Sustainability Norms Research Articles

Cultivating a Culture of Trust: The Key to Unlocking Team Potential

This article examines the research behind psychological safety and provides practical recommendations for how leaders can cultivate it within their teams. Psychological safety refers to shared beliefs among team members that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking and idea sharing. Studies show that psychological safety positively impacts team innovation, collaboration, learning, and performance. However, few organizations consistently foster it. The article discusses the origin and key findings of psychological safety research, including Edmondson's early work and follow-up studies showing its relationship to various organizational outcomes. It then offers advice for leaders, such as modeling vulnerability, focusing on growth over blame, promoting inclusive decision-making, providing constructive feedback, and celebrating learning from failures. Industry examples from Netflix, Google, and Southwest Airlines illustrate how applying these practices helps maintain psychological safety. The article argues that proactive leadership is needed to establish psychological safety as a sustainable norm that allows teams to thrive and reach their highest potential.

The NEXUS story and its Stakeholder Analysis: Digitalising Multimodal Logistics and the Associated Value Chain Worldwide

The NEXUS project involves innovation and entrepreneurship. The first task of the project team, which is eclectic and includes several different profiles (research assistants, researchers, managers, engineers, designers and marketing specialists) was to do a stakeholder analysis, which involved doing some field work – six unstructured interviews – as well as some secondary data analysis (scientific articles on the Scopus database; Google searches; among others). The main concerns were to: unlock value through stakeholder engagement; move from concept to collaboration – for sustainable port development; and to connect ports worldwide which will involve international stakeholder collaboration and synergies for sustainable innovation. A Stakeholder analysis is a process consisting of identifying the individuals or groups that have a specific interest in a project, which can affect them, or be affected by them, including large groups such as customers and suppliers; employees; shareholders and investors. It is necessary to sort them according to their impact and consequences regarding the project. It is essential to manage stakeholder expectations when making decisions, especially in a project with thirty-five partners and with a global reach. The initial funding is around 92 million euros (approved by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)), to ensure the ambitious implementation of the new NEXUS platform and other related products. To minimize backlash, early as well as ongoing stakeholder involvement is a prerequisite. Strategy formulation should not occur in an “ivory tower” and involvement is key. For effective and efficient decision-making, to minimize risks, which need to be identified as well as all the connections and relationships to be created and nurtured. The research question at the outset was: How may we successfully implement a multi-partner project which involves considerable investment, and which aims to digitalize maritime ports worldwide? The theme is, currently, without precedent as the impact intended is for there to be a positive impact on all stakeholders involved – a win-win situation all around. The project will finish in 31-12-2025 and will produce 28 innovative solutions for commercialization. NEXUS is a green and digital project which is up to date as regards the latest sustainability norms and regarding overall operational efficiency in multimodal logistics. Work Package 10 is a specific exploitation, internationalization, promotion, and dissemination package.

Forms of Law for the Anthropocene: Civil Liability Revisited

Abstract Rapid, unpredictable ecological changes and the resulting instability that are characteristic of the Anthropocene call for a re-examination of the role of law in governing interactions between humans and ecosystems and facilitating adaptation to ecological change. The scope and scale of environmental change we are experiencing seem to call for a regulatory approach, namely forms of law that are designed to pursue well-defined material objectives, often through instruction rules designed to guide behavior to line up with those objectives. Such forms of law have a crucial role to play. However, the negligence principle at the heart of civil liability law is also capable of absorbing and circulating information about environmental risk and means of addressing it, and of translating that information from empirical to normative terms. The grounding of negligence in domestic civil liability law could be a serious obstacle to its effectiveness given the global, Earth system-wide nature of environmental degradation. However, the negligence principle increasingly operates through networks that traverse jurisdictional boundaries, as well as the boundaries between social systems. I propose such a network approach to analyze interactions between the negligence principle and corporate due diligence obligations embedded in domestic legislation and international texts such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). One important result would be the imposition of expanded epistemic obligations on firms, which would in turn require their serious engagement with domestic, international, and transnational environmental and sustainability norms.

Analysis of Revitalization Practices for Division of Heritage and Implications in Muslim Society

This can raise a variety of practical problems, especially in terms of the fulfillment of the daily needs of heirs who may be controlled by the long-standing process of inheritance division that the Investigator will investigate the practice of rejuvenation of the division of the Muslim community, and how the implications of this research use normative law research, with the pointing of the law as the building of the norm system, thus the data used is secondary data referring to a set of data, including qualitatively analyzed library studies and documentation, the use of the will to regulate the partition of the heritage into an emerging trend, the implementation of accelerated partition practices in Muslim communities has a significant positive impact, the distribution of the legacy fairly and quickly, minimizing potential conflicts and conflicts in the family, strengthening social bonds and family bonds in the entire Muslim community. There are still obstacles and challenges to be overcome in implementing these practices widely and collaborative efforts are needed to address these issues so that accelerating the division of heritage can become a sustainable norm within the Muslim community.

Transition policy mixes and business model adaptation: Incumbent firms' response to zero‐carbon policy in the housing sector

AbstractThis paper provides a firm‐level perspective on sustainability transitions by analysing how government can use transition policy mixes to entice industry incumbents to adapt their business model to integrate sustainable technologies. It examines firm‐level barriers to policy implementation, why these exist, and how government can use transition policy mixes to overcome them. The empirical analysis provides an in‐depth case study of the UK Zero Carbon Homes (ZCH) as a transition policy mix and considers the point of view of policymakers and incumbent housebuilders. The paper sheds light on the question of how transition policy mix designs can support incumbents' business model adaptation to bring about transformational change for sustainability. The results show that the interaction between various policy shortcomings and business model adaptation barriers led to a failure of government to move the housebuilding sector towards a stronger integration of sustainable technologies. The paper concludes by arguing that decarbonising housing in the UK was a system failure, rather than a market or policy failure, as the government failed to address the underlying reasons of incumbents' resistance to changing their business model. The findings suggest that taking incumbents' business models into consideration while designing policies for sustainability transitions is necessary to entice established firms to actively take part in the process of transitions and adapt to new sustainable norms.

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE AT THE GRASSROOTS: INSIGHTS FROM KARNATAKA'S GREEN BANKING LANDSCAPE

In addition to global environmental challenges, sustainable finance has emerged as an important tool for reducing environmental risk and promoting economic growth. The study examines the development of sustainable finance at the grassroots level through an analysis of green banking initiatives in Karnataka, India, with special focus on Vijayapura district. The main objective of this study was to reveal the complex interplay between sustainable finance and community engagement through consumer knowledge and perception of green banking practices in the local context of Karnataka. Using mixed methods, the study combined quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to critically examine the state of green banking awareness among consumers in Vijayapura district. The survey had collected data on customer demographics, knowledge of green banking principles, and attitudes towards a sustainable economy. In-depth interviews further clarified the factors affecting consumer participation in green banking schemes. Preliminary findings indicate that consumers in Vijayapura district differ in their awareness and understandings of green banking principles. While some respondents show a keen interest in sustainable finance and are willing to participate in green banking activities, others express limited knowledge or skepticism about its benefits about factors such as education; income and access to information emerge as significant determinants of customer perceptions and behaviors towards green banking. This study contributes to the evolving discourse on sustainable finance by providing insights into the implementation of green banking systems on the ground in Karnataka, India. By highlighting the opportunities and challenges associated with community engagement in the sustainable economy, the findings connect policymakers, financial institutions, and communities seeking to promote the environment the norms of sustainability and inclusive economic growth.

Actors mainstreaming nature-based solutions in cities: A case study of Melbourne’s change agents and pathways for urban sustainability transformations

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are implemented across multiple cities worldwide and feature as promising solutions in local and global agendas. As solutions that can deal with interlinked urban challenges, NBS are being taken up by cities in different geographies and are considered to be mainstreaming. The process, referred to as mainstreaming, and how this can be achieved needs to be better understood, which is identified as a research gap. In this paper, we examine the roles that actors can undertake that contribute to the mainstreaming of NBS in cities. The aim is to understand the roles that urban actors, especially those within local governments, assume in the process of NBS mainstreaming to mobilise and implement novel and innovative strategic solutions for cities. This topic is explored in a case study of the metropolitan Melbourne region in Australia, where urban forest strategies are gaining traction in local governments for addressing urban resilience concerns. We present how the roles different actors assume contribute to the (re)shaping, building, and/or transformation of institutions to attain climate and ecologically resilient cities. The main contribution of this paper is a pathways framework that illustrates how sustainability norms can move through the mainstreaming process, facilitated by the roles that actors undertake – to champion, advocate, and realise transformative discourses and actions within urban politics and urban practices. Our key findings are framed as success factors of mainstreaming agencies and pathways underpinning transformation, which are: commitment longevity, innovative capacity, collaborative mindset, and on-ground delivery.

Pandemic and Nutrition: Analysis of Eating Behavior of Russians in the Context of Health Maintenance

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed usual behavior and habits, including dietary practices, of Russian people, which has implications for public health. Objective: To identify specifics of transformation of dietary practices of Russians before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in order to establish the impact of conditions and context of this infectious disease spread on eating behavior and habits. Materials and methods: We used the method of content analysis of unique Russian-language messages from the VKontakte and Odnoklassniki social networks (145 thousand messages). Data were collected using the IQBuzz social media monitoring service during three time spans: before (January 1, 2018 to February 28, 2020), during (March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022), and after the COVID-19 pandemic (July 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023). Results: We found that, regardless of the time span under study, Russians consider fruits and vegetables (26.9 %), dairy and fermented milk products (12.6 %), water (9.0 %), tea (10.0 %), and meat (8.3 %) as key components of a healthy diet. Attempts to cope with stress caused by the pandemic were manifested by a 2.6-fold and double increase in the number of festive feasts during and after the pandemic, respectively; cooking for relaxation; higher consumption rates of sweets (before – 3.9 %, during – 6.2 %, and after – 5.1 %) and alcohol (3.6 %, 3.2 %, and 4.3 %, respectively). The persistence of high social tension deepened the practices of emotional eating of sweets and drinking alcohol. We observed a shift from traditional offline shopping to a widespread use of online services, which became a sustainable norm of consumption after the pandemic. Conclusion: Health maintenance is closely related with food choices and eating behavior, so healthy eating has become a more frequent topic of discussion after the pandemic. Our findings suggest that the majority of Russians are stable in their dietary practices in the context of preserving health.

Taxonomy – A Burden or Driver for the Business

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of the Taxonomy (Regulation 2020/852) on business in the non-financial sector. It is a consecutive paper, written by the author on the topic of sustainability – the purpose of the company, the global value chains and the transition of the business model on the road to a climate neutral Europe. The regulators and the politicians see the Taxonomy mainly from the perspective of sustainable financing. Researchers and consultants analyze the new norms for sustainability as a driver for new financial products and an enabler for a better-functioning European Capital Market. The Taxonomy impacts the economic entities in the non-financial sector and shapes their priorities about sustainability. The implementation of the Taxonomy by the non-financial business is in the scope of the paper. Although the implementation period is short, it is important to examine how business reacts to the new norms of sustainability.

Building Tiny house from waste

This paper contributes to the understanding of how critical reflection can be applied to sustainability. This was accomplished by tracing the progression of a tiny-house project over time and the associated activities, which involved sourcing secondhand and discarded materials. We are a group of researchers and practitioners who worked together to explore and challenge the established norms of sustainability in housing practices: who is building, what is being built, with what materials, and through which processes. The use of discarded materials as resources for building a tiny house came to be decisive in shaping a platform for inclusion and sustainable practices. While the most common practice of building involves buying the materials needed at a lumber yard, working with discarded and secondhand materials requires time and flexibility. Tools play a central role in adapting random waste to specific purposes, a process that also demands skills in handling tools creatively. Additionally, gathering, organizing, and cleaning are activities that should be given special attention when working with these types of materials. In this paper, we explain how we reinjected waste materials into the production chain and how our work contributes to sustainable development from environmental and social perspectives. The argument for sustainability in our research revolves around exploring processes that include more groups in society and alternative ways of organizing the resources available.

Critical masculine and feminine norms in sustainable municipal transport policies and planning

ABSTRACT Transport planning has historically been dominated by masculinity norms with minimal attention to sustainability, but these norms are challenged. Our analytical framework explores municipal solutions to sustainable transport that go beyond traditional norms and advances knowledge on how gendered sustainability norms are articulated in municipal transport policies and planning documents. The article investigates whether masculine and feminine norms on sustainability affect transport planning and if they are concretely expressed in transport solutions in planning and policy documents in Swedish municipalities, considered high achievers in sustainable transport. The article also observes gender representation and political affiliation related to gender sustainability norms. Our results show that all municipal committees that handle transport planning adhere to masculine and feminine sustainability norms but that there are significant differences in the content of the policies. Our results do not verify a relation between norms and the representation of men and women in the transport committees, we find evidence of divergences between masculine and feminine norms in relation to political ideas.

Commercial office portfolio risks during the COVID pandemic and the future beyond – a survey of stakeholders in India

PurposeThis paper investigates the dynamic nature of risk in pre-, during- and post-COVID duration. It investigates how commercial office portfolio stakeholders in India perceived risk during the COVID pandemic, their risk response and mitigation strategies, and emerging structural changes that would impact the commercial office portfolio (COP) in the post-COVID period.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative and applied research method is adopted for the study. Through purposive sampling, commercial office portfolio stakeholders were selected and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire having two parts. In the first part, risk attributes were accessed on the Likert scale and in the second part there were open-ended questions.FindingsThe uncertainty during the COVID period increased the risk perception significantly. There was a sense of urgency to retain the tenants, preserve the headline rentals and keep the properties operational. COP managers were forthcoming to offer rent deferments, common area maintenance discounts and upgrades in the physical office in form of touchless equipment, better air filters, etc. Post-pandemic there would be extensive use of technology and data for facility management and space utilization analytics; mainstreaming of hybrid working and flexible office spaces; increased certification of buildings; adoption of ESG and sustainability norms; and better-designed buildings with a focus on EHS and wellbeing.Practical implicationsIdentifying structural changes in the post-pandemic period will help the COP managers to align their portfolios to the emerging office market requirements.Originality/valueThis study helps in developing an understanding of the dynamic nature of the risk across pre-, during- and post-COVID periods. And risk responses and mitigation strategies adopted during the COVID period in an emerging market.

Why Not Pedal for the Planet? The Role of Perceived Norms for Driver Aggression as a Deterrent to Cycling

Cycling has many benefits for humans and the planet. This research investigates perceived norms and driver behavior toward cyclists as issues that may be useful for addressing reluctance to cycle. It connects perceived norms observed in the road context regarding aggressive driver behavior towards cyclists, and norms observed in workplaces regarding sustainability (perceived green psychological workplace climate) with driver aggressive behavior toward cyclists. Self-reported online survey responses from N = 426 Australian drivers were collected. Perceived norms regarding aggressive driver behavior toward cyclists were linked to drivers engaging more frequently in such behavior, but no such link was found for perceived green psychological workplace climate. However, perceived green psychological workplace climate moderated the link between perceived norms regarding aggressive driver behavior toward cyclists and drivers engaging in such behavior. When drivers perceived aggression toward cyclists to be common on the road, perceived green psychological workplace climate weakened the link between perceived norms regarding aggressive driver behavior towards cyclists and drivers engaging in such behavior. Findings reinforce the role of perceived road context norms regarding aggressive driver behavior toward cyclists for drivers engaging in such behavior. They illustrate that, while not directly linked, sustainability norms perceived in other contexts have a role in shaping car driver behavior towards cyclists. The study's findings suggest that interventions targeted at aggressive behavior toward cyclists in road contexts can focus on driver behavior norms and can be complemented by normative interventions in other settings to shape a key deterrent to cycling.

Coming to terms with the SDGs: A perspective from legal scholarship

AbstractThe Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG) blueprint to global sustainability exemplifies the global governance trend towards the displacement of law by indicators. Indicators purport to produce objective measurement and comparison, a desirable trait for international public authorities that struggle to bolster the legitimacy of environmental and sustainability norms. This paper adopts a pragmatic approach to indicators by taking seriously their limitations, weaknesses, and dangers, but also their potential contributions to international sustainability objectives. We explore a reframing of the relationship between law and indicators in complementary, not adversarial, terms. Several examples of this complementarity are explored, including the potential use of the SDGs for evaluating the instrumental effectiveness of legal regimes, as well as the ways that international sustainability law supplements the SGDs by providing legal ramifications for violations of state-specific obligations. Finally, we argue that law and legal normativity make invaluable contributions to international environmental and sustainability governance, contributions that metrics and other managerial and technocratic forms of governance cannot make.

Waste separation-Who cares? Organizational climate and supervisor support's role in promoting pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace.

Corporate environmental sustainability is currently a major goal of many businesses. This study's main objectives were to examine the interactive role of green organizational climate and supervisor support in predicting pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) at work, namely paper and plastic waste separation, and to test the mediating role of individual-level variables of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in this relationship. The research specifically tested the attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control's mediation of the relationship between green organizational climate and self-reported waste separation, and whether supervisor support moderates the relationship between green climate and TBP variables. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected with an online survey of 311 workers and multiple regression analyses, with the macro Process, were performed to test the hypotheses. The findings confirm the TPB variables' mediating effect. Perceived green climate is positively related to employees' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control regarding waste separation, which in turn are connected to higher reported levels of paper and plastic separation. The workers' perception of supervisor support moderates the relationship between green climate and subjective norms in favor of paper separation. These findings indicate that green climate is less strongly linked to subjective norms when supervisor support is perceived as stronger than when it is seen as weaker. In conclusion, a green organizational climate plays a determining role in workers' separation of waste at work as it fosters individual motives to perform these behaviors. Moreover, supervisors can provide their workers with social norms and inspire them to support environmental sustainability practices. Thus, as part of an overall transition strategy to achieve sustainability, organizations need to invest in green policies and practices and incentivize supervisors to encourage PEBs and capitalize on their close links to subordinates to foster sustainable norms.

Design Guidelines and Standards for Iraqi Schools - The Future Prospects

Educational facilities are among the critical functional types because of their role in preparing future generations to advance the wheel of progress. If these facilities are not qualified to perform their functions, then the educational process is negatively affected. Schools in Iraq suffer from many problems due to the inadequacy of educational facilities to meet the student’s needs as a result of the absence of comprehensive standards and guidelines for school designs. According to that, this paper aims to identify the deficiencies in the Iraqi standards of public schools. The paper relied in its methodology on a comprehensive comparison between Iraqi standards and a number of international standards and guidance of schools, then the analyses and assessment of some design criteria in a sample of Iraqi schools to show their compatibility with both Iraqi and international standards. The results of comparative analyses between global and local standards and guidelines revealed the limitation and shortcomings in the Iraqi standards. The paper found a wide range of design specifications the Iraqi school standards lack such as the norms of sustainability, safety, flexibility, comfort parameters, special needs, etc. The investigation of existing Iraqi public schools revealed their incompatibility with both Iraqi and international standards. The contribution of this paper is to provide a future vision to develop Iraqi school designs to meet the common requirements of international standards and guidelines for school designs during the conceptual design and building life cycle.

Sustainable Leadership in Private International Schools: Lessons from Kuwait

The rapid, global growth of the private international school sector has raised demand for qualified school administrators to lead schools in that sector. Many administrators hired into that sector face particular challenges when coming from public systems in other countries. The question is in what ways do gaps between the training and experience of recruits and the demands of the sector compromise the sustainability of effective leadership in private international schools. There are implications for policy development around training and support for leaders in this sector as, unlike many national public systems, it lacks a supply of specifically trained leaders. This article presents a qualitative study of semi-structured interviews with 17 international school leaders who moved from national public systems abroad to private international schools in Kuwait. The major themes that emerged in those interviews were the challenges faced by leaders in adjusting to differing governance structures, the business and marketing aspects of private international schools, and managing the transience of staff. A number of similar themes have been cited in research on international schools in other world regions, although some expressions of those themes are particular to Kuwait. This article concludes with a discussion of the need to provide sustainable norms for leadership across the international school sector, with training and support to help school leaders transition and work more effectively in the sector.

A conceptual framework for sustainable entrepreneurship in patchouli farming

The world’s demand of essential oil has been increased and could contribute to increase the benefits for several countries. Indonesia has potential for patchouli farm and is one of largest exporter countries. Patchouli is one of the sources of essential oil has contributed to fill the high demand. Farmers has the key role in patchouli cultivation must sustain their production without harm the ecosystem. This study aims to identify the theory, experience and perspective of sustainable entrepreneurship in the agribusiness sector, namely patchouli cultivation. This study reviewed previous research on several data bases, including Google Scholar and Researchgate. Several articles related to research topics from reputable journals were collected. The results of this study were carried out succeeded in formulating a research model on the influence of sustainable attitudes, sustainable norms, sustainable behavior, achievement of opportunities, three points of sustainability, on sustainable entrepreneurship. The research model that was formed is recommended for further research. This conceptual paper formulates a model and requires empirical research to generalize the existence of the theory in the future. The research model formulated in this study is still relatively new in the field of sustainable entrepreneurship in patchouli cultivation.

SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS: EVOLUTION BEYOND BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHODS

ABSTRACT The publication of the Brundtland Commission Report, popularly known as Our Common Future, was the precursor for what was to follow in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or the Earth Summit. Both these events played a fundamental role in the global initiatives towards sustainability. The adoption of Agenda 21, a blueprint for sustainable development for the 21st century was a crucial agreement of the Rio Summit, which marked the beginning of an era where the term Sustainable Development came to be associated with all human interventions on planet earth. In this context, the building industry, which makes a significant impact on the social, environmental and economic well-being of the society, has a prime responsibility in meeting with sustainability requirements in all facets of the design, construction and operation of buildings. Currently efforts are being made by the building industry and the allied professions to adhere to sustainability norms by enhancing the current green building practices. The emergence of building environmental assessment (BEA) methods is such an attempt in addressing these issues, but is considered as insufficient to contend with the wider spectrum of sustainability. A technique to address complex attributes of sustainable performance of building projects has not been attempted before, owing to the dynamic nature of the concept of sustainability. This paper attempts to develop a framework to enhance current BEA methods, as the next stage of development towards meeting global sustainability initiatives. The main objective is to evolve a set of indicators that will assist in determining sustainability of a building. Three widely used BEA methods and Agenda 21, are analyzed, along with a focus group, to derive sustainability indicators. A total of 62 indicators under 10 categories are identified, some of which are common to BEA methods, while several new indicators are introduced to address sustainability issues not previously accounted for in BEA methods. The final outcome is a framework that can be used to determine the extent of sustainability of building projects. With the aid of the proposed framework of indicators, it is possible to develop a complete sustainability index by allocating values to each indicator, through a survey of professionals in the building industry. Such an index could be used as a tool in developing sustainable buildings, thus meeting with aspirations of building design teams and clientele who seek high quality sustainable solutions for their endeavours. This effort would also pave way for further research into the domain of building sustainability.

When Firms Benefit from Public Criticism: Oscillating Pressures of Conformity and Differentiation

While organizations are increasingly expected to conform with industry-based sustainability standards, it is less clear how the accumulation of public criticism directed toward the industry might reshape such expectations. This paper argues that depending on the accumulation of public criticism directed toward an industry in a given year, organizations are likely to face oscillating pressures to both conform with and deviate from industry sustainability norms. We test our hypotheses using a balanced panel dataset of 2,313 companies across 62 industries and 70 countries from 2013 to 2018. Our results suggest that although on average firms that conform with industry sustainability norms benefit from positive long-term investor evaluations, once annual public criticism of industry peers reaches a threshold, both positive and, surprisingly, negative deviation from industry sustainability norms are rewarded. Moreover, amid such accentuated public criticism, rewards are even greater for deviating firms within the context of highly homogenous industries with respect to sustainability practices and performance. Our findings contribute to longstanding research on categorization, while advancing the growing and important literature at the intersection of social evaluations and optimal distinctiveness.