Applying sequential mixed-methods approaches when working with businesses: insights from longitudinal research into the influence of business on sustainable lifestyles

Working with businesses can be complex and equally demanding requiring flexible and rigorous research approaches to ensure sufficient data is captured to fully answer the respective research questions. Sequential mixed-methods approaches allow to combine quantitative and qualitative methods in ways that allow for exploration and explanation. While often multifaceted and resource-intense, sequential designs such as sequential exploratory and sequential explanatory approaches utilize a wide breadth of data in an attempt to capture the real world in its entirety. The application of both types of sequential mixed-methods designs is presented by drawing on a longitudinal behavior change study with IKEA UK & Ireland, a leading multi-national home furniture retailer. A variety of qualitative data mining techniques were used to collect data including qualitative data from in-depth semi-structured interviews and blog posts, among others. Quantitative data were collected following a pre-post survey design. The case example demonstrates the potential of sequential designs, addressing advantages and potential challenges. It also highlights the need to stay flexible throughout the research process to adapt to changes while applying a rigorous approach to data collection and analysis

Self-transcendent experiences as promoters of ecological wellbeing? Exploration of the evidence and hypotheses to be tested

In recent years, much has been written on the role of different mental states and their potential to influence our way of thinking and, perhaps more importantly, the way we act. With the recent acceleration of environmental and mental health issues, alongside the limited effectiveness of existing interventions, an exploration of new approaches to deliver transformative change is required. We therefore explore the emerging potential of a type of mental state known as self-transcendent experiences (STEs) as a driver of ecological wellbeing. We focus on four types of STEs: those facilitated by experiences of flow, awe, and mindfulness, as well as by psychedelic-induced experiences. Some of these experiences can occur naturally, through sometimes unexpected encounters with nature or during immersion in every-day activities that one intrinsically enjoys, as well as through more intentional practices such as meditation or the administration of psychedelics in controlled, legal settings. We explore the evidence base linking each of the four types of STE to ecological wellbeing before proposing potential hypotheses to be tested to understand why STEs can have such beneficial effects. We end by looking at the factors that might need to be considered if STEs are going to be practically implemented as a means of achieving ecological wellbeing

Above and beyond? How businesses can drive sustainable development by promoting lasting pro-environmental behaviour change: an examination of the IKEA Live Lagom project

Current global changes require new business approaches driving sustainable development on all fronts. To date, most business approaches have focused on sustainable marketing and corporate social responsibility initiatives. In this field study, we examine IKEA’s Live Lagom project, a three year behaviour change initiative that aimed to explore how to go above and beyond conventional approaches demonstrating how businesses could support sustainable development by supporting their customers’ attempts to live more sustainable lifestyles. We examined the effectiveness of the project involving multi-faceted behaviour change interventions, testing for behavioural changes both during and after the project period. In addition, we explored changes in participants’ attitudes towards the company. Findings show that the extensive set of interventions led to changes in pro-environmental behaviours across all three participant groups with potentially positive impacts on the customer-company relationship. The article thus provides a call for further businesses to engage in similar behaviour change projects that would allow citizens to engage in more sustainable lifestyles and behaviours across contexts

Advancing the circular economy through dynamic capabilities and extended customer engagement: insights from small sustainable fashion enterprises in the UK

The circular economy holds the potential to significantly reduce resource use. However, attempts to fully utilize its potential have fallen short so far. Based on a longitudinal interview-based study, we examine how micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the UK fashion industry advance the circular economy (CE). Whereas the dynamic capabilities framework is mostly used for medium and large businesses, our findings advance the current literature, demonstrating how the distinctive development and use of dynamic capabilities enable MSMEs to act in agile ways, allowing them to introduce, test and advance CE solutions, while providing them with more resilience during times of crises. Our study further shows that fashion MSMEs adopt circular economy business models (CEBMs) by going beyond conventional, technology-focused approaches currently dominating business thinking. The research highlights MSMEs' ability to engage in circular practices through an extension of existing business models in the form of close interactions with their customers demonstrating the importance and potential of extended business-customer engagement in businesses' attempts to adopt CE practices

Facilitating positive spillover effects: new insights from a mixed-methods approach exploring factors enabling people to live more sustainable lifestyles

Positive spillover occurs when changes in one behavior influence changes in subsequent behaviors. Evidence for such spillover and an understanding of when and how it may occur are still limited. This paper presents findings of a 1-year longitudinal behavior change project led by a commercial retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland to examine behavior change and potential spillover of pro-environmental behavior, and how this may be associated with changes in environmental identity and perceptions of ease and affordability as well as perceptions of how participation in the project has helped support behavior change. We draw on both quantitative and qualitative data. Study 1 examines quantitative data from the experimental and a matched control group. Study 2 reports qualitative findings from a follow up interview study with participants of the experimental group. As expected, we found significant changes in reported pro-environmental behavior and identity in the experimental group as well as some indications of behavioral spillover. These changes were not significantly associated with changes in environmental identity. The interviews suggested that group dynamics played an important role in facilitating a sense of efficacy and promoting sustained behavior change and spillover. Moreover, the support by a trusted entity was deemed to be of crucial importance

The role and potential of tripartite partnerships to promote strong sustainable consumption in the context of Brazil: an evaluation of possibilities and risks

The growing concern about persisting environmental problems caused by overconsumption in the context of Brazil must be understood as an issue of democratic character. However, there is a gap in research examining models that can drive change of sustainable-related issues such as sustainable consumption. Critically evaluating existing literature, we discuss the potential of tripartite partnerships (TPPs) to advance sustainable consumption practices. We argue that multi-sector partnership approaches such as TPPs involving multiple actors can strengthen a socio-political basis for the advancement of public policies and inter-sectorial dynamics offering mechanisms that can foster sustainable consumption. By applying a TPP model as analytical lens, we explore prevalent possibilities and risks of promoting sustainable consumption in the context of Brazil

Relationship between cellular response and behavioral variability in bacterial chemotaxis

Bacterial chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a canonical system for the study of signal transduction. A remarkable feature of this system is the coexistence of precise adaptation in population with large fluctuating cellular behavior in single cells (Korobkova et al. 2004, Nature, 428, 574). Using a stochastic model, we found that the large behavioral variability experimentally observed in non-stimulated cells is a direct consequence of the architecture of this adaptive system. Reversible covalent modification cycles, in which methylation and demethylation reactions antagonistically regulate the activity of receptor-kinase complexes, operate outside the region of first-order kinetics. As a result, the receptor-kinase that governs cellular behavior exhibits a sigmoidal activation curve. This curve simultaneously amplifies the inherent stochastic fluctuations in the system and lengthens the relaxation time in response to stimulus. Because stochastic fluctuations cause large behavioral variability and the relaxation time governs the average duration of runs in response to small stimuli, cells with the greatest fluctuating behavior also display the largest chemotactic response. Finally, Large-scale simulations of digital bacteria suggest that the chemotaxis network is tuned to simultaneously optimize the random spread of cells in absence of nutrients and the cellular response to gradients of attractant.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, Supporting information available here http://cluzel.uchicago.edu/data/emonet/arxiv_070531_supp.pd

The problematic role of materialistic values in the pursuit of sustainable well-being

Strong materialistic values help to maintain consumer capitalism, but they can have negative consequences for individual well-being, for social equity and for environmental sustainability. In this paper, we add to the existing literature on the adverse consequences of materialistic values by highlighting their negative association with engagement in attitudes and actions that support the achievement of sustainable well-being. To do this, we explore the links between materialistic values and attitudes towards sufficiency (consuming “just enough”) as well as mindfulness (non-judgmental awareness of the present moment) and flow (total immersion in an activity), which have all been linked to increased well-being and more sustainable behaviours. We present results from three correlational studies that examine the association between materialistic values and sufficiency attitudes (Study 1, n = 310), a multi-faceted measure of mindfulness (Study 2, n = 468) and the tendency to experience flow (Study 3, n = 2000). Results show that materialistic values were negatively associated with sufficiency attitudes, mindfulness, and flow experiences. We conclude with practical considerations and suggest next steps for tackling the problematic aspects of materialism and encouraging the development of sustainable well-being

Shall we dance? Recreational dance, well-being and productivity performance during COVID-19: a three-country study

Mental health issues are increasingly prevalent worldwide, emphasizing the need to research antecedents and consequences of well-being. Prior research shows that within organizations, higher levels of subjective well-being (SWB) promote productivity performance. Building on this research, the authors hypothesize that recreational dance positively influences productivity through higher SWB. Survey data from Brazil, Italy, and the United Kingdom reveal that recreational dancers are more productive than nondancers due to their higher intrinsic motivation and SWB. Dancing has an additional direct effect on productivity, beyond the mediating role of SWB. The results indicate well-being and productivity improvements in all three countries, although they show a moderating effect such that the relationship between recreational dance and SWB is stronger when social norms are perceived to be looser. This study indicates potentially far-reaching benefits that could be achieved by including recreational dance in corporate well-being programs. International dance organizations could market dance classes as a pathway to increase productivity at work and explore synergies with public health marketing to promote the benefits of recreational dance in joint international campaigns

Spatio-temporal correlations can drastically change the response of a MAPK pathway

Multisite covalent modification of proteins is omnipresent in eukaryotic cells. A well-known example is the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, where in each layer of the cascade a protein is phosphorylated at two sites. It has long been known that the response of a MAPK pathway strongly depends on whether the enzymes that modify the protein act processively or distributively: distributive mechanism, in which the enzyme molecules have to release the substrate molecules in between the modification of the two sites, can generate an ultrasensitive response and lead to hysteresis and bistability. We study by Green's Function Reaction Dynamics, a stochastic scheme that makes it possible to simulate biochemical networks at the particle level and in time and space, a dual phosphorylation cycle in which the enzymes act according to a distributive mechanism. We find that the response of this network can differ dramatically from that predicted by a mean-field analysis based on the chemical rate equations. In particular, rapid rebindings of the enzyme molecules to the substrate molecules after modification of the first site can markedly speed up the response, and lead to loss of ultrasensitivity and bistability. In essence, rapid enzyme-substrate rebindings can turn a distributive mechanism into a processive mechanism. We argue that slow ADP release by the enzymes can protect the system against these rapid rebindings, thus enabling ultrasensitivity and bistability