SME adaptive capacity in response to environmental requirements: understanding it as a complex adaptive system

The pressure on Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies to adapt their production and management to meet global industrial environmental standards is enormous. These pressures come from both the international supply chain and the government’s environmental legislation. Yet, an effective way to help SMEs adapt to these challenges in emerging economies is not reported. Little is available about environmental adaptation process at SMEs in developing countries. This paper attempts to address this gap in knowledge. It uses the theory of Complex Adaptive Systems to understand the complex nature of environmental adaptation at SMEs, and more importantly, it outlines an agenda for further research to identify key success factors for the environmental adaptation process at SMEs based on the key components of such a system

Will there be a Phuket Spring?

Changes in Phuket are rapid and the direction of development is influenced by many stakeholders and their interpretations of ‘development’. While most sustainable development policies and programs are driven by top-down management, unresolved environmental and social problems highlights the need to improve systems of information and knowledge management to facilitate communication across all stakeholders so that sustainability outcomes can be achieved. This research used mixed methods to explore the operational meanings of sustainability through a participatory approach and grass-roots views. The results show the need for better utilization of knowledge capital in the Phuket society through social and human capital building with a welldesigned application of information technology. Such a system is proposed

Sustainable development in the Asian Century: an inquiry of its understanding in Phuket, Thailand

Sustainable development in the context of international policy is influenced by western values, with few critical evaluations of its application in Asian contexts. This paper presents the interpretation of sustainable development by businesses, civil society, government at various levels and a selection of graduate students in Phuket, Thailand. In all, 78 hours of observations in public meetings, 70 hours of interviews and 10 hours of sectorally arranged workshops were conducted over a period of two years. Data were transcribed and analysed using established qualitative methods. The paper reports how Thai value systems relate to sustainable development concepts and proposes that a culturally appropriate model is needed for understanding the path to a sustainable future in Phuket. Understanding cultural and social values is the key to sustainability. This will require appropriate network-building that creates change towards a culturally sustainable society. We propose that similar cultural adjustment will be necessary for sustainable development to become effective as an organizing concept in Asia

Grassroots management of a protected area: The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Philippines in Global Report on Public-Private Partnerships: Tourism Development

Grassroots management of a protected area: The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Philippine

Most of nature: a framework to resolve the twin dilemmas of the decline of nature and rural communities

Recognition of the interrelationships between the global loss of nature and collapse of rural communities is essential. Compartmentalising or ignoring the diversity of stakeholder perspectives, policy objectives, and the complexity of nature has not worked. We must improve all natural and human capital to address the growing problems. Progressing environmental and development policies in isolation diminishes policy effectiveness, polarises communities by engendering dislocation, fear and conflict, and leads to ineffectual or deleterious natural and rural systems management. Conservation and rural policy can be recast to a new rural-urban dynamic: progressing from food and fibre production with little regard for externalities to one of food, fibre and sustainable natural and rural systems. We propose a conceptual framework based on the interdependence of humans and nature that recognises multiple forms of capital, and their role in environmental management and community development. Specifically, the 'forms of capital' framework directs attention to the transformational properties of different forms of capital and to the deterministic socio-economic and political drivers of change. Integrating system governance and stewardship, in conjunction with coordinated, self-adapting processes of research, planning, monitoring and system evaluation, offers a means of improving sustainable management of the complex inter-relationships between people and nature

An Unsustainable Smart City: Lessons from Uneven Citizen Education and Engagement in Thailand

The sustainability of a smart city development depends on the interpretations and prioritization driven by the key actors. Currently; the “top-down” smart city implementation in many countries is at risk of disengaging with local stakeholders and further widening the social disparities in the cities. This paper presents the socio-political contexts of a smart city, the citizens’ perspectives and awareness using Phuket, and Thailand as a case study. Desktop research was used to describe the context of the smart city policy; key driving organizations; budget allocation; and the guiding vision and mission statements at the local level. A survey of 409 residents was conducted to assess their awareness and willingness to participate in Phuket Smart City (PSC) activities as well as internet behavior and communication channels. The findings reveal uneven awareness of PSC across demographic groups. PSC was more familiar to the middle-aged; highly educated; high-income; and locals with leadership positions and living near the city center. A perceived lack of knowledge, time, information, and relevance affected the residents’ willingness to be involved in smart city development. Active communication and grass-root engagement are needed to improve public awareness and engagement in smart city implementation and achieve meaningful and equitable development

Sustainable tourism: An overview of the concept and its position in relation to conceptualisations of tourism

Reference to sustainable tourism is now made in most strategic tourism planning documents. Yet, despite its common use, definitional arguments exist over its meaning and subsequent operationalisation. In addition to this, literature on sustainable tourism rarely discusses its development prior to the publication of Our Common Future (World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), 1987) and its relevance to current conceptualisations of tourism. This paper analyses the context within which sustainable tourism was developed and has recently been conceptualised. It does this by assessing the development of sustainable tourism (with an Australian focus) and proposing a model which incorporates the development of sustainable tourism into tourism. The paper argues that sustainable tourism has traditionally given more focus to aspects related to the environment and economic development and that more focus should be given to community involvement