https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/529 2026-07-13T21:08:14Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8502 Title: A institucionalização da Economia Circular na cadeia produtiva do vestuário no oeste do Paraná Autor: Mecês, Elaine Cristina Dantas Peixoto Primeiro orientador: Santos, Manoela Silveira dos Abstract: The Circular Economy is a model that redefines the concept of waste, maintaining the value of materials after their first use and promoting a continuous cycle of production, consumption, and recycling. With the growth in clothing consumption driven by e-commerce and fast fashion, significant challenges arise for waste management and closing the product life cycle. The Circular Economy presents itself as a solution, encouraging the use of sustainable raw materials and the adoption of production methods and technologies that minimize environmental impacts and promote sustainable development. From the perspective of Institutional Theory, it is possible to evaluate this paradigm with a deeper understanding of organizational and institutional environments, by responding to institutional pressures and enabling institutional legitimation. In this sense, this dissertation aims to analyze the stage of institutionalization of the Circular Economy in the clothing production chain in the Western Region of Paraná, based on the perception of different links in the chain. This study is justified by the importance of the sector in the region and aims to strengthen it by providing clarity on Circular Economy practices, challenges, and opportunities, improving the integration of the production chain, and strengthening existing links, promoting more sustainable economic development. In addition to offering a theoretical contribution, deepening the understanding of the institutionalization of the Circular Economy from the perspective of Institutional Theory, by articulating the concepts of legitimacy and the stages of institutionalization, this research allows us to analyze how circular practices emerge, spread, and are incorporated into the clothing production chain, thus expanding the academic debate on the relationship between the Circular Economy and institutionalization. The results reveal that the institutionalization of circularity in the clothing production chain in the Western Region of Paraná is predominantly in the habitualization stage, in which sustainable practices are beginning to be disseminated but still need formal and normative consolidation. It was identified that this process is influenced by regulatory institutional pressures, such as environmental legislation and compliance requirements, by normative pressures resulting from sectoral expectations, certifications, and customer demands, and by cognitive pressures, still incipient, related to the internalization of circular values and habits in organizations. Furthermore, it was found that organizational compliance responses predominate, evidencing a more reactive character in the adoption of the Circular Economy. The combination of these factors highlights the need for greater sectoral coordination, strengthening of public policies, and expansion of cooperation mechanisms capable of driving progress toward the objectification and consolidation of circular practices, contributing to a consistent transition toward more sustainable development. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Dissertação 2025-09-25T00:00:00Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8500 Title: IA como diferencial competitivo: Uma análise da influência de Tecnologias na Tomada de decisão em Cooperativas. Autor: Veiss, Rodrigo Primeiro orientador: Rojo, Claudio Antonio Abstract: Cooperativism in Western Paraná has consolidated itself as one of the pillars of the economic and social development of the region, especially in the agro-industrial sector. However, the rapid advancement of innovations, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), has led organizations to rethink their management and decision-making models. This research sought to investigate how AI can impact cooperative operations, becoming a competitive differentiator in the market. To this end, a case study was conducted using questionnaires applied to employees holding strategic positions in the main cooperatives in the region, resulting in a sample of 68 participants. The methodological approach applied was quantitative, aiming to understand the perceptions, practices, and impacts of AI adoption. The justification for this research lies in the central role of cooperatives in the local economy and the need to keep pace with the exponential growth of AI in the business environment. The results obtained show that cooperatives exhibit low adoption of artificial intelligence due to a lack of technical knowledge and the absence of a structured strategic plan for the implementation of A. As a solution, a framework for the implementation of AI in decision-making in cooperatives was proposed. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Dissertação 2026-02-12T00:00:00Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8499 Title: Fatores que afetam a adoção da agricultura de precisão e sua contribuição para a sustentabilidade na Região Oeste do Paraná. Autor: Guilhen, Helisson Cassio de Souza Primeiro orientador: Silva, Elizandra da Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the factors that affect the adoption of precision agriculture and its contribution to sustainability in the Western Paraná region. Data were collected by administering a Likert-scale questionnaire to 68 farmers in the region. Descriptive statistics and internal consistency assessment were used to analyze the data. The results showed high acceptance of technologies with visible operational effects in the field particularly drones and remote imagery, as well as autosteering and controlled-traffic farming and favorable evaluations of the use of sensors and climate data due to perceived water savings. By contrast, variable-rate systems received moderate support, indicating the need for field demonstrations and usage guidance tailored to local conditions. The main facilitators of adoption were confidence in the data generated by the technologies, the role of cooperatives in facilitating access, and the presence of young people in farm families. The main barriers were the initial cost of acquisition and implementation and insufficient connectivity on farms; fear of labor substitution appeared as only a minor concern. Differences were also observed among questionnaire items, with low internal consistency when aggregated into broad blocks, indicating the multidimensional nature of perceptions. This research may contribute to advancing knowledge on the topic in the region and offers a practical approach with concrete actions such as affordability mechanisms, expansion of rural connectivity, ongoing training and support programs, and demonstration trials amenable to implementation through public policies or targeted cooperative/private initiatives suited to the study context. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Dissertação 2025-09-26T00:00:00Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8495 Title: O flourishing business canvas para modelagem de negócios sustentáveis em startups convencionais e startups de impacto socioambiental do oeste do Paraná Autor: Carvalho, Cristiane Fernanda Primeiro orientador: Lago, Sandra Mara Stocker Abstract: In the face of increasing socio-environmental pressures and the urgency of aligning economic development with planetary boundaries, sustainability has become a structuring dimension of contemporary business models. Startups, due to their innovative and scalable nature, play a strategic role in this process; however, they often operate under market logics that tend to prioritize economic value capture over the systemic integration of social and environmental dimensions, particularly within Brazilian regional ecosystems. An empirical gap remains regarding the comparative application of the Flourishing Business Canvas (FBC) in structuring sustainable business models in conventional startups and those considered to have socio- environmental impact. This research aimed to investigate, from a comparative perspective, how these typologies, located in Western Paraná, structured sustainable business models through the application of the FBC, considering the degree of socio-environmental intentionality as an analytical category. The study adopted a qualitative approach, employing a multiple case study design articulated with action research. Data were collected through an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) diagnosis, structured workshops applying the FBC, and analysis of the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into organizational strategies. The data were examined through content analysis with triangulation. Additionally, a complementary interview was conducted with the co-author of the Flourishing Business Canvas, adopting a qualitative-interpretative approach to deepen the conceptual understanding of the empirical findings. The results indicate that the degree of socio-environmental intentionality influenced the centrality of sustainability within the architecture of business models, distinguishing between peripheral and reactive incorporations and those structurally integrated from the venture’s conception. An expansion in the entrepreneurs’ systemic awareness was observed; however, structural consolidation in the short term was not identified. The study concludes that sustainability in startups depends on strategic intentionality embedded in the logic of value creation, delivery, and capture, with the Flourishing Business Canvas serving as a relevant tool for fostering reflective processes and strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Dissertação 2026-03-16T00:00:00Z