scholarly journals DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 2089-2098
Author(s):  
T. Montecchi ◽  
N. Becattini

AbstractThe article stems from the main informative gaps of Design for Sustainable Behaviour and discusses the paramount role of a data-driven approach to inform design. The article stresses how quantitative data can address global sustainability, determine behaviours to modify, measure the impact of new learned sustainable behaviours as well as support the definition of behaviour change strategies, widening the spatial and temporal scales to communities and longitudinal studies and reducing unpredictable biases coming from tacit knowledge externalization and interpretation.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R. Rodrigues ◽  
Manoj Gurung ◽  
Zhipeng Li ◽  
Manuel García-Jaramillo ◽  
Renee Greer ◽  
...  

AbstractWestern diet (WD) is one of the major culprits of metabolic disease including type 2 diabetes (T2D) with gut microbiota playing an important role in modulating effects of the diet. Herein, we use a data-driven approach (Transkingdom Network analysis) to model host-microbiome interactions under WD to infer which members of microbiota contribute to the altered host metabolism. Interrogation of this network pointed to taxa with potential beneficial or harmful effects on host’s metabolism. We then validate the functional role of the predicted bacteria in regulating metabolism and show that they act via different host pathways. Our gene expression and electron microscopy studies show that two species from Lactobacillus genus act upon mitochondria in the liver leading to the improvement of lipid metabolism. Metabolomics analyses revealed that reduced glutathione may mediate these effects. Our study identifies potential probiotic strains for T2D and provides important insights into mechanisms of their action.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Nina Gorenc

The research behind this paper is set in the context of the 2016 US presidential election that has come to symbolize the post-truth era. We conducted a literature review on the 2016 election, with the aim to better understand the impact of computational propaganda on the election outcome and on the behaviour of voters. The paper opens with a definition of post-truth society and related concepts such as fake news and computational propaganda. It explores the changes of political communication in a digital environment and analyses the role of social media in the 2016 election. It probes into phenomena such as the trivialization of politics and the loss of credibility of political actors, which are both common in post-truth societies. The reviewed literature seems to indicate that social media have become strong actors on the political stage, but so far not the predominant source of political information and influence on the behaviour of voters. The paper makes two important contributions. Firstly, drawing on the concept of post-truth society, it analyses the role of computational propaganda in the 2016 presidential election, and secondly, it attempts to explain the paradox of general political apathy on one hand, and increased political activism on the other. These are some of the challenges we are now facing, and in order to be able to cope with them it is important to acknowledge and understand them.


Author(s):  
Viktoriia Bondarenko ◽  
Viktoriia Vasiuta ◽  
Kateryna Pisarenko

The article deals with the question of the influence of marketing communications on consumer behavior. Today, in order to increase sales, it is no longer enough for companies to just improve their product or service, improve its quality. Among all marketing tools, marketing communications play a special role. The relevance of the topic is due to the need for a theoretical substantiation of the influence of the marketing communication environment on consumer behavior. The purpose of the article is to study the role of marketing communications and their impact on consumer behavior. As a result of this study, the role of marketing communications in the formation of consumer behavior has been substantiated from the standpoint of the main theories and concepts that form the subject areas of marketing communications research. The effectiveness of marketing policy depends on the correct choice of communication tools. The tools of the communication complex are highlighted and characterized. It has been proved that marketing communications influence the formation of consumer behavior in three aspects: informational, emotional, and behavioral. The scientific approaches of scientists to the definition of the process of making a consumer’s decision to purchase are analyzed. The stages of the consumer’s decision-making process to purchase a product are highlighted. Today, integrated marketing communications are considered more effective. They represent the most complete marketing communications system that includes all elements from advertising to packaging. Special attention is paid to the issue of the effectiveness of the impact of marketing communications on consumer behavior. The sequence of determining the effectiveness of the impact of marketing communications on consumer behavior is indicated. It is noted that for effective promotion of goods, only the informational component of communications is not enough. When developing a marketing communications system, it is necessary to take into account personal values. This will increase the degree of influence on consumer behavior. The main goal of marketing communications is to motivate consumer behavior. The use of modern marketing communications through a variety of means can increase the effectiveness of influencing consumer behavior.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-332
Author(s):  
Agata Klimczak-Pawlak

Pragmatic competence in L2 English is claimed here to be crucial for successful communication in a variety of communicative contexts across Europe. However, due to language background, cultural and identity differences among users of English, there is a need for reflection and data-driven examination of how the language is used in specific situations. This paper adopts a cross-cultural perspective on the study of the use of English in the European Union with focus on its role in tourism. The role of English as the language of communication in Europe is discussed, followed by a proposal as to the way in which its actual usage can be studied. The data-driven approach to pragmatic behavior is advocated as the basis for the development of pragmatic competence in learners of English with focus on those who wish to engage in tourism.


Tábula ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Amutio Gómez

La orientación al dato en el contexto de la transformación digital lleva aparejada la aparición de nuevas regulaciones, dinámicas de gobernanza y roles, y servicios, junto con las correspondientes prácticas, instrumentos y estándares. A la vez se suscitan retos en relación con la ciberseguridad y la preservación de los datos. En este artículo se exponen la transformación digital y la orientación al dato, la proyección de lo anterior en la administración digital, el contexto de la Unión Europea, trayectoria y su orientación, aspectos de la interoperabilidad, ciberseguridad y preservación de los datos, cuestiones de gobernanza y roles en la orientación al dato y, finalmente, unas conclusiones. The data-driven approach in the context of digital transformation entails the appearance of new regulations, governance dynamics and roles, and services, together with the corresponding practices, instruments and standards. At the same time new challenges appear in relation to cybersecurity and data preservation. This article presents the digital transformation and data-driven approach, the impact in digital administration, the context of the European Union, trajectory and orientation towards the future, along with aspects of interoperability, cybersecurity and data preservation, as well as issues of governance and roles in data orientation and finally some conclusions.


Author(s):  
Alison Body

In chapter 6 we explore the impact of commissioning and policy changes on early intervention and preventative services for children delivered by the charitable sector. The definition of early intervention and preventative services is highly contested and politicised within policy and commissioning processes. This reflects an ongoing debate regarding the shifting paradigm of prevention. As the commissioning narrative has developed, there has been an overall disengagement between the voluntary sector providers and State. As the charitable sector is increasingly exposed to intensifying marketization, polarisation of relationships increases. We identify here three ‘types’ of organisational responses to this ever-changing environments; conformers – those charities who align themselves close to the State and regularly reinterpret their mission to fit State logic; the outliers – those charities which reject State approaches to early intervention and seek to deliver services completely independently of the State; and the intermediaries – those charities which walk between conformity and dissent, working with the State when necessary or too their advantage, and walking away when not. We discuss how these types fundamentally alter children’s charities perspectives and experiences of commissioning and the impact this has on their wider work.


Author(s):  
Sajad Jamshidi ◽  
Maryam Baniasad ◽  
Dev Niyogi

Prior evaluations of the relationship between COVID-19 and weather indicate an inconsistent role of meteorology (weather) in the transmission rate. While some effects due to weather may exist, we found possible misconceptions and biases in the analysis that only consider the impact of meteorological variables alone without considering the urban metabolism and environment. This study highlights that COVID-19 assessments can notably benefit by incorporating factors that account for urban dynamics and environmental exposure. We evaluated the role of weather (considering equivalent temperature that combines the effect of humidity and air temperature) with particular consideration of urban density, mobility, homestay, demographic information, and mask use within communities. Our findings highlighted the importance of considering spatial and temporal scales for interpreting the weather/climate impact on the COVID-19 spread and spatiotemporal lags between the causal processes and effects. On global to regional scales, we found contradictory relationships between weather and the transmission rate, confounded by decentralized policies, weather variability, and the onset of screening for COVID-19, highlighting an unlikely impact of weather alone. At a finer spatial scale, the mobility index (with the relative importance of 34.32%) was found to be the highest contributing factor to the COVID-19 pandemic growth, followed by homestay (26.14%), population (23.86%), and urban density (13.03%). The weather by itself was identified as a noninfluential factor (relative importance < 3%). The findings highlight that the relation between COVID-19 and meteorology needs to consider scale, urban density and mobility areas to improve predictions.


Author(s):  
David Murillo

The current academic debate on the sharing economy (SE) seems to embrace three main discussions: its definition, its effects, and the role of regulation. A neglected topic here seems to be analyzing the specific implications of the changing nature of these firms boosted by private equity and venture capital. As the author points out, we need to analyze not only the impact of a changing business model but, specifically, how stakeholders, cities, and regulators should approach this moving target now called SE. In the following sections the author departs from a traditional definition of the sharing economy to start building the case for treating the SE at large as an epiphenomenon of the platform economy, and as a temporary condition based on a moveable business model. The chapter closes by introducing the regulatory hurdles that come associated with the previous and mapping out its different futures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 250 ◽  
pp. R47-R53
Author(s):  
Tim Besley ◽  
Richard Davies

Executive SummaryAlongside the challenge of maintaining economic competitiveness in the face of great uncertainty, Brexit brings an opportunity for the government to set out a new industrial strategy. The case for doing so rests on the need to address areas of persistent structural weakness in the UK economy, including low productivity. But it is important that any new industrial strategy be based on appropriately granular data reflecting the real structure of the UK corporate sector: the overwhelmingly preponderant role of services as opposed to manufacturing, for example; the importance of young, fast-growing firms as opposed to SMEs; the relatively high failure rate of companies in the UK; and the relative lack of successful mid-sized firms. Such a data-driven approach might spawn an industrial strategy quite different from the piecemeal programmes of recent years.Internationally, the UK is a laggard in this area, and the recently-created Industrial Strategy Council does not look strong enough to change that position. To move forward, the government needs to make industrial strategy a central plank of economic policy, embedded at the heart of the administration with its own staff and funding, and operations based on a comprehensive review of the economic contribution and potential of various types of firm. Needless to say, it cannot be a substitute for a continuing commitment to competition and markets, or a stalking horse for protectionism: interventions should be justified by carefully-argued market failure arguments, be time-limited, and transparently evaluated.


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