scholarly journals Making a difference: Doing leadership research that matters

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (03) ◽  
pp. 364-369
Author(s):  
Dennis Tourish

AbstractLeadership research largely ignores the really big issues facing our species, such as climate change, the now rapid growth of new technologies that are already transforming the world of work, and the possibility that an insufficiently reformed banking system will inflict a worse crisis on us than it did in 2008. We also have a proliferation of leadership constructs that often look remarkably like those they are trying to replace. There is much heat but little illumination. The dominant methodologies that the field employs are part of a wider crisis in management studies where many of our claimed results are invalid and/or unreliable, unreproducible and offer little guidance for practice. I conclude that radical changes are needed if we are to play a serious role in improving the world in which we live. Let's take Ken Parry's lead, and make a difference.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naseer Ahmed Abbasi ◽  
Xiangzhou Xu

<p><strong>Abstracts:</strong> Influenced by global climate change, water shortages and other extreme weather, water scarcity in the world is an alarming sign. This article provides evidences regarding the Tunnel and Tianhe project’s feasibility and their technical, financial, political, socioeconomic and environmental aspects. Such as how to utilize the water vapour in the air and to build a 1000 km long tunnel project to fulfill the goal of solving water shortage in China. The projects are promising to solve the problem of water, food and drought in the country. In addition, the telecoupling framework helps to effectively understand and manage ecosystem services, as well as the different challenges associated with them. Such efforts can help find the ways for proper utilization of water resources and means of regulation.</p><p><strong>Key words: </strong>Sustainability; water shortage; transfer project</p>


Author(s):  
Tim Mulgan

Consequentialist morality is about making the world a better place—by promoting value and producing valuable outcomes. Consequentialist ethics competes with non-consequentialist alternatives where values are to be honored or instantiated rather than promoted and/or where morality is based on rules, virtues, or rights rather than values. Consequentialism’s main rivals in intergenerational ethics are contract-based theories. This chapter first argues that consequentialism has significant comparative advantages over its contract-based rivals, especially in relation to non-identity, the absence of reciprocity, and the need for flexibility and radical critique. These advantages outweigh the challenges facing any consequentialist intergenerational ethics—including cluelessness, counterintuitive demands, and puzzles of aggregation. The chapter then explores many varieties of contemporary consequentialism, arguing that the best consequentialist approach to intergenerational justice is agnostic, moderate, collective consequentialism. Different possible futures—including futures broken by climate change or transformed by new technologies—present new ethical challenges that consequentialism has the flexibility to address. Collective consequentialism can also resolve long-standing debates about the aggregation of well-being. The chapter ends by asking how consequentialist intergenerational ethics might evaluate threats of human extinction, incorporate the value of nonhuman nature, and motivate its potentially extreme demands.


Author(s):  
William M Alley ◽  
Rosemarie Alley

Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for half of the world’s population and is critical for global food security. Simultaneously, groundwater provides enormous environmental benefits by sustaining rivers, lakes, and wetlands, especially during droughts. A growing global population, widespread use of industrial chemicals, and climate change now threaten this vital resource. Groundwater depletion and contamination has spread from isolated areas to many countries throughout the world. Groundwater is shared among many users and effective groundwater governance is hard to achieve. Solutions require active community engagement and collaboration of diverse stakeholders. External pressure is usually also required to achieve necessary changes and accountability. Groundwater depletion and contamination are prime examples of how many of the world’s most pressing environmental problems require cooperation and collective action. Drawing on examples from around the world, this book examines groundwater from key scientific and socioeconomic perspectives. Major themes woven throughout the book are: (1) the importance of integrating groundwater into overall water and land management, (2) how to achieve sustainable long-term yields from aquifers, (3) protection of groundwater quality, (4) groundwater and surface water as a single resource, (5) preservation of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, (6) measures to address the delayed effects of groundwater pumping, and (7) the role of groundwater in the face of climate change. While addressing the serious nature of groundwater problems, the book includes stories of people who are making a difference in protecting this critical resource.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 122-133
Author(s):  
Bogusław Wojtyszyn

Abstract The article concerns urban spaces highly responsible for climate change in the country, Europe, and the world. This topic is now of major importance because it reflects on every citizen of Europe and the world in that we all confront the necessity of climate protection and adaptation also in law, to climate change in urban areas. It is associated with a radical change of lifestyle in the world’s cities, mainly in terms of energy consumption and its methods of production. The research results presented in the article indicate the need to adapt current methods for slowing down adverse climate change into functional and spatial systems of urban development and their economic, legal, and social conditions affecting the pace of implementation of new technologies for climate-friendly sources such as low-carbon, energy-saving, and renewable energy. Attention was also paid to the possibility of ecological revitalization of the existing urban structure of buildings, among other things, in order to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions adversely affecting the climate. On the other hand, modern ideas for an Eco-City and solutions for a Green-City and Solar-City, presented in the article, implemented through sustainable development in the field of planning activities and energy management methods, can be additional indicators of the direction of sustainable development for Polish cities for climate protection and adaptation to its changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isak Karabegović

It is well-known that, in the past decades, the burning of fossil fuels was identified as the major cause of climate change. Climate change mitigation is becoming a central concern of global society. Limiting global warming to below 2 °C above the temperature of the pre-industrial period is the key to preserving global ecosystems and providing a secure basis for human activities, as well as reducing excessive environmental change. The ambitions increased at an accelerated pace with a dramatic expansion of net zero-emission targets. Increasing pressure from citizens and society has forced countries to intensify their climate plans, while the private sector has bought a record amount of renewable energy. An energy system based on fossil fuels must be replaced by renewable energy with low carbon emissions with improved energy efficiency. That applies to all consumers of fossil energy: cities, villages, building sectors, industry, transport, agriculture, and forestry. The paper explores and presents the strategy of energy development of renewable energy sources in the world. The application of new technologies that have led to developing renewable energy sources is presented in detail: wind energy, solar energy, small hydropower plants, biomass, and their increase in the total share of energy production, i.e., reduced fossil fuel use in energy production. Investments in new technologies used in renewable energy sources have led to increases in employment worldwide. Analysis of the trend of increased energy production from RES (Renewable Energy Sources) with investment plans, the employment rate for each energy source, and the development of renewable energy sources in the coming period are provided.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Peno

Over the last few years offshore wind industry has become a key contributor to the transformation of the world energy sources. This transformation is driven not only by the increased demand of energy coming from emerging countries but also by the increased awareness about climate change. To keep on developing this industry, offshore wind farms are now moving further from shore and into deeper water. In addition, to fight back against other energy sources, an outstanding effort is requested to the whole supply chain, including vessels serving this industry, to reduce costs. This paper will explain how the development of new technologies certainly helps to solve the complex equation that the offshore wind industry is facing today. In addition, this paper will describe how classification societies support these developments by providing a constructive regulatory scope to ensure that this innovative vessels can meet this challenge without compromising on safety and while reducing their environmental impact.


Author(s):  
Md. Mahfuzar Rahman Chowdhury

Environmental problems are enormous around the world and threaten the global environment. In most cases, these problems are caused by rapid growth of population and poverty. Climate change and sustainable development are inter-linked and are priority issues in the development continuum. Any adverse impact on the environment and biodiversity can cause the restriction of resources and limit available options. Concerted efforts of all the states can bring positive result to address the effects of climate change. Compliance with the treaty provision and sharing of resources and actions among the states can ensure proper utilization of resources and sustainable development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-53
Author(s):  
Camillo Giliberto ◽  

The World Bank data confirm that the recovery scenario will be different depending on the type of nation, the fundamentals of its economy, etc.. The Bank of Italy expects a growth of more than 4% for Italy at the end of 2021. The Italian banking system has shown great flexibility in dealing with the coronavirus emergency, taking a completely different form from the last in 2008 recession, when credit institutions were part of the problem. With their new social role, today in fact they are leading players. The health of the banking sector has also changed compared to 2008, with a stronger capital position, underlying the substantial resilience of the ecosystem and a more advanced expertise in NPL management. The role of the banks operating in Italy has been and will be to support firms, households and the growth of the economy with the sound and prudent distribution of credit, the offer of modern and efficient payment services thanks also to new technologies, business advice to companies for the development and internationalization. A clear evolution is opening up for banks in post-Covid towards digital business with a growing commitment in terms of investments in information technology.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1049-1065
Author(s):  
Md. Mahfuzar Rahman Chowdhury

Environmental problems are enormous around the world and threaten the global environment. In most cases, these problems are caused by rapid growth of population and poverty. Climate change and sustainable development are inter-linked and are priority issues in the development continuum. Any adverse impact on the environment and biodiversity can cause the restriction of resources and limit available options. Concerted efforts of all the states can bring positive result to address the effects of climate change. Compliance with the treaty provision and sharing of resources and actions among the states can ensure proper utilization of resources and sustainable development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-33
Author(s):  
Madison Powers

The coming decades will present an immense challenge for the planet: sustainably feeding nearly ten billion people that are expected to be alive by 2050. This is no small task, and one that intersects with climate change, geopolitics, the increased globalization of agricultural markets, and the emergence of new technologies. The world faces a challenge of increased demand, propelled by an expanding world population and a global shift in dietary patterns toward more resource-intensive foods. Moreover, changes in demand occur in the context of declining soil fertility and freshwater availability, agriculture's growing contribution to water pollution and climate change, and the emerging threats to agricultural productivity caused by climate disruption.


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