Social Aspects Of Sustainability Research Articles

Индекс устойчивого развития стран БРИКС: методологические аспекты

This article discusses the methodological aspects of comparative research on sustainable development in order to form the BRICS Sustainable Development Index. The index can be considered as a mechanism for assessing the progress of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2015–20. The authors systematize the accumulated experience of international studies, indices, and rankings that address social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability, highlighting the key research problems of these works and intrinsic issues of the SDG methodological framework in general. The methodology of the BRICS Sustainable Development Index is described in detail, taking into account the conclusions on the applicability of the available experience for the purposes of the current study. The final section presents the interim results of the Index.

Evaluating Competitiveness in the Supply Chain Management of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises

This research investigated Supply Chain Management (SCM) in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand, Slovakia, and Poland and compared the SCM practices among the three countries. The sole purpose was to first determine the various factors that influence SCM operations and SCM practices in each of the countries and then find out whether there is a difference among the three countries in terms of SCM operations and practices. The study was conducted using primary data collected from SME management personnel from the three countries. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data using a 5-point Likert scale. The data was analyzed using multi-group Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of the study indicated that supply chain management practices and operations adopted by the small and medium enterprises in Thailand, Slovakia, and Poland were invariant. The environmental sustainability elements in SCM and the social aspects of sustainability in SCM have positively influenced SCM practices in all countries. The study recommended that SMEs in the countries should consider adopting the factors that support SCM, operationalizing the SCM through enhancing the capabilities of the end-user, and vitally taking into consideration the environmental sustainability elements in SCM, such as environmentally-friendly production processes, taking action towards waste management, and adopting production processes that inhibit the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere by encouraging the implementation of policies that foster the use of renewable energy sources in production.

Collaboration as a structural aspect of proactive social sustainability: the differential moderating role of distributive and procedural justice

PurposeThis paper aims to adopt the strategy-structure-performance (SSP) framework to explore how proactive social strategy could motivate firms to collaborate with suppliers on social sustainability initiatives, and how such collaborative efforts could unlock a win-win opportunity for both noneconomic (social performance) and economic (operational performance) performance. Additionally, drawing on the tenets of the social exchange theory, the different moderating effects of distributive justice and procedural justice on the social collaboration-performance relationship are also examined.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses survey data collected from 215 manufacturing companies in China. The proposed hypotheses are tested using multiple linear regression models as well as the PROCESS macro within SPSS.FindingsThe results suggest that (1) a proactive social strategy could motivate firms to collaborate with suppliers on joint social activities and (2) social collaboration with suppliers can have a significant positive effect on both social and operational performance. The moderation results suggest that distributive justice has a differential effect on the collaboration-performance link. Particularly, distributive justice strengthens the relationship between social collaboration and operational performance, while it weakens the relationship between social collaboration and social performance. Surprisingly, procedural justice did not have a significant moderating effect on the social collaboration-performance link.Originality/valueThis paper extends the SSP framework to the social sustainability context by not only stressing the importance of proactivity in managing sustainability, but also revealing collaboration as a structural aspect that could achieve superior performance benefits. This study also contributes to sustainable supply chain literature by exploring the moderating roles of justice elements.

Assessing WELBY Social Life Cycle Assessment Approach through Cobalt Mining Case Study

The interconnected nature of social, environmental, and economic sustainability aspects must be considered in decision-making to achieve strong sustainability. Social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) has been developed to better include social sustainability aspects into life cycle thinking. However, many of the current S-LCA impact assessment approaches have been developed only on a theoretical level, and thus more case studies are needed. We assess the challenges and opportunities of the S-LCA approach through a case study on cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Data for the case study were collected from scientific literature, reports, newspaper articles, and interview material. The applicability and possible strengths and weaknesses of the WELBY approach for the case were interpreted. The results showed that applying the WELBY approach in practice is possible, even though there is a lack of existing case studies. However, there are several challenges that must be addressed before the approach can be more widely used. The main challenge with the WELBY approach is the overestimation of impacts when adding multiple impact categories, as is recommended in the S-LCA guidelines. More case-specific severity weights should be developed to address this challenge. Moreover, the interpretation of the results from the perspective of informal work should be executed carefully. Even though the WELBY approach is promising, more methodological development is still needed to build a more ethical and reliable S-LCA methodology.

An integrated social sustainability assessment framework: the case of construction industry

PurposeThe discourse of construction practitioners and decision-makers worldwide has begun to appreciate and acknowledge the advantages of sustainable building. Toward this goal, one of the main steps is creating a control mechanism, which provides the context for moving to sustainable buildings by monitoring the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainability. The previous research studies indicate the social dimension has received far less attention than the economic and environmental aspects. Therefore, this study aims at developing a social sustainability framework to evaluate building systems.Design/methodology/approachThis research has chosen the Parsons sociological theory as its theoretical framework basis and acquires the research theoretical framework with its modification and completion by grounded theory (GT). In the next step, to realize the GT structure validity and model fitting, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used and the research hypotheses were tested.FindingsAn integrated social sustainable framework is presented with five subsystems: socio-political, socio-cultural, socio-institutional, socio-economic and socio-environmental. This research addresses the void of a comprehensive social sustainability framework in the construction industry, and the findings can contribute to construction industry practitioners and decision-makers to evaluate building systems socially.Originality/valueThe application of this framework is not limited to the construction industry and building systems. It can deliver a general use for integrating social perspectives into decision-making on various subjects. Localization and specialization of current research's social sustainability components and factors can be a high potential research topic for future studies, in all fields and scopes. This framework can be a significant contribution to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a basis for creating comparable models to assess social aspects of buildings, campuses and urban sustainability.

Assessment of the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the microwave heating self-healing technique

Pavements are the major load-carrying Civil Engineering structures in roads, runways, parking lots, and driveways; hence, they are fundamental for regional or national development. However, the pavement life cycle has significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. The asphalt pavement microwave heating self-healing technique (MWHSHT) is a relatively new alternative to traditional pavement maintenance techniques. Research has mainly focused on its technical feasibility with little attention to its effect on economic, environmental, and social sustainability . This work assesses the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the MWHSHT through an environmental and socio-economic impact analysis for various scenarios. Results show that pavement maintenance alternatives that include MWHSHT show reductions in energy consumption, feedstock energy, materials consumption, and economic indicators compared to full traditional maintenance during the asphalt pavement life cycle, thus increasing pavement sustainability. In addition, the inclusion of the MWHSHT has potential social benefits for stakeholders. Overall, including the MWHSHT for maintaining asphalt pavements has the potential to improve the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability in comparison to using only traditional asphalt pavement maintenance. • The asphalt pavement microwave heating self-healing technique (MWHSHT) is a relatively new. • This work assesses the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the MWHSHT technique. • Maintenance that includes MWHSHT reduces energy and material consumption, feedstock energy, and improves economic indicators. • MWHSHT potentially improves pavement sustainability in comparison to using only traditional asphalt pavement maintenance.

72. Using system thinking to gain insight into social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability for food production

72. Using system thinking to gain insight into social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability for food production

Potential of Including Social Farming Initiatives within Agroecological Transition in Hungarian Farms

Abstract The European Model of Agriculture has been developed based on multifunctional agriculture that plays an essential role in increasing the vitality of rural areas in Europe. The agroecological approach is strongly related to multifunctional agriculture as well as social farming that is unique for visualising the social aspect of sustainability in agriculture. This paper aims to explore and evaluate the awareness and attitude of Hungarian farmers, based on indicators derived from in-depth interviews focused on agroecological transition, in order to identify possible spaces for social farming initiatives. For this purpose, the indicators are analysed using the existing 10 elements of agroecology created by FAO as a reference point. The aim of this analysis is to understand which basic element-related practices are preferred, whether social elements are included or not, and to determine which areas need to be strengthened in education in order to encourage farmers to be open to addressing social issues. The results of the research confirm indicators which are present in the daily practices of those farms that do not necessarily identify themselves as social farms. In addition to their willingness to potentially transition to agroecological systems, they have the basic elements and attitude to adopt social farming.

Collaboration and Sustainable Catfish (Claria sp.) Supply Chain with Data Connectivity Implementation in Jember, Indonesia

Maintaining collaboration across the whole catfish fisheries supply chain to achieve sustainability is difficult. All participants in the activities must prioritize their financial gains while also considering social growth and environmental responsibility. Jember's catfish fisheries actors come from various educational, social, and psychological backgrounds. Because of this diversity, it is challenging to apply traceability to Jember catfish fishery goods, resulting in a lack of competitiveness in the worldwide market. This study aims to examine current research in the catfish business on sustainable supply chains, collaborative models, and traceability on a large scale. The economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability are investigated and a model for a sustainable supply chain. Collaboration in the sustainable catfish supply chain is examined from vertical and horizontal perspectives. According to the findings, few studies have focused on integrated collaboration to establish a long-term supply chain system. The best feature of power to develop the drafting of search data is knowledge. The correctness of the meeting point of upstream search data with downstream traceability can be designed using simple and applicable information that spreads across all lines and is imprinted in consumers from an early age

Assessment of the Perception of Sustainability for Occupants of Residential Buildings: A Case Study in the UAE

The residential sector is multi-faceted by nature. Although evidence shows that the UAE is among the countries in the world that take sustainability seriously, there is a lack of information about the perception of sustainability by occupants in the residential sector in the UAE. The aim of this paper is to assess the perception of sustainability of the residential sector in the UAE, which is achieved by following a methodological framework using the relevant literature review and experts’ knowledge. An online survey was distributed to the targeted population, followed by a statistical analysis to fulfill the aim of the paper. Results confirm the correlation between social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. Additionally, structural equation modeling reveals that the perception of sustainability is significantly influenced by economic and environmental aspects in the residential sector in the UAE. Comparative analysis shows a statistical difference in the perception of sustainability among gender, educational level, employment status, and monthly income. Finally, a predictive classification model is built to classify the perception of occupants based on their attributes using decision tree algorithms. The outcomes of this study would be beneficial to policy and decision makers, developers, contractors, designers, and facility management entities to enhance overall sustainability in the residential sector.

Between the Sustainable Development Narrative and the Environmental Crisis

This study aims to find out what narratives of sustainable development are dominant and what is limited to the presentation of the contents of elementary school textbooks in Indonesia. This study uses quantitative and descriptive content analysis with an instrument in an analysis sheet based on theory. The data sources are 51 elementary thematic textbooks from grades one to six. The study results show that the concept of sustainable development (SDGs) consists of 17 goals and education for sustainable development (ESD). These aspects include social, environmental, economic Sustainability, inclusive development, generally widely spread across all grade levels with varying portions in each grade. The distribution of material related to Social Sustainability (SS) and Environmental Sustainability (EnS) aspects is presented in a small and limited percentage. Meanwhile, materials about aspects of Economic Sustainability (ES) and Sustainability of Inclusive Development (SID) have the most significant portion. Materials on economic growth and activities and the use of natural resources as the mainstay of sustainable development are still dominant, while the roots of the environmental crisis and prevention of ecological damage are still missing.
 
 Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals, Education for Sustainable Development, Textbooks, Environmental Crisis

How to Combat Against Upcoming Varients of Covid-19

New variant of Covid 19 poses a threat to re-imagine and re-design our cities, which will result in to reduced transportation and a brighter sky. The key objective of the study intends to enlighten how the new variant of COVID-19 may effect cities and their residents socially, economically, psychologically and to suggest measures to combat the effects of a pandemic. Cities are growth engines, and policymakers can help them become more sustainable by creating jobs, reducing poverty, and assisting in the resilience of cities. This is especially relevant for developing countries, which, in comparison to developed ones, are rapidly urbanizing. The researcher carried out a detailed survey in the case study area (Lahore) to gather the facts regarding the impacts of COVID-19. The reliability analysis technique was used to analyze the results. The variables/factors were reliable at the value of 0.8, and 0.7. The analysis shows that residents faced problems in mobility, daily commute, and unavailability of hospitals and health care units. Residents were affected psychologically as well. The most significant impact of the lockdown which proved itself a blessing was the improvement in air quality and the environment of Lahore. The researcher concluded that the epidemic will have a significant impact on Pakistani city administration and governance. Future decisions will determine if post-COVID cities are more environmentally friendly to construct and manage. However, in addition to economic growth, it is vital to address the social and environmental aspects of long-term sustainability.

Identifying the Barriers to Sustainable Management of Construction and Demolition Waste in Developed and Developing Countries

The construction industry is a vital part of every nation’s economy. Construction activities influence the social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainability. There are so many barriers to sustainable construction and demolition waste management (C&DWM). This study aims to identify barriers for effective sustainable C&DWM in developed and developing countries. To achieve the objective, 11 barriers have been selected and identified based on an excessive and comprehensive literature review, and then reviewed by experts. These reviewed barriers were further examined by various experts within different organizations using a questionnaire survey. Ranking of the barriers was carried out using the Relative Importance Index (RI), and the results were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Practical solutions were proposed to overcome the identified barriers. The overall ranking of barriers by RI indicates that insufficient attention paid to C&DWM, lack of law enforcement, lack of regulation, and financial constraints represent the four major barriers to sustainable C&DWM in these countries. The findings of this study and the proposed solutions are enablers for decision-makers to develop effective strategies to tackle construction and demolition wastes in sustainable manners.

Images of the future for a circular economy: The case of Finland

A transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE) is one of the key solutions to the sustainability crisis. A CE requires new mental models and insights, especially of a desirable future towards which to move. A CE aims at making better use of resources and jointly considers economic, environmental and social sustainability aspects in the long run. The objective of this study is to develop alternative images of the future for CE in Finland in 2050. The study was performed using qualitative research methods and covers extensive data from 61 interviews with experts. We analysed the data using qualitative content analysis. Four alternative images of the future were generated: A circular success story, A circle of disaster, Local circles, and Structural, regulated circularity. This study contributes to the CE literature by using a futures studies approach and describing alternative futures for a CE through images of the future. By creating alternative futures, one can better reflect on and discuss future possibilities. Our images of the future provide insights to achieve a CE both in Finland and globally.

A simple measure for workload as a social sustainability indicator for family farms

Most criteria for social sustainability of farms rely on the presence of employed labour, so that the social sustainability of family farms is difficult to capture. We therefore propose to focus on workload as one aspect of social sustainability, with a particular angle on its manifestation in family farms. We compared existing labour resources to working time requirements according to the farm's portfolio. Different levels of detail in acquiring the necessary data are presented. Two case studies on samples of Swiss dairy farms indicate that around a third of all farms suffer from potentially being overworked whereas being underworked does not seem to be an issue. It has been indicated that the problem of overwork is more prevalent among lowland farms than in the mountains. The simple indicator proposed was found to be a potentially useful and easy-to-use tool. However, it became clear that added value could be found by including the degree of mechanisation on the farm and the degree of outsourcing of work processes to contractors in the calculation of the indicator. Further, an outlook is given on how to automate the indicator calculations to provide additional benefit.

Concept and Measurement of the Food System Sustainability: A Bibliometric Research

In view of climate change and population growth, making food system sustainable is a global concern. A lot of policies regulate this issue, but recent data show that global (and national) food systems are still far from the sustainability. Improvement of existing policies in the field of food system regulation requires a clear understanding of the food system sustainability concept itself: specification of its traits, attributes, measurement indicators, and goals. These issues are reflected in a lot of research papers, but none of these articles summarise the major trends, content, and features of the food system sustainability concept’s evolution. This study for the first time summarises history and contents of research in the field of concept and measurement of food system sustainability through bibliometric analysis of Scopus indexed papers for 1991-2022. The growth of scientific interest in this area, led by researchers from the USA, Italy, and France, was found to be wave-like with peaks following the global food crises appearance patterns. The results of this study show that modern perception of the concept (since 2018) is complicated and intertwined in the notions of systems and system thinking, sustainability, and life cycle assessment, contrasting to the previous views (1991-2018) focused on food production system and food security. In general, a little attention is given to social and economic aspects of food system sustainability, in contrast to environmental, food, and agri-food issues. The elaboration of one-size-fits-all policy and solutions favouring food systems sustainability is suggested to be unlikely due to the complexity of the concept's perception. Governance of food system sustainability should go in line with concrete institutional, economic, social, and natural environments that need to be comprehensively studied in a future. Studies from developing countries are of special interest in this context

Sustainable supply chain integration: An exploration of South African fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers

Background: Manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) are facing new challenges that compel them to outperform their competitors economically, and to consider environmental and social impacts. Customer demands regarding sustainability are channelled upstream to these manufacturers through retailers. This resulted in manufacturers being very conscious of the sustainability of their production processes, as well as their packaging. To that extent, FMCG manufacturers are encouraged to integrate sustainability, with other supply chain partners, to improve sustainability performance across the supply chain.Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which FMCG manufacturers in South Africa apply sustainability to their supply chain integration.Setting: The study was conducted among South African FMCG manufacturers.Method: The study applied a generic qualitative research design. Altogether 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with middle to senior supply chain managers.Results: Having a clear sustainability focus, supported by leadership and embedded into the corporate culture, is key to integrating sustainability internally and thus improving the sustainability performance. The findings indicate that customers do not pressure firms to adhere to their sustainability expectations. Instead, sustainability expectations are driven internally. Firms find it difficult to align the three sustainability aspects equally, due to the local variables and context in which they operate. Therefore, economic sustainability is considered most important and firms act on environmental and social sustainability aspects within strict economic constraints.Conclusion: Academically, the study adds to the literature by creating an understanding of sustainable supply chain integration (SSCI) from a South African perspective. For practitioners, the study encourages firms to collaborate with supply chain partners on sustainability, as this opens up opportunities to create shared value through joint sustainability problem-solving.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND COMPENSATION IN COMPULSORY LAND ACQUISITION: DOSE IT MATTERS ON SATISFACTION

Compensating for different types of losses are continuously experiencing in Sri Lanka due to types of disasters or compulsory land acquisition. The land Acquisition Act No. 09 of 1950 makes the provision to acquire the lands from private landowners for the public interest and to pay the monetary compensation to recover the losses. The National Involuntary Resettlement Policy (NIRP) was intended to address involuntary resettlement, integrating land acquisition and payment of compensation. However, there is a real distrust about satisfaction of the victims on the end results mainly based on many aspects. In fact, the findings vary from place to place. Therefore, this paper aims to critically analyze the factors representing of the social sustainabilityconcept in compensation procedure of compulsory land acquisition of Sri Lanka, expressly reviewing the reservoir development project of Yan Oya and its resettlement community. Fivepoint Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data from thirty re-settlers selected from three locations on nine criteria. Further, six prominent community leaders were interviewed forfurther confirmation. The findings reveal those five factors representing social sustainability aspect were successful to some extent, while there were significant inconsistencies amongst assessed components within individual cases. Hence, the study reveals that pure monetary compensation process was unsuccessful since it represents the inadequacy to cover all losses ofvictims. Thus, for a coverage of total loss a resettling strategy is essential while with more concerns to the social sustainability aspects.
 Keywords: Compensation, Compulsory land acquisition, Resettlement strategy, Satisfaction,Social sustainability.

CORRIDOR AS A SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL SPACE IN HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

The rapid population growth and limited land on earth make high-rise residential buildings, especially in urban areas, inevitable. However, from several studies and analyses, many of these vertical living did not / have not fulfilled social sustainability aspects, which are essential aspects of the three spheres of sustainability concepts, namely social sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability. Therefore this study will emphasize creating sustainable social space in high-rise residential buildings but will focus more on Corridor.Corridor as a definite area and always exist in high-rise residential building, have a high frequency always to be used and passed by residents as the main circulation path from and to the unit of residence. Therefore Corridor has great potential to influence the lives and way of life of the residents. Therefore, if we as architects can propose a design intervention by including consideration of the rules of the social space parameters, the Corridor can be an ideal sustainable social space that is needed and can be positively beneficial for residents, so that in the long run, it can help achieve Sustainable Architecture.

Compensation for Compulsory Land Acquisition; Does Social Sustainability Matters on Satisfaction

Payment of compensation for different types of losses are continuously experiencing in Sri Lanka. One of the typical aspects is the compulsory land acquisition. Government acquires the lands from private landowners for providing infrastructure in terms of public interest and proceeds to pay the monetary compensation recovering the losses while the National Involuntary Resettlement Policy (NIRP) intends to address involuntary resettlement because of land acquisition. However, distrusting is arising on satisfaction of the victims of this process and no evidence how far the social sustainability concept is addressed. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the determinants of satisfaction while focusing on the factors representing the social sustainability concept in compensation procedure of compulsory land acquisition of Sri Lanka. For acquiring data, questionnaire survey was conducted with 30 re-settlers who were the victims of government land acquisition for a reservoir project and an interview was carried out with prominent community leaders on 09 factors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a content analysis. The findings reveal that social sustainability aspects of neighborhood environment, education, market availability, electricity, and public health services were successful to some extent, while there were significant inconsistencies amongst assessed components within individual cases. Hence, the study reveals that pure monetary compensation process was unsuccessful since it represents the inadequacy to cover all losses of victims. Thus, for a total loss a resettling strategy is essential along with high concentration on the social sustainability aspects. Keywords: Compulsory Land Acquisition, Involuntary Resettlement Policy, Payment of Compensation, Social Sustainability Concept, Satisfaction