scholarly journals Factors Influencing Engineers’ Attitude towards Environmental Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 04003
Author(s):  
Siti Nur Fazillah Mohd Fauzi ◽  
Nor’Aini Yusof ◽  
Hanizam Awang ◽  
Mohd Nurfadzli Mat Nah

Engineers have a vital role in addressing environmental degradation in construction projects. Therefore, engineers’ positive attitude towards the environment is important to ensure that construction projects are carried out responsibly. The objective of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence engineers’ attitude towards green practice. Six factors; Knowledge, Self-initiative, Firm Support, Government Support, Board of Engineers Support and Client Attributes were assumed to influence the engineers’ attitude towards green practice. A self-administered survey with 37 items was distributed to engineering firms in Peninsular Malaysia and 128 usable responses were received. The results show a moderate relationship with 32 percent of the variances in the relationship between the six factors and engineers’ attitude. The results reveal that self-initiative and government support have a significant and positive impact on the engineers’ attitude towards green practice with the higher effect coming from the support from the government (f2 = 0.210) as compared to self-initiative (f2 = 0.058). In contrast, the results provide insufficient evidence about the relationship between Knowledge, Firm Support, Board of engineers Support and Client Attributes and engineers’ attitude towards green practice. The results serve as a guide to the policy makers and engineers to ensure responsible attitude can be adopted towards the environment.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Innocent Otache ◽  
Obal Usang Edet Usang

PurposeDrawing on the dynamic capabilities theory, the purpose of this study is to empirically explore the moderating role of government support (GS) in the relationship between innovation capability (IC) and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance in times of economic crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a descriptive research design and collected data from 234 SMEs drawn from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria using a self-reported questionnaire. PLS-SEM was performed to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that IC was positively associated with SME performance. Further analysis indicated that GS had a strong positive impact on SME performance and positively moderated the relationship between IC and SME performance.Originality/valueThere is a paucity of studies that specifically explore the moderating role of GS in the relationship between IC and SME performance. This study contributes to the literature on SMEs by demonstrating the moderating effect of GS on the relationship between IC and SME performance in times of economic crisis. The study offers valuable insights into the vital role played by IC and GS in times of economic crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2202
Author(s):  
Amalka Nawarathna ◽  
Muditha Siriwardana ◽  
Zaid Alwan

The choice of materials is crucial in responding to the increasing embodied carbon (EC) impacts of buildings. Building professionals involved in material selection for construction projects have a vital role to play in this regard. This paper aimed to explore the extent to which building professionals in Sri Lanka considered EC as a material selection criterion. A questionnaire survey was conducted among a sample of building professionals in Sri Lanka. The results indicated that the consideration of EC as a material selection criterion remained low among key professionals, such as architects, engineers, and sustainability managers, despite their reasonable influencing powers and knowledge of EC. Those respondents who had considered EC as a selection criterion said they had been primarily driven by green building rating systems and previous experience. Those respondents who had not considered EC during material selection commonly reported that they had been prevented from doing so by the lack of regulations and the lack of alternative low carbon materials. Respondents believed that the involvement of actors, such as the government, professional bodies, environmental organizations, activist groups, and the public, may be significant in promoting the greater consideration of EC during material selection.


2010 ◽  
Vol 213 ◽  
pp. F13-F18 ◽  

Government fiscal positions in all the advanced economies suffered severe deteriorations during the financial crisis. Figure 1 illustrates the cumulative deterioration of the government budget ratio as a per cent of GDP between 2007 and 2009 in a selection of OECD economies. The sharpest declines materialised in Ireland, Spain and Finland, while public finances in Austria, Germany and Italy have held up better. Budget deficits have worsened in part because of the cyclical downturn, in part because of the policy response to the crisis, including both fiscal stimulus packages and certain fiscal costs related to government support of financial institutions, and in part because of a change in the relationship between revenue and production, which may prove longer-term.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahzad Hussain ◽  
Tanveer Ahmad ◽  
Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad

Abstract We examine the relationship between financial inclusion and carbon emissions. For this purpose, we develop a composite indicator of financial inclusion based on a broad set of attributes through principal component analysis (PCA) for 26 countries in the Asia region. Our robust panel regression analysis reveals a significant positive long-term impact of financial inclusion on carbon emissions. The pairwise causality test reveals unidirectional long-term causality running from financial inclusion to carbon emissions. The study suggests that policy makers may design policies that integrate accessible financial systems into climate change adaptation strategies in order to neutralize the side effect of financial inclusion deteriorating environmental quality and inclusive sustainable economic growth. JEL ClassificationO16; O44, Q54


1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
G. F. Waters

AbstractThere has been a long history, nearly 50 years, of support by the government for farming in the upland areas and the modern schemes continue the essential features of support that have been developed over the years. However the justification for the support has changed with time, from maximizing production to more social issues. It is now being recognized that the hill farmer's efforts have helped create and maintain one of our most attractive national assets and it is this environmental benefit which increasingly provides much of the justification for continued public support for hill farming. So the government's policies are important in two respects: the vital rôle of economic support and the encouragement of farmers to manage their land with greater concern for the environment.On the economic front, one of the most important ways that support is provided to upland farming is through HLCAs. Also vitally important are the EC sheepmeat regime and the changes made to that regime and the EC beef regime in the recent CAP reform settlement.The government's encouragement of farmers to manage their land with greater concern for the environment is increasing in importance and there are a number of ways in which this encouragement is delivered. The government has built on the success of Environmentally Sensitive Areas. As well as ESAs, there are other schemes available to farmers such as the Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme. In addition, an opportunity to develop a coherent framework for the delivery of a number of environmental schemes has presented itself as a result of the CAP reform. However, Government support should not be thought of as the only source of extra income for hill farmers. The farmer and the farmer's family should use every opportunity open to them to maximize their income.


2013 ◽  
pp. 1901-1912
Author(s):  
Lilik B. Prasetyo ◽  
Chandra Irawadi Wijaya ◽  
Yudi Setiawan

Java is very densely populated since it is inhabited by more than 60% of the total population of Indonesia. Based on data from the Ministry of Forestry, forest loss between 2000-2005 in Java was about 800,000 hectares. Regardless of the debate on whether the different methodologies of forest inventory applied in 2005 have resulted in an underestimation of the figure of forest loss or not, the decrease of forest cover in Java is obvious and needs immediate response. Spatial modeling of the deforestation will assist the policy makers in understanding this process and in taking it into consideration, when decisions are made on the issue. Moreover, the results can be used as data input to solve environmental problems resulting from deforestation. The authors of this chapter modeled the deforestation in Java by using logistic regression. Percentage of deforested area was considered as the response variable, whilst biophysical and socioeconomic factors, that explain the current spatial pattern in deforestation, were assigned as explanatory variables. Furthermore, the authors predicted the future deforestation process, and then, for the case of Java, it was validated with the actual deforestation derived from MODIS satellite imageries from 2000 to 2008. Results of the study showed that the impacts of population density, road density, and slope are significant. Population density and road density have negative impacts on deforestation, while slope has positive impact. Deforestation on Java Island tends to occur in remote areas with limited access, low density population and relatively steep slopes. Implication of the model is that the government should pay more attention to remote rural areas and develop good access to accelerate and create alternative non agricultural jobs in order to reduce pressure on the forest.


Author(s):  
Lilik B. Prasetyo ◽  
Chandra Irawadi Wijaya ◽  
Yudi Setiawan

Java is very densely populated since it is inhabited by more than 60% of the total population of Indonesia. Based on data from the Ministry of Forestry, forest loss between 2000-2005 in Java was about 800,000 hectares. Regardless of the debate on whether the different methodologies of forest inventory applied in 2005 have resulted in an underestimation of the figure of forest loss or not, the decrease of forest cover in Java is obvious and needs immediate response. Spatial modeling of the deforestation will assist the policy makers in understanding this process and in taking it into consideration, when decisions are made on the issue. Moreover, the results can be used as data input to solve environmental problems resulting from deforestation. The authors of this chapter modeled the deforestation in Java by using logistic regression. Percentage of deforested area was considered as the response variable, whilst biophysical and socioeconomic factors, that explain the current spatial pattern in deforestation, were assigned as explanatory variables. Furthermore, the authors predicted the future deforestation process, and then, for the case of Java, it was validated with the actual deforestation derived from MODIS satellite imageries from 2000 to 2008. Results of the study showed that the impacts of population density, road density, and slope are significant. Population density and road density have negative impacts on deforestation, while slope has positive impact. Deforestation on Java Island tends to occur in remote areas with limited access, low density population and relatively steep slopes. Implication of the model is that the government should pay more attention to remote rural areas and develop good access to accelerate and create alternative non agricultural jobs in order to reduce pressure on the forest.


2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurav Dixit ◽  
Kinshuk Saurabh

Performance of a construction project could be influenced by a number of attributes, especially large and complex projects lay additional focus on the success / failure attributes, because of the intensive amount of money invested, a high degree of uncertainty, the complexity of personnel’s required, a multiplicity of goals and problems in coordination between different stakeholders encountered. In this research paper, the author intended to define and examine the relationship and impact of construction productivity (CP) over construction project performance (CPP). The author tests the proposition that there is a positive relationship/impact between both of them. And to test the effect of factors is affecting CP on CPP and to propose a conceptual model on the basis of the analysis. To validate the mathematical validity of factor analysis, Spearman correlation analysis has been performed on the factors. And to check the reliability of all the factors using reliability analysis, and finally test the hypothesis that construction productivity is having a positive impact on project performance using one sample t-test. The findings of the study concluded that there is a positive impact of construction productivity on project performance in Indian construction projects. This paper attempts to identify the relationship between CP and CPP and recommends the framework for the industry to grow sustainably and deliver projects successfully. This study is conducted using a structured questionnaire survey in India and to validate the results of the study similar kind of study is required to be conducted in the other regions of the country to have more reliable findings."This paper is the revised version of the paper that has been published in the proceedings of the Creative Construction Conference 2018: Dixit, S., Mandal, S. N., Thanikal, J. V, & Saurabh, K. (2018). Construction Productivity and Construction Project Performance in Indian Construction Projects, m(July), 379–386. https://doi.org/10.3311/CCC2018-050".


Author(s):  
Jayoung James Goo ◽  
Joo-Yeun Heo

As the fintech industry grows around the world, regulatory issues continue to be a hot topic within the industry. To overcome regulatory barriers of the fintech industry, regulatory sandboxes have been adopted. The regulatory sandboxes are beneficial to create a fintech ecosystem, but their effectiveness has not been empirically supported. This study aims to find the expected effects of regulatory sandboxes on fintech venture investments empirically. We conducted an analysis using a country-level comparative research method. To analyze it, we selected nine forerunning countries which have initially adopted regulatory sandboxes. For the purpose of validations, a comparative analysis and a regression analysis were conducted. In the results, we found that the adoption of regulatory sandboxes had very positive influences on the growth of the fintech venture investment. The results implied that regulatory sandboxes may play a vital role in increasing the influx of venture capital into the fintech venture ecosystem by removing regulatory uncertainty. The findings of this research contribute to providing the empirical evidences to policy makers in interpretations of the positive impact of regulatory sandboxes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 372-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gitana Dudzevičiūtė ◽  
Agnė Šimelytė ◽  
Aušra Liučvaitienė

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide more reliable estimates of the relationship between government spending and economic growth in the European Union (EU) during the period of 1995-2015. Design/methodology/approach The methodology consisted of several different stages. In the first stage for an assessment of dynamics of government spending and economic growth indicators over two decades, descriptive statistics analysis was employed. Correlation analysis helped to identify the relationships between government expenditures (GEs) and economic growth. In the third stage, for modeling the relationship and the estimation of causality between GE and economic growth, Granger causality testing was applied. Findings The research indicated that eight EU countries have a significant relationship between government spending and economic growth. Research limitations/implications This study has been bounded by general GE and economic growth only. The breakdowns of general GE on the basis of the activities they support have not been considered in this paper, which is the main limitation of the research. Despite the limitation, it might be maintained that the research highlights key relationships in the EU countries. Originality/value These insights might be useful for policy makers. In countries with unidirectional causality running from GE to economic growth, the government can employ expenditure as a factor for growth. The governments should ensure that resources are properly managed and efficiently allocated to accelerate economic growth in the countries with unidirectional causality from GDP to GE.


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