Sustainability Requirements Research Articles

A general strategy for developing eco-friendly, harsh condition adaptive, and friction tunable supramolecular gel lubricants via hydrogen bonding interaction

As green tribology and controllable lubrication technology progress, traditional lubricants fail to meet the evolving requirements of environmental sustainability, adaptability to extreme conditions, and precise friction coefficient control. In this work, a general strategy is proposed to obtain eco-friendly, harsh condition adaptive, and friction tunable polyol supramolecular gel lubricants. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the formation of supramolecular gels is induced by the hydrogen bond interaction between PVA, MXene, and polyols. Rheological tests demonstrate the excellent shear thinning and creep recovery properties of the prepared supramolecular gel at both room and low temperatures, positioning it as a promising new lubricant. Tribological tests further show that the supramolecular gel achieved a low friction coefficient of 0.056 and a wear rate as low as 1.88 × 10−9 mm3 N−1 m−1. Moreover, the tribological properties of various polyol supramolecular gels were compared and the viscosity-controlled friction lubrication behavior was observed. This research not only presents a novel strategy for developing environmentally friendly supramolecular gel lubricants that are adaptable to harsh conditions and tunable in friction, but also offers practical solutions to address challenges such as environmental pollution, lubrication failures in extreme environments, and precise friction control.

Integrating life cycle assessment and multi criteria decision making analysis towards sustainable cocoa production system in Indonesia: An environmental, economic, and social impact perspective

Sustainable Cocoa production practices should be investigated comprehensively to address sustainability requirements and mitigate Cocoa production issues in Indonesia. This study aims to identify the sustainable Cocoa production system considering the environmental, economic, and social impacts. Life cycle framework and multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) were integrated to obtain the study's objectives by comparing Cocoa monocropping system (CM) and Cocoa intercropping systems (IC). The result indicated that in the environmental sustainability aspect, the monocropping system (CM) showed higher performance as indicated by the lower environmental impact in all indicators; for example, CM emitted a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) that has a lower margin of 34.5–55.9 % compared to the intercropping system (IC-I and IC-II). In the economic aspect, both on the short-term and long-term analysis, the Cocoa intercropping system (IC-II) generated higher value-added and economic feasibility, with a higher profit margin of 150–205 % compared to CM and IC-1. Along with the increase of economic benefits in IC II, this system also significantly provides social benefits, as presented by the higher social index margin of 4.9–23.7 % compared to other systems. Furthermore, by applying decision-making analysis, the result determines the highest index on the Cocoa intercropping system II (IC-II). These findings highlight that applying the intercropping system II is recommended to overcome the cocoa issue at the farmer and decision-maker levels. Additionally, the proposed method that combined LCA-MCDM can be applied to another agricultural commodity to achieve sustainable agriculture production.

ВПЛИВ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЙНИХ ЗМІН НА ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ ІННОВАЦІЙНИХ ПАРКІВ

Innovation parks are key elements of modern innovation infrastructure aimed at the development of science, technology and support of entrepreneurship. In the conditions of rapid transformational changes caused by the development of digital technologies, globalization processes, growing requirements for environmental sustainability and social responsibility, innovative parks are faced with the need to adapt their business models and management approaches to maintain competitiveness and increase efficiency. The purpose of the presented work is to determine the features of the impact of transformational changes on the efficiency of the functioning of innovation parks. Methods used in the work: logical method, method of comparison, methods of analysis and synthesis, methods of deduction and induction, tabular and graphic methods for visual presentation of research results. It is also substantiated that the impact of transformational changes is manifested in the need for the integration of the latest technologies, digital solutions, as well as the application of innovative formats of cooperation, which leads to the rapid renewal of park infrastructure, the development of new services and approaches to knowledge management. Changes in the labor market, increased requirements for the qualifications of employees, and the intensification of work on projects focused on environmental sustainability make innovation parks centers of socio-economic progress and adaptation to the requirements of sustainable development. The impact of transformational changes is manifested in the need to integrate the latest technologies, digital solutions, as well as the use of innovative formats of cooperation, which leads to the rapid renewal of park infrastructure, the development of new services and approaches to knowledge management. Changes in the labor market, increased requirements for the qualifications of employees, and the intensification of work on projects focused on environmental sustainability make innovation parks centers of socio-economic progress and adaptation to the requirements of sustainable development. Thus, analyzing the impact of transformational changes on innovation parks is an important task for determining their role in the modern economy and finding effective solutions to preserve their relevance and effectiveness in the face of constant changes.

Neo-Aristotelian Naturalism as a Metaethical Route to Virtue-Ethical Longtermism

Abstract This article proposes a metaethical route from neo-Aristotelian naturalism, as developed in particular by Philippa Foot, to virtue-ethical longtermism. It argues that the metaethical assumptions of neo-Aristotelian naturalism inherently imply that a valid description of the life-form of a species must satisfy a formal requirement of internal sustainability. The elements of a valid life-form description then serve as a normative standard. Given that humans have the ability to influence the fate of future generations and know about their influence, this article posits that our future as a species becomes a part of the description of the human life-form. Consequently, in our case, the sustainability requirement is extended into the future, leading to a minimal and humanist version of longtermism. As in Rosalind Hursthouse’s naturalistic virtue ethics, the focus of the proposed virtue-ethical longtermism remains on developing virtues as the only reliable way for the agent to achieve the good life. However, since what can count as virtue must be compatible with a life-form description that, taken as a whole, facilitates the long-term survival of our species, this position still implies a genuine longtermism, although it contrasts with the quantifying and maximizing logic of consequentialism.

Assessing the effects of sustainable supply chain management practices on operational performance: the role of business regulatory compliance and corporate sustainability culture

PurposeThis study examines the mediating and moderating effects of business regulatory compliance (BRC) on the association between sustainable supply chain management practices (SSCMP) and operational performance (PERFOP), and how corporate sustainability culture (CSC) serves as a boundary condition to BRC.Design/methodology/approachThis research draws data from 245 firms operating in multiple industries in Ghana. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) was employed to test the direct effects, while Hayes Process Macros was employed to test the indirect and conditional effects among the study variables using a structural equation modelling approach.FindingsThe results showed that SSCMP has a direct positive effect on PERFOP. The study further revealed that BRC mediates the relationship between SSCMP and PERFOP. This study found that BRC negatively moderates the association between SSCMP and PERFOP, suggesting that high levels of BRC generate unintended adverse effect on the SSCMP- PERFOP link. However, the results revealed that CSC serves as a boundary condition to BRC.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that emphasizes how the resource-based view and regulatory focus theory interact to explain how different degrees of CSC and BRC impact SSCMP performance outcomes. This study advances research in the sustainability literature, in response to calls for further research in this domain. This study draws decision-makers attention on the need to make sustainability practices an integral part of corporate culture in order to set a business tone that stimulates easy compliance to sustainability requirements.

The contingent role of state capacity on the impact of e-government on environmental sustainability in developing countries

E-government is a prominent approach in environmental sustainability as it brings various arrangements that allow for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. The article explores two main objectives. Firstly, the direct impact of e-government on ecological sustainability and secondly, whether e-government enhances environmental sustainability indirectly by improving state capacity. By understanding this nexus, we believe that states in LDCs will seek to explore the maximum potential benefits of ICTs in government operations to establish a more responsive, open, and people-oriented government. The paper utilizes a balanced macro-panel sample of 45 United Nations classified least developed countries from 2003 to 2022. To ensure the reliability of empirical findings, three econometric methods—system generalized methods of moments (GMM), instrumental variable GMM (IV-GMM), and bootstrap ordinary least squares (BOLS) are employed. The results of the entire sample model reveal several key findings. These findings are that e-government development has a direct and positive impact on environmental sustainability, secondly state capacity negatively influences ecological sustainability, and lastly e-government development indirectly affects environmental sustainability by enhancing state capacity. Additionally, intriguing sub-sample findings for least developed countries in Africa and Asia are observed, with notable lessons from the latter, where environmental performance is improving at the expense of a high volume of carbon emissions. However, these overall findings underscore the importance of considering how governments can address environmental sustainability requirements by managing e-government programs and enacting responsible ICT-enabled transformations.

Evaluating Strategic Options Using QSPM: Enhancing Plaza Indonesia Realty's Competitive Edge

This research explores how Plaza Indonesia Mall aligns its corporate and business strategies in response to challenges like heightened competition, digital advancements, and sustainability requirements. Utilizing a quantitative descriptive methodology, the study relies on secondary data from financial documents, industry reports, and scholarly literature. A SWOT analysis is conducted to assess the mall's internal strengths and weaknesses alongside external opportunities and threats. Subsequently, the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is used to evaluate and prioritize strategic alternatives based on their appeal and feasibility. The QSPM analysis reveals that the digitalization strategy is the most attractive, scoring the highest Total Attractiveness Score (TAS) of 2.83, highlighting the need for enhancing PLIN's digital presence, integrating e-commerce, and leveraging digital marketing to adapt to evolving consumer behaviors. The differentiation strategy, which emphasizes capitalizing on PLIN's prime location and strong brand reputation, also ranks highly with a TAS of 2.81, reinforcing the importance of providing a premium customer experience and differentiating offerings to maintain competitive advantage. Although the Cost Efficiency Strategy scored the lowest TAS of 2.76, it remains vital for operational efficiency and profitability. The findings suggest that a balanced approach prioritizing digitalization, differentiation, and cost efficiency will enable PLIN to effectively navigate market challenges, capitalize on growth opportunities, and sustain long-term success. This study provides strategic insights for PLIN and other property firms seeking to enhance their competitive positioning through targeted strategic initiatives.

Budget allocation problem for projects with considering risks, robustness, resiliency, and sustainability requirements

Budget Allocation Problem (BAP) for projects is considered one of the critical risks that necessitate the completion of projects in the shortest possible duration. This aspect is significant in extensive projects such as national endeavors directly impacting people's livelihoods. This research focuses on introducing Sustainable, Robust, Resilient, and Risk-averse Budget Allocation for Projects (S3RBAP). A hybrid robust stochastic optimization approach was employed, incorporating Weighted VaR (WVaR) and the minimum function as risk criteria to ensure the robustness of the objective function. This model is designed to minimize the weighted expected value, WVaR, and the minimum progress function, thereby promoting the 3R and sustainability framework to tackle budget fluctuations and enhance project viability. The case study revolves around the construction of national projects in Iran. Ultimately, the project's required budget was allocated within the budgetary constraints. Sensitivity analysis found that the integration of 3R and sustainability led to a 13.5 % reduction in the progress function compared to scenarios without these principles. Furthermore, increasing the conservatism coefficient to 20 % decreased the progress function to −0.58 %. Reducing the resiliency coefficient had an adverse effect by disrupting the budget allocation process. The computational time is increased gradually with the escalation of problem complexity, while the progress function decreases due to the increased number of projects. The findings demonstrate that using an exponential function promotes risk aversion, whereas a sine function encourages risk-seeking behaviour within this research context.

Developing a Sustainability Assessment System for an Educational Building in the Iraqi Environment

Sustainability principles are considered one of the vital challenges facing developing countries (including Iraq), which are trying vigorously to implement sustainable development in most of their development projects. The projects of constructing educational buildings, such as schools and universities, are among the most important development projects to be established in Iraq. This study aims to develop standards to help improve the understanding of the sustainability requirements of educational buildings in Iraq. Through a series of studies, this study has developed a system that can be used to measure the sustainability of these buildings. First, information about sustainability assessment systems was gathered from the literature and references. Second, personal interviews with specialists, field questionnaires, and the software Analytical Hierarchal Process (AHP) to identify the weights of the main categories and factors for sustainable educational buildings. The results showed that the criteria of Energy Efficiency received the greatest weight (29.6%). On the other hand, less weight was obtained from the Precious Water and Waste (3.6%). Finally, the study developed a rating system model, "Educational Building Sustainability Rate (EBSR)," under Iraqi environmental conditions.

Quantitative detection of plasticizer migration in starch/polyvinyl alcohol film with UV-Vis and GC-MS/MS

In this work, the migration of urea and/or formamide plasticizers in crosslinked starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films under UV irradiation has been accurately quantified by using a combination of GC-MS/MS and UV–Vis analysis. The crosslinked starch/PVA films, prepared with different amide plasticizers (urea, formamide, urea-formamide), were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After 7 days of UV irradiation, the starch/PVA film plasticized with urea-formamide (A7-SPF-UF) exhibited a flat surface morphology, high crystal stability, and highest thermal stability. The migration ratio of urea and formamide for A7-SPF-UF was also quantified to be 3.2 % and 4.5 %, respectively, using GC-MS/MS and UV–Vis analysis, indicating optimal migration resistance. The synergistic effect of urea and formamide as plasticizers built the dense network structure of An-SPF-UF and improved the UV aging resistance, toughness and durability of the film. On one hand, this enhances the market competitiveness of the products; on the other hand, it promotes the development of environmentally friendly materials, aligning with sustainability requirements.

Low-carbon diets across diverse dietary patterns: Addressing population heterogeneity under constrained optimization

Mathematical optimization is a useful tool for modeling diets that fulfill requirements for health and environmental sustainability, however, population-based optimization approaches fail to account for underlying dietary diversity in populations. This study proposes a methodological approach to consider diverse dietary intake patterns in mathematical optimization of nutritionally adequate low-carbon diets and investigates the differences between different population groups, along with trade-offs between greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) reduction and the inconvenience of dietary changes required to achieve optimized diets. A k-means clustering analysis was applied to individual dietary intake data from Denmark, which resulted in four clusters with different dietary patterns. This was followed by quadratic programming, wherein the total dietary changes required from the observed diet within each cluster were used as a proxy for consumer inconvenience (i.e., “inconvenience index”) and were minimized while fulfilling nutrient constraints and incrementally tightened GHGE constraints. Across clusters, a steep increase of the inconvenience index was observed at GHGE levels below approximately 3 kg CO2e/10 MJ, corresponding to GHGE reductions of 24–36 % in different clusters. In all clusters, the optimized diets with nutritional and GHGE constraints showed common traits of increased content of cereals and starches, eggs, and fish and decreased amounts of beef and lamb, cheese, animal-based fats, and alcoholic beverages, but differences across clusters were also observed, maintaining characteristics of the clusters' baselines. When additional health-based targets for food amounts were applied as constraints, the optimized diets converged towards the same type of diet. The total inconvenience of dietary changes required to fulfill constraints differed between clusters, indicating that specific sub-populations may be more effective targets for dietary transition. The method has potential for future integration of more sustainability aspects and different consumer preferences.

Does sustainability matter in the global beer industry? Bibliometrics trends in recycling and the circular economy

It is commonly known that the beer industry, like many other companies in the food sector, has been encouraged to improve their sustainability and waste management requirements. This study intends to fill the gap referring to the Brewery Industry’s impact on academics from 1972 to 2022 related to recycling and waste management issues. The above research utilizes bibliometric analysis via Biblioshiny and the Scopus publications database, as well as an online interface for Bibliometrix analysis. For studying the Global Brewery Industry literature, this method offers a viable alternative to traditional bibliometric analysis. Among the findings we can mention are that most Brewery Industry inquiries were distributed by the “Bioresource Technology” and the most globally cited document is the book titled “Brewing: Science and Practice” written by De Briggs in 2004. European countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal hold a strong academic collaboration with the Americas (mainly Canada, United States and Brazil). Another interesting finding indicates that the circular economy and recycling are not very present topics in the scientific literature, maybe because sustainability is a subject of recent discussion and study in the brewing industry.

Low-SAPS additives for lubrication in next-generation vehicles

Purpose The purpose of this study is to create sustainable additives for future vehicles, characterized by low levels of sulfated ash, sulfur and phosphorus (SAPS) or even SAPS-free alternatives. These newly developed additives must not only match or outperform the current commercial benchmarks in terms of tribological performance, but also align with the emerging sustainability trends. It is anticipated that this innovative technology will yield promising outcomes in the realm of hybrid and electric vehicles. Design/methodology/approach This research primarily focused on chemical synthesis, performance evaluation and characterizations. These aspects were studied through collaboration between Syensqo, Southwest Research Institute (the USA) and the Lab of the Future in France. The data was generated and analyzed by a team of research scientists, internship students and technical specialists. Findings Two types of additives have been specifically designed and synthesized in accordance with sustainable requirements. Both technologies have exhibited exceptional frictional and wear-resistant properties. Moreover, the leading candidates exhibit a lower rate of copper corrosion, stable electric conductivity and outstanding thermal stability when compared to commercial benchmarks. This study is expected to open a new research avenue for developing next-generation additives for lubricants, with wide potential applications including hybrid electric vehicle and electric vehicle markets. Originality/value In the current lubricant market, there is a lack of effective low-SAPS or SAPS-free additives. This research aims to address this gap by designing sustainable additives for next-generation vehicles that not only meet specific requirements but also maintain optimal lubrication performance. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-01-2024-0033/

The Unidroit Principles on International Commercial Contracts and sustainable development

Abstract A number of motivations currently drive multinational corporations to the inclusion, monitoring, and enforcement of contract requirements for sustainability. These can be either as a result of investor demand for environment, social, and governance policies; regulatory requirements for inclusion of such contract stipulations; or the increasing litigation for conduct leading to environmental harm, but they can also be a result of reputational risk linked to the failure of adoption of such policies. This article examines the role of contract law in enforcing such requirements, which have traditionally been viewed with suspicion due to their unilateral nature. The article poses the features of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law’s Principles on International Commercial Contracts as a beneficial regime to further the goals of sustainability through the use of contextual interpretation enabled through the good faith principle, the recognition of the importance of trade usages, and the limitations placed on party autonomy. The article posits that a major shift in the ideological orientation of contract law through the imposition of limitations on the pacta sunt servanda principle in order to protect the public interest is not warranted. Rather, tools such as contractual interpretation and the establishment of contractual standards of sustainability are better placed to ensure enforcement and compliance with the widely established practice of inclusion of sustainability standards and codes of conduct.

LONG-TERM ENERGY DEMAND THROUGH BOTTOM-UP ANALYSIS AND PROJECTION FOR KUWAIT

In this study, an energy demand projection and analysis were conducted for the State of Kuwait, which has an oil-based economy. A bottom-up approach was used to conduct energy demand projection and analysis by utilizing the Model for Energy Demand Analysis (MAED), which is a software package developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The energy demand projection was conducted until 2050, with 2019 as the base year. The total demand is expected to grow from 210.9 TWh in 2019 to 373.07 TWh in 2050. The industrial sector dominates final energy demand, with a percentage of 45.1% in 2019 and is expected to reach 55.8% by 2050. Reliance on fossil fuels for energy demand will persist with an annual growth rate of 4% throughout the projection period. The electricity demand in the household and service sectors has the highest share of space cooling during the long summer months. Policy implications in response to energy demand consumption patterns are discussed to achieve national sustainable economic growth and environmental requirements. The implementation of rules and regulations to deploy and use equipment and machinery with high energy efficiency ratings will assist in energy savings in the industrial sector. Providing incentives to use building materials with high insulation can significantly reduce the energy demand for space cooling. Setting high-efficiency rating standards for engine specifications for vehicles imported to Kuwait will help reduce the consumption of motor fuels in the transportation sector.

Promoting Sustainability in Housing Sector Using Eco-Friendly Materials

Abstract The significance of sustainability in the housing sector is essentially demanded nowadays, driven by the global emphasis on sustainable development and urgent environmental challenges. It emphasizes the need for innovative strategies to enhance resource efficiency and mitigate negative environmental impacts during construction. Achieving sustainability requires incorporating environmental design principles and eco-friendly building materials, necessitating comprehensive considerations in urban planning and design. This involves promoting sustainable public transportation, communities, facilities, and green spaces. The aim of this study is to convert non-sustainable houses into sustainable ones; aiming to support Iraqis seeking housing that meets international sustainability standards. It also aims to assist the Iraqi government in fulfilling its commitments under the Paris Agreement and improve the quality of life for Karbala’s residents. The primary objective is to design a house that balances environmental, economic, and social factors, adhering to international environmental standards and sustainable development requirements. This involves utilizing sustainable techniques like renewable energy and eco-friendly materials. The project adopts a comprehensive approach that accounts for the various dimensions of sustainability during the design process.

When enough is enough: Optimising monitoring effort for large-scale wolf population size estimation in the Italian Alps.

The ongoing expansion of wolf (Canis lupus) populations in Europe has led to a growing demand for up-to-date abundance estimates. Non-invasive genetic sampling (NGS) is now widely used to monitor wolves, as it allows individual identification and abundance estimation without physically capturing individuals. However, NGS is resource-intensive, partly due to the elusive behaviour and wide distribution of wolves, as well as the cost of DNA analyses. Optimisation of sampling strategies is therefore a requirement for the long-term sustainability of wolf monitoring programs. Using data from the 2020-2021 Italian Alpine wolf monitoring, we investigate how (i) reducing the number of samples genotyped, (ii) reducing the number of transects, and (iii) reducing the number of repetitions of each search transect impacted spatial capture-recapture population size estimates. Our study revealed that a 25% reduction in the number of transects or, alternatively, a 50% reduction in the maximum number of repetitions yielded abundance estimates comparable to those obtained using the entire dataset. These modifications would result in a 2046 km reduction in total transect length and 19,628 km reduction in total distance searched. Further reducing the number of transects resulted in up to 15% lower and up to 17% less precise abundance estimates. Reducing only the number of genotyped samples led to higher (5%) and less precise (20%) abundance estimates. Randomly subsampling genotyped samples reduced the number of detections per individual, whereas subsampling search transects resulted in a less pronounced decrease in both the total number of detections and individuals detected. Our work shows how it is possible to optimise wolf monitoring by reducing search effort while maintaining the quality of abundance estimates, by adopting a modelling framework that uses a first survey dataset. We further provide general guidelines on how to optimise sampling effort when using spatial capture-recapture in large-scale monitoring programmes.

Preemptive and non-preemptive multi-skill multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problems considering sustainability and energy consumption: A comprehensive mathematical model

Modern project managers cope with significant challenges to schedule and control projects considering dynamic environments, frequent uncertainties, strict project deadlines, and stricter sustainable requirements above all. Sustainability taking into account resource utilization has been recently associated with project management. Hence, this paper presents a new mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model with two objectives for a resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) with multiple skills and multiple modes, assuming preemptive and non-preemptive activities in an uncertain environment. Given the importance of sustainable developments in projects, the considered objectives are to maximize job opportunities and minimize project duration, resource costs, and total energy consumption. To deal with the model, an AUGNMECON2VIKOR algorithm is utilized to create Pareto solutions. In this model, project activities can be crashed by allocating extra resources. Furthermore, multi-skill resources are used to perform project activities. This study also investigates the impact of these resources on project scheduling. To deal with uncertain circumstances, a fuzzy chance-constrained programming method is employed to develop a robust possibilistic programming model. With respect to the increasing significance of sustainability in project management, this study pioneers the examination of the impact of sustainable factors on project scheduling. Finally, the proposed formulation is validated using instances from the well-known PSPLIB and MMLIB test sets. Finally, a comparison is drawn between the presented solution method considering AUGMECON2VIKOR and AUGMECON2.

The impact of the COVID-19 public health response on service demand and patient perceptions in a tertiary Australian gynaecology oncology unit.

The public health response (PHR) to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare services worldwide. Our hospital, a major tertiary centre, is a unique two-state service across Queensland and New South Wales (NSW). The primary objective is to describe changes in service demand and delivery in our hospital resulting from the COVID-19 PHR. The secondary objective is to investigate patient perceptions of this impact. We performed a retrospective interrupted time series analysis and a population-based survey to examine patient perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 PHR. The study periods were demarcated by the initiation of the COVID-19 PHR on 1 March 2020 with the 'pre' and 'during' COVID-19 periods defined as the 12 months before and after this date respectively. More patients were seen during the COVID-19 PHR period. The number or stage of cancer diagnoses was not different (P > 0.05). There was evidence (P = 0.03) of an increase in overall occasions of service and fewer failed attendances (P = 0.005). Fewer surgeries were performed on NSW patients (P = 0.005). The survey response rate was 19.3% (n = 185) with 48% stating that COVID-19 had negatively affected their emotional wellbeing. More participants from NSW than Queensland identified border closures as the most significant impact of the COVID-19 PHR. The COVID-19 PHR resulted in an unexpected increase in unit service demand and delivery. The necessary implementation of telephone appointments, while less preferred by patients, sustained service requirements. Cross-border tertiary healthcare services should consider the significant impact of border restrictions on patient wellbeing.

How clients choose procurement strategies and organizational control systems in the Swedish housing sector

Purpose This paper aims to examine how different contextual contingency factors and organizational goals influence construction clients’ decision-making when procuring contractors in the housing sector. More specifically, it investigates how clients’ choice of procurement strategies and organizational control systems is contingent upon various contextual factors and organizational goals. Design/methodology/approach It is based on an explorative interview study of clients and contractors in the Swedish housing sector underpinned by a review of organizational control literature. Findings The client's knowledge and resources, as well as project complexity and uncertainty, are the most important contextual contingency factors, while property management and sustainable development are the most important organizational goals that housing clients consider when designing procurement strategies. Research limitations/implications The paper contributes to the understanding of how construction clients choose procurement strategies, by providing new insights into effects of the mentioned contextual contingency factors and organizational goals on clients’ choice of control systems through their procurement strategies. Practical implications Property owners who continuously procure housing projects with sustainability requirements and high degrees of complexity and uncertainty should develop knowledge and resources related to their client role, to enable the design and implementation of appropriate procurement strategies. Originality/value Novel aspects of the paper are the demonstration of the value of a holistic approach, considering both contextual contingency factors and organizational goals, when selecting control systems and explicit discussion of how the client's knowledge and resources influence possibilities to implement different control systems.