An Investigation into the Social and Cultural Dynamics that Shape Product Service Systems Consumption

Improved resource efficiency and extended product life cycles are strategies prioritized by policy makers to achieve sustainable production and consumption. Literature suggests that Product Service Systems (PSS), competitive systems of products, services, supporting networks and infrastructure designed to satisfy demand using fewer resources than traditional business models can deliver these strategies. Whilst PSS’ resource efficiency potential has been questioned, PSS may still help society move toward more sustainable futures. Indeed, PSS have been linked to the concept of circular economy in which resources are reused, recovered and regenerated to minimise environmental impact of consumption. Yet PSS have not been widely taken up in consumer markets and consequently their potential to address sustainability challenges has not been realised. In response, this thesis investigates the social and cultural dynamics that shape PSS consumption. Two case studies are presented that draw upon Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and Practice theory (PT) in pluralistic fashion and experts engaged to find ways to generate a dialogue and insights from these two perspectives. A flexible research design was followed with data collected by semi-structured interviews with consumers and experts. Data were analysed using a dynamic template approach. The findings suggest that some consumers are encouraged to consume PSS as a way to construct identities expressing meanings and ideologies such as altruism and environmental protection. Consumers need, however, to learn access practices to consume PSS offerings. Furthermore, social- structural elements of living such as social conventions and the physical distribution of sites where consumers work and live prevent them from consuming PSS recurrently. Further research is needed to investigate how PSS consumption inspired by consumers’ meanings and ideologies may be collective, recurring and integrated within the social structural aspects of living

The effect of care worker communication style on the communicative behaviour of care home residents with dementia: a mixed methods study

Previous research into communication between care workers and care home residents with dementia has not utilised the experience of healthcare professionals who work with people with dementia on a daily basis. Previous research mostly consists of observational studies and the assessment of care worker training programmes. No study has yet attempted to establish the efficacy of isolated communication strategies, recommended by healthcare professionals, and administered by care workers within a residential care setting. This thesis first presents the thematic analysis of 16 semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals who have experience of working with people with dementia. The participants discuss the personal characteristics required in a healthcare professional to facilitate communication, the verbal and non-verbal strategies they use and the organisational factors which can impact the delivery of communication as desired. Two of the recommended strategies, alpha commands and pacing an interaction, were then analysed experimentally. Three care worker-resident dyads were videoed during morning care routines in an ABAC design. Resident communicative behaviour was measured using an amended version of the Positive Response Schedule (PRS) (Perrin, 1997), the Resistiveness to Care Scale (RTC-DAT) (Mahoney et al., 1999) and compliance. It was found that the conditions containing a significantly higher percentage of alpha commands produced significantly higher PRS scores. This was shown within each dyad and across the dyads (r=+0.65, p<0.05). The results for the pacing condition were inconclusive as the residents responded quickly after instructions were given. This exploratory study found a significant effect of alpha commands on the communicative behaviour of care home residents with dementia. The implications for future research and care worker training are discussed