Levers Of Action Research Articles

From supply to demand factors: What are the determinants of attractiveness for outdoor recreation?

The concept of ecosystem services (ES) remains underused in supporting practical decisions in conservation/development plans and programs. One of the most important factors explaining this non-consideration is the lack of spatial information describing the nature-society relationship in environmental and economic analyses. In this paper, we developed a novel method to predict, in spatially explicit terms, the recreation attractiveness potential combining supply and demand factors. Our method is based on the combination and transfer of a Lancasterian function of biophysical aspects and a travel cost model based on agents' sociodemographic characteristics. We further validate the usefulness of the proposed recreation model by using it in the evaluation of a regional park charter pursuing two main objectives: recreational attractiveness and habitat quality (modeled with InVEST). The results demonstrate first that the biophysical context plays a large role in the recreational trip choice and thus should not be ignored in travel cost studies. Second, from a policy guidance perspective, we show that providing spatial information appears particularly critical for ES to be a useful lever for action in day-to-day decision-making.

Closing the loop on platinum from catalytic converters: Contributions from material flow analysis and circularity indicators

AbstractIn this study, material flow analysis (MFA) is applied to quantify and reduce the obstacles for advancing a circular economy (CE) of platinum (Pt) from catalytic converters (CC) in Europe. First, the value chain and related stakeholders are mapped out in an MFA‐like model to both facilitate the assessment of stocks and flows, and get a comprehensive view of potential action levers and resources to close‐the‐loop. Then, through the cross analysis of numerous data sources, two MFA are completed: (i) one general MFA, and (ii) one sector‐specific MFA, drawing a distinction between the fate of Pt from (a) light‐duty vehicles, under the European Union's End of Life Vehicle Directive 2000/EC/53, and (b) heavy‐duty and off‐road vehicles. Key findings reveal a leakage of around 15 tons of Pt outside the European market in 2017. Although approximately one quarter of the losses are due to in‐use dissipation, 65% are attributed to insufficient collection and unregulated exports. Comparing the environmental impact between primary and secondary production, it has been estimated that halving the leakage of Pt during usage and collection could prevent the energetic consumption of 1.3 × 103 TJ and the greenhouse gases emission of 2.5 × 102 kt CO2 eq. Through the lens of circularity indicators, activating appropriate action levers to enhance the CE performance of Pt in Europe is of utmost importance in order to secure future production of new generations of CC and fuel cells. Moreover, the growing stockpile of Pt from CC in use indicates the need for better collection mechanisms. Also, the CC attrition during use and associated Pt emissions in the environment appears non‐negligible. Based on the scarce and dated publications in this regard, we encourage further research for a sound understanding of this phenomenon that can negatively impact human health.

The impact of dynamic price variability on revenue maximization

The objective of this article is to analyze the effect of dynamic price variability on revenue maximization. While dynamic pricing is a common practice in tourism, this is the first comprehensive study on the relationship between price variability and revenue maximization. Within the framework provided by the literature on intertemporal price discrimination, price fairness, inventory controls and organizational culture, this research proposes and applies a new hedonic revenue model on a sample of 21,687 observations. The findings suggest that higher dynamic price variability leads to higher hotel revenues. Strategic room unavailability and review rating also exert a clear positive revenue impact. Overall, the benefits from charging different prices for the same service (intertemporal price discrimination) and limiting the number of units available before the demand is known (inventory control) outweigh the potential negative effects of price unfairness and organizational culture. The paper concludes by providing actionable levers for hospitality managers.

Prévention et perception du risque en milieu rural

Prevention in the rural sector is closely related to the notion that the individual has of his or her territory. More so than with other living environments, it requires better understanding of the representations of health, nature and risk in those living in the countryside. Levers for potential action can then be identified in order to promote behaviour favourable to health.

Prévention du suicide des personnes âgées en France. Vers une stratégie multimodale de lutte contre la dépression et l’isolement : CQFDi

IssueSuicide is a major problem of public health around the world, and if suicidal mortality rates have declined in recent years, the elderly remain a category of the world's population at major risk of suicide. Seventeen percent of deaths by suicide across the world are individuals over the age of 65. The existence of suicidal ideas for an individual in this age group increases the risk of suicide attempt in the year by 34. In France, about a little less than a quarter of suicides belong to persons over 60-years-old. More risk factors found in the international literature are in the foreground of mental disorders and in particular the major depression episode, then secondarily addictions, neuro-degenerative disorders as well as pain and other diseases. Depression is found in 60% to 90% of suicides. We notice also that older people privileged the general practitioner as interlocutor to discuss their problems and worries much more than psychiatrists or psychologists. In fact, two-thirds of the elderly who committed suicide had consulted their general practioner in the month prior to suicide and half in the 10 last days. That raises the question of the identification of depression and the evaluation of suicidal risk. On the other side, there is an abundant literature about psychosocial risk factors especially on the influence of isolation and lack of social support as well as on conflicts and family losses. In France, more than 4 million of the elderly live alone. So, while the world population is increasing and life expectancy lengthens, it is important to already act for elderly suicide prevention. PerspectivesSuicide prevention actions whose efficacity have been demonstrated around the world are designed as part of multimodal strategies combining several levers of action. The consensual recommendations for prevention of elderly suicide recommend the association of actions on the reduction of depression and combating social isolation in connection with the training of front-line actors such as general practitioners. As a result of these experiments and recommendations, the first francophone multimodal strategy was developed to act both on depression and social isolation: the Coopération Québec France sur la dépression et l’isolement (CQFDi) program which will be implemented in France and Quebec in 2019. ConclusionIt has been proven that multimodal suicide prevention strategies allow a reduction in the number of suicides. The CQFDi program focuses on at risk of suicide population and aims to reduce the suicide rate of elderly people in France.

HR innovation in SMEs

This communication is based on a case study carrying out in an SME according to an intervention-research protocol and deals with the following problem: is it possible to develop sustainable and innovative HR practices outside a functional approach of the field? In organizations, the role of management and proximity managers is both a diagnostic variable and a lever for action to implement a more appropriate and innovative human resources management. Key words: socio-economic approach / performance management consulting / HRM / Role of managers / Decentralized synchronization

Measuring the Financial Performance of Islamic Banks in Selected Countries

The object of this paper is to study the theory of the finance and the Islamic banks through their concepts and logics of functioning. We focus on the analysis of the banking performances, in particular in terms of profitability which has a big interest to allow the banks to arrest the factors which act on their profitability and of offering them so better control levers of action, control and forecast. What requires a definition of the internal and external determiners of the profitability of Islamic banks? We suggest approaching this question from the specification and from the estimation of a model which integrates at once organizational, exogenous and macro-financial measurable aspects. The empirical analysis was focused on the determiners of the Islamic banking performance. Our study which concerned 10 Islamic banks in 10 various countries showed essentially that the profitability of asset constitutes the main explanatory variable of the banking performance. The performance is positively correlated with CTA and negatively with ASITA. Concerning the externals factors, the profitability is weakly explained by the rates of inflation and growth.

Social class, control, and action: Socioeconomic status differences in antecedents of support for pro-environmental action

Addressing social issues such as climate change requires significant support and engagement of citizens with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The present research examines whether individuals who vary in their socioeconomic status significantly differ in their psychological antecedents of support for pro-environmental action. Study 1, using U.S. nationally representative data, showed that personal beliefs about climate change predicted support for pro-environmental policies more strongly among individuals with a higher, relative to lower, SES background. Studies 2 and 3, by employing correlational and experimental approaches respectively, found that general sense of control over life outcomes underlies the extent to which support for pro-environmental action is contingent on personal beliefs about climate change. Study 4 identified perceived social norms about pro-environmental actions as an alternative predictor of support for pro-environmental action among people from lower SES background. Taken together, the present research shows that individuals with distinct socioeconomic backgrounds differ in their key psychological levers of pro-environmental action. To grasp how to solve urgent social issues such as climate change requires greater understanding of the psychology of citizens with diverse backgrounds.

Travel between home and work: current situation and perspectives for action for companies

Travel between home and work structures the daily life of many workers in Belgium. How is this mobility organised and what are the factors which influence the modal choice of workers? What are the levers which influence this choice and, in particular, what is the role of companies in this area? The objective of this synopsis is to review the current situation of these complex questions and it is organised in three parts: the context of these journeys, the evolution of mobility behaviour and its deciding factors, and the levers for action in order to evolve towards more sustainable mobility. This synopsis also shows that travel between home and work is not only a transport issue, but is also related to people’s residential situation and land use planning. The latter suffers because of the institutional division of Belgium and calls for more coherence and dialogue among stakeholders. Despite this context, companies have significant room for manoeuvre, which this synopsis illustrates through three areas for action: the organisation of work, the management of the mobility of workers and accessibility.

Families and Relationships with Friends in the Genesis of Addiction in Adolescents

Background: friends play an important role in cigarette and cannabis usage during adolescence. However, the family is also a factor in exposing the adolescent to, or protecting them from, development of consumption. Experimentation with and consumption of these substances happens within a specific relationship configuration: that of a somewhat conflicting relationship between the young people and their parents. Methods: The study was conducted in the Paris area (France) among 15-18 year-olds enrolled in school, with whom we conducted 93 biographical interviews representing 483 person-years of a retrospective observation. Results: Consumption of cigarettes or cannabis is influenced by relationships with peers and meet-ups with friends, especially during weekends, or in the protective school environment. The relationship between adolescents consumption and parents attitude is two-way, consumption can be considered as much a cause of conflict as it is a consequence. Conclusions: First, the product-based approach (tobacco or cannabis) is less interesting than an approach of entry to addiction by life events. Secondly, the analysis of parent-adolescent conflicts and also of exits with friends seems to be powerful levers of action to prevent the entry into the use of cigarettes and cannabis.

Place Hospitality: A Way to Understand and Improve Place Marketing Approaches

Several articles stressed on the necessity for a territory to work on boosting its attractiveness. Welcoming new publics such as tourists, companies, and households would increase its economic development and thereby its reputation. This vision seems too restrictive today to be unique. Indeed, the concept of hospitality sets itself up as the corollary of place attractiveness. To understand the concept of Hospitality, it is necessary to define its context of using. The interest to consider the concept of Place Hospitality arose along with the integration of territorial development into Place marketing strategies. That is why the concept of Territory has been more and more popular for the last 30 years, not only in France but also all over the world. Nowadays, everything is « territory » or territory-based. This proposal first explores the concept of hospitality, as it is presented not only in philosophic literature but also in academic researches dedicated to tourism. Secondly, we present a conceptual framework which includes the place hospitality as its central element. Hospitality represents at the same time one of the objectives of the place marketing and the only way there is to consider the place marketing as a long-term process. We shall end with a proposition of levers of action allowing legal authorities – in regions with a measure of autonomy – to implement a real hospitality policy.

Measuring the Financial Performance of Islamic Banks in Selected Countries

The object of this paper is to study the theory of the finance and the Islamic banks through their concepts and logics of functioning. We focus on the analysis of the banking performances, in particular in terms of profitability which has a big interest to allow the banks to arrest the factors which act on their profitability and of offering them so better control levers of action, control and forecast. What requires a definition of the internal and external determiners of the profitability of Islamic banks? We suggest approaching this question from the specification and from the estimation of a model which integrates at once organizational, exogenous and macro-financial measurable aspects. The empirical analysis was focused on the determiners of the Islamic banking performance. Our study which concerned 10 Islamic banks in 10 various countries showed essentially that the profitability of asset constitutes the main explanatory variable of the banking performance. The performance is positively correlated with CTA and negatively with ASITA. Concerning the externals factors, the profitability is weakly explained by the rates of inflation and growth.

Performance indicators nomenclatures for decision making in sustainable conditions based maintenance

The maintenance activity is by nature an important lever for action on the sustainability of production systems. To implement new performance indicators in this perspective involves to use data, information, and knowledge missing in the traditional maintenance environments, or at least not processed enough to be exploitable. If these new needs can potentially be met from a technological point of view in the context of Industry 4.0, a new maintenance policy and associated decision-support tools must be developed. We propose therefore a nomenclature of performance indicators adapted to these growing needs and to opportunities provided by the potential of industry 4.0., as an element of a new maintenance strategy we call Sustainable Conditions Based Maintenance. We apply this nomenclature to performance indicators suggested by a standard in order to evaluate its potential relevance for sustainable decision (economically, socially and environmentally balanced and this over the long term) making and in order to improve them for this usage.

« À chacun son paradoxe »

Que devient un paradoxe organisationnel quand il est délégué aux individus ? Cette question, cruciale dans un contexte où les individus héritent de plus en plus d’un travail de gestion des paradoxes autrefois assuré au niveau organisationnel, n’a pas de réponse unique. L’étude conclut en effet « contre un déterminisme des paradoxes » puisque le type de paradoxe ne semble ni déterminer la manière dont il est reçu par les individus – nous parlons ici de diffraction du paradoxe –, ni la manière dont ils y font face – avec des différences inter et intra-individuelles. Proposant de comprendre cette variabilité comme le résultat d’une combinaison d’effets de dispositions (poids des caractéristiques individuelles) et d’effets de positions (rôle des situations), les auteurs suggèrent des leviers d’action pour favoriser leur contrôle.

The future of tropical forests under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

ABSTRACTIn September 2015, member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—a set of 17 ambitions for the post-2015 global development agenda. The goals do not offer a prescriptive plan but establish levers of policy action that seek to improve the three pillars of sustainable development: society, environment, and the economy. To facilitate achieving the SDGs, it will be critical to identify context-specific opportunities and challenges for implementation. Tropical regions of the world currently host not only the highest levels of biodiversity but also some of the highest rates of urbanization and development globally. Moreover, tropical forest deforestation is a globally significant issue; it has adverse impacts on biodiversity, climate systems, and socioeconomic equality. Here, we provide a rapid overview and qualitative assessment of the academic and policy literature on development and tropical forests, using the framework of the SDGs to examine issues broadly relevant to both tropical forests and sustainable development. Our assessment gathers existing knowledge and reveals critical knowledge gaps. In doing so, we identify key synergies between SDGs and tropical forests. We also suggest potential pathways of influence to improve social, environmental, and economic conditions in these rapidly developing regions of the world.

Pollution from Fossil-Fuel Combustion is the Leading Environmental Threat to Global Pediatric Health and Equity: Solutions Exist.

Fossil-fuel combustion by-products are the world’s most significant threat to children’s health and future and are major contributors to global inequality and environmental injustice. The emissions include a myriad of toxic air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the most important human-produced climate-altering greenhouse gas. Synergies between air pollution and climate change can magnify the harm to children. Impacts include impairment of cognitive and behavioral development, respiratory illness, and other chronic diseases—all of which may be “seeded“ in utero and affect health and functioning immediately and over the life course. By impairing children’s health, ability to learn, and potential to contribute to society, pollution and climate change cause children to become less resilient and the communities they live in to become less equitable. The developing fetus and young child are disproportionately affected by these exposures because of their immature defense mechanisms and rapid development, especially those in low- and middle-income countries where poverty and lack of resources compound the effects. No country is spared, however: even high-income countries, especially low-income communities and communities of color within them, are experiencing impacts of fossil fuel-related pollution, climate change and resultant widening inequality and environmental injustice. Global pediatric health is at a tipping point, with catastrophic consequences in the absence of bold action. Fortunately, technologies and interventions are at hand to reduce and prevent pollution and climate change, with large economic benefits documented or predicted. All cultures and communities share a concern for the health and well-being of present and future children: this shared value provides a politically powerful lever for action. The purpose of this commentary is to briefly review the data on the health impacts of fossil-fuel pollution, highlighting the neurodevelopmental impacts, and to briefly describe available means to achieve a low-carbon economy, and some examples of interventions that have benefited health and the economy.

Students’ experience of sustainability: health as a lever for action

PurposeThis study aims to deepen the authors’ understanding of higher education students’ perceptions about sustainability issues by focusing on their motivations to adopt (or not to adopt) sustainable practices in their lives. It mobilized the notion of “health” and the potential impacts of climate change on health.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative and participatory action approach, involving students acting as researchers, was implemented. All psychology students (bachelor’s degree) were trained to conduct semi-directive interviews with students from other faculties on the issues of sustainability and health. In total, 203 interviews were completed within two academic years. The authors performed a lexicographic analysis followed by a thematic analysis.FindingsAnalyses showed that the concept of sustainability was unclear for most student interviewees (SIs) and that only a few of them were able to spontaneously connect it with health. Only after being guided throughout the interview did these SIs, mainly geoscience students, become progressively aware of the direct links between sustainability and health issues, such as personal health. The perceived risks of non-sustainable practices were higher when they directly affected the body itself, and this encouraged adoption of more sustainable practices.Originality/valueThis research enables the authors to identify specific interventions to decrease the gap between awareness of sustainability and sustainable practices. These interventions may be more effective if they aim to sensitize students to the direct impacts of non-sustainable practices on their personal health. This can be made possible by using creative learning activities that involve active participation of students.

GMDPtoolbox: A Matlab library for designing spatial management policies. Application to the long-term collective management of an airborne disease.

Designing management policies in ecology and agroecology is complex. Several components must be managed together while they strongly interact spatially. Decision choices must be made under uncertainty on the results of the actions and on the system dynamics. Furthermore, the objectives pursued when managing ecological systems or agroecosystems are usually long term objectives, such as biodiversity conservation or sustainable crop production. The framework of Graph-Based Markov Decision Processes (GMDP) is well adapted to the qualitative modeling of such problems of sequential decision under uncertainty. Spatial interactions are easily modeled and integrated control policies (combining several action levers) can be designed through optimization. The provided policies are adaptive, meaning that management actions are decided at each time step (for instance yearly) and the chosen actions depend on the current system state. This framework has already been successfully applied to forest management and invasive species management. However, up to now, no “easy-to-use” implementation of this framework was available. We present GMDPtoolbox, a Matlab toolbox which can be used both for the design of new management policies and for comparing policies by simulation. We provide an illustration of the use of the toolbox on a realistic crop disease management problem: the design of long term management policy of blackleg of canola using an optimal combination of three possible cultural levers. This example shows how GMDPtoolbox can be used as a tool to support expert thinking.

Thinking beyond agronomic yield gap: Smallholder farm efficiency under contrasted livelihood strategies in Malawi

Analyses of yield gaps i.e. the difference between observed and attainable crop yields in a given location, have raised expectations of significant potential progress in crop productivity in sub-Saharan African countries. However, an important question remains unanswered: Are those biophysically-determined attainable yields possible given the socio-economic context of farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa? In this study, we explored the potential increase in efficiency of crop production given the diversity of farming systems and livelihood strategies for the case study of smallholder farmers in Malawi. We implemented a non-parametric frontier efficiency method, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which allows for the assessment of technical efficiency with respect to a production frontier. The frontier efficiency is based on best-performing farms in terms of input minimization and output maximization. Based on survey data of 102 households, we first built a typology of farming systems and distinguished two types, i.e. “maize-based smallholders under land pressure” (type 1) and “diversified crop-livestock producers” (type 2). By comparing results from farming system type-specific frontiers with those from an enveloping meta-frontier, we showed that the efficiency yield gap was overestimated by 13% in the case of the meta-frontier approach. Moreover, based on observed farming system-specific livelihood strategies, we defined different directions for reaching the efficiency frontier. For type 1 farming system, we assumed efficiency increase through reduction of both labor and inputs. For type 2 farming system, as income was mainly derived from agricultural activities, we assumed that efficiency increase could be achieved through increase in outputs, i.e. total calorie production from all cultivated crops. We quantified efficiency scores and identified their determinants to provide more specific recommendations on the levers for action to increase efficiency of crop production. Common determinants for both farming system types were adult equivalents in the household and specific efficiency determinants were percentage of cultivated land and average walking time to fields for the type 1 farming system, and farmer’s age and percentage of cultivated land allocated to groundnuts for the type 2 farming system. It is clear that maize-based smallholder farmers under land pressure have little room for improvement of crop yields, and assessing potential gains through more efficient input use is more appropriate than increasing crop yields per se. In this context, a more rational strategy for improving livelihoods is to stimulate labor markets for off-farm income, rather than pursuing increased crop production by closing the yield gap.

Monitoring for conservation in African tropical national parks: An agenda towards policy-relevant science

Monitoring as an instrument to quantify human and wildlife activities has been increasingly recognized as fundamental towards efficient biodiversity conservation strategies. Promoting the need to direct management based on scientific guidance, monitoring reflects the rise of evidence-based conservation approaches. Nonetheless, in tropical national parks, monitoring programs can fail to address conservation issues and divert scarce resources away from management priorities. In this manuscript, drawing on the literature and recent empirical observations in seven tropical national parks, I argue that the implementation of monitoring must go beyond the rational model of transfer from science to policy and focus on the processes of co-construction between knowledge and action. An increase in social engineering is needed among partners, services and hierarchical levels of parks to ensure a coherent strategy of knowledge production and its use for decision. I provide concrete recommendations as levers of action towards monitoring efficiency and policy-relevant conservation science.