Design Thinking with Appropriate Technology for Improving Social Sustainability: Critical and Comprehensive Criteria

Current appropriate technology promoting social sustainability for rural, underprivileged populations is often plagued by lack of affordability, maintenance, and personal training, and is also empathetically disconnected from local people and culture. This study proposes criteria for balancing design thinking processes and appropriate technology for social sustainability. In this study, we concretized five assumptions for design thinking processes: user-oriented design with mass productivity; reiterative nature through user satisfaction surveys; affordability for purchase, maintenance, and repair services; local appropriateness; and eco-friendliness with environmental sustainability. Next, we applied the criteria to 28 representative cases from the water, energy, health, shelter, and transportation fields. The cases were evaluated using qualitative content analysis. Findings show that the criteria are necessary for setting economic, social, and environmental development goals for underprivileged regions after considering local contexts. Cultural empathy and collaboration with locals are key for finding practical solutions and co-creating options iteratively. Further, the cases were compared quantitatively using radar diagrams, histograms, and graphs showing average values and standard deviations, providing an objective measure for appropriate technology. Notably, both qualitative and quantitative approaches can serve as useful guidelines for designers, developers, and local users when developing appropriate technology for social sustainability in underprivileged regions.

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Analysis of pre-service teachers’ perception towards the economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of Education for Sustainable Development

Think India ◽

10.26643/think-india.v22i3.8435 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 972-978

Author(s):

Manisha Jetly ◽

Dr. Nandita Singh

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Education For Sustainable Development ◽

Cultural Dimensions ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Depth Study ◽

Development Goals ◽

Class Room

Education for sustainable development (ESD) enjoys a huge momentum worldwide in which the role of teachers for making sustainable development goals a reality has been recognized significantly. Teachers through their knowledge, attitudes and skills can bring the learning about these concepts to the curriculum and class room interaction and are in a position to influence their students. Therefore it is pertinent, that teachers are sensitised towards these issues, so that they prepare and nurture their students for making appropriate and responsible choices which contribute to a sustainable future. At this juncture it becomes crucial to understand their priorities and awareness level in context of the sustainable development. The present research paper aims to analyse the perception of forty post graduate pre-service teachers of the Chandigarh region, towards ESD through the dimensions of economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, social sustainability and cultural sustainability. For this researchers have adopted qualitative content analysis methodology for an in-depth study of the subjective responses through an open ended question. The findings suggest that most of the respondents associated the perception of ESD strongly with environmental sustainability. It is noted that the pre-service teachers lack a holistic approach towards ESD. On the basis of the findings it is recommended that there is an urgent need of integrating the concept of ESD consciously and conscientiously in India’s teacher education programmes.

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Sustainability Disclosure and the Financialization of Social Sustainability

Accounting Economics and Law - A Convivium ◽

10.1515/ael-2018-0053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Daniela Woschnack ◽

Stefanie Hiss ◽

Sebastian Nagel ◽

Bernd Teufel

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Empirical Study ◽

Financial Performance ◽

Financial Market ◽

Empirical Data ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Social Sustainability ◽

Rating Agencies ◽

Sustainability Disclosure ◽

Definition Of

Abstract This empirical study explores the financialization of social sustainability driven by sustainability accounting and reporting initiatives (SARIs). Since no globally accepted definition of what social sustainability encompasses exists, the paper asks how social sustainability is translated into the financial market language by SARIs as they provide standards for disclosing corporate non-financial performance and promote their concepts of social sustainability. The paper uses a two-step qualitative content analysis. First, it operationalizes social sustainability based on the empirical data of six sustainability rating agencies. Second, this operationalization is compared with the concepts created by three SARIs. The paper shows significant differences between the concepts of the SARIs and the rating agencies. While the rating agencies altogether interpret social sustainability with 83 distinct aspects, the SARIs, although differently created, use significant reduced concepts where 20% of these aspects are absent. The result of this financialization process could be a simplified and financially determined concept of social sustainability within die socially discourse. The research is limited to social sustainability and its financialization by SARIs. Individual indicators and their way or intensity to capture aspects of social sustainability were not part of the research interest. Further research should investigate the economic and the ecological pillars of sustainability as well as the usage of such financialized concepts within the society and especially by corporations. The paper unfolds the arbitrariness of operationalizing a qualitative phenomenon like social sustainability through the financial system. It discloses the need for looking at the mechanisms behind such processes and at the interests of the actors behind the frameworks. The paper reveals the financialization process driven by SARIs and demonstrates its simplifying effects on the concept of social sustainability. Furthermore, the paper shows that SARIs as metrics for non-financial aspects are troubled with a lack of transparency and a lack of convergence.

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Institutional-Political Scenarios for Anthropocene Society

Business & Society ◽

10.1177/0007650318816468 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 57-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrew J. Hoffman ◽

P. Devereaux Jennings

Keyword(s):

Social Science ◽

Institutional Theory ◽

Human Activity ◽

Natural Environment ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Social Sustainability ◽

New Paradigm ◽

Change Mechanisms ◽

Main Change

Natural scientists have proposed that humankind has entered a new geologic epoch. Termed the “Anthropocene,” this new reality revolves around the central role of human activity in multiple Earth ecosystems. That challenge requires a rethinking of social science explanations of organization and environment relationships. In this article, we discuss the need to politicize institutional theory as a means understanding “Anthropocene Society,” and in turn what that resultant society means for the Anthropocene in the natural environment. We modify the constitutive elements of institutional orders and a set of main change mechanisms to explore three scenarios around which future Anthropocene Societies might be built—Collapsing Systems, Market Rules, and Cultural Re-Enlightenment. Simultaneously, we use observations from the Anthropocene to expose limitations in present institutional theory and propose extensions to remedy them. Overall, this article challenges organizational scholars to consider a new paradigm under which research in environmental sustainability and social sustainability takes place.

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

Sport Business and Management An International Journal ◽

10.1108/sbm-09-2020-0090 ◽

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.

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Articulating Design Education

Challenging ICT Applications in Architecture, Engineering, and Industrial Design Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1999-9.ch002 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 22-47

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Cultural Awareness ◽

Design Education ◽

Divergent Thinking ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Design Activity ◽

Communitarian Ethics ◽

Reflection In Action ◽

And Control ◽

Problematic Feature

Design as an activity may be conceptualized analytically by saying that it consists, first and foremost, in the ability to create visual images of new structures and products; secondly, in the ability to produce such images in a way that will balance the economic demands of clients with the cultural demands of society; and finally, in the ability to use and control various ICTs for the production of visualizations. At the core of design activity is the phenomenon of creativity, the most mysterious and problematic feature of design, because it is thought to emanate from the imagination in a way that precludes and defies rational choice and control. J. P. Guilford’s concept of divergent thinking helps to explain creativity, as does Donald Schön’s concept of reflection-in-action, contrasted to Herbert Simon’s argument that design thinking is primarily problem solving, but ultimately, creativity and imagination appear to be elusive and uncanny concepts. Aristotle’s insistence on the formally teleological nature of making suggests that there may be a difference between art, or pure creativity, and design, or technical creativity, with its emphasis on utility. Creativity has always been required of designers, but in today’s world cultural awareness is also needed, in order to comply with communitarian ethics, with its emphasis on co-operation and consensus building, directed mainly toward environmental sustainability. Finally, expertise in the use of ICTS is now being universally advocated for all designers.

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Interrelations between Motivation, Creativity and Emotions in Design Thinking Processes – An Empirical Study Based on Regulatory Focus Theory

Design Creativity 2010 ◽

10.1007/978-0-85729-224-7_14 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 97-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Madeleine Kröper ◽

Doris Fay ◽

Tilmann Lindberg ◽

Christoph Meinel

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

Regulatory Focus ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Regulatory Focus Theory ◽

Thinking Processes ◽

Focus Theory

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Understanding the Impact of Engineering Through Appropriate Technology Development

Volume 5: Education and Globalization ◽

10.1115/imece2016-68084 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Nickey Janse van Rensburg ◽

Z. Simpson ◽

N. Malan

Keyword(s):

Engineering Students ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Research Collaboration ◽

Technology Development ◽

Pilot Project ◽

Project Based Learning ◽

Appropriate Technology ◽

Open Market ◽

Market Growth ◽

The Impact

This research describes a pilot project which aimed to introduce CDIO-type (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate), project-based learning through a community-based project in a third year Material Science module. The project formed part of an agriculture research initiative, and relied on interdisciplinary research collaboration between engineering, social sciences, management, entrepreneurship, and industrial arts. The initiative seeks to develop an agribusiness solution that will create an open-market, growth-oriented food economy. As part of the initiative, engineering students, participating in teams, worked alongside a community of urban farmers, most of whom are working poor, so as to develop appropriate, intermediate technology/ies that could support the farmers. This was informed by the need to have students demonstrate high level understanding of disciplinary content, but also to engage in human-centered design thinking and practice.

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Sustainable campus as a living laboratory for climate change mitigation and adaptation: the role of design thinking processes

Regenerative Sustainable Development of Universities and Cities ◽

10.4337/9781781003640.00010 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 49-69

Author(s):

Ying Hua

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Thinking Processes ◽

Change Mitigation

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The impact of the motivation for status on consumers’ perceptions of retailer sustainability: the moderating impact of collectivism and materialism

Journal of Consumer Marketing ◽

10.1108/jcm-03-2015-1351 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 292-305 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Mertcan Tascioglu ◽

Jacqueline Kilsheimer Eastman ◽

Rajesh Iyer

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Generational Differences ◽

Age Groups ◽

Social Sustainability ◽

Cultural Dimensions ◽

Future Research ◽

Bandwagon Effect ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of the study is to investigate consumers’ perceptions of status motivations on retailers’ sustainability efforts and whether collectivism and materialism moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research methodology using survey data was used. Data were collected by administering questionnaires from millennial respondents (n = 386) from the USA and Turkey. Findings The results show that cultural value (collectivism) and materialism can serve as moderators of the effects of status motivation and sustainability. The findings indicate that the link between status motivation and sustainability perceptions (both environmental and social sustainability) is stronger for more collectivist consumers. In terms of materialism, while it did not moderate the relationship between status motivation and perceptions of environmental sustainability, it did moderate the relationship between status motivation and perceptions of social sustainability, particularly the uniqueness aspect of materialism. Research limitations/implications The stronger link between status motivation and both environmental and social sustainability for collectivists suggests that the bandwagon effect may be impacting their need for status. The stronger link between status motivation and social sustainability for those more materialistic suggests that their need for status may be more impacted by a snob effect as they want to appear unique. The use of college students is a limitation of this study, and future research needs to explore a wider range of age groups to determine if there are generational differences. Additionally, future research could examine other cultural dimensions such as power distance and masculinity versus femininity. Practical implications Findings from this research provide insights for retailers, especially those targeting the status and luxury market when developing their sustainability plans. An interest in sustainability may aid consumers in meeting their need for status, particularly for those status consumers who are more collectivist, as a means to fit in with their group. For more materialistic consumers, retailers may want to focus more on unique social sustainability efforts that are more publicly noticeable. Social implications Social sustainability, a topic not studied as frequently as environmental sustainability, has significant implications for consumers. The findings suggest that the link between status motivation and social sustainability is stronger for collectivists, suggesting a bandwagon effect. Additionally, the authors find that the link between status motivation and social sustainability is stronger for materialists, particularly the uniqueness dimension of materialism, suggesting a snob effect. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in the exploration of how status motivation impacts consumers’ perceptions of retailers’ environmental and social sustainability efforts and if these relationships are moderated by collectivism and materialism. Few studies have examined social sustainability, especially in terms of culture.

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