Sustainable Tactics Research Articles

Examining Relationship Between Green Human Resource Management Practices, Green Performance, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior at Tour Operators

Objectives: Sustainable tactics can be implemented through GHRM practices, which are intended to foster pro-environmental behaviors and values among employees. Methods: In addition to allowing employees to participate in eco-initiatives for the sustainability of the organization, GHRM should permit employees to practice pro-environmental values. This study develops and tests the direct and interactive relationship between green performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCBE), and green human resource management (GHRM) practices, drawing on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity theory. Findings: A mixed methodology will be used, with qualitative research into particular cases coming after a survey of several tour operator employees to test the research hypotheses. Green values, also known as pro-environmental, refer to societal or personal views about the importance of the natural environment's health and how humans should treat and perceive it. Conclusion: GHRM should suggest training programs that effectively develop environmental knowledge, values, awareness, and attitudes in order to be an effective implement in encouraging pro-environmental behavior or employee green. There is a significant gap in the literature on the greening of the tourism industry because, despite the significant contribution that green human resource management makes to organizational citizenship behavior for green performance, few published studies have examined this important contemporary topic.

An empirical study on motivation to adopt hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in India: Policy implications for stakeholders

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) are considered one of the most sustainable tactics for addressing carbon emissions through hydrogen mobility in the transportation sector. However, current research on the adoption of HFCVs concentrates on perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes toward HFCVs and disregards the significance of intrinsic needs in the adoption process. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs model presents a fundamental framework that investigates the aspects that play crucial roles in influencing the motivation of individuals to adopt a specific product or service. Based on the same framework, this research empirically analyses the needs that motivate people to adopt HFCVs. Survey responses from 380 Indian youths (millennials and Generation Z) were obtained through random stratified sampling. Further, structural equation modelling was applied for data analysis and hypothesis testing. The findings suggest that the vehicle manufacturer needs to justify the high price of HFCV, and further government intervention to put a cap on the price limit is a much-needed step in this regard. Factors like openness to experience (t = 7.308), and social influence (t = 5.286) have stronger influence on consumer motivation for buying HFCVs. In addition, environmental concern (t = 3.733) and esteem needs (t = 3.11) play vital role on HFCV adoption-motivation. The study suggests important policy aspects that would benefit global vehicle manufacturers in successfully understanding the needs of customers for HFCV introduction and faster adoption.

Emergence pattern of horseweed (Erigeron canadensis L.) accessions across Nebraska

AbstractHorseweed is a North American indigenous plant species commonly found in Nebraska cropping systems. Horseweed management is challenging because of horseweed’s prolific seed production, long-distance seed dispersal via wind, competitiveness, and rapid evolution of herbicide resistance. Understanding the horseweed emergence pattern across Nebraska can contribute to implementing effective and more sustainable tactics to minimize its impact on cropping systems. Field studies were conducted during fall and spring from 2016 to 2018 in Lincoln (corn and soybean), North Platte (wheat stubble and soybean), and Scottsbluff (corn and fallow) to investigate the emergence pattern of horseweed accessions from Lincoln, North Platte, and Scottsbluff, NE. Results show that most horseweed seedling emergence occurred in fall (99%) and only a few seedlings emerged in spring across locations, except in the wheat stubble experiment at North Platte, where higher spring emergence was detected (3% to 22%). In four out of six experiments, the density of total emerged seedlings of each accession was greatest when established in their site of origin. Our results suggest that late fall and/or early spring is likely the best timing for horseweed management across Nebraska.

What Influences Home Gardeners’ Food Waste Composting Intention in High-Rise Buildings in Dhaka Megacity, Bangladesh? An Integrated Model of TPB and DMP

Composting is a sustainable way of transforming organic waste into valuable organic fertilizers which have the potential to act as soil conditioners by controlling various biological processes. The prime objective of the current study was to determine the influencing factors behind the intent of home food waste composting, by employing the combined model of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Dualistic Passion Model (DMP). The combined model showed a higher predictive ability in comparison to the individual TPB model. The fit statistic of the integrated model was deemed good, and 65% of the variance for home composting intention was explained. Using a face-to-face questionnaire survey, a total of 203 valid responses were gathered from home gardeners and tested via a unique two-step methodology: the PLS-SEM and the artificial neural network (ANN). The results revealed that the composting intention can be significantly influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The study also confirmed the positive effect of harmonious passion and the negative effect of obsessive passion on the intention of food waste composting. Furthermore, the hybrid method produced more reliable results because HP was found to be the most important variable in both ANN and PLS-SEM results, while PBC was observed to be the second most important variable in ANN and the fourth most important in PLS-SEM. The results of the current study not only highlight the importance of passion in determining food waste composting intention in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but also provide helpful information for designing effective, sustainable tactics for encouraging residents to compost food waste at home.

High resistance to insect growth disruptors and control failure likelihood in Brazilian populations of the tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta

This study aimed to compare the susceptibility of tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, from four Brazilian regions to insect growth disruptor (IGD) insecticides by tomato leaf-dip bioassays. Larval mortality was assessed seven days after exposure to insecticide-treated leaves. The control failure likelihood (CFL) was estimated after larval bioassays with IGDs recommended label rate. Mortality data were subjected to Probit and variance analysis. All populations of tomato pinworm showed significant resistance to one or more insecticides. The LC50 values ranged from 0.34 to 0.63 g L−1 (chlorfluazuron), 0.17 to 0.92 g L−1 (teflubenzuron), 0.13 to 1.28 g L−1 (novaluron), 0.29 to 0.46 g L−1 (lufenuron), and 0.71 to 4.60 g L−1 (methoxyfenozide). The resistance ratios varied from 1.2 to 1.8-fold (chlorfluazuron), 1.4 to 5.5-fold (teflubenzuron), 1.2 to 9.9-fold (novaluron), 1.0 to 1.6-fold (lufenuron), and 1.5 to 6.5-fold (methoxyfenozide). Despite the low resistance ratios ( 54%, indicating likely control failure at the IGD label rates. We detected significant variations among populations of T. absoluta for activity of enzymes glutathione S-transferases (GST), cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (MFO) and α-esterase (EST), however there was no significant difference between the populations for activity of β-esterase (EST). The evolution of resistance in T. absoluta populations to IGDs observed in this study is likely due to high selection pressure, demanding insecticide resistance management practices and environmentally sustainable tactics to obtain a more effective control of this pest.

Research on Transition of Hakka Enclosed Dwellings using Integral Theory

The article makes an analysis of the transition of Hakka enclosed dwellings using Integral Theory and its core diagram AQAL (All Quadrants, All Levels). It summarizes the differences between the Hakka enclosed dwellings in North Guangdong (China) and the Middle South by comparing them separately in the four quadrants of the AQAL diagram: the interior personal experience and psychology, collective culture and meaning; the exterior function, anatomy, form and systems. Integral theory and AQAL diagram helps concern with integrating, or bringing into relationship, knowledge fragmented between specialisms, which may induce us to get more complete and sustainable tactics in traditional vernacular dwelling protection.

Pine defenses against the pitch canker disease are modulated by a native insect newly associated with the invasive fungus

Tomicus piniperda (Coleptera, Curculionidae) is a native insect in Europe and now potential enabler of the invasive fungal pathogen of pines, Fusarium circinatum. The co-occurence of T. piniperda and F. circunatum could increase disease incidence via (1) insect wounding when they bore galleries into shoots of healthy trees, and (2) by acting as vectors that introduce fungal propagules directly. The extent of damage by F. circinatum is likely to be influenced by tree defenses, which can depend upon pine species, environmental conditions, and responses to other biotic and abiotic challenges. Indirect interactions among plant enemies can arise when the attack by one enemy alters the shared host plant in a way that affects a second enemy. We tested for indirect interactions between T. piniperda and F. circinatum mediated by plant defenses. Our study employed 100 potted, identically treated, seedlings of Pinus pinaster and P. radiata. Plants were randomly allocated to one of five different treatments: inoculation with T. piniperda alone, inoculation with F. circinatum alone, inoculation with T. piniperda and F. circinatum together, a mock treatment with sterilized water, and true controls. We assessed plant mortality, and measured plant height and diameter, crown size, resin flow after T. piniperda attack, the size of lesions from fungal infection, and phloem chemistry (terpenes and nitrogen). There were conspicuous differences between pine species in their defensive responses to inoculations: P. pinaster showed increases in numerous terpenes following attack by T. piniperda but was unresponsive to F. circinatum, while P. radiata increased terpene concentrations with exposure to either F. circinatum or T. piniperda. In P. radiata, fungal growth within the plant (as reflected by lesion size) was reduced by coincident insect attack. This suggests that plant defensive responses against the insect also functioned as deterrents to a fungal enemy. Thus the combination of T. piniperda and F. circinatum should not be as dangerous to pine stands as if the insect disabled defences against the fungus. Nonetheless, the insect can only increase fungal introductions by increasing wounds and moving propagules. There is a need for field studies of damage from F. circinatum in different pine species with low vs. high abundance of T. piniperda. Better understanding of pine defenses against F. circinatum, and genetic variation in defense responses, would contribute to the development of safe, effective, and sustainable tactics for managing damage from F. circinatum to pine forests in Spain and elsewhere.

Biological Control of Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae)—Current and Pending Tactics

Abstract Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is originally from Asia, and in the last decade it has become a global economic pest of small fruits and cherries. Growers have expressed strong interest in biological control and other sustainable tactics to reduce reliance on insecticides. Biological control of spotted-wing drosophila has been studied intensively, with over 75 research publications. Here, we are reporting current information on predators, parasitoids, pathogens (fungi, nematodes, bacteria, endosymbiotic bacteria, and viruses), and competitors of spotted-wing drosophila. When relevant for the natural enemy group, the discussion focuses on the impact each natural enemy has been observed to have in the field, how to optimize control, the efficacy of commercial products available, and options that may be available in the near future. Studies are summarized in tables that can be sorted by species, spotted-wing drosophila life stage targeted, outcomes, lab/field trials, and studies that examined residual activity, dose-dependent responses, or other effects.

Frequency of stump infections by Heterobasidion annosum s.l. and benefits from urea treatments vary with tree species and season in European Alpine forests

The destructive forest pathogen Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato (s.l.) may be controlled either by timing logging operations in periods of the year characterised by a low risk of airborne stump infection or by treating stump surfaces immediately after felling. 1616 stumps of four of the most widely-distributed European host tree species, either untreated or manually and operationally treated with urea, were sampled from 29 pure and mixed forest stands of the western Italian Alps and analysed for the presence of the pathogen. The aims of the study were to (i) compare the overall and seasonal frequency of stump infection of different tree species; (ii) assess the efficacy of treatments on different tree species; (iii) explore if the efficacy of treatment is affected by the season of application, and (iv) estimate the benefits resulting from treatments at different time periods. Overall, the frequency of infection of untreated stumps was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Norway spruce (Picea abies) than in European larch (Larix decidua), silver fir (Abies alba) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). In general, the frequency of stump infection of each tree species increased throughout the year, reaching a maximum in autumn, possibly in relation to the higher availability of airborne inoculum in that season. Manual operational stump treatment with urea reduced the frequency of infected stumps compared to controls both overall and for every tree species, although the reduction was significant only in the overall analysis and in the analysis performed separately for Norway spruce and larch. Binary logistic regression models point to the general efficacy of treatments regardless of the season of application, although the frequency of infection of treated stumps is predicted to increase slightly in autumn. Despite the efficacy of treatments being slightly reduced in autumn, the predicted reduction of stump infection probability due to treatments, hence the benefits provided by treatments, is expected to vary in magnitude depending on the species but to increase similarly according to a roughly sigmoid curve throughout the year, approaching a maximum in autumn. The information provided by this paper may help forest managers to design profitable and/or sustainable tactics to control the disease.

Reconfiguration of Healthcare for Bottom Line Results

This discussion about factors that are influencing progress in telehealth and the U.S. healthcare system was recorded on March 16, 2017, during the TMT-sponsored 1st Annual Conference: Profitable, Scalable &amp; Sustainable Tactics Transforming Long-term Care in Telehealth and Medicine.

Project Management Approaches for Environmentally Considerate Strategic Planning that Balance Organizational Strategy with Sustainable Tactics at Colleges

In order to sustain a competitive advantage and a leading market share, organizations must employ successful project management techniques. Efficient project management systems thinking and strategic planning deliver strategic organizational competency by facilitating operational outcomes to strategic priorities. When sustainability is introduced, strategic planning leads to effective problem avoidance that aligns with an organization’s project management methodologies. This paper proposes conceptual project management approaches for strategic planning that balances organizational strategy with sustainable tactics at universities and colleges. It addresses sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs) and proposes project management planning methods for strategic adaptations that can create differentiation and competitive advantage for HEIs. The end goal is to focus attention on strategic planning coupled with structured project management methodology for sustained maintenance. The concept of the triple-bottom-line framework for HEIs is introduced for coupling strategic planning, project management and sustainable methodologies. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research into operationalization of the areas of sustainability and project management systems thinking in order to further advance conscientious strategic planning for educational institutions.