Sustainability-related Decisions Research Articles

What's the catch? Trade-off challenges in early design for sustainability

AbstractTrade-offs involving multiple criteria that cannot be satisfied at the same time are ubiquitous in engineering design activities. Navigating trade-off decisions can be challenging, especially when it comes to sustainability-related decisions in early-stage projects. Through a systematic literature review, we unravel the challenges related to sustainability trade-offs in technology development, concept design, and other front-end of innovation activities. The challenges, which were evaluated by experts from industry and academia, range from technical and organisational to psychological aspects.

Exploratory analysis of zero waste theory to examine consumer perceptions of sustainability: A covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM)

IntroductionThe analysis of corporate and consumer sustainability practices is currently the focus of several scientific disciplines due to their environmental impact and diversity. ObjectiveThis research aims to create a hierarchy of consumer perceptions of zero waste thinking that can guide government decisions regarding university communities' sustainability efforts. To achieve the objectives of this study, Hungarian university citizens (students, faculty, staff) as potential zero waste consumers in Győr were involved in a purposive sampling approach. MethodsThis study adopted the Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) methodology to prove the hypotheses related to the 7Rs regarding Zero Waste perceptions of university citizens. The rethink element of the hierarchy was defined as the default condition for the 7 R application and therefore remained at the top of the hierarchy as an endogenous variable. ResultsThe study concluded that it is possible to adapt a business 7 R framework for consumer use, but only 5Rs can be applied. The analysis was conducted at a 90% confidence level, under which condition the independent variables together explain 87% of the variance of the rethink factor. The results show that the four constructs, namely rot (β =0.12, ρ<0.1), reduce (β =0.21, ρ<0.1), recycle (β =0.26, ρ<0.05), and reuse (β =0.43, ρ<0.05) significantly affect rethinking. Based on these regression weights, a hierarchy of importance can be established. In line with the original 7 R business concept, rethink is at the top of the hierarchy, followed by the other elements. ConclusionsThe results suggest that the zero waste attitudes of university citizens are currently limited to the 5Rs, which should require government leadership to strengthen these factors or a more consistent presence and support for the 2Rs that are missing from the established model. Governments can use the results of this research in their sustainability-related decisions.

Experiential learning in higher education: Assessing the role of business simulations in shaping student attitudes towards sustainability

Education for sustainable development requires innovative pedagogies that entice students' engagement, ensure effective learning outcomes, and develop students' attitudes towards sustainability. The study aimed to investigate the factors that shape students' learning outcomes of a business simulation that incorporates sustainability-related decisions and to examine the effect of business simulation learning outcomes on their satisfaction, intention to continue using business simulations as a learning tool, and attitudes towards sustainability. A survey was distributed at the end of a business simulation course for undergraduates in a private university in the New Administrative Capital in Cairo, Egypt. A total of 262 students participated in the study. The results supported all research hypotheses except for the relationship between learning outcomes and student satisfaction. The study extends our understanding of the use of experiential learning in shaping student attitudes towards sustainability. The future of implementing more business simulations in curriculums depends on students' willingness to continue using such experiential learning tools in the future along with the power of positive word of mouth associated with their experience. The study offers several important implications for higher education institutions leaders and educators.

Responsible Behaviour and Psychological Well-being in Tourism: The Triple Helix Model

While the conceptually related fields of sustainability and psychological well-being have been informed by extensive research in recent years, efforts to integrate these fields are yet to be systematically advanced. This lack of integration has left the nexus between sustainability and well-being largely underexplored and conceptually underdeveloped. Tourism offers a novel context within which to explore the intersection. Consequently, this paper critically assesses the relationship between sustainability-related decisions and tourist well-being. It is informed by the analysis of thirty semi-structured in-depth interviews that critically explored the holiday experiences of tourists while travelling internationally. Analysis revealed that both responsible and irresponsible tourist behaviours are interconnected with tourists’ psychological well-being and are influenced by external barriers and internal conflicts. Responsible behaviours were found to contribute to eudaimonic well-being through a heightened sense of perceived integrity. Conversely, irresponsible behaviours trigger negative self-appraisals, enacting coping mechanisms and generating guilt. This manuscript presents the triple helix model detailing the complex and interconnected relationship between (ir)responsible behaviour and psychological well-being in tourism experiences. Future research should consider the intricate connections between tourists’ sustainability-related decisions and psychological well-being as central to the developing sustainable tourism research agendas.

Supply chain agility and sustainability performance: A configurational approach to sustainable supply chain management practices

The sustainable supply chain management literature points to a positive relationship between sustainability practices and firm performance. However, firms have limited resources to apply toward competing strategies and initiatives and managers are therefore challenged with making decisions about which sustainability initiatives to pursue. Two potential solutions to this challenge include combining supply chain agility with sustainability practices and utilising the resource orchestration theory framework (ROT) to help supply chain managers make more informed sustainability-related decisions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the different potential combinations of firm and supply chain sustainability practices and supply chain agility which result in high firm performance. This study uses ROT and applies a configurational approach and qualitative comparative analysis methodology. The findings indicate that high sustainability performance can be reached through different paths (equifinality) entailing both high and low values of each proposed sustainability initiative and supply chain agility (asymmetry). The findings also reveal that results are dependent on how practices are combined, rather than on their single effects.

Sustainability impact and effects analysis - A risk management tool for sustainable product development

Integrating a strategic sustainability perspective in product development requires that decision-makers can connect socio-ecological sustainability aspects to tangible business implications in the short- and long term. Only then will there be the driving forces necessary for adopting sustainable product development practices. A risk management approach can be used to enable strategic proactivity by exposing the potential consequences of sustainability-related decisions, for example in relation to reputation, legislative change, the ability to attract top talent, or meeting customer needs. Through an action research approach and by building on previous findings and existing tools and methods, this study presents the Sustainability Impact and Effects Analysis. This novel method and risk management tool combines the familiar format of the well-established Failure Mode and Effects Analysis with a strategic sustainability perspective. Designed to be applicable in early stages of the product innovation process, this tool aims to increase decision-makers’ awareness of sustainability risks and provide them with a practical way for how to identify, assess, and treat such risks. The tool was developed in close collaboration with industry and tested in two different companies. The results indicate the effectiveness of the tool for identifying and analyzing sustainability risks, as well as deriving and monitoring strategies for how to manage them strategically, also leading to an increased awareness of the interconnections between socio-ecological sustainability aspects and business implications. Thereby, it can provide support for companies in how to work with product development in a way that contributes to society's transition towards sustainability, while benefiting the own organization.

Gender diversity in supply chains: towards more sustainable decisions? evidence from interviews

ABSTRACT Gender diversity (GD) has become an open topic of discussion, with a focus on gender gaps in terms of salary and access to education. There has been little research highlighting the active role women may play in sustainable decision making. This study addresses this gap by considering the case of supply chain management (SCM), a function mostly led by men and where several unsustainable issues prevail. It focuses on determining whether GD has an impact on sustainability-related decisions made in SCM. An exploratory and qualitative approach was taken to look at managerial, operational and hybrid skills and practices. The findings reveal three main opinion groups and show that GD would bring softer skills such as empathy at the managerial level, or more socially responsible supplier selection at the operational level. More GD in SCM would improve social relations, communication, compliance and health and safety issues. This study contributes to filling the gap on the social dimension of sustainability.

Neutrosophic Completion Technique for Incomplete Higher-Order AHP Comparison Matrices

After the recent establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2030, the sustainable design of products in general and infrastructures in particular emerge as a challenging field for the development and application of multicriteria decision-making tools. Sustainability-related decision problems usually involve, by definition, a wide variety in number and nature of conflicting criteria, thus pushing the limits of conventional multicriteria decision-making tools practices. The greater the number of criteria and the more complex the relations existing between them in a decisional problem, the less accurate and certain are the judgments required by usual methods, such as the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The present paper proposes a neutrosophic AHP completion methodology to reduce the number of judgments required to be emitted by the decision maker. This increases the consistency of their responses, while accounting for uncertainties associated to the fuzziness of human thinking. The method is applied to a sustainable-design problem, resulting in weight estimations that allow for a reduction of up to 22% of the conventionally required comparisons, with an average accuracy below 10% between estimates and the weights resulting from a conventionally completed AHP matrix, and a root mean standard error below 15%.

Estimation of the static corporate sustainability interactions

ABSTRACT The empirical literature considers firm-specific aspects affecting corporate sustainability decisions but generally omits the influence of the competition. We advocate that sustainability actions of a company impact its marketplace and vice versa. Therefore, the sustainability return of the single firm is a function of the other firms’ sustainability decisions. We approach sustainability decisions as strategic decisions and evaluate the effect of competition and spillovers in a static market entry game. We estimate the parameters of the discrete choice model using the social performance ratings from MSCI KLD 400 Social Index as proxy for sustainability decisions and financial information from Wharton Research Data Services’ COMPUSTAT dataset. When strategic interaction is not accounted for, we find that an increase in the number of competitors increases the likelihood of sustainability investments, seemingly shows the spillover effect dominates the competition. When we apply the multi-stage approach, which incorporates competitive interaction, we provide empirical evidence that the effect of competition on the likelihood of entry into the sustainability market dominates the effect of spillover. We find that strategic motives, typically ignored in the empirical literature, appear to be an important factor in understanding sustainability-related decisions.

Sustainable Construction Supplier Selection by a Multiple Criteria Decision-making Method with Hesitant Linguistic Information

Within the context of resource constraints and ecological environment imbalance, the adoption of green suppliers can help construction enterprises achieve sustainable development and improve their competitiveness. The selection of sustainable construction suppliers is a multi-criteria decision-making problem since multiple factors should be considered. The increasingly complex decision-making environment makes it difficult for evaluators to give accurate evaluation values. In this regard, the hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set is a qualitative evaluation tool to represent the comprehensive linguistic evaluation values of experts by considering the hesitancy behaviors of experts. In this paper, a scientific multi-criteria decision-making model based on the improved Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method and the double normalization-based multi-aggregation (DNMA) method in the hesitant fuzzy linguistic environment is proposed. A new distance measure is proposed to measure the differences between hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets with different lengths without changing the original evaluation information of experts. The proposed distance measure is applied to the proposed multi-criteria decision-making model. After improving the calculation steps of the traditional SWARA method, we can determine the weights of criteria effectively through our proposed model. To verify the applicability of the proposed method, we implement it to select sustainable building suppliers. The effectiveness of the method is verified by sensitivity analysis. We also compare the results obtained by our method and those derived by the Weight Aggregated Sum Product ASsessment (WASPAS) method and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The proposed method have a strong applicability to solve the sustainability-related decision problems given that it can effectively determine the weights of criteria and flexibly meet the needs of decision-makers by adjusting the coefficient.

Sustainability as an Important Tool in Organisational Management: A Review of Literature

This study aims to review the existing literature on organisational sustainability to understand diverse concepts related to organisational sustainability and its evolution. To achieve these objectives, the researcher has reviewed more than one hundred and fifty peer reviewed journal articles related to organisational sustainability that were published between 1987 and 2020. Findings of the literature review confirmed that there were diverse definitions of organisational sustainability and that organisational sustainability is in the process of evolution. Further, this review of literature confirmed the importance of stakeholder engagement in sustainability related decision making at the organisational level. The long term perspective has become a key concern when implementing sustainability in organisations; it has, however, become one of the biggest sources of worry for organisational leadership in this millennium as well. National cultural values and organisational culture are also identified in the literature as influencing leadership decisions related to organisational sustainability. Hence, this literature review confirmed that there are no best solutions or strategies in achieving organisational sustainability, though managers should adopt holistic perspectives and develop innovative solutions to deal with sustainability issues unique to their own organisations. Therefore, it can be concluded that organisational leadership implemented according to a holistic perspective would facilitate excellent results in establishing organisational sustainability. Future research should be directed towards understanding organisational sustainability in a context specific manner rather than using a generalised approach.

Moving towards sustainability: A theoretical design of environmental performance measurement systems

We develop and explain how environmental performance measurement systems (EPMS) can be designed to overcome some key design issues identified from extant EPMS research. We take an interdisciplinary approach integrating science and sustainability theories into accounting research to theoretically develop six key design principles for a valid decision-useful EPMS framework. Our theoretical framework, comprising established theoretical and causal links between the organization’s summary sustainability measure and its drivers, provides insight into how management decisions at the operational level influence economic and environmental sustainability value created for the organization, thus supporting sustainability-related decision making. We test the framework in an irrigated agriculture setting using simulation modeling. Measured parameter values for key sustainability measures theoretically derived from the design principles are compared with optimal values to identify production processes for improvement. The empirical results showed significant simultaneous improvement in water and economic sustainability performance, resulting from a change in one targeted production practice. While our model demonstrates how the quality of sustainability-related information and decision making can be improved within a specific organizational setting, it also provides a generalizable tool for resolving the wicked problems of sustainable natural resource use.

Modelling environmental and economic sustainability of logistics

PurposeResearch on sustainability has progressed from a singular focus on one aspect to a simultaneous focus on more than one aspect of the triple bottom line. However, there is a dearth of research that explains why sustainability-related decisions in business often do not bear the expected results. Research that provides managers with a tool to achieve environmental sustainability of logistics without compromising the economic sustainability is scarce. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to bridge the above gaps and to explore the factors that affect investment in technology to balance environmental and economic sustainability of logistics. A model based on system dynamics approach explains the simultaneous interplay of these factors. Simulating the model helps the managers of logistics function decide the size of investment in technology, to achieve environmental efficiency without negatively influencing the economic performance.Design/methodology/approachA model based on system dynamics approach explains the simultaneous interplay of these factors. Simulating the model helps the managers of logistics function decide the size of investment in technology, to achieve ecological efficiency without compromising with the economic performance.FindingsCollaboration with regulatory authorities and with players within the same industry and across industries is a must so that eco-logistics does not become an economic burden for businesses. The decision to invest in technology for eco-logistics is further accentuated if the technology promises some added economic benefits.Research limitations/implicationsFrom a theoretical perspective, the research has added to the less extensive literature on system dynamics modelling, which is a mixed methodology, combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research is also one of the few attempts that have attempted to simultaneously study more than one aspects of sustainability in business, quantitatively through simulation. Simulation was demonstrated through a single case study, Future works can aim to apply the causal loop diagram to firms in varied sectors.Practical implicationsThe managers can use the causal loop diagram to assess the environmental performance of logistics and decide on appropriate level of investment to balance ecological and economic performance of logistics.Originality/valueThe causal loop diagram has been developed through primary data collection via semi-structured interviews. The results were validated by presenting them to respondents to ensure they represent their view points. The results are, therefore, practical and original. This research does not build upon an existing data set or aims to test the applicability of any existing model. The model for this research has been developed from the grass-roots level.

Elements of reflection on education for sustainable development 30 years from the Bruntland Report

The aim of the study was to learn about young people’s judgements on sustainable development and environmental protection depending on their school profile and education. The presentation of their opinions was considered important for assessing the state of sustainable development 30 years after the publication of the Bruntland Report. The perception of the phenomenon of “ecological violence” and the opinions regarding the directions of actions to combat it were also identified. In the authors’ opinion, this concept should be included in the ethical foundations of human behaviour in the 21st century. The research was conducted in 2017 with students of the Faculties of Biology and Agriculture and of Pedagogy at the University of Rzeszow and students of the Faculty of Management at the Rzeszow University of Technology. In order to achieve the study goals, a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire was used. The results indicate that education in sustainable development is not carried out equally in all university institutions. It is often underestimated, although the media clearly emphasise the need to solve current problems in such a way as to minimise the negative effects of sustainability-related decisions made on the economic, social and ecological dimensions of life. All these dimensions are equally important for the welfare of the human species. The results of the study may indicate the directions of activities necessary in education for the sustainable development in the 21st century. In search of effective educational and implementation activities for broadly defined sustainable development, it is also worth presenting, examining and refining the term “ecological violence”. This article touches on the above issue and is a preliminary consideration in this respect. The authors hope that it will lead them and potential readers to a deeper analysis of the possible meaning of the term “violence” also in relation to environmental resources. The presented research results are regarded as preliminary findings for a deeper analysis of this issue in the future.

Developing sustainability mindsets: A Rct on the efficacy of cognitive training and meditation

Addressing sustainable development challenges for organizations requires fundamental shifts in the individual capacity to anticipate and embed the long-term and joint consequences of decisions and actions for the organization’s stakeholders. However, we currently do not have established theories and empirical evidence related to the emergence of such sustainability-oriented mindsets. How do they emerge? How effective are learning interventions to this end? In a multidisciplinary effort, we develop and test the relative effectiveness of cognitive training and meditative practices on the development of sustainability related decision outcomes, as well as their neuro-psychological antecedents. Cognitive training exercises were designed to extend the time horizon in decision-making contexts. Meditative practice was chosen for its potential impact on the scope of self-consciousness, critical to gain a common value perspective in decision-making. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 graduate students and found evidence for significant efficacy of a specific type of yoga meditation practice on sustainable decision-making as well as the density of grey matter in relevant neural structures (inferior frontal gyrus), character traits (self-transcendence, cooperativeness), and ethical beliefs. On the other hand, brain-training shows no such effects, with unexpected negative influence on ethical traits and sustainable decision-making.

Assessment of Energy Credits in LEED-Certified Buildings Based on Certification Levels and Project Ownership

Compared to other categories, the Energy and Atmosphere category contributes the most to the maximum obtainable points in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. The objective of the study was to identify the extent to which project teams take advantage of the credits in the Energy and Atmosphere category of LEED. This study analyzes the performance of practitioners in achieving points in the Energy and Atmosphere credits of LEED-New Construction (NC) 2009 for 1500 buildings that received LEED certification in the US. For a better understanding of the credit patterns, the differences in the performance of practitioners are investigated relative to certification levels and project ownership. Achievement in credits is calculated in terms of percent of maximum points (PMP), since the maximum achievable points differ for each credit. Practitioners’ achievements in the credits were ranked as follows: (1) enhanced commissioning, (2) optimized energy performance, (3) enhanced refrigerant management, (4) green power, (5) measurement and verification, and (6) on-site renewable energy. The largest achievement differences were observed in the on-site renewable energy credit. Concerning building ownership, investors were found to optimize mostly energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy, but to mostly skip enhanced refrigerant management. Performance in the measurement and verification credit was similar for all owner types, whereas investors performed differently from corporations, and government agencies in the enhanced commissioning credit. Practitioners who recognize these priorities and differences are expected to be better positioned to make sustainability-related decisions in building design and construction.

Exploring the Effects of a Product's Sustainability Triggers on Pro-Environmental Decision-Making

The gap between consumers saying that they want and selecting sustainable products can be addressed through product design. Our previous research proposed a method for creating visible product features that trigger pro-environmental behavior in consumers, termed sustainability triggers (STs). The study below designed two experiments to mimic real-world decision scenarios and demonstrated that exposure to these STs caused pro-environmental behavior in two test versus control experiments. The experiments used both realistic prototypes and images of toasters. In experiment 1, a qualitative preference-elicitation method demonstrated that exposure to STs increased thoughts of sustainability—related decision criteria. In experiment 2, subjects' prioritization of “hidden” sustainability-related attributes, shipping method and energy usage, was higher if exposed to the STs. This was indicated by choice, information search, importance rating, and eye tracking. Thus, the novel design method to create product STs is demonstrated effective in the test case and has the potential to broadly benefit the success of sustainable products in the market.

What do tourism students know about sustainability and sustainable tourism? An exploratory study of Latin American students

ABSTRACTWhile research has started to pay attention to the content and delivery of sustainable tourism education, little is known about what students actually know and feel with respect to sustainability. This preliminary study explores students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward sustainable tourism as well as their sense of competence and empowerment to make sustainability-related decisions. The focus was on Latin America, where tourism has caused severe negative impacts and where sustainability knowledge and skills are most needed to protect fragile natural and cultural resources. Results show that although most tourism students think sustainable tourism is important, they have limited knowledge of sustainability principles and technical aspects related to sustainable tourism. Implications for teaching are discussed.

Decision Making within the Conceptual Design Phase of Eco-Friendly Products

A contribution for environment protection is the conceptual design of eco-friendly products, considering information of main product life cycle phases: Development, manufacturing, usage. Base of operations is product generation A, where the development is closed and the manufacturing/usage phase is ongoing. The designer of the subsequently product generation B has different possibilities to consider eco-friendly aspects and resource saving, e.g. incorporate Carry-Over- Parts, parts for reuse, upgradeable components or parts for refurbishing. The challenge for the designer is the decision complexity: He needs a lot of eco-related information of product generation A on component-level, e.g. CO2-emission, disassembly procedures, reliability information. This paper shows a concept, how to make eco- and sustainability-related decisions within the conceptual design phase of a subsequently product generation. The decision concept is explained by an automotive engineering example.

Integrating building information modeling (BIM) and LEED system at the conceptual design stage of sustainable buildings

Designing environmentally friendly buildings that provide both high performance and cost savings is of increasing interest in the development of sustainable cities. Today, we are looking at not just buildings’ certification but sustainable practices that go beyond ratings to satisfy our social responsibilities. The construction industry in general will benefit from an integrated tool that will help optimize the selection process of materials, equipments, and systems at every stage of a proposed building's life. Building information modeling (BIM) has the potential to aid designers to select the right type of materials during the early design stage and to make vital decisions that have great impacts on the life cycle of sustainable buildings.This paper describes a methodology that integrates BIM with the Canadian green building certification system (LEED©). Also, it explains how this integration would assist project teams in making sustainability related decisions while accumulating the required number of points based on the applied green building rating system. The methodology depicts the implementation of a model that automatically calculates the compiled number of LEED certification points and related registration costs for green and certified materials used in designing sustainable buildings all within the concepts of BIM. Using BIM in this methodology will help designers to invent and animate sustainable buildings in 3D mode easily and efficiently at the conceptual stage. The design information of the proposed sustainable building will be produced in a timely manner by using new plug-ins, which are developed for that reason, and which will link the BIM model with an external database that stores sustainable materials and assembly groups. A real case project is presented to illustrate the usefulness and capabilities of the proposed model.