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This study explored one form of remote working – work from home – to understand the impact of work disruptions on workers and human resource management (HRM) practice and therefore how to adapt to future crises. Specifically, the purpose is to understand the impact of events on employees when they are forced to move back and forth (yo-yoing) between work from home and a central office, using the case of Perth, Western Australia (WA).

Thirty-nine interviews with leaders, managers and co-workers working in private and public organisations suggest that forced changes to work arrangements affect job content and demands, well-being and potentially career trajectories.

The authors critically applied and developed the tenets of event system theory (EST) (novelty, disruption and criticality) by analysing an ongoing or “long” event rather than a discrete or time-limited one. The study found that the work-from-home experience influenced the individual perception of whether remote working would suit employees in the future, potentially influencing career paths. In addition, the selection of locations to live, preferred properties (e.g. home office space) and access to services (e.g. broadband infrastructure) has also become dominant features of work decisions.

While the study generated rich data, it is not without limitations. The participants were from one Australian state which may not reflect the COVID-19 experiences of other jurisdictions. In addition, the participants were mostly female so this may offer a different perspective than a more gender-balanced sample. The study was limited to the perspectives of employees and middle managers.

The authors note three areas of implications for practitioners. First, the findings suggest that strong organisational and HRM support assists employees to cope well with change. Second, the importance of technological and social preparedness in improving employee experiences highlights the role of HRM in job design. Third, it is key that salient events are recognised as potential determinants of career pathways.

The evidence from this research broadens the application of EST showing that forced flexibility has an influence on work arrangements by influencing a series of changes in features of work and experiences of employees. As such, this impacts employee's well-being and potentially future career decisions.

Bullying at the school or college level can have much more serious repercussions for students than educators may be aware of. Neuroscience research is suggesting more than ever that traumatic childhood is associated with the theory of vulnerability – in other words, a greater likelihood of psychiatric disorder spanning across a lifetime. This is the heart-wrenching story of the author’s younger sister, for whom racial school bullying at a school in England wreaked havoc. Almost four decades on she is marked by deep, indelible scars. Since the author’s life is inextricably intertwined with hers, this evocative autoethnographic account is the author’s story too.

Within North American institutions of higher education, the sociopolitical construct of whiteness comprises an often implicit set of lessons that are reflected not only in policy and curricula but also in the teaching practices of faculty. Such lessons perpetuate white centricity and supremacy, at enormous costs to those who have been negatively racialized. Therefore, it is critical for white faculty to engage meaningfully with ongoing processes of self-reflection, self-education, and skill development so that they can contribute positively to the interrogation and disruption of whiteness in higher education. This chapter discusses seven processual considerations for white educators who seek to interrogate and disrupt the problem of whiteness in teaching and learning.

The proverbial administrative complexity of Paris and its region, which also includes a metropolitan authority since 2016, has not prevented multiple and rapid changes to take place in the last decade. A national government decision has initiated the construction of a new regional metropolitan public transportation infrastructure that has leveraged more than €15 billions of green bonds. Mounting environmental challenges are triggering new societal priorities and legal changes, heightened by the COVID-19 crisis context. Since 2014, projects and plans led by local governments to value nature-based solutions (NBS) have met a rising interest from national and international investors and developers, in a context of multiple climate and biodiversity initiatives from the private sector and the civil society. However, assessing their long-term value remains a challenge for both governments and researchers while the calls for nature to remain a common good stir new forms of vigorous social engagement. The Paris case shows that the art of creating NBS that maximize biodiversity and support CO₂ reduction at large metropolitan scale depends on two priorities. The first is strengthening global commitments. The second is refocusing existing massive investments in grey infrastructure systems, so far major drivers of public investments, as infrastructure for distribution, unlocking local biodiversity valuation potential, and supporting social innovation.

Green building information modelling (BIM) has been highlighted as an essential topic owing to its potential benefits. However, both Green Star and BIM are still in their earlier stages in New Zealand. This paper aims to examine and evaluate the benefits, barriers/challenges and solutions for the integration of Green Star and BIM in New Zealand.

In this paper, a total of 77 responses collected from construction professionals in New Zealand using questionnaires were analysed through descriptive and statistical tests.

Building performance modelling used for Green Star assessment can be implemented using BIM; this was highlighted as the most significant benefit of the integration. Whereas, the most significant barrier preventing the integration of Green Star and BIM was the fact they are two completely separate processes. Regarding the solutions for the integration, showcasing BIM-Green Star benchmark projects was considered as the most effective solution amongst a range of eight provided.

The research provided insights into Green Star–BIM integration in New Zealand. By evaluating the significance of the benefits, barriers/challenges and solutions for the integration, this research could be used as a guideline for Green Star and BIM development by New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), the Government and construction practitioners in New Zealand. Specifically, the results here could be valuable inputs for Green Star manuals and the New Zealand BIM handbook.

This study tests whether environmental awareness affects firm creation by using Google Trends data and a novel region-level data set from Italy.

Forward-looking entrepreneurs drive firm creation. The authors hypothesize that more environmentally conscious entrepreneurs will emerge as environmental awareness rises, increasing the number of green and energy firms. The authors test the prediction using Google Trends data and a novel region-level data set from Italy.

The authors find that not only the number of green and energy-innovative firms but also that of all innovative start-ups increases with rising environmental consciousness. The results imply some “innovation spillover” effects from green sectors to other industries with rising environmental awareness.

The paper hypothesizes that as environmental awareness rises, more environmental-conscious entrepreneurs will emerge, which would increase the number of green and energy firms. Robustness and falsification tests are also offered.

Green Star is becoming a broadly accepted mark of design quality and environmental sustainability. Compared to other green tools, Green Star is considered as one of main streams green assessment tools, which cover almost sustainable criteria. Simultaneously, building information modelling (BIM) has also been introduced into the industry. BIM is expected to aid designers to shift the construction industry towards more environmentally and economically sustainable construction practice. Whilst the aspirations of Green Star rating and BIM implementation are broadly aligned, in the context of New Zealand this has led to some disconnects in design strategy and process. The purpose of this paper is to improve the practicality of BIM implementations for delivering Green Star certification in New Zealand.

The extensive literature review is conducted through a series of incremental steps. A conceptual framework focussing on the relationship between benefits and challenges of BIM and Green Star is then developed.

BIM supports practitioners to achieve the majority of Green Star criteria (75 per cent). Energy efficiency criterion is the key factor affecting the assessment process of Green Star and National Australian Built Environment Rating System in New Zealand. Research questions about lessening the challenges which can be encountered during the BIM and Green Star implementation are developed.

This paper is limited to a conceptual research. Further empirical research should be conducted to validate and modify the conceptual framework and the propositions presented in this paper to provide an initial insight into BIM and Green Star connectivity within the context of New Zealand.

This paper provided a clear picture for investors, developers, practitioners about benefits and challenges of BIM and Green Star implementation. The outcomes are anticipated to deliver visions for shifting the country further towards development of sustainable future cities.

The concept of a ‘green new deal’ for Africa will provide a joined-up approach to managing the impact of extreme climatic events. In this regard, the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) green deal arrangements offer Africa lessons to consider in a green agenda. By recourse to green theory, which is a critique of existing power structures and nationalistic and political positions concerning climate change, we explore mechanisms for fostering collective action and collaboration through an African green deal. Building on the African Union's existing agencies and arms, this chapter argues that an African Union Green Deal post–COVID-19 is crucial to achieving sustainable economic growth and development within the continent's Agenda 2063. The African continent should take advantage of collaboration opportunities within the continent and the European Union, thereby strengthening its financing and governance structures.