Reducing Transportation Energy Consumption by Daily Commuters

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106049/1/ME589F13Section881Project1_Report.pd

Beyond Myth and Ceremony?: An Examination of Corporate Responses to Climate Change.

The focus of this dissertation is on corporate responses to climate change. Using three empirical studies, I examine the gap in corporate words and actions when it comes to addressing climate change through three empirical studies. The first study uses critical theory to analyze how firms decouple climate change discourse and actions through an examination of Environmental Protection Agency Climate Leaders participants. The second study uses textual analysis of sustainability reports to examine the underlying logics of corporations addressing climate change. Finally, I present an ethnographic and historical case study of Ford Motor Company and their journey from symbolic to substantive climate change response to better understand the mechanisms and tensions underlying such change. Throughout the three chapters, the themes of opportunity and belief in the science of climate change stand out as important motivating factors driving substantive corporate response to the issue.PHDNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111565/1/kgullo_1.pd

In the Battle for Reality: Social Documentaries in the U.S.

Provides an overview of documentaries that address social justice and democracy issues, and includes case studies of successful strategic uses of social documentaries

A Realist Ethnography of Nuclear Security Officer Culture

This realist ethnography describes the heretofore unexamined culture of commercial nuclear power security officers over a one-year period from an active participant observer’s perspective. Data include field notes taken during observations at various sites and 15 interviews with security leaders working at or who had recently worked at 12 different commercial nuclear power plants and had previously worked at a dozen other commercial nuclear power plants, thus representing a broad overview of the commercial nuclear security culture. The data also include more than 58 unclassified documents from these sites, industry organizations, and regulatory agencies. An analysis of the data reveals 16 key themes that are characteristic of the nuclear security officer culture. The study describes how, although safety and security are of paramount concern at a commercial nuclear plant, the cultures of security workers and safety workers differ significantly. Not only is the nuclear security officer culture different from that of the safety culture at the same plant, but it often conflicts with it in its attitudes, goals, procedures, supervision, and job satisfaction. The commercial nuclear security officer culture is unique in many ways, including the isolation of security officers— institutionally, physically, and socially—from the other plant workers; their working conditions and benefits; their need to work oftentimes long, boring, unpredictable shifts and carry heavy equipment to remote sites; and their responsibility to respond immediately and, if necessary, with deadly force, even putting their lives on the line. iii Supplementing the data analysis, and in keeping with a realistic ethnography, are a series of vignettes describing the typical day in a nuclear security officer’s life. The study also points out differences between the commercial nuclear security culture and that of the private non-nuclear security cultures. The study concludes with recommendations for improving the commercial nuclear security officer culture and for future research into a culture we know little about but whose members are invested with one of the greatest responsibilities in our country—protecting us from potential acts of terrorism perpetrated on nuclear plants and the resultant exposure to the effects of nuclear waste, which can last for generations

The Effects of Consumer Buying Habits in the Automotive Industry

This study addressed the effects of consumer buying habits in the automotive industry. With consumer buying habits constantly changing and the advancement of technology and e-commerce, there is a growing opportunity for brick-and-mortar stores and dealerships to adapt their strategies to maintain and enhance revenues and profitability. Failure of organizations to adapt their strategies have resulted in a loss of revenue and led to bankruptcy. This qualitative case study addressed the failure of an organization to adapt to consumer buying habits in the automotive industry resulting in a loss of revenue and profitability. Further, the study provided an understanding of the actions taken by organizations to increase profits, and also the upcoming consumer buying habit trends that will cause an organization to adapt their strategies to maintain and enhance revenues. The results of this study indicated that a dealership’s adaptability was a necessity in a constantly changing industry. The actions taken by the dealership group included aggressive pricing, use of new technology, advertisement initiatives, and strategies, such as off-site and on-site services were effective among other results. While electrification was a common theme of discussion, the results of this study indicated no significant concern for upcoming trends

Electric Car Cultures: An ethnography of the everyday use of electric vehicles in the UK

This study uses ethnographic methods to study drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK to add a user perspective to current knowledge of the developing technology of EVs. EVs have had a revival in popularity since their near extinction in the early twentieth century. There is interest from support industries in how a further resurgence in popularity will affect demand for support services, and how increased EV use could re-shape the infrastructure and the landscapes that have been written by decades of combustion-engine vehicle use. Some ethnographic studies of EV drivers have been done, although these are small in number and on a limited scale. This study will look closely at a number of UK based EV drivers and their households, and use ethnographic methods to document patterns of use and driving styles, as well as discuss the attitudes and values of current EV drivers. EV drivers today are an informal collective of innovators and early adopters who form communities to facilitate social learning, and this forming of, and use of networks will be explored. This study will provide an insight into how EV drivers use their EVs on an everyday basis, and find out if there are any problems which EV drivers currently face, which need to be addressed before EVs can become a mass market product