Social Dimension Of Sustainability Research Articles

Green Consumerism: A Cross-Cultural Linguistic and Sentiment Analysis of Sustainable Consumption Discourse on Twitter (X)

Green consumerism research suffers from a paucity of comprehensive, cross-cultural investigations and lacks insight into the interplay of sustainability dimensions and human values. This study examined sustainable consumption-specific tweets (N = 72,000) in the United States, Switzerland, and India. Findings indicate that consumers in India (i.e., the non-Western culture) emphasized the environmental and social dimensions of sustainability as well as the biospheric and altruistic values in their tweets. The two Western cultures focused more on egoistic values and the economic aspects of sustainability. Indian and Swiss consumer sentiments were largely positive, whereas the American consumers expressed more negative sentiments. Results can offer important culturally informed and contextually sensitive recommendations to marketers and policymakers for sustainability communications.

Exploring the Contribution of Advanced Systems in Smart City Development for the Regeneration of Urban Industrial Heritage

This article shows the potential of smart city development in revitalizing urban industrial heritage and traditional industrial blocks. It highlights the challenges faced by these areas, such as aging infrastructure, pollution, and neglect. Smart city technologies are examined as effective solutions for addressing these challenges by promoting efficient resource utilization, improving mobility and connectivity, and enhancing the quality of the built environment. International examples of smart city initiatives implemented in industrial heritage sites and traditional industrial blocks are presented to demonstrate the potential benefits of these technologies. This article emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, sustainability, and community engagement in the revitalization process. It argues that smart city development should prioritize the needs and aspirations of local communities, leveraging their knowledge and expertise for long-term success and sustainability. This article underscores the significance of adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach to urban revitalization that considers social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. It suggests that smart city development can act as a catalyst for transforming urban industrial areas into thriving and resilient landscapes capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century. This article aims to explore the potential of smart city development in revitalizing urban industrial heritage and traditional industrial blocks while advocating for equitable outcomes and sustainable urban environments.

A Fuzzy-AHP Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for a Sustainable Supply Chain of Rice Farming Stakeholders in Edu-Patigi LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria

The adoption of sustainable practices in decision making in supply chain operations among rice farmers and other stakeholders in Nigeria could be an effective tool to drive food security. The triple bottom line identifies the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. These could be harnessed to improve the supply chain of locally produced rice, ultimately improving food security in the region. This paper adopts a quantitative method that uses 21 criteria from the three sustainability dimensions to measure rice stakeholders’ decision-making activities against sustainable rice practices (SRPs) using a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process multi-criteria decision-making approach. The findings reveal that decisions with regard to water usage, supplier diversity, and a safe working environment were ranked high, while government intervention, quality assurance, transparency, and power usage ranked low. This implies that improved performance of other stakeholders across the rice value chain such as the government and extension officers would enhance productivity and drive food security in the region.

A Framework for Sustainable Manufacturing: Integrating Industry 4.0 Technologies with Industry 5.0 Values

The limitations imposed by resource scarcity and the imperative to mitigate adverse environmental and societal impacts have intensified the urgency of developing more sustainable manufacturing systems. Simultaneously, the rapid development and implementation of new technologies is exacerbating the digital divide among vulnerable workers. Concomitantly, the enabling technologies stemming from Industry 4.0 offer significant potential to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing systems. However, the impact of these enabling technologies on achieving sustainable manufacturing remains uncertain. This paper embarks on a comprehensive exploration to address this knowledge gap. Initially, it assesses the suitability of each enabling technology within Industry 4.0 across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Subsequently, the needs of the production process are studied to characterize its sustainable performance. For this, the ASTM E3012-22 standard is introduced. Building upon this foundation, the incorporation of Industry 5.0 is introduced to guide the selection of enabling technologies for sustainability based on its core values, encompassing sustainability, human-centricity, and resilience. The integration of new technologies guided by these values can help bridge the technological divide among vulnerable workers. Finally, a theoretical framework is proposed to enable the design of sustainable manufacturing systems guided by Industry 5.0 values. This framework enables the seamless integration of enabling technologies, machinery, and human expertise throughout the system life cycle.

Social and economic dimensions of food sustainability - a background paper for the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.

This review seeks to demonstrate how the social and economic dimensions of sustainability need to be considered alongside its environmental dimensions. This is particularly important when, as in the case of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNRs), policymakers are attempting to address the twin goals of health and sustainability. For a policy that might make good sense when seen in purely environmental terms, it might not prove sustainable in social and economic terms - if it is too costly, it exacerbates existing inequalities or has detrimental effects on public health. There are some 'win-wins' in the field of health and sustainability policy. However, difficult choices between competing policy options will occur, similar to those facing ordinary consumers in their everyday lives. Being clear about the way food is framed as an issue and how different framings shape policy outcomes is a useful way forward in addressing the inevitable trade-offs and compromises between competing objectives.

Greek primary school students’ moral judgments and motives about sustainable food consumption

Modern dietary habits pose large threats to the global vision for a sustainable food system transition, intensifying discussions around the urgency for educational initiatives that can promote more sustainable food consumption practices. However, research has not sufficiently studied food consumers' moral background, despite its strong influence on food choices, while relevant research on school-aged consumers is even scarcer. This study focuses on two individual ethical decision-making processes regarding food sustainability: moral judgments and moral motives. Data was selected using non-probability, opportunity sampling from 587 students attending the last two grades of primary school in the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece. Participants completed a Likert-scale questionnaire, which adopted a holistic approach towards food sustainability, incorporating the following 12 variables associated with all three domains of sustainability (environmental, societal, economic): Biodiversity, Carbon footprint, Soil, water and air conservation, (Food) loss and waste, Water footprint, Nutrition and health, Animal welfare, Workers' rights and safety, Cultural traditions, Food supply, Tax revenues and Profits, Jobs/incomes. In the moral motives scale, additional variables associated with non-moral considerations were also assessed: Sensory Appeal, Mood, Promotion, Social influence, Convenience and Familiarity. For the moral judgments scale, findings revealed low to medium scores for all the domains and among the variables associated with a sustainable food system, the lowest mean scores being recorded in those linked to the social dimension of sustainability. Regarding food consumption motives, results indicate that non-moral considerations prevail remarkably over moral ones and are linked to all three domains of sustainability. Statistical testing identified grade level, gender, place of residence and participation in environmental, health or food education school programs as factors influencing certain aspects of students’ moral thinking at a statistically significant level. Insights gained from this study can contribute to educational and other agendas aiming to promote sustainable food consumption.

The impact of the environmental, social and governance dimensions of sustainability on firm risk in the hospitality and tourism industry

AbstractThis paper explores the relationship between adherence to corporate social responsibility goals and firm financial risk. Data on an international sample of 209 firms were collected for the period 2002 to 2022. Firm risk was proxied using stock return volatility and probability of default. The results show that the environmental performance of hospitality and tourism firms unequivocally influences firm risk, whether this risk is quantified as probability of default or volatility of stock market returns. This finding confirms that the adoption of environmentally sustainable and responsible practices is crucial not only for the environment but also for the stability of hospitality and tourism firms.

Buddhism-based Intentional Communities Becoming Ecovillages: A Case of Sisa Asoke in Thailand

The primary aim of spiritual or religious intentional communities is that their members live their lives based on spiritual or religious principles and precepts. This article presents a case study of Sisa Asoke in Thailand as a contemporary example of a Buddhism-based intentional community. The article tracks down how Sisa Asoke has evolved into an ecovillage, which was not its primary intention. This study employs ethnographic methods, including participant observations, to gain insights into the community’s day-to-day activities, and interviews to provide an understanding of the community from the community’s perspective. The study categorises observation and interview data into the cultural, ecological, social and economic dimensions of sustainability, aligning with the definition of an ecovillage. The study finds that Sisa Asoke has collectively committed to organic agriculture, relying on local resources. Daily activities at Sisa Asoke are interrelated, showcasing the holistic integration of the four dimensions of sustainability. Furthermore, this study concludes that their shared belief in and practice of the Buddha’s teachings have catalysed the development of regenerative social and natural environments. Therefore, it can be inferred that Sisa Asoke has come very close to being classified as an ecovillage.

Trimming the Plate: A Comprehensive Case Study on Effective Food Waste Reduction Strategies in Corporate Canteens

This case study analyses food waste reduction measures in a corporate canteen, addressing environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions. By implementing seven actions such as raising awareness among kitchen staff, providing smaller portions and preparing soup from overproduction, food waste was reduced by 46% in two canteens serving up to 1800 people daily over the time period of six months. This preserved 343 kg of food waste, conserving over 450,000 kcal in nutritional value and yielding net economic savings of over 15,500 Euros, as well as environmental savings of over 31 tonnes CO2 eq. and 213 mPt PEF. The Benefit-to-Cost Ratio (BCR) of 0.03 kg of food waste saved per 1 Euro invested, along with the associated savings of 40.78 kcal, 2.74 kg CO2 eq., 0.02 mPt PEF, and 2.37 Euros, exemplifies the overall success of these actions. Therefore, this business case offers valuable insights into how (corporate) canteens can enhance sustainability and resource conservation by reducing food waste.

Unveiling the contextual effects of total quality management to enhance sustainable performance

PurposeThe current study focuses on the relationship between total quality management (TQM) and sustainable performance (SP) and examines how TQM practices can facilitate firms' achievement of sustainable performance. Knowledge management (KM), with its four dimensions, i.e. knowledge creation (KCR), knowledge acquisition (KAC), knowledge sharing (KSH) and knowledge application (KAP), is also an essential factor for organizations. Therefore, this study also focuses on the mediating role of KM in the relationship between TQM and sustainable performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a survey method to collect data from the managers of 485 manufacturing SMEs working in five major industrial cities in Pakistan. Collected data were analyzed through PLS-SEM with the help of smart-PLS.FindingsThe study's findings reveal that TQM practices positively influence the environmental and economic sustainability of the firm. At the same time, there is no evidence that TQM practices positively affect the social sustainability of the firm. Results further elaborate that TQM practices significantly affect all four dimensions of KM. Moreover, KM positively affects the two dimensions of SP, i.e. economic and social sustainability, but surprisingly, the impact of KM on environmental sustainability is not found. Finally, results indicate the significant mediating role of KM between TQM and SP.Originality/valueThis study contributes to bridging research gaps in the literature and advances how TQM, directly and indirectly, helps firms improve sustainable performance via the mediating role of KM.

Media framing of sustainability: The case of British pharmaceutical companies (2000–2020)

AbstractCorporate sustainability is a complex concept, creating ambiguity regarding what it means and entails in a given context. Especially in sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, where there is little direct interaction between the company and its stakeholders, infomediaries such as the mass media play a pivotal role in framing corporate sustainability and providing social evaluations to the general public. This paper reports on a longitudinal frame analysis of the newspaper reporting on corporate sustainability related to two British pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, in the period between 2000 and 2020. It explores and explains dominant sustainability frames related to pharmaceutical industry. The findings suggest that newspaper frames prioritize social and economic sustainability dimensions, related to companies' core business activities and relationships with stakeholders, and neglect the environmental dimension. The paper contributes to the existing literature by exploring contextual media framing, sustainability complexity and, empirically, sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry.

Communication and Social Sustainability: Information Disorder and the Risk of Pollution in the Italian Hybrid Media Ecosystem

Over the past three decades, a social dimension of sustainability has been established. Much like the environment, society also suffers from forms of pollution that pose a threat to community development. The phenomenon of information disorders, commonly referred to as fake news (FNs), represents an emblematic case of pollution of public discourse. This is particularly evident in the hybrid media ecosystem, where individuals construct their own information pathways in response to a process of deep mediatization. Considering this scenario, especially in the Italian context, research was conducted to investigate the impact of fake news on social sustainability. The survey was constructed around four research areas: sociodemographic factors, news consumption patterns, information disorders, and personal values. A non-probabilistic sample of the Italian population was drawn, totaling n = 399 individuals distributed throughout the country. The responses were analyzed using both single-variate and multivariate analyses. Specifically, a Social Sustainability Index (SSI) was synthesized from the analysis of sustainability indicators. This index revealed four levels of different behaviors concerning media use, political orientations, and especially, belief in fake news. Thus, a link seems to emerge between sustainability and the ability to inhabit the communication ecosystem properly.

Untangling the Influence of Corporate Sustainability on Export Intensity: The Moderating Role of R&D Intensity

Growing global environmental and social issues have imposed increased pressure on firms to address sustainability challenges in international markets, with a particular focus on improving their export performance. This is of significant importance for emerging market firms aiming to expand their presence in international markets, as they are compelled to bolster their environmental and social sustainability capacity to enhance their export intensity. This study delves into the relationship between corporate sustainability and export intensity through a longitudinal examination of 141 firms listed on Borsa Istanbul from 2014 to 2021. The results suggest that corporate sustainability positively influences export intensity, and this influence is further positively moderated by research and development (R&D) intensity. Additionally, post hoc analysis employing supplementary data pertaining to the environmental, social, and governance dimensions of corporate sustainability reveals that environmental performance plays a positive role in shaping export intensity, with R&D intensity positively moderating this relationship. In summary, the findings underscore that exporting firms that effectively integrate impactful R&D intensity into their international business operations are likely to harness their sustainability strategies, particularly those related to the natural environment, to achieve higher export intensity.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN OF SUPPORTS FOR CULTURAL SERVICES IN OPEN-AIR EXHIBITIONS

This research is focused on the design of sustainable cultural services. Particularly, on the services associated with outdoor exhibitions, which represent an interesting alternative to traditional cultural services, being accessible to all populations, at any time and without ticketing. Open-air exhibitions are usually organized using different supports but the ones with counterweights are the most popular and versatile types. Sustainability aspects of three different design alternatives are studied. In the first alternative cultural content is exposed using printed and replaceable vinyl; in the second alternative, the exhibition is illuminated and content is printed on stretched canvas. The third alternative offers an additional service because when the display panels are replaced exhibitors are transformed into street furniture. The entire life cycle of the services has been reviewed. Moreover, environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions have been quantitatively evaluated using, respectively, the global warming potential, the execution costs, and the working time indicators. Thus, the study contributes to integrating sustainability in the design of service systems. The presented cases illustrate the sustainability assessment methods that could be used in the evaluation of different cultural services proposals and results obtained show that different alternatives can be selected according to the criteria applied to reflect the importance of each sustainability dimension. Keywords: Sustainability, design; Service life cycle; Cultural exhibitions; LCSA.

Consideration of nutrition and sustainability in public definitions of 'healthy' food: an analysis of submissions to the US FDA.

To better understand how the public defines 'healthy' foods and to determine whether the public considers sustainability, implicitly and explicitly, in the context of healthy eating. We conducted a content analysis of public comments submitted to the US FDA in 2016 and 2017 in response to an invitation for feedback on use of the term 'healthy' on food labels. The analysis explored the ways in which commenters' definitions of 'healthy' aligned with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and whether their definitions considered sustainability. The US Government's Regulations.gov website. All 1125 unique comments from individuals and organisations. Commenters' definitions of 'healthy' generally mirrored the recommendations that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans put forth to promote a 'healthy eating pattern'. Commenters emphasised the healthfulness of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish and other minimally processed foods and the need to limit added sugars, sodium, saturated and trans fats and other ingredients sometimes added during processing. One-third of comments (n 374) incorporated at least one dimension of sustainability, mainly the environmental dimension. Commenters who mentioned environmental considerations primarily expressed concerns about synthetic chemicals and genetic modification. Less than 20 % of comments discussed social or economic dimensions of sustainability, and less than 3 % of comments (n 30) used the word 'sustainability' explicitly. This novel analysis provides new information about the public's perceptions of 'healthy' foods relative to nutrition and sustainability considerations. The findings can be used to advance policy discussions regarding nutrition labelling and guidance.

Assessing the Sustainability Impact of Improving Secondary Steel Production: Lessons Learned from an Italian Plant

Abstract This work presents a sustainability assessment approach to evaluate technological innovations in secondary steel production making use of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology. The assessment covers the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability by combining different tools (Life Cycle Assessment and Analytic Hierarchy Process), and also provides an integrated assessment of the overall sustainability. The approach, which can also be used to support decision-making, has been applied to a real case study of a steel plant located in Northern Italy. In the case study, environmental sustainability is positively impacted mainly by increased metal yield and reduced furnace energy consumption. The greatest social sustainability benefits are mainly related to improved ergonomic and safety conditions for workers (reduced demand for physical effort, manual handling and repetitiveness, and lower risk of accidents), as a consequence of the introduction of Industry 4.0 technologies. Regarding economic sustainability, a positive impact related to reduced cycle time, increased metal yield and quality yield, reduced maintenance and quality control costs was observed. The integrated assessment of the overall sustainability has proven to be a viable approach to manage trade-offs between the different dimensions of sustainability.

University language students’ evaluations of ecological, social, cultural and economic sustainability and their importance in language teaching

PurposeThis study aims to explore how university language students evaluate different sustainability themes and examine the overall relevance of ecological, social, cultural and economic sustainability dimensions in language education.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was designed to study Finnish university language students’ (n = 55) order of priority for sustainability dimensions and their sub-themes and the justifications for the priority orders using a mixed methods design. Qualitative content analysis was conducted using NVivo software, and weighted rankings were used to analyse the quantitative data.FindingsThe findings of the study showed that language students evaluated the social and cultural dimensions as the most relevant in language teaching. In all dimensions, students approached sustainability mainly by prioritising larger issues and advancing towards smaller ones. Most non-directional responses appeared in the economic dimension. In addition, individual prioritising and justification approaches varied between different sustainability dimensions.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have examined language students’ evaluations of and justifications for all four sustainability dimensions. The results highlight the need to use multiple, holistic approaches and systems thinking to incorporate education for sustainable development.

The work attitude and work conditions of older age workforce as a part of the social dimension of sustainability in Visegrad Group countries

The work attitude and work conditions of older age workforce as a part of the social dimension of sustainability in Visegrad Group countries

Sustainability potentials of digitally based platforms for the circularity of household items

Closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs) are an important response to pressing sustainability challenges. However, they bring about tradeoffs like increased resource use in logistics. Addressing these complexities, digital platforms emerge as promising, yet under-researched, tools for efficiency enhancement in CLSCs. This study investigates three digital platforms facilitating furniture and household item trade in relation to CLSCs. A comprehensive framework, rooted in literature on CLSCs, digital platforms, and logistics, guides the analysis. The findings reveal diverse sustainability potentials within these platforms, primarily driven by system design, scale, and actor engagement. The efficacy of the digital platform varies based on usage patterns, their geographical scope, logistic solutions, and providers. Crucially, environmental and social sustainability tradeoffs and benefits come to light, offering insights into their emergence based on system design. This study provides insights for practitioners and scholars, regarding potentials/risks of trade-offs in environmental and social sustainability dimensions related to the use of digital platforms for trading secondhand furniture. It provides a nuanced understanding of how these differ depending on system design.

How to survive social crises? An HR analytics data-driven approach to improve social sustainable operations’ effectiveness

PurposeDespite the growing interest regarding companies' sustainability, its social dimension has mostly been neglected by academics and practitioners. Consequently, this study aims to address this issue by investigating if the adoption of human resource (HR) analytics can positively influence the impact of social sustainable operations practices (SSOP) on employees' motivation and engagement and the effect of these lasts on organizational retention.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through online questionnaires addressed to 281 HR managers of heterogeneous companies from Europe and analyzed through a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.FindingsThe findings confirmed the positive effect of SSOP on employees’ motivation and engagement, and of these last on employees’ retention. Furthermore, they confirmed that the usage of HR analytics positively moderates the relationship between SSOP and employees’ motivation and engagement.Originality/valueThis study contributes to both sustainable operations management and HR management literature streams. First, it adopts a multidisciplinary perspective which also considers evidence from HR management literature, allowing the authors to concentrate on the social dimension of sustainability. Second, it provided further insight regarding the adoption of a data-driven approach in relation to social sustainable operations management. Finally, it contributes to HR analytics-related literature by demonstrating its impact also on organizational aspects that are not directly controlled by the HR department.