index to estimate the productivity of 48,151 plots from the 2016/2017 to the 2022/2023 harvests. It is shown that the adjusted models identify the most important covariates (5% significance level) that affect productivity and the TRS index. The accuracy is satisfactory for all covariates of the adjusted MLR model and for the coefficients that measure the proportion of data variability for productivity (76%) and the TRS index (55%). This article brings important contributions to the sugar and ethanol industries worldwide and in Brazil.

This study investigates the dynamics of relative technical efficiency across Angolan universities from 2017 to 2022, aiming to establish operational benchmarks and support strategic decision-making in higher education. Data were collected from eighteen officially recognized public and private institutions using annual statistical reports published by MESCTI. The methodology relies on non-parametric intertemporal models, specifically DEA-VRS and Window DEA, which capture performance variations across consecutive time windows. Results include efficiency scores per institution and time frame, input and output slacks required to achieve technical efficiency, and identification of reference peers for benchmarking purposes. Findings reveal a consistently declining trend in average efficiency over the period, with UCC being the most frequently referenced unit. Critical variables such as enrollment and course offerings underscore the need for diversification and alignment with labor market demands. Estimated slacks offer actionable insights for policy and cost optimization. As a methodological extension, the study proposes investigating the relationship between variable-level inefficiencies (SBM) and global efficiency scores (CRS) to better understand interwindow performance trajectories.