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Environmental degradation manifests itself both at the local andthe global level. In order to avoid further environmental degradationenvironmental quality should be considered as…
Abstract
Environmental degradation manifests itself both at the local and the global level. In order to avoid further environmental degradation environmental quality should be considered as a target of economic policy. The article provides a documentary overview of important environmental studies and shows the results of an empirical scenario study for The Netherlands. Finally, some policy implications of the problem of global warming as a result of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations are discussed.
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This paper examines, based on certain criteria, the most feasible sustainable energy technology (SET) for rural Bangladesh. The criteria used for the appropriateness of SET for…
Abstract
This paper examines, based on certain criteria, the most feasible sustainable energy technology (SET) for rural Bangladesh. The criteria used for the appropriateness of SET for rural Bangladesh are: (a) availability of energy resources, (b) degree of technological complexity of the proposed technology, (c) cost effectiveness, (d) balance between supply of and demand for energy, (e) contribution of the particular energy technology to reducing greenhouse gas emission, and (f) major constraints associated with accepting the recommended technology. The paper describes the theoretical part of the author's Ph.D. thesis where fundamental work has been done. The study applies the criteria to three main energy technologies‐ biomass, solar and wind‐ and finds that none of these technologies are suitable on their own. However, among the three proposed energy technologies, biomass might be the best possible option which can make a positive contribution to alleviate energy poverty in rural Bangladesh. Findings of this study are useful for development policy makers and researchers.
In the tourism industry the rapidly increasing environmental dynamism and the intensity of competition call for constant improvements in Services' quality and pricing. Of the…
Abstract
In the tourism industry the rapidly increasing environmental dynamism and the intensity of competition call for constant improvements in Services' quality and pricing. Of the various elements in the tourism Performance bundle, the environment is an important starting point for examining the possibility of strengthening competitive position. Relative weightings of individual environmental pollutants regarding their importance to travel decisions are needed as a basis for decisions about effective countermeasures. An analysis of tourism, traffic and environmental developments, as well as an attempt to evaluate the relative weightings of various environmental impacts, gave the following working hypothesis: Of the various environmental pollutants which are relevant to the tourism industry in the Austrian Alpine region, traffic pollution constitutes the most important problem. The problem was examined with an emphasis on Tyrol, but the results should be largely transferable to the neighbouring areas in South Tyrol, Switzerland and Bavaria. The working hypothesis on the one hand refers to tourism as an industry effected by environmental pollutants, which are caused by both tourism and nontourism production and consumption activities. The pollutants act as impairments on the holiday experience. On the other hand it refers to tourism as a problem causer, with external effects on the non‐tourism and tourism industry. Traffic pollution has a comparatively large influence here too. This tourism‐related causer/effected‐combination for environmental pollution is relevant at both the local and the global level in different. Locally the directly effective aesthetic pollution stands out the most, for instance in the form of noise or damage to the countryside. Globally it's the “big” environmental problems (among other things the hypothesis on global warming), where, of the environmental pollution caused by tourism, traffic pollution makes a dominant contribution. The developed working hypotheses and assumptions about the relative weightings of different tourism‐related environmental pollutants are, due to inadequate data, based on rough estimates. To support them, the working hypotheses need, above all, an improved supply of data specific to the problem, to be collected scientifically with, among other things, more social and scientific research into the subjective problem perceptions of tourists and their reactions in the holiday decision process.
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Though there is a large potential market for laser robots for sheet‐metal cutting, there are still functional problems to be overcome.
The inherent linkages between climate and the habitability of theEarth are increasingly well recognized, and a convention could help toensure that conserving the environment and…
Abstract
The inherent linkages between climate and the habitability of the Earth are increasingly well recognized, and a convention could help to ensure that conserving the environment and developing the economy in the future must go hand in hand. Due to growing environmental concern, the United Nations General Assembly has set into motion an international negotiating process for a framework convention on climate change. One of the specific tasks in these negotiations is how to share the duties in reducing climate relevant gases, particularly carbon dioxide, between the industrial and the developing countries. The respective proposals could be among the most far‐reaching ever for socio‐economic development, indeed for global security and survival itself. While the negotiations will be about climate and protection of the atmosphere, they could lead to fundamental changes in energy, forestry, transport and technology policies, and to future development pathways with low greenhouse gas emissions. Addresses some of these aspects of a climate convention and a respective CO⊂2‐agreement, the Houston Protocol.
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Yuelin Li, Ying Li, Ying Pan and Hongliang Han
The purpose of this paper is to examine information-seeking behavior (ISB) of strategic planners in enterprise across different work-task types and stages.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine information-seeking behavior (ISB) of strategic planners in enterprise across different work-task types and stages.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study was conducted in a pharmaceutical company in China, labeled as T Company. One of the authors worked in the department of strategic planning of this company as an intern. The data were collected via participant observation and unstructured in-depth interviews. Open coding was performed to analyze the data.
Findings
Four work-task stages were identified: project preparation, gathering, discovery and presentation, and strategy formulation. The results indicate that work-task types, work-task stages, and strategic planners’ work role or position affect their information needs, source selection, and seeking process. Task complexity, task familiarity, and task goal are of the most important task attributes that directly shape strategic planners’ ISB. Work role determines the extent to which strategic planners can access the information of the company. Internal information has priority, but external information is also important when internal information is not sufficient; both are equally important for strategic planning projects. Social media has been a very important channel to access, disseminate and share information. Workshops are an important approach to producing final project reports. Face-to-face discussion and information exchange play a critical role in the formulation of new strategies.
Research limitations/implications
This is a case study with data collected from only one company in China. Some of the results may not be generalizable. However, it adds new knowledge to ISB research in enterprise, informs people how to provide better information services for strategic planners, and informs MBA education for students’ better information-seeking skills.
Originality/value
Though myriad studies on ISB, little research has been done to examine strategic planners’ ISB from a business context, especially taking into account the effect of work-task types and stages.
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