55,042 research outputs found
The intellectual capital - environmental practices, performance and their relationships in the Romanian banking sector
Purpose â This paper reviews the knowledge assets that can be capitalized for successful Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) implementation in the Romanian banking industry. GSCM is defined as the companyâs ability to understand
and manage the environmental risks along the Supply Chain (SC) (Carter and Rogers,2008). Banks are very much members of the SCs (McKenzie and Wolfe, 2004), called to integrate the environmental management into both operational and core commercial activities and to manage the environmental risk in their supply chain (FORGE Group,2000; International Finance Corporation, 2006; UNEP Finance Initiative, 2009a).
Intellectual capital, or the âstockâ of knowledge-based equity firms hold, is recognized as a key contributor to their competitiveness (Bontis et al., 1999), which may act as a driver of environmental pro-activeness (Bernauer et al., 2006; Wu et al., 2007), as well as an obstacle in the process to design and implement GSCM (Post and Altman,
1994; Baresel-Bofinger et al., 2007), while organizational learning is seen as the key component in overcoming the organizational obstacles to environmental changes (Post
and Altman, 1992; Post and Altman, 1994; Anderson and Wolff, 1996).
Design/methodology/approach â This research paper describes the empirical results of a cross-sectional design employed in a sample of 41 banks operating in Romania with the purpose a. to explore the stage of designing and implementing GSCM practices in the Romanian banking sector; b. to determine which GSCM practices tend to be followed the most, c. which are the bank managersâ perceived benefits from implementing GSCM practices, as well as perceived obstacles in GSCM implementation in the banking sector; and d. what is the relationship between the
aforementioned variables. For these purposes several statistical analyses were used, including both descriptive and inferential statistics.
Originality/value â This is the first study looking for GSCM issues in the Romanian banking industry. The results of this research provide insights into what
extent knowledge assets could be capitalized for successful Green Supply Chain Management implementation in the Romanian banking industry. Furthermore, it is increasing the ecological awareness, the theoretical and managerial insights for an effective implementation of GSCM practices in the banking sector. The analysis reveals that GSCM practices (especially practices in the immaterial flow) are
strongly and significantly correlated with perceived benefits and pressures. However,this should be addressed in future research because the present study offers only
correlational data and cannot establish causation. The study also concludes that bankâs size and foreign/Romanian ownership do not influence at all the level of
GSCM practices implementation and related perceptions (pressures, obstacles,benefits) in the Romanian banking sector.
Practical implications â The findings of this paper point to the conclusion that the
banking sector in Romania is at a somehow advanced stage of ecological adaptation in the physical flow and at an early stage in the immaterial and commercial flows. Based on the literature and studyâs findings, regarding the role that the management of intellectual capital and knowledge flow plays, several recommendations are proposed for enhancing the implementation process of GSCM practices in the banking industry in Romania
The Collaborative Management of Sustained Unsustainability: On the Performance of Participatory Forms of Environmental Governance
n modern democratic consumer societies, decentralized, participative, and consensus-oriented forms of multi-stakeholder governance are supplementing, and often replacing, conventional forms of state-centered environmental government. The engagement in all phases of the policy process of diverse social actors has become a hallmark of environmental good governance. This does not mean to say, however, that these modes of policy-making have proved particularly successful in resolving the widely debated multiple sustainability crisis. In fact, they have been found wanting in terms of their ability to respond to democratic needs and their capacity to resolve environmental problems. So why have these participatory forms of environmental governance become so prominent? What exactly is their appeal? What do they deliver? Exploring these questions from the perspective of eco-political and sociological theory, this article suggests that these forms of environmental governance represent a performative kind of eco-politics that helps liberal consumer societies to manage their inability and unwillingness to achieve the socio-ecological transformation that scientists and environmental activists say is urgently required. This reading of the prevailing policy approaches as the collaborative management of sustained unsustainability adds an important dimension to the understanding of environmental governance and contemporary eco-politics more generally
Coopetition of Ukrainian Enterprises in the Field of Natural Resource Management in the Conditions of the Modern Economy
The article provides an opportunity for collaboration between the enterprises of the fuel production industry in terms of coopetition both on the domestic and on the foreign market. We paid our attention on the specificity of the combination of interests in the creation of collaborative alliances between the extracting enterprises of Ukraine. We determined the main factors of successful collaboration of enterprises in the field of environmental management on a horizontal level and specified the advantages of cooperation of enterprises in the field of environmental management.
We identified the dependence of socio-economic development within the country and the competitiveness of the state on the foreign market through the development of corporate social responsibility within the country. We offered the main principles of cooperation were proposed for successful collaboration of enterprises in the environmental management.
We determined the main strategies for the development of regions, where the natural resource extraction is carried out, which can be implemented with cooperation of the extractive enterprises under the conditions of coopetition
Towards resilience through systems-based plant breeding. A review
How the growing world population can feed itself is a crucial, multi-dimensional problem that goes beyond sustainable development. Crop production will be affected by many changes in its climatic, agronomic, economic, and societal contexts.
Therefore, breeders are challenged to produce cultivars that strengthen both ecological and societal resilience by striving for
six international sustainability targets: food security, safety and quality; food and seed sovereignty; social justice;
agrobiodiversity; ecosystem services; and climate robustness. Against this background, we review the state of the art in plant
breeding by distinguishing four paradigmatic orientations that currently co-exist: community-based breeding, ecosystem-based
breeding, trait-based breeding, and corporate-based breeding, analyzing differences among these orientations. Our main findings
are: (1) all four orientations have significant value but none alone will achieve all six sustainability targets; (2) therefore, an
overarching approach is needed: âsystems-based breeding,â an orientation with the potential to synergize the strengths of the
ways of thinking in the current paradigmatic orientations; (3) achieving that requires specific knowledge development and
integration, a multitude of suitable breeding strategies and tools, and entrepreneurship, but also a change in attitude based on
corporate responsibility, circular economy and true-cost accounting, and fair and green policies. We conclude that systems-based
breeding can create strong interactions between all system components. While seeds are part of the common good and the basis of
agrobiodiversity, a diversity in breeding approaches, based on different entrepreneurial approaches, can also be considered part of
the required agrobiodiversity. To enable systems-based breeding to play a major role in creating sustainable agriculture, a shared
sense of urgency is needed to realize the required changes in breeding approaches, institutions, regulations and protocols. Based
on this concept of systems-based breeding, there are opportunities for breeders to play an active role in the development of an
ecologically and societally resilient, sustainable agriculture
Transition UGent: a bottom-up initiative towards a more sustainable university
The vibrant think-tank âTransition UGentâ engaged over 250 academics, students and people from the university management in suggesting objectives and actions for the Sustainability Policy of Ghent University (Belgium). Founded in 2012, this bottom-up initiative succeeded to place sustainability high on the policy agenda of our university. Through discussions within 9 working groups and using the transition management method, Transition UGent developed system analyses, sustainability visions and transition paths on 9 fields of Ghent University: mobility, energy, food, waste, nature and green, water, art, education and research. At the moment, many visions and ideas find their way into concrete actions and policies.
In our presentation we focused on the broad participative process, on the most remarkable structural results (e.g. a formal and ambitious Sustainability Vision and a student-led Sustainability Office) and on recent actions and experiments (e.g. a sustainability assessment on food supply in student restaurants, artistic COP21 activities, ambitious mobility plans, food leftovers projects, an education network on sustainability controversies, a transdisciplinary platform on Sustainable Cities). We concluded with some recommendations and reflections on this transition approach, on the important role of âpolicy entrepreneursâ and student involvement, on lock-ins and bottlenecks, and on convincing skeptical leaders
Indigenous governance bibliography
AIATSIS has compiled this bibliography on Indigenous governance as part of its Indigenous Governance Building: Mapping current and future research and practical resource needs project. It is to be read in conjunction with an AIATSIS bibliography on free, prior and informed consent, engagement and consultation, and other bibliographies relating to various aspects of Indigenous governance which have been included in the following pages and are also available via the project webpage linked above.
The term âgovernanceâ is wide reaching and it has not been possible to cover all Indigenous governance related topics comprehensively. Within the context of this project governance is broadly defined as a cultural construct where the principles and standards of what constitutes âgoodâ, âgood enoughâ, âstrongâ, âlegitimateâ, âineffectiveâ, âcorruptâ or âbadâ governance are informed by culturally-based values, traditions and ideologies; and vary significantly between different societies. There is no end-point goal of âperfectâ governance that will eventually be achieved in the future. Rather, governance is adaptive according to context and circumstances. This means it may swing between effectiveness and dysfunction. It is to be found as much in peopleâs daily self-determined practices, processes and relationships, as it is in visible structures and formal institutions
Assessing sustainability support to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
The aim of this paper is to evaluate qualitatively the impact of sustainability support to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) where quantitative results are often difficult to appraise. Many of these organisations require sustainable business support to enable them to start or build their business concepts on sound sustainable platforms. Many SMEs are unable to quantitatively evaluate the benefit which they have received from support programmes because they are in the project planning stage or have limited financial data. Without a form of evaluation, support networks often cannot retain funding support. This paper is based on the grounded theory approach to analyse qualitative data received from participants in a sustainability support programme. Research on such programmes to SMEs is scant. This paper proposes the use of qualitative data collection and its evaluation to be considered when making the case for funding such programmes, along with quantitative data when availabl
Business Strategies for Transitions towards Sustainable Systems
This paper develops a strategic perspective for business to address persistent sustainability issues by contributing to the innovation of societal systems. Sustainability issues at the level of societal sectors or domains cannot be addressed by single organizations but require co-evolutionary changes in technology, economy, culture and organizational forms. We present the case of transition management in the Netherlands ââŹâ an approach combining systems analysis with new modes of governance to influence the direction and speed of structural changes towards sustainability ââŹâ and the activities of two firms working in this new context. From the two specific cases we conceptualize business strategies at different levels to advance sustainable development.transition management;sustainability;business development;systems
Product Differentiation Costs and Global Competition
The growing competitive intensity on the markets determines the emergence of
competition costs that are expressed at a corporate level and have implicit
repercussions for the supply system. This type of costs makes it possible to identify
a close link between competition costs and supply differentiation costs.
Classification by competitive intensity presupposes that the analysis performed
identifies the classification of company costs as the discriminating element, in
terms of the competitive pressure of the context in which the firm operates.
The emergence of competition costs is linked to an attempt to squeeze them as an
aspect of vertical, or more specifically, horizontal cooperation strategies.Product Differentiation; Differentiation Costs; Over-Supply; Global Competition; Marketing; Market-Driven Management; Global Corporations; Global Markets DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.4468/2005.1.06garbelli
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