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1 – 10 of over 49000Timothy Tunde Oladokun and Robert Ereola Shiyanbola
Sustainable features are gradually becoming important considerations by commercial real estate users. This is because of their considered impact in reducing operating costs and…
Abstract
Sustainable features are gradually becoming important considerations by commercial real estate users. This is because of their considered impact in reducing operating costs and potential at reducing the negative impacts of buildings on human health and the natural environment. This chapter sought to examine the demands for sustainable features by users of commercial real estate like offices in Lagos State, Nigeria. It also evaluated the factors influencing demand for them to achieve value for money and enhance real estate investment decisions. The quantitative research methodology was adopted, and primary data were collected via questionnaires distributed to 134 purposively selected estate surveying firms in the study area. Ninety-five representing (70.9%) were returned and found useable and were analysed with the aid of descriptive statistics of percentages, mean and relative willingness index. The study found that power/energy-saving features are in high demand as alternatives to the epileptic nature of power supply in the country. The study recommended the need for the government to encourage the adoption and incorporation of locally made sustainable features in commercial real estate and to subsidise them for use in the Lagos commercial real estate market. Thus, it is concluded that with the right environment created by policy makers, sustainable features in buildings have huge potentials to contribute to prevent environmental problems in an emerging commercial real estate market like Nigeria.
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Anu Bask, Merja Halme, Markku Kallio and Markku Kuula
Consumer values increasingly favor sustainable development in products and services, thereby fostering the need to develop new operational and managerial practices that support…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumer values increasingly favor sustainable development in products and services, thereby fostering the need to develop new operational and managerial practices that support sustainability in supply chain management. The purpose of this study is to identify relevant product features related to sustainable development in this context, and use the choice of mobile phone as an example in measuring their importance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used two different methods (qualitative and quantitative) in two phases. First it organized focus‐group discussions in order to identify the features of sustainability that affect the choice of a mobile phone. The most significant features served as a starting point for the choice of attributes to be included in the final step, choice‐based conjoint analysis (CBC), which assesses respondents' value functions by means of latent class clustering. Between the two major phases it carried out two additional pre‐tests in order to reduce the number of attributes.
Findings
The results provide fundamental information concerning the relative importance of sustainability features in the selection of a mobile phone. The study identified four different clusters of purchasers: updaters, budgeters, environmentalists, and long‐life users. According to the findings, some consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainability features. The authors discuss the potential implications of the results in the context of supply chain design.
Originality/value
The literature on supply chain management tends to see the consumers as a “black box”. This paper reports the first results of opening this box by linking the supply chain perspective to consumer choice behavior.
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Arif Yüce, Hakan Katırcı and Sevda Gökce Yüce
The purpose of this study is to examine the stadiums in Turkey within the scope of sustainability and evaluate their impact on sustainable urban development.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the stadiums in Turkey within the scope of sustainability and evaluate their impact on sustainable urban development.
Design/methodology/approach
In the study, at first, the “Sustainable Stadium Assessment Tool”, where the final score ranges from 0 to 100 and the evaluation is made as bronze, silver, gold and platinum according to the score ranges, is developed. With this assessment tool, a total of 20 stadiums built or renovated/restored between 2008 and 2018 in Turkey is examined in social, environmental, economic dimensions within the scope of sustainability, and the current situation is revealed within the frame of sustainable urban development.
Findings
As a result of the study, it was determined that among the stadiums evaluated, only two stadiums have sustainability properties at platinum level, three stadiums at gold level while the remaining stadiums mainly at silver level.
Originality/value
To date, no assessment tool has been created in the field of sports management that can assess the sustainable properties of stadiums. Therefore, the “Sustainable Stadium Assessment Tool” created within the scope of the study is the foremost in the field of sports sciences and sports management with its different qualities in national and international terms. In addition, the examination of the stadiums in the social, environmental, economic dimensions within the scope of sustainability and revealed the current situation is also the first, and it contains information that will make very significant scientific contributions to the relevant field.
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Considering sustainability during the cost estimating process is vital for the successful integration of sustainable features within a construction project. The UK Government has…
Abstract
Purpose
Considering sustainability during the cost estimating process is vital for the successful integration of sustainable features within a construction project. The UK Government has adopted the principles of sustainable development, and social housing projects now have to achieve the EcoHomes “very good” rating as a prerequisite to Government grant funding. This policy has important implications for all those organisations involved in new social housing building projects and it will place sustainability and its assessments at the heart of housing procurement practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine the pre‐construction evaluation practices of sustainable housing projects in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was undertaken to capture data regarding the importance and the cost significance of sustainable factors from a randomised sample of 600 quantity surveying, housing associations, and architectural organisations based in the UK. An initial and follow‐up administration of the postal survey generated an overall response of 41.5 per cent. Relative rankings for EcoHomes factors according to their perceived importance and their cost impact on the price of housing projects are established, and the work identifies the factors that should be considered in order to develop a model that links the project price forecasting and the evaluation of sustainability together at the feasibility stage of social housing projects.
Findings
EcoHomes factors were ranked in this survey according to their importance as follows: “energy”, “materials”, “pollution”, “water”, “health and well being”, “ecology and land use”, and finally “transport”. These results revealed that the environmental aspects of sustainability continue to be the most common aspect of sustainability to be considered, as compared to the economic or social benefits of the potential project irrespective of organisational type responding to the survey. As a result the work identified a need to develop an aid for practitioners to use when involved in the early stage evaluation of sustainable social housing projects.
Originality/value
This paper provides useful information on the pre‐construction evaluation practices of sustainable housing projects in the UK.
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China’s population is ageing. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are an emerging living arrangement of older Chinese. Incorporating social sustainability features into…
Abstract
Purpose
China’s population is ageing. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are an emerging living arrangement of older Chinese. Incorporating social sustainability features into CCRCs helps to create age-friendly residential environments for residents. However, it is still unclear what kinds of social sustainability features are incorporated into the residential environments of CCRCs in China. Therefore, this study aims to address this research gap.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative content analysis is adopted to analyse the retrieved business information of representative CCRC developers in China.
Findings
This study revealed 36 social sustainability features in CCRCs, with the top-ranked ones being health care and management, social connection and engagement, high-quality and diverse services and daily life support and assistance. Additionally, a preliminary social sustainability framework of CCRCs was proposed, and this framework includes the five components of care and health, environment and management, service and facility, age-friendly life philosophy and social support and inclusion.
Originality/value
In theory, this research’s findings clarify the meaning of social sustainability within the context of CCRCs, which supports future relevant explorations in the CCRC research community. In practice, these findings enhance stakeholders’ understanding of the social sustainability in CCRCs, which promotes the development of age-friendly living environments for older people in an ageing society.
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This paper explores the peculiarities of sustainable crowdfunding from the project perspective. The research question is: what are the distinctive features of sustainable…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the peculiarities of sustainable crowdfunding from the project perspective. The research question is: what are the distinctive features of sustainable crowdfunding, in terms of crowdfunding motivation, platform choice, crowdfunding costs and relationships with backers?
Design/methodology/approach
The current study follows a qualitative approach, through conducting in-depth interviews with representatives of sustainable projects, which have had successful crowdfunding campaigns. The selected projects represent various industries and crowdfunding models.
Findings
Sustainable entrepreneurs have both financial and non-financial motivations for crowdfunding. A distinctive feature is the importance of community engagement, since the community spirit of crowdfunding is well suited to sustainable projects. The choice of the crowdfunding platform is more complex for sustainable entrepreneurs, as they need to consider the platform's sustainability. Sustainable entrepreneurs also have to put more effort into their communication activities with potential backers, to compensate for the intangibility of sustainability claims. Moreover, they need to have a greater focus on building relationships with backers due to both the community spirit of their projects and legitimacy issues.
Originality/value
The current paper contributes to the limited literature on sustainable crowdfunding and the literature on funding of sustainable businesses and can act as a foundation for further research in this field. Current findings also have high practical value. Crowdfunding platforms may use the insights provided here to better meet the needs of sustainable entrepreneurs, while sustainable entrepreneurs can better understand what they need to pay attention to in their crowdfunding campaigns.
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W.H.C.D Kumara, K.G.A.S. Waidyasekara and R.P.N.P. Weerasinghe
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of building management system (BMS) towards a sustainable built environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of building management system (BMS) towards a sustainable built environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on the findings of a comprehensive literature survey, preliminary survey and a structured questionnaire survey. Quantitative data were analysed using a relative importance index. Content analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis.
Findings
The results show that identifying user requirements, identifying BMS features, designing BMS, installation and commissioning, and operation and maintenance are the key steps in the BMS implementation process. High cost, lack of knowledge on BMS, unavailability of service and maintenance, and inadequate performance of BMS vendors were highlighted as barriers when adopting a BMS. Energy efficiency, reduction of operation and maintenance cost, occupant satisfaction, productivity, fault diagnosis, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, emergency response and level of controllability of building systems are some of the significant BMS functions that accomplish economic, environment and social sustainability pillars.
Practical implications
This study increases the awareness on functionality of a BMS and its potential contribution towards a sustainable built environment.
Originality/value
The study develops strong ties between BMS contribution and sustainability where built environment professionals could use the developed decision support model towards a sustainable built environment through the application of BMS.
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The purpose of paper is to investigate the institutional features of the leasehold system of Hong Kong, which is predicated on the freedom of contract as an institutional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of paper is to investigate the institutional features of the leasehold system of Hong Kong, which is predicated on the freedom of contract as an institutional arrangement for land management and planning that promotes sustainable development.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach is analytical, using concepts of property rights informed by Coasian neo‐institutional economics and the ideas of Yu et al. on the Schumpeterian process in innovation.
Findings
It was demonstrated that the post‐contractual imposition of statutory planning control on the leasehold land management system in Hong Kong has adversely affected and adaptability of the leasehold system in achieving sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
This paper encourages a reinterpretation of statutory zoning in areas with a leasehold system and the reception of the land lease as a basis for innovations that help promote sustainable development.
Practical implications
This paper warns against legislative activism in planning controls as that can destroy or erode the basis for innovations that help promote sustainable development.
Originality/value
Using the idea of innovations of Yu et al. and Lai and Lorne, this paper further develops Lai theory of “planning by contract” as an alternative to “planning by edict”.
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Edgar Eugenio Ramírez de la Cruz and Edna Liliana Gómez Fernández
The purpose of this chapter is to present a case studio on a successful urban sustainability public policy in Mexico: Línea Verde. The main goal of Línea Verde was to improve the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to present a case studio on a successful urban sustainability public policy in Mexico: Línea Verde. The main goal of Línea Verde was to improve the inhabitant’s welfare through a sustainability project.
Methodology/approach
From a theoretical discussion and empirical research methods, throughout this chapter we present the results and discuss the possible elements that explain successful sustainable public policies.
Findings
Our main findings are that complex contexts like the Mexican – budgetary impediments, weak institutions, corruption, and federal fragmentations – political abilities seem to enable the final implementation of the project.
Practical implications
This case works as a laboratory of ideas to implement easily, or more effective, environmental policies in countries as complex as, or less than Mexico. Also, this case is valuable in terms of local governments’ analysis and their limitations and opportunities to implement successful environmental projects. The above, however, cannot applied exactly as described in this chapter, since political abilities cannot be manipulated, but this chapter opens future researches on what can explain successful sustainable policies or, if people’s relations may be more important than the policy design.
Social implications
This case highlights the importance of politics in the implementation of environmental policies in local governments with budgetary limitations.
Originality/value
This case is unique per se because runs throughout an old oil pipe; also, it got enough financing and actors helping the whole project, it had a good policy design that could never succeed if it wasn’t for politics.
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Susan Albers Mohrman and Edward E. Lawler III
The purpose of this paper is to examine design features that enable an organization to address today's complex and increasingly pressing global issues in ways that are sustainably…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine design features that enable an organization to address today's complex and increasingly pressing global issues in ways that are sustainably effective. It identifies key social and environmental issues and reviews research examining how organizations can respond to them.
Design/methodology/approach
Research and theory on the interface between organizations and their environments are reviewed and evaluated. Proposals are offered with respect to organizing and designing to be sustainably effective.
Findings
There is a significant knowledge gap about how organizations can perform in sustainably effective ways. The globalization of business, increased stakeholder expectations, and environmental issues have created major challenges for corporations. Research that focusses on creating a sustainable future is needed.
Practical implications
Leaders need to help their organization envision new strategies and purposes, and companies will have to develop new capabilities and fundamentally alter their designs.
Originality/value
Important new points about the types of outcomes organizations need to produce and how they can be structured and managed in order to produce them.
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