1,6-Diazabicyclo[4.4.4]tetradecane and its lnside-protonated lon: Changes in Space Groups

The crystal structures of 1,6-diazabicyclo[4.4.4]tetradecane (1) and of its inside-protonated ion (2), which were originally described in space group C2/c, should be described instead in trigonal space groups, (1) in R3c and (2) in P31c; both moieties have crystallographically imposed point symmetry D_3 rather than C_2

Human Capital and Environmental Engagement of SMEs in Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis of the Leather Industry

As part of a broader effort to reduce environmental degradation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world are increasingly being required by different stakeholders to adopt more environmentally responsible business practices. The existing literature suggests that the main factors prompting SMEs to adopt environmental practices are: compliance with regulations, economic advantage and the realisation of personal ethical values. However, knowledge and understanding about the resources and capabilities that might enable SMEs to adopt environmental practices remains very limited. At the same time, much of the prior literature is about developed economies. The aim of this case study is to address these gaps in the literature by exploring the influence of human capital on environmental engagement of SMEs in Pakistan’s leatherworking industry. Findings reveal that human capital does influence environmental practices in SMEs of leather industry. Compared to some earlier studies from developed economies, which emphasis more on informal environmental learning, this study finds that both formal education and informal environmental learning are important for better environmental engagement of SMEs. Importance of networking for seeking environmental knowledge also came up quite clearly. The implications are that well-designed and executed interventions could promote large-scale improvements in environmental performance of this industry sector. Furthermore, awareness programmes should aim, not simply to educate entrepreneurs and employees, but also to inspire them to pursue environmental opportunities

Introducing social and sustainable enterprise: changing the nature of business

This chapter introduces the volume, Social and Sustainable Enterprise: Changing the Nature of Business, which is edited by Sarah Underwood, Richard Blundel, Fergus Lyon and Anja Schaefer. The book draws together contemporary research contributions that seek to critically explore a range of issues in the specific context of social enterprise, sustainable entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Collectively, the chapters in this volume consider the challenges facing social enterprises globally, their environmental impact and the difficulties for policy makers in their efforts to tackle complex international environmental problems. The volume contributors draw on a range of research themes, methodological approaches and international contexts to enhance our understanding of the meaning, critical nature and value of social and sustainable enterprise development. Thus, this volume speaks directly to the core objectives of this book series by providing an opportunity for the ISBE [Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship] community of interest to challenge current thinking and create a research agenda for future inquiry

Understanding the Drivers of Sustainable Entrepreneurial Practices in Pakistan’s Leather Industry: A Multi-Level Approach

Purpose: The main objective is to analyse the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial practices in SMEs operating in a developing economy. The secondary objectives are to explore the relationship between these drivers and to draw out the implications for policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach: The research is informed by the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship, and on the drivers of pro-environmental practices in SMEs. It reports on the results of an intensive multi-level empirical study, which investigates the environmental practices of SMEs in Pakistan’s leatherworking industry using a multiple case study design and grounded analysis, which draws on relevant institutional theory. Findings: The study identifies that coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphic pressures simultaneously drive sustainable entrepreneurial activity in the majority of sample SMEs. These pressures are exerted by specific micro, meso and macro level factors, ranging from international customers’ requirements to individual-level values of owners and managers. It also reveals the catalytic effect of the educational and awareness-raising activities of intermediary organisations, in tandem with the attraction of competitiveness gains, (international) environmental regulations, industrial dynamism and reputational factors. Practical implications: The evidence suggests that, in countries where formal institutional mechanisms have less of an impact, intermediary organisations can perform a proto-institutional role that helps to overcome pre-existing barriers to environmental improvement by sparking sustainable entrepreneurial activity in SME populations. Originality/value: The findings imply that the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial activity do not operate in a ‘piecemeal’ fashion, but that particular factors mediate the emergence and development of other sustainability drivers. This paper provides new insights into sustainable entrepreneurship and motivations for environmental practices in an under-researched developing economy context

The Castello Plan-Evidence of Horticulture in New Netherland or Cartographer\u27s Whimsy?

Few descriptions or depictions of horticulture in New Netherland have come down to us, although 17th-century observers\u27 accounts of gardens and orchards present lengthy lists of fruits, vegetables, \u27and fiowers transplanted from Europe, as well as those discovered in North America. Perhaps the most evocative source is the mid-century Castello Plan, a view of the settlement af New Amsterdam, which shows elaborate · parterres on most of the unoccupied lots. Are the gardens of the Castello Plan fact, or simply cartographer\u27s whimsy? Based on data from both the Netherlands and New Netherland-including artists~ depiction~, travelers\u27 accounts, and gardening texts-that illustrate the cultural attitudes, cultural materials, and enviro\u27n~ ment the colonists would have known in Europe, the images of gardens depicted on this early view of Manhattan are evaluated

Human Capital and Environmental Engagement of SMEs in Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis of the Leather Industry

Objectives: To examine how human capital influences the environmental engagement of SMEs in Pakistan’s leather industry. Another objective is to explore the different motivations of SME owners and managers for adopting the pro-environmental behaviour in this industry sector. Prior Work: The research is informed by literature on SMEs and environmental responsibility. Previous research has identified a number of internal and external drivers of, and barriers to, the environmental engagement of SMEs, but much of this research has focused on developed economies. Moreover, research looking specifically at the resources, capabilities and internal processes remains limited. Developing economy-focused research can complement and counterpoint the developed economy orientation of existing work. A focus on environmental practices of SMEs in less familiar cultural settings can also provide new insights. Approach: The research study adopts a qualitative approach and uses multiple case study research design. Guided by the evidence collected in a preliminary literature review, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select a suitable sample of SMEs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcript evidence was combined with observational and documentary sources, and the cases were refined using thematic analysis technique. Results: Contrary to prior research, which regards regulatory compliance as the leading motivation for environmental engagement among SMEs in developed economies such as the EU, this study suggests that, in Pakistan, a primary factor is the presence of, and commercial pressure from, environmentally-conscious customers. The variation in findings can be attributed in part to context-specific factors. Drawing on the human capital literature, this study found that owner managers with higher educational attainment, tended to be more aware of both the challenges and the opportunities in adopting new environmental practices. However, some of the educated owner-managers had a lower level of environmental awareness, which hindered the environmental engagement of their businesses. It also appears that the owner-managers in this study would be more likely to invest in such initiatives through economic incentives, rather than as a consequence of adopting a sustainability agenda or acknowledging a wider responsibility for the natural environment. Value: The findings of the study are important in policy terms, given their focus on the enabling features of human capital in promoting environmental practices in developing economies. There is considerable scope for national governments and international donor agencies to launch environmental awareness programmes for SMEs, which should not simply educate entrepreneurs and employees, but also inspire them to pursue environmental opportunities

SMEs’ construction of climate change risks: the role of networks and values

In this paper we explore how SME managers’ network relations and values may be related to their construction of climate change (CC) as a business risk and responsibility. The paper takes a social-constructionist approach the topic of small business managers’ understanding and response to climate change risks. From this perspective, the paper investigates how the personal values held by managers, as well as the social structure, and particularly the networks in which they are embedded and participating enable and constrain the way in which they understand and enact climate change risks for their business. Keywords Business networks, personal values, climate change, small and medium sized enterprise