Top management perception towards green innovation implementation in government-linked companies

The focus of this study is to explore the top management perception towards green innovation implementation in the Government-Linked Companies by understanding: (i) the impact of green concept on innovation implementation in the company and its directives, (ii) how top management value green innovation and their leadership attributes, (iii) innovation that is widely diffused, and (iv) the significance of green innovation to organizational sustainability. The participants involved were top managers from two Government-Linked Investment Companies, 11 Government-Linked Companies and two Multinational Companies. Purposive sampling technique was chosen to select the people to be interviewed, and multiple-case sampling was chosen for organizations because it added certainty to findings. The interviews transcriptions were transferred to the NVivo, a computer assisted qualitative data analysis systems (CAQDAS), to help in data managing and themes generating. Open-coding resulted in 67 unique codes and were reduced to axial coding (major themes) and further collapsed into four group themes of selective coding. Findings of the study indicated that green innovation implementation concept had an impact on image and future projects allocation by the government. The study also revealed that the top management was responsible for green innovation directives due to companies' bottom lines. The finding also showed that data fitted the working model for leadership attributes by combining Situational Leadership and Strategic Leadership into Eco-Situational Strategic Leadership where sustainability was positioned as an opportunity for dominant foundation of competitive advantage and corporate survival especially when technological green innovation was widely diffused in the companies. This study also proposed the Green Pinnacle Model to understand the significance of green innovation to organizational sustainabilit

"THE ROLE OF GREEN EXPERIENTIAL QUALITY, SATISFACTION, AND AUTHENTICITY ON TOURISTS PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL INTENTION"

This research investigates the impact of green experiential quality, experiential satisfaction, and perceived authenticity on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. Based on an extension of the service quality framework, experiential quality related to green practices represents an extension that goes beyond the tourists’ evaluation of the functional attributes provided by the hospitality sector and the hotel suppliers. In fact, it reflects the tourists’ affective response to their desired socio-psychological benefits linked to the ability of the hospitality offering to consider the specific consumers’ sustainable needs. The preliminary findings are based on 300 green hotel customers and data are analyzed through a moderated-mediated analysis conducted via PROCESS macro for SPSS. Our results confirm the role of green experiential quality in driving the tourist towards pro-environmental behavior during the tourism experience. It does so via the mediation role played by the consequent experiential satisfaction deriving from the hotel green practices quality. Surprisingly, our findings found no support for the moderating role of authenticity in fostering the relationship between green quality and perceived satisfaction. Our study suggests valuable insights for both managers and scholars related to the antecedents of pro-environmental behavior deriving from hotel green practices

Searching for OH maser emission towards the MIPSGAL compact Galactic bubbles

We conducted radio observations searching for OH 18-cm maser emission from a sample of 169 unclassified MIPSGAL compact Galactic bubbles. These sources are thought to be the circumstellar envelopes of different kinds of evolved stars. Our observations were aimed at shedding light on the nature of MIPSGAL bubbles, since their characterisation is a fundamental aid for the development of accurate physical models of stellar and Galaxy evolution. The maser emission is observatively linked to the last stages of the life of low- and intermediate-mass stars, which may constitute a significant fraction of the MIPSGAL bubbles. In particular OH masers are usually observed towards post-AGB stars. Our observations were performed with the Green Bank Telescope and, for each source, produced spectra around the four OH 18-cm transitions. The observations were compared with archive interferometer data in order to exclude possible contamination from nearby sources. The main result is that the OH maser emission is not a common feature among the MIPSGAL bubbles, with only one certain detection. We conclude that among the MIPSGAL bubbles the post-AGB stars could be very rare

Sustainability-Linked Debt in Shipping : A study on the effects of SLD on shipowners’ cost of capital

This study analyzes whether issuing sustainability-linked debt (SLD) reduces shipowners’ cost of capital. In light of the existing research on green bonds indicating increased investor appetite for sustainability, along with pressure from the IMO towards zero emission, it is interesting to investigate whether this new addition in the sustainable finance landscape can play a role towards a more sustainable shipping industry. We analyze the cost of capital with a dual-lens approach, investigating the impact on the cost of debt and equity separately. By conducting a difference in differences analysis of the effect of bond and loan issuances on the cost of equity within one year after issuance, we find that shipowners generally achieve a slight but significant reduction in the cost of equity. However, the effect is heterogeneous among individual shipowners in direction, size, response time, and development over time. We do not find a trend of specific shipping segments standing out in a particular direction. On the debt side, we match sustainability-linked bonds with conventional counterfactuals to investigate the presence of a “greenium”. We conclude that inferring an effect on the cost of debt is challenging as the current number of SLBs is too limited. Investigating an effect on the cost of debt from the SLLs is also difficult due to a lack of transparency in the loan data. Nevertheless, our results provide a basis for rejecting the null hypothesis, which states that SLD does not affect shipowners’ cost of capital. In conclusion, SLD seems to reduce the cost of capital for shipowners through positive reactions from investors about the commitment towards sustainability, consistent with existing research on green financing.nhhma

An Investigation into Green Office Buildings' Occupants' Self-Assessed Productivity Levels

Global warming is becoming a topic on everyone's mind as the world turns towards a sustainable way of living. In the property industry, people are looking for ways to encourage investors to move towards sustainable development. This requires some convincing as the increased costs of green buildings need to be justified, specifically looking at the financial returns for the investor. Green buildings are said to increase productivity of its occupants but the difficulty in quantitatively measuring productivity has proven to be a stumbling block in this process. Various green buildings were identified, and their occupants interviewed to provide some answers on the impact of green certification in office buildings, specifically in Cape Town. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with occupants who worked in a building both prior to, as well as during the implementation of green initiatives. Difficulties in this measurement were noted and discussed throughout. It was decided as a result of the available responses, and the guidance from the literature, that perceived productivity could be used as an acceptable form of productivity. It was therefore also necessary to include a section in the interview on personal stresses that the respondent may be experiencing that might also impact productivity. Findings showed that whilst respondents were positive about the green environment and had seen an increase in productivity, a few were unsure about whether these were linked, especially when other factors such as change in management had occurred. The overall feeling of respondents was better and healthier in the greener building, and all reported favourably on most green initiatives. Future research on measurement tools can be investigated with a larger sample being interviewed. It will also be helpful to have further information into the respondents' backgrounds, position in the company and general feeling within the organization that may have an effect on productivity. The more knowledge the respondents have on the office, the larger the collection of reliable data. A greater range of green-starred buildings should be included as well as more than one respondent per building, to increase the sample for comparison

Needs and expectations of German and Chinese children for livable urban green spaces revealed by the method of empathy-based stories

One of the important features of cities is to provide high-quality outdoor environments for various groups of citizens. Although children are frequent users of green spaces, the knowledge and perspectives applied in planning and design of urban green spaces are mostly defined by adults. This results in spaces and practices that may limit the daily lives and creativity of urban children. Promoting child-friendly cities benefits from knowledge produced by children themselves, regarding their perceptions and experiences, as well as ideas and suggestions. This study provides empirical results concerning children's needs and mental images for urban green spaces in two urban areas in two countries (Chengdu, China, and Ruhr Region, Germany). 765 children, ages 8-10 were surveyed through the method of empathy-based stories (MEBS). Participants were asked to use their imagination to write stories according to given scenarios. Our study shows that MEBS can be used to gather meaningful data with children, and that children are an important stakeholder group in urban planning, landscape design and management with an ability to express their diverse needs and preferences towards green spaces. Both designed green spaces (e.g. gardens, parks) and wild nature (e.g. forests, meadows) can offer a range of activities and experiences for children in their everyday lives: opportunities for play, socializing, contact with nature, aesthetic and restorative experiences, learning and exploration. Our findings include indications of children's awareness of the diverse ecosystem services that green spaces provide, as well as of urban sustain ability and livability. While we found German and Chinese children to have corresponding needs and expectations regarding urban green spaces and nature, we also found some variation. We suggest that the use of, and experiences in green spaces are linked not only to the landscape but also to conceptual-cultural contexts.Peer reviewe

An evaluation of genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to map the <em>Breviaristatum-e (ari-e)</em> locus in cultivated barley

ABSTRACT: We explored the use of genotyping by sequencing (GBS) on a recombinant inbred line population (GPMx) derived from a cross between the two-rowed barley cultivar ‘Golden Promise’ (ari-e.GP/Vrs1) and the six-rowed cultivar ‘Morex’ (Ari-e/vrs1) to map plant height. We identified three Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL), the first in a region encompassing the spike architecture gene Vrs1 on chromosome 2H, the second in an uncharacterised centromeric region on chromosome 3H, and the third in a region of chromosome 5H coinciding with the previously described dwarfing gene Breviaristatum-e (Ari-e). BACKGROUND: Barley cultivars in North-western Europe largely contain either of two dwarfing genes; Denso on chromosome 3H, a presumed ortholog of the rice green revolution gene OsSd1, or Breviaristatum-e (ari-e) on chromosome 5H. A recessive mutant allele of the latter gene, ari-e.GP, was introduced into cultivation via the cv. ‘Golden Promise’ that was a favourite of the Scottish malt whisky industry for many years and is still used in agriculture today. RESULTS: Using GBS mapping data and phenotypic measurements we show that ari-e.GP maps to a small genetic interval on chromosome 5H and that alternative alleles at a region encompassing Vrs1 on 2H along with a region on chromosome 3H also influence plant height. The location of Ari-e is supported by analysis of near-isogenic lines containing different ari-e alleles. We explored use of the GBS to populate the region with sequence contigs from the recently released physically and genetically integrated barley genome sequence assembly as a step towards Ari-e gene identification. CONCLUSIONS: GBS was an effective and relatively low-cost approach to rapidly construct a genetic map of the GPMx population that was suitable for genetic analysis of row type and height traits, allowing us to precisely position ari-e.GP on chromosome 5H. Mapping resolution was lower than we anticipated. We found the GBS data more complex to analyse than other data types but it did directly provide linked SNP markers for subsequent higher resolution genetic analysis

Flows of transnational environmental crime: case study research on e-waste and timber

Despite growing interest in green criminological issues, a need remains to develop research that grasps the complexity and transnational nature inherent to the phenomenon of transnational environmental crime. We hope to contribute to this in our PhD-study which focuses on transnational environmental crime and more in particular on the illegal transport of e-waste and timber. Both of these transnational environmental crime phenomena are inherently linked to globalisation and to transferences of levels or geographies. Therefore we explicitly took the transnational dimension into account and perceived both phenomena as flows. We present the first results of a case study about illegal transports of e-waste and timber, for which a Belgian port served as the research setting. Based on a triangulation of data from document analyses and in-depth interviews, we try to de-anonymize the origin, intermediary and destination locations of these flows. We illustrate the characteristics of illegal transports of e-waste and timber as transnational environmental crime flows. We look at the environmental problems at the basis of their criminalization: what actors are involved, what the nature of the phenomena is and what its impact, harm and vulnerabilities are. This will provide meaning to the second goal of our research which focuses on the governance of transnational environmental crime flows. This second aim is to map governance nodes and networks and pay attention to different actors involved, to their interactions and potentially different finalities. This presentation focuses on the characteristics of illegal transports of e-waste and timber (goal 1) and hints towards the study of their governance (goal 2)

Molecular gas and star formation towards the IR dust bubble S24 and its environs

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the infrared dust bubble S24, and its environs, with the aim of investigating the characteristics of the molecular gas and the interstellar dust linked to them, and analyzing the evolutionary status of the young stellar objects (YSOs) identified there. Using APEX data, we mapped the molecular emission in the CO(2-1), $^{13}$CO(2-1), C$^{18}$O(2-1), and $^{13}$CO(3-2) lines in a region of about 5'x 5' in size around the bubble. The cold dust distribution was analyzed using ATLASGAL and Herschel images. Complementary IR and radio data were also used.The molecular gas linked to the S24 bubble, G341.220-0.213, and G341.217-0.237 has velocities between -48.0 km sec$^{-1}$ and -40.0 km sec$^{-1}$. The gas distribution reveals a shell-like molecular structure of $\sim$0.8 pc in radius bordering the bubble. A cold dust counterpart of the shell is detected in the LABOCA and Herschel images.The presence of extended emission at 24 $\mu$m and radio continuum emission inside the bubble indicates that the bubble is a compact HII region. Part of the molecular gas bordering S24 coincides with the extended infrared dust cloud SDC341.194-0.221. A cold molecular clump is present at the interface between S24 and G341.217-0.237. As regards G341.220-0.213, the presence of an arc-like molecular structure at the northern and eastern sections of this IR source indicates that G341.220-0.213 is interacting with the molecular gas. Several YSO candidates are found to be linked to the IR extended sources, thus confirming their nature as active star-forming regions. The total gas mass in the region and the H$_2$ ambient density amount to 10300 M$_{\odot}$ and 5900 cm$^{-3}$, indicating that G341.220-0.213, G341.217-0.237, and the S24 HII region are evolving in a high density medium. A triggering star formation scenario is also investigated.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures. Submitted to A&A. Revised according to the referee repor