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The paper aims to describe and develop the constructs of trust and adaptation in supplier‐customer relationships when associated with environmental (green) issues.

The study is based on empirical data obtained from the perspective of both supplier and customer companies involved in dyadic exchange relationships, using qualitative methods of data collection and analysis.

The paper uses an environmental context to show that, while having the potential to contribute to trust in dyadic relationships, adaptation can also undermine the trust that already exists between supplier and customer companies.

The findings are derived from two instances of successful environmental adaptation, one that resulted in failure and two that were ongoing. Both of the completed projects demonstrated little apparent difficulty, while the ongoing projects featured some conflict and frustration. These differences could be explained by the tendency to rationalise events after they have occurred, eliminating the “messiness” that is inherent in dealing with collaborative efforts that involve some risk and conflicting interests. Future empirical work could perform action research in which efforts to adapt are directly observed and are discussed both during and after attempts to bring about change.

The paper provides recommendations of how environmental adaptations can be realised successfully even though changes might challenge the basis of an existing relationship and the trust that might already exist within it. These recommendations might equally be used to guide other forms of adaptation.

The paper broadens understanding of trust and adaptation by looking at a management issue that is of growing importance in supplier‐customer relationships, namely the environmental impact of business activities.

Policy framework has significant roles in minimizing the impact of climate change in agrarian societies like Ethiopia. The purpose of this paper is to assess the integration of issues related to climate change adaptation into the national development planning of Ethiopia.

A qualitative research design, which depended on secondary and primary data sources, was used in this study. Data were collected from relevant documents. These were substantiated with field data gathered through key informant interviews and focus group discussions from participants identified using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis of the collected data was done by first considering the relevant documents and then comparing with the field data. During the analysis and interpretation, the results were combined to explain, confirm, refute and/or enrich the data obtained through document reviews and interviews.

The result of the study revealed that the general issues of environmental management have been included in the relevant documents (national plans). However, the documents do not explicitly identify climate change adaptation strategies and options that can alleviate the current impacts and the projected negative impacts associated with climate change. In fact, some documents were found to be characterized by numerous gaps. For example, the environmental policy of Ethiopia does not address climate trading, climate resilient green economy and recent development. The result from interviews shows that the constitution of the country lacks sufficiently addressing climate change adaptation. The result obtained from focus group discussion with informants indicated that the environmental policy of the country is shallow and suffers from showing clear direction regarding integration. The informants indicate that though there is an office that works on climate change at zonal level, there is no well-defined structure for climate change at zonal, district and Kebele levels and there appears to be weak integration among the different institutions working on climate change.

This study would speed up the revision of environmental policy of Ethiopia and the development of a separate policy document that focuses on adaptation to climate change.

The purpose of this study was to investigated the importance of environmental attributes for office building adaptation and whether the importance of environmental attributes for adaptation has changed over time from 1998-2008 to 2009-2011. With 1-2 per cent added to the total stock of buildings each year and the need to take action to mitigate the impacts of predicted climate change (IPCC, 2013), it is necessary to focus efforts on adaptation of existing buildings.

This research adopted a quantitative approach, using a database of office building attributes and applying principal component analysis to ascertain the respective importance of various building attributes in adaptation. Using two databases; the first dating from 1998 to 2008 and comprising 5,290 adaptation events and the second covering the period 2009 to 2011 and comprising 1,272 adaptation events, a comparison of results was undertaken.

The findings indicate the importance of some environmental attributes in building adaptation has changed and that legislation and changes market perceptions towards to promote built environment sustainability may be having a positive impact. The research demonstrates that different property attributes vary in importance over time and used existing buildings in an international city to confirm application to urban settlements elsewhere where existing buildings can be adapted to reduce the effect of climate change.

The databases are limited to Melbourne, Australia and to these specific points in time. It is possible that other cities are seeing changes in adaptation practices to accommodate increased awareness and the growing importance attributed to environmental issues; however, additional studies would be required to ascertain whether the level of importance was stronger or weaker than that found in Melbourne.

The impacts of the mandatory The National Australian Built Environment Rating System energy rating tool and the Green Star voluntary tool provide actionable data for property stakeholders and the academic community. Policy-makers can see that building owners are integrating environmental attributes into their stock and that the market is shifting towards increased sustainability. This study uses real world data to feed the scholarship process, with real economic and commercial impacts. New buildings account for about 1-2 per cent of the total building stock annually and existing buildings must be adapted, and thus the questions of the success of voluntary or mandatory measures are essential to future environmental decision-making.

This research reports on data covering all office building adaptation conducted from 1998 to 2011 in the Melbourne CBD. As such, it is a comprehensive analysis of all works undertaken and how the significance of different physical, social, economic and environmental attributes is changing over time.

What effects does radical innovation produce on the dialectical relationship between enterprises and their environment? In this paper, by adopting the dynamic adaptation matrix methodological framework, the author addresses this research question by discussing the evolution of the music industry in the period of 1999-2013. The purpose of this study is to identify possible co-evolutionary adaptation paths, namely, virtuous or contradictory adaptation cycles.

The paper is presented as a descriptive comparative case study about the major changes that have occurred in the sector, and this could be of interest to the industry stakeholders. The paper also contributes to the debate about co-evolution as it is an empirical implementation of the adaptation matrix and sheds light on the main environmental dynamics.

The author found that for a low level of environmental determinism and moderate degree of strategic choice, cost leadership strategy dominates other strategic options. For moderate levels of environmental determinism, differentiation-marketing strategy ensures a better performance than differentiation-innovation strategy. Finally, for a high level of both environmental determinism and strategic choice, differentiation-innovation strategy is the best strategic option among differentiation strategies.

The adaptation matrix, especially in its dynamic form, can be applied to understand the changes within a sector with a co-evolutionary lens and to analyze critically the strategic choices enacted by the market’s incumbents.

This study may have useful implications for both scientific research and managerial practice. In fact, it is intended for all scholars and practitioners interested in exploring the nature of organizational adaptation, especially in industries affected by major technological changes, such as the music industry, which only recently has been considered as a fertile ground for research.

Climate change and variability are both a developmental and an environmental issue. Adaptation to climate change and variability has gained a prominent place on global and local policy agendas, evolving from mainly climate risks impacts and vulnerability assessments to mainly adaptation action, imposing new defies to higher education (HE). The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Climate Vulnerability, Impact, and Adaptation (VIA) Network (CliVIA-Net), a South American university-based coalition aimed at achieving a science for/of adaptation.

CliVIA-Net is a collaborative effort by academic groups from across the spectrum of the natural, social and health sciences focused on improving climate VIA on education, research and practice. In consonance with international literature and practices, the network shifted from a discipline-oriented approach to an interdisciplinary and Earth System Science (ESS)-oriented one. It seeks to advance fundamental understanding and participatory practice-oriented research and to develop a problem orientation question/solving answering methodology. A set of cases studies illustrates how CliVIA-Net faces adaptation and sustainability challenges in the twenty-first century.

Focusing on interdisciplinary graduate education, practice-oriented research and problem orientation practice on climate threats which are already threatening the environment, population’s well-being and sustainability, allows for the co-production of knowledge and solutions, as well stakeholders’ buy-in and commitment.

CliVIA-Net draws upon the results of evolving interdisciplinary approaches on global change and VIA education, the research partnership with stakeholders and decision-makers to develop environmental and health outcomes, e.g. vulnerability indicators and scenario planning.

The purpose of this paper is to emphasise the importance of resolving the disconnect between issues of quality, timing and uncertainty in climate projections and the need for swift, informed and appropriate climate change adaptation decisions.

The paper utilises results from a multi‐level study of adaptation policy conducted in early 2009 to assess the different approaches to climate change, the production of climate information, and its application at national and select sub‐national levels in Italy and Finland. Data were collected via a preliminary review of relevant documents as well as 23 interviews in Italy and 21 interviews in Finland conducted with climate change and environmental policy actors at each scale of administration.

The paper shows while the different extent and processes of climate research and their linkages to policy can be seen as determinants of the development of adaptation measures, the multi‐scalar adaptation decision‐making processes and the ways in which climate change and climate information are framed and used render climate research and its application a complex process.

The paper contributes further understanding of the linkages between science and policy with regards to adaptation, and the nature of science‐policy linkages in local decision‐making processes in particular. The findings are of importance to climate scientists and policy‐makers alike.

Strategic fit is known to be an important antecedent to a firm’s performance, but there is little research explaining its influence on firm’s environmental performance. This paper aims to propose that strategic fit is likely to affect two firm-level outcomes: dynamic equilibrium and dynamic disequilibrium.

Prior debate has underlined the role of adaptation vs selection in achieving strategic fit, but we assert that firms vary in their strategic fit. This paper models inter-firm differentials in environmental performance, using survey data from a sample of Chinese small and medium enterprises.

Transformative leadership, operational agility and knowledge-based identity facilitate compensatory fit, while productivity growth, strategic adaptability and low product-market maturity enable strategic fit.

The authors show how low strategic fit may provide selection advantages via compensatory fit. Some firms do seek to achieve greater fit to the embedded contextual contingencies (dynamic equilibrium) at the cost of their energy. However, others respond to the expectations for green performance that are presently orthogonal to the embedded context to realize compensatory fit using the energy of the context (dynamic disequilibrium). This manifests as differential capabilities for adaptation vs selection.

The findings highlight how the firms may use cultural fit pathway for transcending the phenomenological tradeoffs between economic performance-oriented strategic fit and ecological performance-oriented compensatory fit.

This paper shows how low strategic fit may provide selection advantages via compensatory fit. Some firms do seek to achieve greater fit to the embedded contextual contingencies (dynamic equilibrium) at the cost of their energy. However, others respond to the expectations for green performance that are presently orthogonal to the embedded context, to realize compensatory fit using the energy of the context (dynamic disequilibrium). This manifests as differential capabilities for adaptation vs selection.

Es conocido que el ajuste estratégico es un antecedente importante del resultado de la empresa, pero existe poca investigación sobre su impacto en el resultado medioambiental. Proponemos que el ajuste estratégico es probable que influya sobre dos resultados organizativos: equilibrio dinámico y desequilibrio dinámico.

El debate previo ha señalado el papel de la adaptación frente a la selección a la hora de lograr el ajuste estratégico, pero sin embargo nosotros aseguramos que las empresas varían en su ajuste estratégico. Modelizamos las diferencias entre empresas en cuanto a su rendimiento medioambiental utilizando datos de una encuesta de empresas pequeñas y medianas empresas chinas.

El liderazgo transformacional, agilidad operativa, e identidad basada en el conocimiento facilitan el ajuste compensatorio, mientras que el crecimiento de la productividad, la adaptabilidad estratégica y una baja madurez producto-mercado favorecen el ajuste estratégico.

Mostramos como un bajo ajuste estratégico genera ventajas en la selección vía ajuste compensatorio. Algunas empresas buscan un mayor ajuste a las contingencias del entorno (equilibrio dinámico) a costa de su energía. Sin embargo, otras responden a las expectativas sobre rendimiento medioambiental para alcanzar un ajuste compensatorio utilizando la energía del contexto (desequilibrio dinámico). Esto se manifiesta en forma de capacidades distintas para la adaptación frente a la selección.

Nuestros resultados subrayan como las empresas pueden usar el ajuste cultura para trascender los contrastes entre el ajuste estratégico orientado a los resultados económicos y el ajuste compensatorio orientado a los resultados medioambientales.

La investigación resalta el reto de integrar las presiones para adaptarse a la lógica ecológica predominante en la industria y los imperativos basados en el valor que apoyan la selección del ecosistema social apropiado para los grupos de interés. Enfatiza que el factor decisivo que influye de manera decisiva en la capacidad de la empresa para manejar las contraprestaciones económicas y ecológicas es la orientación cultural a favor del bienestar de las personas. Mediante un modelo integrador de desarrollo económico y ecológico a nivel nacional una empresa puede reducir los costes derivados del hecho de que algunos países puedan favorecer los intereses económicos a costa de los medioambientales y generar externalidades negativas.

Palavras-chave Resultados medioambientales, Crecimiento de la productividad, Liderazgo transformacional, Agilidad operativa, Adaptabilidad estratégica, Madurez producto-mercado

O ajuste estratégico é conhecido por ser um importante antecedente do desempenho da empresa, mas há poucas pesquisas explicando sua influência no desempenho ambiental da empresa. Propomos que o ajuste estratégico provavelmente influenciará dois resultados no nível da empresa: equilíbrio dinâmico e desequilíbrio dinâmico.

O debate prévio destacou o papel da adaptação versus seleção na obtenção de adequação estratégica, mas afirmamos que as empresas variam em sua adequação estratégica. Nós modelamos diferenciais entre firmas no desempenho ambiental, usando dados de pesquisa de uma amostra de pequenas e médias empresas chinesas.

A liderança transformadora, a agilidade operacional e a identidade baseada em conhecimento facilitam o ajuste compensatório, enquanto o crescimento da produtividade, a adaptabilidade estratégica e a baixa maturidade do mercado de produtos permitem um ajuste estratégico.

Mostramos como o ajuste estratégico baixo pode fornecer vantagens de seleção via ajuste compensatório. Algumas firmas buscam obter maior adequação às contingências contextuais embutidas (equilíbrio dinâmico) ao custo de sua energia. No entanto, outros respondem às expectativas de desempenho verde que atualmente são ortogonais ao contexto embutido, para realizar o ajuste compensatório utilizando a energia do contexto (desequilíbrio dinâmico). Isso se manifesta como capacidades diferenciais de adaptação versus seleção.

Nossas descobertas destacam como as empresas podem usar o caminho da adaptação cultural para transcender as compensações fenomenológicas entre o ajuste estratégico orientado para o desempenho econômico e o ajuste compensatório voltado para o desempenho ecológico.

A pesquisa destaca os desafios da cultura de trabalho de integrar as pressões para se adaptar à predominante ecologia industrial versus o imperativo dominante baseado em valores para selecionar o ecossistema social apropriado dos interessados. Isso enfatiza que o fator decisivo na capacidade formativa de uma empresa para promover compromissos econômicos e ecológicos é a orientação cultural para o bem-estar humano em uma plataforma nacional. Ao programar um modelo integrativo de desenvolvimento econômico e ecológico em nível nacional, uma empresa pode auto mitigar os custos da economia política internacional que surgem quando algumas nações trocam o bem-estar ecológico em prol de interesses econômicos e geram externalidades negativas.

Palavras-chave Palavras-chave Desempenho ambiental, Crescimento de produtividade, Liderança transformacional, Agilidade operacional, Adaptabilidade estratégica, Maturidade do Produto-Mercado

This paper seeks to establish the rationale for existing office building adaptation within Melbourne, Australia, as the city strives to become carbon neutral by 2020. The problems faced by policy makers to determine which buildings have the optimum adaptation potential are to be identified and discussed.

This research adopts the approach of creating a database of all the buildings in the Melbourne CBD including details of physical, social, economic and technological attributes. This approach will determine whether relationships exist between attributes and the frequency of building adaptation or whether triggers to adaptation can be determined.

This research provided evidence that a much faster rate of office building adaptation is necessary to meet the targets already set for carbon neutrality. The findings demonstrate that a retrospective comprehensive examination of previous adaptation in the CBD is a unique and original approach to determining the building characteristics associated with adaptation and whether triggers can be identified based on previous practices. The implication is that a decision‐making tool should be developed to allow policy makers to target sectors of the office building stock to deliver carbon neutrality within the 2020 timeframe.

Drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are required to mitigate global warming and climate change and all stakeholders should be looking at ways of reducing emissions from existing stock.

This paper adds to the existing body of knowledge by raising awareness of the way in which the adaptation of large amounts of existing stock can be fast tracked to mitigate the impact of climate change and warming associated with the built environment, and in addition it establishes a framework for a decision‐making tool for policy makers.

This research provides a new perspective in explaining cardholders' willingness to use debit cards instead of cash by applying the transaction costs economic theory. This study also expands the adaptation of transaction cost economics theory in explaining consumer behaviour by investigating the moderating effects of income and education level on the relationship between perceived transaction costs and willingness to use debit cards.

The conceptual framework was developed primarily from the transaction cost economics theory. An in-depth interview method was employed to further support hypothesis development and the development of measurement scales. A structural equation model linking asset specificity, behavioural uncertainty, environmental uncertainty, frequency of payment, perceived monitoring costs, perceived adaptation costs and willingness to use debit cards was tested using data from a sample of 384 Vietnamese debit card holders.

This study's results support the transaction cost economics theory that asset specificity, uncertainty and frequency of payment all positively contribute to the perceived transaction costs associated with debit card usage. However, only environmental uncertainty and perceived adaptation costs have significant negative impact on willingness to use debit cards, with the relationship between environmental uncertainty and willingness to use debit cards being totally mediated by perceived adaptation costs. Moreover, the relationship between perceived adaptation costs and willingness to use debit cards becomes less negative among richer and better-educated cardholders.

The research provides insights into the hidden obstacles for developing cashless economies, thereby supporting policy makers in designing more effective and comprehensive strategies to make debit cards more widely used as a true substitute for cash.

This study provides a new lens in explaining customer willingness to use debit cards, while expanding the transaction costs economics theory by incorporating demographic factors as moderators in the relationship between transaction costs and the card-or-cash choice.

Places adaptation within the context of firm behaviour in supplier‐customer relationships before going on to review previous adaptation studies. Gives the rationale and outline of the chosen case‐study based research strategy before findings are presented in which the nature of the adaptation process and progression of this process are considered. Concludes by discussing the significance of the findings in terms of understanding of the adaptation process and future research as well as implications for managing this process.