ICT and environmental sustainability in a changing society

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 758-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Taro Lennerfors ◽  
Per Fors ◽  
Jolanda van Rooijen
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Changing Society

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of information and communication technology (ICT) for promoting environmental sustainability in a changing society. Isolated studies exist, but few take a holistic view. Derived from a Marxian tradition, the authors propose Ecological World Systems Theory (WST) as a holistic framework to assess the environmental impact of ICT. The theory is adapted responding to theoretical critiques of absence of change, namely state-centrism and structuralism. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical study. Empirical examples derived from already published literature. Findings – Ecological WST focuses on the unequal distribution of environmental degradation, sees technological development as a zero-sum game rather than cornucopia and holds that technology is often seen as a fetish in today ' s society. The findings are that popular discourses on ICT and sustainability are since the 1990s becoming increasingly cornucopian, while conditions in the ICT value chain are less cornucopian. Research limitations/implications – Theoretical contributions to Marxian critiques of ICT, with more environmental focus than earlier Marxian critiques, for example Fuchs’ work. Develop a theoretical framework for ICT and sustainability which could be compared with works of e.g. Hilty, Patrignani and Whitehouse. The work is mostly based on existing empirical studies, which is a limitation. Practical implications – This theoretical framework implies that unequal environmental degradation in different parts of the world should be taken into account when assessing environmental impact, for example by means of LCA. Social implications – The framework brings together questions of environmental effects of ICT and global justice. Originality/value – The authors apply a rarely discussed theoretical framework to ICT and environmental sustainability. By doing this the authors suggest how the discourses and the value chain of ICT is intrinsically tied to the world system.

Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion Supply Chain in India

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
The World ◽  
Indian Scenario

The fashion supply chain is one of the most polluting industries in the world, being a huge consumer of water, electricity and chemicals, and discharging massive quantities of wastes to land. Stakeholders' and customers' pressure on sustainability has pushed companies to transform general environmental sustainability concepts into business practices. However, a few contributions have offered a comprehensive analysis of the practices employed in the fashion supply chain to reduce its environmental impact. Each fashion supplier seeks to maximize its profits as well as to minimize its emissions throughout its supply chain with the latter criterion being weighted in an individual manner by each supplier. In this paper, a theoretical framework for mapping practices for environmental sustainability implemented in the fashion system is presented. The framework is then used to analyze the Indian scenario.

The ebbs and flows of green waves: environmental sustainability in Grand Slam tennis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Trendafilova ◽  
Jamee Pelcher ◽  
Jeffrey Graham ◽  
Vassilios Ziakas
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Initiatives ◽  
Environmentally Friendly Behaviors ◽  
Sport Events ◽  
Website Content

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the structure and scope of environmental sustainability efforts of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments as communicated via their websites.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative content analysis methodology guided the study. To accomplish the goal of the study, the researchers analyzed each tournament's website and each venue's website to document the environmental initiatives outlined on these pages.FindingsResults indicated Grand Slam events focus primarily on energy and water conservation initiatives, increasing sustainable food choices and improving spectators' knowledge about environmental sustainability. Most sustainability programs fell into the first wave of sustainability efforts indicating that formalized strategic planning is largely missing.Practical implicationsBy examining how Grand Slam events utilize their webpages to promote environmental sustainability, implications are drawn for not only website content but also actual event initiatives and activities. Pertinent efforts should move from a mere focus on communication to finding actionable solutions built upon the interconnectivity of events with allied sectors and the subsequent forging of cross-industry partnerships.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that Grand Slam tennis events pursue different trajectories in engaging with sustainability. This makes it important to understand in tandem their organizational conduct, strategies and communication practices. To move forward, there is a need to approach sustainability in a more holistic manner. A holistic view of how sport events engage with the environment can reveal causal patterns and points of leverage to use for initiating a change of practice toward adopting environmentally friendly behaviors.

Perspectives on global fermented foods

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (11) ◽  
pp. 1767-1787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surabhi Soni ◽  
Gargi Dey
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Starter Cultures ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Fermented Foods ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Fermented Products

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the present status of various fermented foods and beverages across the globe and reviews on the microbiology and therapeutic effects of fermented foods. Design/methodology/approach – Fermented foods play an important socio-economic role in developing countries as well as making a major contribution to the nutrition requirements of natural populations. These foods have attracted attention all over the world as foods that might promote longevity. The approach is based on observations of online research with respect to fermented foods and their origins, analysis of research papers in journals and systematic research on the microbiology and health benefits of fermented products. Findings – In general, traditional fermented foods produced with indigenous practices throughout the world are made under primitive conditions, which result in low yield and poor quality. But since, these foods are not only traditional but also functional foods. They are experiencing a burst of popularity as health foods worldwide. The raw materials traditionally used for fermentation are as diverse as: fruits, cereals, vegetables, milk, meat, and fish. It is possible to obtain a large variety of different food products by selecting different raw materials, starter cultures, and fermentation conditions. Originality/value – The paper offers a holistic view that would guide a reader to identify various fermented products and enlighten them about their therapeutic properties.

scholarly journals Meaning of “employee happiness” within the context of complex organisations? An explanatory review on the UAE labour force

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-180
Author(s):  
Vic Benuyenah ◽  
Bharti Pandya
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Organisational Level ◽  
Employee Happiness

Purpose In this study, the authors build on the current frameworks of happiness provided by the PERMA model, the World Happiness Report Index and the theoretical framework provided by the proponents of job-satisfaction model, motivation, employee engagement and commitment. The authors argue that, the existing theoretical framework in the management and the HR literature are just different aspects of a common goal – happiness. This position is consistent with the overall happiness projects championed by governments across the world, including the UK, Bhutan, several Scandinavian nations and essentially the United Arab Emirates. A chasm that currently exists in the literature is the availability of a universally acceptable definition for happiness and protocols for measuring happiness. The authors conclude that more research is required to keep pace with industry development relating to employee happiness initiatives. Design/methodology/approach Using quasi-literature review, the authors analysed selected studies on the theory of happiness to identify how each have treated the concept of happiness in organisations. Findings It is erroneous to promote national or international happiness initiatives without starting from the micro level – in this case, the institutions of society should start measuring happiness from the micro level to help understand what happiness actually means. Research limitations/implications As an opinion piece, its recommendations need to be applied cautiously. Originality/value Till date, only a few studies have explored the concept of happiness from micro-organisational level.

Measuring Abu Dhabi’s liveability using the global liveable city index (GLCI)

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khee Giap Tan ◽  
Sujata Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Global City ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Global Cities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Narrow Scope ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Policy Simulations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use a newly developed Global Liveable Cities Index (GLCI), to assess how Abu Dhabi ranks among global cities. The paper sheds some light on the strengths and weaknesses associated with the city’s emergence as a global city, as identified by the index. Design/methodology/approach – This paper makes use of a new measure of liveability – the GLCI – to rank the world ' s major cities. The GLCI advances the measurement of the “Liveability” construct by taking into account the multi-dimensional sensibility of diverse groups of ordinary persons across 64 cities. The paper also conducts policy simulations to help aid city planners invest in areas with low scores in the GLCI. Findings – The results from the analysis show Abu Dhabi as a city that has a lot more potential than what most conventional city benchmarking exercises have revealed. It is a city with immense potential in the region by not just being the driver of growth but also being a nodal center for attraction of global talent. It is fast growing into a city of opportunity and already satisfies the characteristics of an emerging global city with a lot of regional attention. The empirical results also find that its potential has been clearly under-rated by many existing studies and indices primarily because of their narrow scope in measuring liveability. The GLCI results brought together multiple indicators to devise an index that is strongly based on a combination of analytical and philosophical values. Taking stock of the rankings of Abu Dhabi using the GLCI so far as well as the policy simulations, one can conclude that Abu Dhabi has multiple strengths as an aspiring global city. The results also indicate that one area that has been consistently identified as lacking in Abu Dhabi is that of environmental sustainability. Originality/value – While cities have always played a historic role in powering economic growth in some form or the other, the scale of expansions and the speed at which it is happening today appears unprecedented. While a considerable number of indices benchmarking cities exist, they are rather narrow in scope. None of them model liveability from the perspective of an ordinary person with multi-dimensional sensibilities toward issues like economic well-being, social mobility, personal security, political governance, environmental sustainability and aesthetics for a more representative coverage of major cities around the world. These factors are critical measures of “liveability” of a city that in turn elevates it to the status of a global city. This paper thus makes an original contribution to the literature on understanding global cities by applying a newly developed GLCI to assess how Abu Dhabi ranks among global cities. The paper sheds some light on the strengths and weaknesses associated with the city’s emergence as a global city, as identified by the index.

Institutional distance, firm heterogeneities, and FDI location choice of EMNEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zheng ◽  
Daying Yan ◽  
Bing Ren
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Location Choice ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Institutional Distance ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Positive Direction ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Intent

Purpose This paper aims to propose an integrated framework combining the cost-reduction rationale and the institution-leveraging rationale to explain how institutional distance, both formal and informal, influences emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs)’ foreign direct investment (FDI) location choice. This paper also explores the moderating role of EMNEs’ FDI experience and strategic intent on value chain positioning as a reflection of firm heterogeneities, on the link between institutional distance and location choice. Design/methodology/approach This paper tests the hypotheses based on a firm-level longitudinal data set of FDI by Chinese EMNEs. The unique data are manually collected from Chinese companies listed on Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges, composed of 250 FDI entries of 122 manufacturing firms from 2006 to 2010. The conditional logit model is used to estimate the proposed main effect and moderating effect. Findings Cultural distance does not deter Chinese EMNEs’ entrance in general, but firms investing in low value-added manufacturing subsidiaries are more likely to choose culturally similar countries than those investing in high value-added subsidiaries such as in upstream R&D and downstream marketing. Formal institutional distance with positive direction promotes Chinese EMNEs’ entrance, and this effect is enhanced when firms have less FDI experience and have the strategic intent to invest in high value-added subsidiaries. Originality/value This paper contributes to the current literature by identifying a holistic view of the institutional influences on FDI location choice of EMNEs and revealing how firm-level heterogeneities, particularly FDI experience and strategic intent of subsidiary value chain positioning, shape the boundary conditions of the institutional effects in different ways.

Digitalization and the greening of supply chains

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Sarkis ◽  
Mahtab Kouhizadeh ◽  
Qingyun Serena Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Data Systems ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Offs

PurposeThis study provides a reflective overview on the role of traditional and emergent digitalization and information technologies for leveraging environmental supply chain sustainability – while reflecting on potential trade-offs and conflicts of digitalization and greening.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use relevant literature and literature from Industrial Management and Data Systems (IMDS) research published in this journal over the past 50 years. They also use their knowledge and over 30 years of research experience in the field to provide professional scholarly reflections and perspective.FindingsThe authors provide a focused and succinct evaluation for research directions. A pressures, practices and performance framework sets the stage for pertinent research questions and theoretical needs to investigate the nexus of digitalization and green supply chain management. The authors provide two frameworks with exemplary practices and research for traditional and emergent digitalization and information technology. Their reflection concludes with a summary and steps forward.Social implicationsThe authors show how research and practice can be used to affect supply chain greening with digitalization and information technology. They observe that care should be taken given that these technologies can paradoxically simultaneously offer solutions to environmental degradation and potentially be a source of environmental degradation across the supply chain.Originality/valueThis work provides a summary and unique perspective that links traditional and emergent digitalization technology to green and environmental sustainability work. The area has not seen a clear summary and path forward and shows how IMDS literature has contributed to the field for decades.

Open innovation scorecard: a managerial tool

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1216-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Lamberti ◽  
Francesca Michelino ◽  
Antonello Cammarano ◽  
Mauro Caputo
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Value ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to devise a scorecard providing a suite of indicators that give innovation managers a value-oriented, fast but holistic view of open innovation (OI) adoption in their organisations. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical framework is built after a thorough review of OI literature. The managerial tool is developed from the theoretical framework, constructing indicators that can be easily generated by processing data within information systems of companies. Findings The scorecard provides a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of OI adoption in organisations, investigating environment, collaboration and importing/exporting mechanisms. Six indicators are defined: innovation funds, OI employees, collaboration costs, collaboration revenues, importing costs and exporting revenues. Research limitations/implications The devised tool enables the assessment of openness through objective and available data, systematically updated within the information systems of companies and, hence, easily exploitable by innovation managers. In order to meet such conditions, several aspects emerged from the literature review, although relevant, were left out. Practical implications Three dashboards can be derived by exploiting the information available in the scorecard. With the use of such tools innovation managers can both assess the open behaviours of their companies – identifying the trajectories to follow in order to improve performance – and benchmark different OI practices either inside or outside the organisation. Originality/value The scorecard allows innovation managers both to carry out a cost-benefit analysis, evaluating if their organisations are effectively and efficiently generating outputs from OI with the committed resources, and to identify a virtuous circle between the company’s commitment and reputation, joint development, and innovation market opportunities.

Are low- and middle-income countries profiting from fast fashion?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karan Khurana ◽  
S.S. Muthu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Fast Fashion ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Low And Middle Income

PurposeIn the last two decades, the fashion value chain traveled to developing parts of the world. To these nations, it paved a path for socio-economic development initially but lately, the aftermath has costed more. This article visualizes the gains and losses of fast fashion to these countries.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth systematic literature review was performed to analyze the secondary data from academic journals and reports from international organizations. The authors have compiled their empirical journeys in academia, research and industry from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) based on Schon's (1983, 1990) theory of reflective practice. Further on, the article is structured using the value chain analysis (VCA) method which visualizes the aftermath of mass-producing fashion for the developed countries.FindingsIn this research it was found that LMICs have made substantial economic progress in the past two decades, however at a high social and environmental cost. It is the right time to find a balance between economic development and harm caused to the citizens of these nations.Originality/valueAt the moment the existing academic literature talks about unsustainable practices in the fashion sector around the world. This research precisely targets the LMICs where the aftermath is supposed to be much more severe. Further, it provides solutions and urges these nations to bring a substantial change throughout the value chain for a robust future.

An evaluation of EIA system performance in Turkey in the context of procedural effectiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deniz Çolakkadıoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Process ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa

Purpose In Turkey, where the environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been applied since 1993, there have been numerous amendments in the legal and administrative process of the EIA. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of those amendments to the EIA process. Design/methodology/approach This paper evaluated EIA system performance in the context of procedural effectiveness in Turkey from the day implementation was begun. From its beginning to the present day, the positive and negative developments at the EIA process in Turkey caused by the amendments were evaluated and at which stages. Measures recommended increasing the effectiveness of each of the EIA systems were also identified. Findings As the EIA Directive first came into force in the USA in 1970, EIA procedures have been widely adopted throughout the world. Although it has been implemented for many years, expectations regarding the EIA process have still not been realized which has forced countries to conduct studies to increase the effectiveness of the EIA process. Turkey, like other countries that are implementing the EIA, acknowledges that the EIA is a significant impact assessment tool and continues its studies to implement this system effectively. In this respect, in Turkey, where the EIA has been applied since 1993, there have been numerous amendments in the legal and administrative process of the EIA. Originality/value The results obtained from this study were expected to facilitate the evaluation of the EIA process in Turkey and to guide other similar countries.

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