The Features and Categorization of Agribusiness Networks on the Example of the Polish Fruit and Vegetable Industry Enterprises

This paper contributes to the foregoing discussion on networks in agribusiness. It is grounded in business network approach. The aim of the paper is to recognise and evaluate distinguishing features of agribusiness networks. The eighteen Polish fruit and vegetable producers, processors and traders were investigated. Their network activities have been recognised as non-transactional exchange of knowledge and information, mutual adaptations, adjustments and standardizations. They are preceded by strong transactional relationships in the supply chain which are based on pricing conditions and terms of payments, cooperation as well as formal contracts. The network activities are reinforced by common aims, reciprocal trust and commitment, mutual benefits and stability. The main aim of networking is to increase profits and it is correlated with optimization of supplies and provisions, building of community and relationships and sustainable development. The study classifies five categories of agribusiness networks in the queried sample. They are: very strong operational, strong sustainable, moderate social, weak innovative and very weak shared resource. The paper concludes that the studied networks are characterized by strong actor and activity ties and weak resource bonds. Principally, non-appearance of shared resources may influence the weak innovative ability of networks in the fruit and vegetable industry

Sustainable Development Report: Blockchain, the Web3 & the SDGs

This is an output paper of the applied research that was conducted between July 2018 - October 2019 funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and conducted by the Research Institute for Cryptoeconomics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and RCE Vienna (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development).Series: Working Paper Series / Institute for Cryptoeconomics / Interdisciplinary Researc

Sustainable Development Report: Blockchain, the Web3 & the SDGs

This is an output paper of the applied research that was conducted between July 2018 - October 2019 funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and conducted by the Research Institute for Cryptoeconomics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and RCE Vienna (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development).Series: Working Paper Series / Institute for Cryptoeconomics / Interdisciplinary Researc

Community innovation for sustainable energy

As in other countries, there is a growing public, policy and business interest in the UK in the roles and potential of community-led initiatives for sustainable energy consumption and production. Such initiatives include green lifestyle-based activities to reduce energy consumption (e.g. Transition Towns, and Carbon Reduction Action Groups), more traditional behaviour change initiatives such as neighbourhood insulation projects and energy-saving campaigns, as well as renewable energy generation projects such as community-owned windfarms and biofuel projects. Case studies of specific projects identify a variety of rationales amongst participants, whilst policy interest suggests a more instrumental concern for facilitating additional, larger-scale sustainable energy transitions. Amongst participant rationales are ideas that bottom-up, community-based projects deliver energy savings and behaviour changes that top-down policy instruments cannot achieve, due to the greater local knowledge and engagement they embody, the sense of common ownership and empowerment, and the social capital and trust that is generated among local actors. These resources provide organisational and values-based 'grassroots innovations' which experiment with new consumption practices based on alternative 'new economics' values. However, previous research shows 'grassroots innovations' face a series of critical challenges requiring support to overcome, in order to achieve their potential benefits more widely. This includes developing 'niche' networks for mobilising reforms both to highly centralised energy institutions and infrastructures, as well as deeply ingrained social practices of 'normal' energy consumption and everyday life. What makes this experience fascinating for the purposes of the SCORAI workshop is the way these community-based initiatives are trying to develop new energy-related consumption practices with a view to the socio-technical transition to local, renewable or lower carbon energy systems. Understandably, many projects remain practically focused on securing early successes and resourcing their long-term survival. However, the institutional and infrastructure reforms that will help in this endeavour require strategies for addressing the wider (national and international) political economy of consumption which adopts an ecological modernisation approach to sustainability. In surveying the community energy scene in the UK, our paper pays particular attention to this last issue

Essential Micro-foundations for Contemporary Business Operations: Top Management Tangible Competencies, Relationship-based Business Networks and Environmental Sustainability

Although various studies have emphasized linkages between firm competencies, networks and sustainability at organizational level, the links between top management tangible competencies (e.g., contemporary relevant quantitative-focused education such as big data analytics and data-driven applications linked with the internet of things, relevant experience and analytical business applications), relationship-based business networks (RBNs) and environmental sustainability have not been well established at micro-level, and there is a literature gap in terms of investigating these relationships. This study examines these links based on the unique data collected from 175 top management representatives (chief executive officers and managing directors) working in food import and export firms headquartered in the UK and New Zealand. Our results from structural equation modelling indicate that top management tangible competencies (TMTCs) are the key determinants for building RBNs, mediating the correlation between TMTCs and environmental sustainability. Directly, the competencies also play a vital role towards environmental practices. The findings further depict that relationship-oriented firms perform better compared to those which focus less on such networks. Consequently, our findings provide a deeper understanding of the micro-foundations of environmental sustainability based on TMTCs rooted in the resource-based view and RBNs entrenched in the social network theory. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, and we provide suggestions for future research

Women, WASH, and the Water for Life Decade

From childbirth to education to domestic responsibilities to dignity and safety, access to water and sanitation affect women and girls more than men and boys. This report details recommendations for policy and global practice that will empower women and water-related projects

The NGO Sector in Community Development: Emerging roles, strategies and identities

This community engaged thesis will articulate some of the identities, patterns, and dominant practices of NGOs related to community development in the hope of uncovering emerging trends. The literature review of this thesis will have a slight focus on NGO’s working in direct conjunction with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, it will manifest the promise of social capital as necessary to an organization’s success. Civic participation remains critical in enabling an NGO to be politically active, to continue building networks, and instilling positive social attitudes. After expounding on these issues, this thesis will then propose a solution- more specifically, a model- that attempts to relate field research findings to current grassroot initiatives that have succeeded in achieving community development through youth empowerment and education in Rhode Island. The strategy of youth empowerment and civic engagement is an effective model for community development and positive social change. By sharing insights and identifying best practices, the NGO sector can enhance coordination and partnerships for effective country-level implementation of youth development initiatives. The author hopes that the findings of this thesis and her field research will be employed and utilized in the development of progressive community-based organizations dedicated to combating the HIV/AIDS virus in Africa

Swarm Intelligence-Optimized Energy Management for Prolonging the Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks

 Recent technological and industrial progress has enabled the development of small, high-performing, energy-saving, affordable sensor nodes that possess the potential to adapt, be self-aware, and self-organize. These nodes are designed for versatile communications applications. Sensor networks for sustainable development focus on the ways in which sensor network technology can enhance social development and improve living standards without causing harm to the environment or depleting natural resources. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) offer undeniable benefits in various fields, including the military, healthcare, traffic monitoring, and remote image sensing. Given the constraints of sensor networks, varying degrees of security are necessary for these critical applications, posing difficulties in the implementation of conventional algorithms. The issue of security has emerged as a primary concern in the context of IoT and smart city applications. Sensor networks are often regarded as the fundamental building blocks of IoTs and smart cities. The WSN encompasses a routing algorithm, network strength, packet loss, energy loss, and various other intricate considerations. The WSN also addresses intricate matters such as energy usage, a proficient approach for picking cluster heads, and various other concerns. The recent growth of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has made it increasingly difficult to ensure the trustworthiness and reliability of data due to the distinct features and limitations of nodes. Hostile nodes can easily damage the integrity of the network by inserting fake and malicious data, as well as launching internal attacks. Trust-based security is employed to detect and identify rogue nodes, providing a robust and adaptable protection mechanism. Trust evaluation models are crucial security-enhancement mechanisms that enhance the reliability and collaboration of sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks. This study recommends the use of DFA UTrust, a unique trust technique, to effectively satisfy the security requirements of WSNs

Poor Philanthropist II: New approaches to sustainable development

The second title in the Poor Philanthropist Series, this monograph represents the culmination of a six-year journey; a journey characterised in the first three years by in-depth qualitative research which resulted in an understanding of philanthropic traditions among people who are poor in southern Africa and gave rise to new and innovative concepts which formed the focus of the research monograph The Poor Philanthropist: How and Why the Poor Help Each Other, published by the Southern Africa-United States Centre for Leadership and Public Values in 2005