Environmental Management Systems as soruces of competitive advantage

An increasing number of firms are adopting environmental management systems as a way of dealing with challenges from the natural environment. Many of these firms also decide to have their environmental management systems certified according to one or both of the available international standards, ISO 14001 and EMAS (The European Union’s Eco Management and Audit Scheme). Both the environmental management system and the certification process involve significant investment of financial resources and management effort, which raises the question of what benefits firms might derive from these activities. Three levels of strategic advantage are identified in this paper. The first level of advantage is transient on nature, being based on competitive preemption and development of first mover advantage. The second level involves development of valuable competencies and more durable resources inside the firm, while the third level advantage depends on the extent to which such resources can be extended and conserved when emphasis shifts from an internal pollution prevention focus towards life cycle oriented environmental management.Natural environment, strategy, resource-based view

Strengthening the Bank's population work in the nineties

This paper argues that the Bank should give renewed priority to population matters and accelerate the current upward trend in lending for family planning programs in the 1990s. It is timely for two reasons. First, the need for bank action in population will increase in the 1990s as a result of growing unmet demand for family planning and stagnant bilateral assistance levels. Second, there is evidence that the initial effects of the 1987 World Bank reorganization have been to strengthening the potential for population work by integrating it more fully with economic analysis and overall country programming, but some further adjustments would assure that the potential could be realized. As the largest and most influential international development organization, there is an important leadership role for the Bank in promoting population policy analysis, dialogue, and in financing family planning programs.Adolescent Health,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Agricultural Research,Reproductive Health,Early Child and Children's Health

Environmental and Social Disclosure and Data-Richness in the Mining Industry

Self-regulation by firms and industries in relation to the environmental impact they cause is not a full substitute for more traditional regulation of environ-mental externalities. However, some self-regulatory efforts do involve very spe-cific actions that serve to reduce externalities for a specific industry and certainly achieve more than the presentation of a responsible image to the world. An example of such efforts that go beyond common claims about “sus-tainable activities”, are seen in the increasing numbers of mining firms that generate and issue environmental reports. While there is as yet no indisputable proof that reporting has a direct effect on environmental performance, this pa-per shows that within a single industry there are wide variations in reporting practices and that sincerity is apparent in the process.

At the Crossroads: Mining Policy in Greenland

Despite formidable physical barriers, mining has taken place in Greenland for more than 100 years. Initially it was by royal concession but without a formal regulatory framework; later there were a few guiding principles laid down by law and elaborated administratively to suit the occasion. One previous attempt had been made to devise a policy that would attract investment, but the resulting mining legislation did not seem to have served this purpose. A policy review initiated in 1989 as a result of a growing need for alternatives to the ailing Greenlandic fishing industry recently resulted in the enactment of new mining and tax legislation. The new Mining Act is the first step on the road towards development of Greenland's resources. The real test, however, will come when one or more projects enter the development phase. Then the management of impact of these projects and the revenues they generate will be central to a successful mining policy.Key words: Greenland, mining policy, economic development;resource extractionRÉSUMÉ. Malgré d’énormes obstacles physiques, les ressources minérales du Groenland ont été exploitées depuis plus de 100 ans. L’exploitation s’est faite tout d’abord par concession royale, mais en l’absence d’un cadre législatif et réglementaire; il y a eu ensuite quelques principes directeursétablis par la loi et précisés par l’administration en fonction des cas. Il y avait eu précédemment une tentative pour créer une politique qui attirerait les investisseurs, mais la législation minière qui en résulta ne semblait pas servir cette fin. Une révision des politiques lancée en 1989 et résultant du besoin croissant de trouver une alternative à l’industrie de la pêche groenlandaise qui est mal en point, aboutit à la promulgation de nouvelles lois sur les mines et de nouvelles lois fiscales. La nouvelle loi sur les mines représente le premier pas vers la mise en valeur des ressources du Groenland. Le vrai test viendra cependant lorsqu’un ou plusieurs projets entreront dans la phase dedéveloppement. La gestion de l’impact de ces projets et des revenus qu’ils généreront sera alors essentielle au succès del a politique minière.Mots clés: Groenland, politique d’exploitation minière, développement, exploitation des ressource

Informal care-two-tiered care? The work of family members and friends in hospitals and cancer centres

In a qualitative study conducted in Ontario, Canada, family members and friends of ill people defined a normal territory in which care from health professionals could not be counted on to be timely, effective or empathic. Under these conditions relatives and friends took on considerable responsibility, both for providing care and for securing care from health professionals. Yet considerable variation was apparent in this study in the sense respondents had of their own capacities to provide and secure care. Findings from this study suggest that service tiers exist in the institutional care system, linked to the time, knowledge and resources of informal carers

Henri Temianka Correspondence; (sinding)

This collection contains material pertaining to the life, career, and activities of Henri Temianka, violin virtuoso, conductor, music teacher, and author. Materials include correspondence, concert programs and flyers, music scores, photographs, and books.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/temianka_correspondence/4166/thumbnail.jp