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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 5 September 2016

Jia Wang and Jiaoju Ge

The purpose of this paper is to theoretically using two new models to analyze the effect of respondents’ uncertainty about their stated willingness to pay (WTP) on welfare…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to theoretically using two new models to analyze the effect of respondents’ uncertainty about their stated willingness to pay (WTP) on welfare estimates in the contingent valuation method (CVM) theoretically using two new models, and empirically to reveal consumers’ WTP to improve drinking water supply safety (WSS) in China.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, two alternative preference uncertainty treatment approaches are proposed to estimate consumers’ WTP theoretically and they are applied to China’s WSS improvement program from a payment card method, which depends on how consumers’ certainty level about their valuation is. Furthermore, four regression models are presented to investigate the determinants of consumers’ WTP.

Findings

Theoretically, the alternative approaches that proposed in this research can remove overestimation bias from traditional CVM method but with lower estimation efficiency. In addition, the empirical results of the uncertainty adjusted models show that the expected WTP to improve drinking WSS is from 0.55 to 0.56 Renminbi yuan/ton, which are lower than the estimates from the conventional standard CVM models. Consumers’ preferences for their concerns about WSS, attitudes toward WSS improvement programs, trusts in implement authorities and their knowledge of WSS have significant effects on the WTP for improving drinking WSS and on respondents’ uncertainty too.

Originality/value

Theoretically to the authors’ knowledge, it is the first attempt to compare alternative approaches to treat respondent uncertainty using numerical certainty scale combined with payment card format valuation questions in CVM. Empirically it is the first study at this large scale that investigates consumers’ WTP for improving drinking WSS incorporating with respondent uncertainty in China. In addition, to assess consumer preferences for improved drinking water safety and the sources of uncertainty, information on consumers’ attitudes toward WSS are considered at the first time.

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2019

Klavdia Markelova Evans, Veronika Ermilina and Ashley Salaiz

The paper enhances our understanding of how small businesses with a strong social mission undergo international expansion. Building on the theoretical arguments on social exchange…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper enhances our understanding of how small businesses with a strong social mission undergo international expansion. Building on the theoretical arguments on social exchange theory (SET), specifically on the literature on reciprocity, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of the Uppsala Internationalization Model to the context of a social enterprise (SE). The propositions argue that the strong social orientation of SEs encourages a reciprocal exchange with the stakeholders of the host country that limits the number of obstacles they may face during the internationalizing process.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual development bridges SET with bodies of knowledge on SE, Uppsala Internationalization Model and organizational embeddedness.

Findings

The theoretical arguments provide evidence of how the socially oriented mission of a small business aids it with overcoming obstacles presented by internationalization. Specifically, the authors show that socially oriented enterprises are uniquely equipped to conquer the lack of adequate information about a foreign market and a lack of adequate public support in a host country. A social mission, which ignites positive reciprocity with the local stakeholders, serves as a valuable asset in the process of internationalization. Moreover, since the propositions recognize that the norms of reciprocity differ from one national culture to another, they unfold how reciprocal exchanges may be altered because of the nuances of national culture.

Originality/value

This work makes three important contributions. First, it extends our understanding of why SEs can potentially internationalize more rapidly than organizations without a strongly pronounced social mission. Second, the investigation on the applicability of the U-Model to the context of SE answers scholars’ recent call for continuous work on advancing the U-Model. Third, the authors equip practitioners with a thorough understanding of how they can capitalize on the social aspect of a SE in the unique setting of a specific national culture.

Details

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2010

Peter Appiah Obeng, Philip Dwamena‐Boateng and Doreen Jardelle Ntiamoah‐Asare

The purpose of this paper is to verify claims that water supplied by operators of tanker trucks in Cape Coast does not meet quality standards recommended for human consumption…

922

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to verify claims that water supplied by operators of tanker trucks in Cape Coast does not meet quality standards recommended for human consumption, and to investigate the sources of any contamination.

Design/methodology/approach

Samples were collected from a water hydrant from which tanker operators draw water from the Ghana Water Company Limited distribution system in Cape Coast and a number of tankers sampled at random. Additional samples were taken from the premises of a patron of the tanker service and a regular customer of the Ghana Water Company Limited. All samples were subjected to physico‐chemical and bacteriological analyses and the results compared with the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water.

Findings

It was found out that water supplied by the tanker operators indeed failed to meet the World Health Organization's guidelines for some quality parameters as alleged by patrons of the service. The tanker‐supplied water was found to contain high levels of Escherichia coli, colour, turbidity and total iron. This was found to arise from the management of the water hydrant and the tankers by the Ghana Water Company Limited and the tanker operators respectively.

Originality/value

The study provides a basis for the set of actions that must be taken to safeguard public health and consumer confidence in drinking water supply using tankers as an emerging alternative to conventional water supply in urban centres of the developing world.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2022

Kehinde Olagunju, Maya R. Sante, Georgia Bracey and Ben K. Greenfield

This study aims to determine preference and concerns regarding tap vs bottled water and recommendations to increase tap water use in a US Midwest university. The authors propose…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine preference and concerns regarding tap vs bottled water and recommendations to increase tap water use in a US Midwest university. The authors propose interventions to increase tap water use based on survey results.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an online survey of the community of a regional comprehensive university in the St. Louis metro-east region (Illinois, USA). They analyzed 781 responses using mixed methods, and developed recommendations based on community-based social marketing principles.

Findings

Black respondents reported higher bottled water use than White respondents. Undergraduate students reported higher bottled water use than faculty or staff. Most respondents were concerned about cost and environmental impact for bottled water and taste and water quality for tap water. Chemical and safety concerns were specific and location-focused for tap water only. Concerns were similar to Safe Drinking Water Act mandated public information, such as prior reports of lead (Pb) in campus drinking water. Tap water taste concerns may relate to proximity to the water treatment plant, resulting in high residual chlorine levels. To increase tap water use in this community, the authors recommend persuasive information campaigns, improvements to infrastructure and distribution that increase tap water convenience, more transparent public reporting on tap water lead levels, management of residual chlorine levels, and establishment of institutional norms favoring tap water over bottled water.

Originality/value

The authors evaluate barriers to drinking tap water across multiple environmental and social systems. The methods used in this study combine mixed methods analysis and community-based social marketing. The findings integrate respondent demographics and concerns, local water quality, local and national contamination events, campus-specific sustainability initiatives and barriers, and national drinking water regulations.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1994

Derek Mozley

Three events of significance to this country took place in 1899 – the British Food Journal was launched, Australia retained the Ashes, and the Boer War hostilities commenced. If…

1001

Abstract

Three events of significance to this country took place in 1899 – the British Food Journal was launched, Australia retained the Ashes, and the Boer War hostilities commenced. If challenged on the order of their importance, cricketers and Empire‐builders may be excused their preference. However, looking at it purely from the standpoint of pro bono publico, the dispassionate observer must surely opt for the birth of a certain publication as being ultimately the most beneficial of the three.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 96 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Book part
Publication date: 18 November 2020

Katja Eman and Gorazd Meško

Although more than 71 per cent of the Earth is covered by water, 97 per cent of that volume is saltwater held in the oceans. Of the remaining water, 2 per cent is freshwater…

Abstract

Although more than 71 per cent of the Earth is covered by water, 97 per cent of that volume is saltwater held in the oceans. Of the remaining water, 2 per cent is freshwater locked away in snow and ice, leaving less than 1 per cent available for human requirements (Williams, 2016). Yet, water is crucial for human survival. Therefore, access to water must be recognised as a fundamental human right. In 2010, the United Nations adopted Resolution 64/292 which explicitly recognises the human right to water and sanitation, acknowledges that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential for the realisation of all human rights, and seeks to protect water as a national resource and the people that need it the most. Despite the adoption of the aforementioned Resolution, water remains a hugely pertinent issue across the world, particularly in areas where water is considered predominantly as a tradeable commodity. Hence, Water and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the 2015 UN-Water Annual International Zaragoza Conference are extremely important in terms of water protection, preservation and sustainable development. This chapter discusses access to water as a fundamental precondition of life, noting that the Republic of Slovenia became one of the first countries in the world to include the human right to water in its Constitution in 2017. The authors believe that this is an excellent example for other countries to change their legislation in favour of protecting the fundamental human right to access to water. It also presents further possibilities for achieving SDG 6.1 (and other SDGs related to water) in practice.

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Crime, Justice and Sustainable Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-355-5

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 June 2021

Arju Afrin Kathy and Mohammed Norul Alam

Groundwater resources are the primary source of meeting the water demand in Bangladesh. In rural areas, hand-pumped tube wells have been the primary source of drinking water

Abstract

Groundwater resources are the primary source of meeting the water demand in Bangladesh. In rural areas, hand-pumped tube wells have been the primary source of drinking water. Though studies claim that Bangladesh has the potential to achieve universal safe drinking water supply coverage, the presence of excessive arsenic in the shallow groundwater sources, and the encroachment of salinity in the coastal aquifers in coastal regions (Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barisal, Barguna etc.) hind the path. The concerned authorities of government and other non-government organizations assist the coastal people with alternative technologies like Desalination Plant, Arsenic-Iron Removal Plant, Pond Sand Filtration (PSF), Managed Aquifer Recharge, Rainwater Harvesting System, Installation of Shallow, and Deep Tube Wells. But based on case studies and surveys, this article shows how these existing technologies fail to ensure water safety within the coastal areas. The Singaporean water management policy is an example, this article advocates for necessary government intervention to ensure safe drinking water in coastal areas.

Details

Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1819-5091

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 1951

C.H. Cumberland and G.S. Bowey

Water systems in civil aircraft, stimulated by passenger comfort needs, have grown to be a comprehensive and important part of aircraft engineering. In this article, following a…

Abstract

Water systems in civil aircraft, stimulated by passenger comfort needs, have grown to be a comprehensive and important part of aircraft engineering. In this article, following a review of the system types, the design features arc discussed in detail and emphasis has been placed on the functional and hygiene requirements, and on the need for simplicity and weight conservation. Attempts have been made to augment air‐borne water supplies by reclamation means, but these have not been too successful. Investigations should therefore continue into the ways and means of improving the utilization of existing ‘fixed’ capacity systems. Installation safety aspects are also discussed.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 23 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Book part
Publication date: 11 August 2014

Md. Anwarul Abedin and Rajib Shaw

The contamination of groundwater by natural arsenic is currently a worldwide epidemic. Arsenic-contaminated groundwater has been reported in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, China…

Abstract

The contamination of groundwater by natural arsenic is currently a worldwide epidemic. Arsenic-contaminated groundwater has been reported in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, China, Hungary, West Bengal in India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Of these regions, Bangladesh and West Bengal are the most seriously affected in terms of the size of the population at risk and magnitude of health problems. Hence, chronic exposure to arsenic >50′′μg/L in drinking water can result in serious health problems. Common symptoms of arsenic-related ailments are skin, cardiovascular, renal, hematological, and respiratory disorders. Therefore, this chapter focuses on nature, origin, and extent of groundwater arsenic contamination, probable causes, and its impacts on food, drinking water, and social coverage. It further discloses mitigation approaches proposed and practiced by the different research groups to combat this problem and finally concludes.

Details

Water Insecurity: A Social Dilemma
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-882-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1979

After great Wars, the years that follow are always times of disquiet and uncertainty; the country is shabby and exhausted, but beneath it, there is hope, expectancy, nay…

174

Abstract

After great Wars, the years that follow are always times of disquiet and uncertainty; the country is shabby and exhausted, but beneath it, there is hope, expectancy, nay! certainty, that better times are coming. Perhaps the golden promise of the fifties and sixties failed to mature, but we entered the seventies with most people confident that the country would turn the corner; it did but unfortunately not the right one! Not inappropriate they have been dubbed the “striking seventies”. The process was not one of recovery but of slow, relentless deterioration. One way of knowing how your country is going is to visit others. At first, prices were cheaper that at home; the £ went farther and was readily acceptabble, but year by year, it seemed that prices were rising, but it was in truth the £ falling in value; no longer so easily changed. Most thinking Continentals had only a sneer for “decadent England”. Kinsmen from overseas wanted to think well of us but simply could not understand what was happening.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 81 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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