A Conceptualisation of Circular Business Models and Explanation of Their Adoption: Evidence From Four In-Depth Case Studies

The scale of the ecological crisis and a combination of socio-economic and regulatory trends (rising global demand for goods, increasing resource price volatility and legislative efforts to reduce waste), are severely undermining the viability of linear operating business models which rest on a take-make-dispose logic. It is within this context that the circular economy gains relevance by proposing more resource efficient industrial processes that mirror the cyclical functioning of the eco-system where waste does not occur. A crucial constituent in the achievement of a circular economy is business model innovation. However, the academic literature on sustainable business models is still in its early days and pays very little attention to the circular economy and to circular business models. Hence, this research contributes to the sustainable business models literature by proposing a conceptualisation of circular business models and by illustrating the processes leading to their emergence and development. Organisational (resources and capabilities) and institutional (regulatory, normative and cognitive) perspectives have been applied mostly separately in the management literature examining why companies pursue ecological and social sustainability goals. This research attempts to reconcile the above agency versus structure dichotomy in explaining the adoption of circular business models. To accomplish this task, a qualitative, hermeneutical study has been conducted. Four holistic British case studies, considered as a form of contextualised explanation and chosen via purposive selection, delineate this research strategy. Participant observations, shadowing and semi-structured interviews (n=33) are the methods used for collecting primary data. Using narrative and comparative analyses, this thesis conceptualises circular business models as characterised by enhanced customers’ value, diffused and interconnected value creation, boundary spanning relational structures and idiosyncratic value capture mechanisms. It finds that their emergence and development is dependent on a combination of organisational and institutional influences

Perceptions of Comfort by Cyclists and Pedestrians on Unsegregated Shared-use Paths: Developing an Assessment Tool

This study investigates the perceptions of comfort on unsegregated shared-use paths between cyclists and pedestrians and attempts to develop a Level-of-Service assessment tool. A better understanding of user perceptions is crucial to promote active travel in the UK, especially in cities with limited space. Unsegregated shared-use paths could be a viable option: however, there is currently a limited number of guidelines on whether and how a path can be shared by pedestrians and cyclists and no assessment tools which consider perspective of both modes and are developed for UK context. Data collection was in two stages, with samples of 919 and 899 respondents respectively: research method was online questionnaires, which included questions on perceptions of comfort in response to pictures and videos of unsegregated shared-use paths. Stage 1 established the hierarchy of factors and path characteristics associated with comfort, as well as differences by user type, gender and age. After Stage 1 identified ‘path width’ and ‘volume of users’ as key contributors to perception of comfort, Stage 2 quantified their impact. I collected comfort scores, determining the effect of path width, volume of users, flow direction, type of passerby, and the proportions of cyclists and pedestrians on perceptions of comfort. Two approaches were considered for establishing whether unsegregated shared-use works and in what conditions: one assumed that cyclists and pedestrians should perceive their experience on the positive side of the comfortable spectrum. The second assumed that the facility works as long as cyclists and pedestrians are willing to use it. This research contributed to practical understanding of comfort. It concluded that unsegregated shared-use paths can work but only in specific path width and volume of users circumstances. Where these cannot be met, it explored how it could be compensated through other interventions. The findings can assist transport professional

Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Systems and the Relevance of a Gender Perspective

This paper aims at addressing the exploitation of solid-state carriers for hydrogen storage, with attention paid both to the technical aspects, through a wide review of the available integrated systems, and to the social aspects, through a preliminary overview of the connected impacts from a gender perspective. As for the technical perspective, carriers to be used for solid-state hydrogen storage for various applications can be classified into two classes: metal and complex hydrides. Related crystal structures and corresponding hydrogen sorption properties are reviewed and discussed. Fundamentals of thermodynamics of hydrogen sorption evidence the key role of the enthalpy of reaction, which determines the operating conditions (i.e., temperatures and pressures). In addition, it rules the heat to be removed from the tank during hydrogen absorption and to be delivered to the tank during hydrogen desorption. Suitable values for the enthalpy of hydrogen sorption reaction for operating conditions close to ambient (i.e., room temperature and 1–10 bar of hydrogen) are close to 30 kJ·molH2−1. The kinetics of the hydrogen sorption reaction is strongly related to the microstructure and to the morphology (i.e., loose powder or pellets) of the carriers. Usually, the kinetics of the hydrogen sorption reaction is rather fast, and the thermal management of the tank is the rate-determining step of the processes. As for the social perspective, the paper arguments that, as it occurs with the exploitation of other renewable innovative technologies, a wide consideration of the social factors connected to these processes is needed to reach a twofold objective: To assess the extent to which a specific innovation might produce positive or negative impacts in the recipient socioeconomic system and, from a sociotechnical perspective, to explore the potential role of the social components and dynamics in fostering the diffusion of the innovation itself. Within the social domain, attention has been paid to address the underexplored relationship between the gender perspective and the enhancement of hydrogen-related energy storage systems. This relationship is taken into account both in terms of the role of women in triggering the exploitation of hydrogen-based storage playing as experimenter and promoter, and in terms of the intertwined impact of this innovation in their current conditions, at work, and in daily life

Social work with airports passengers

Social work at the airport is in to offer to passengers social services. The main methodological position is that people are under stress, which characterized by a particular set of characteristics in appearance and behavior. In such circumstances passenger attracts in his actions some attention. Only person whom he trusts can help him with the documents or psychologically