Dissertations / Theses: 'Business enterprises Environmental aspects Australia'

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Manning, Elizabeth Sophie Mary. "Local content and related trade policy: Australian applications /." Title page, abstract and table of contents only, 2004. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phm2832.pdf.

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Mcleod, Michelle. "Does environmental performance predict financial performance? A South African perspective." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80774.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
Corporate environmental responsibility has engaged the attention of academics, practitioners and environmentalists for some time, creating pressure for companies to conduct business in an environmentally greener manner. To find economic support for such conduct by South African companies, this study aims to investigate whether superior environmental performance by South African listed companies leads to superior financial performance. A review of related literature identified significant diversity in research approach and methodology as well as environmental and financial performance measures employed and therefore also in the results obtained. Given the continuing emergence of climate change as a material issue for business, this study utilised South African Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI SA) ratings as proxy for South African companies’ environmental performance. The infancy of the Carbon Disclosure Project in South Africa does result in some data limitations which necessitated a portfolio approach to address the research question. This approach, however, prevented explicit consideration or judgement on the direction of causality between environmental and financial variables. The environmental performance data limitations and the resulting need for some assumptions resulted in this study being explorative in nature. Using CDLI SA ratings as distinguishing environmental performance characteristic, industrymatching, mutually-exclusive stock portfolios were constructed. Relative portfolio performance was measured with reference to the Sharpe and Treynor ratios and a simple statistical test. Considering the three years 2008 to 2010, the Sharpe and Treynor ratios for Environmental Leaders and Laggards portfolios did not clearly identify either Environmental Leaders or Environmental Laggards as superior financial performers and results also varied across industries. There appears to be some trend emerging which sees Environmental Leaders outperforming Environmental Laggards in more recent years for some industries, however, the short time frame under consideration provided insufficient support for such conclusion. Statistical means testing concluded that the mean returns of Environmental Leaders and Environmental Laggards are similar. Sensitivity analysis performed on the Financials sector indicated that the Sharpe and Treynor ratios are sensitive to portfolio construction. Despite this sensitivity, statistical means testing consistently found little evidence to infer that the mean returns of Environmental Leaders portfolios are either higher or lower than that of Environmental Laggards portfolios. It is suggested that the similar performance of the Environmental Leaders and Environmental Laggards portfolios may be attributed to the use of an environmental performance measure unable to sufficiently distinguish between environmental leaders and environmental laggards. Another interpretation of the results could be that investors consider disclosure-based environmental performance measures as unreliable, or less reliable as compared with outcome-based or combined measures. Finally, it may be that investors’ expectations have not yet been adjusted to reflect the fact that climate change constitutes a materiality issue for business in the long run, which will require companies to actively manage carbon risks. Although there exists voluminous international research on the topic of this study, South African research in this regard is restricted. This study adds to the existing body of South African specific research, but is only explorative in nature; therefore areas for future research have been recommended.

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Williams, Donna Clare, and n/a. "Doing Environment Business With China Through Cross-Cultural Networks: A Dynamic Model for Small-to-Medium Australian Enterprises." Griffith University. School of Environmental Engineering, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20060313.140417.

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The research is a critical analysis of the operational aspects of doing environment business with China through cross-cultural networks. In particular the investigation involved establishing an intensively documented, longitudinal profile of a single network. This network comprised Australian Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Chinese players based in the People's Republic of China. This profile covers a period of two decades. The research adopted a broad multi-disciplinary and inductive approach, using action research, case study methods, and systems analysis techniques. An innovative approach used time values as a constant to analyse the relativity of player connections, activities and structural levels in the network. This approach drew its applied orientation from the environmental sciences, and its theoretical base from the social science disciplines of marketing and international business. The specific field of study was the structure and evolutionary dynamics of networks. The outcome of the research is a model Australian SMEs can use for doing environment business with China. This model sets environment business in the context of a wider trading network of Chinese, Australian, South East Asian, and Middle Eastern players. The cornerstone of this model is the corporate role of the academic sector in accessing the Chinese environmental market. The research shows in detail how Australian SMEs can, and do, use cross-cultural academic linkages for trade. Such linkages facilitate market research, negotiation, risk management, product development, and the establishment of distribution channels in Asian markets. The study also demonstrates the importance of using a number of parallel nets of Chinese players to facilitate trade and overcome interruptions or obstacles. The research has contributed to knowledge by establishing an Asia-oriented, empirically derived model that differs substantially from the mono-cultural models in current practice in the Australian environment industry. The intensive investigation of the network of SMEs and Chinese players has identified the entrepreneurial strengths of SMEs in the international marketplace. This finding contrasts with the prevailing view that SMEs must depend on larger players for export success. In addition, the research has established that this kind of network has a clan-like structure. This finding is central to the model. The research demonstrates that a clan-like structure is a flexible framework that is compatible with the independence and capacity of small firms to adapt to change and to make decisions. This characteristic of SMEs enables them to proceed without, and at times in spite of, the encumbrances of large and unwieldy corporate and institutional structures. This finding is directly contrary to the belief prevalent in the Australian environment industry that SMEs depend on larger players to enter international markets. The finding also challenges the established view that Chinese networks are relatively closed systems based on family ties. The research shows that Australian SMEs can become part of these systems either directly or through links, and have many common attributes with their Chinese counterparts. The research has made a key contribution to theory by using these findings to develop an organic network model that differs from the so-called contrived network. This empirically derived theoretical model represents the seven dimensions of cross-cultural collaboration. The four social dimensions are the personal, organisational, sectoral and regional levels of a person-centred network, composed of nets of individuals with extensive linkages to other individuals and to organisations. The three dynamic dimensions are the triadic, the temporal, and the trading levels of interaction between the players. This theoretical model also demonstrates the depth of cross-connection between the nets of individual, and the embeddedness of the network in other networks. The model emphasises the centrality of time as the key connector between the social dimensions of the network and the exchange processes that characterise clan-like interactions. The model also represents the layers of evolutionary development that characterise the exchange processes in the network. These layers include adaptive processes, short-term exchanges, and long-term exchanges, and exchanges that derive from particular arrangements of players and market openings at critical points in time. This model extends concepts that have emerged from the original International Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Interaction Model, and gives empirical credence to recent philosophical, but untested, views on the relevance of time as a context for interaction.

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Schoeman, Pieter Stephanus Johannes Albertus. "An empirical investigation of environmental performance and the market value of JSE listed companies." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97358.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the recent past, there has been increasing awareness of, and concern for, the impact that many companies are having on the natural and social environment. This has seen the emergence of a triple bottom line approach to business, with environmental and social metrics being used in addition to financial metrics when evaluating company performance. Despite the growing level of investment in corporate sustainability, it is not clear whether these investments are viewed positively by the market, and to what extent it creates shareholder value. To shed light on the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance, this research assignment used the event study methodology to investigate whether there is statistically significant stock market reactions to announcements relating to the environmental performance of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. A total of 260 news announcements related to environmental performance were collected from a variety of news sources. The 260 news announcements represented 67 different companies across 11 different industry sectors. News announcements were collected from several prominent business news sources including the Business Day, Financial Mail and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange News Service. Abnormal share returns were estimated for a three day event window around the announcement date by using the market model approach. Results were aggregated based on four different categories of environmental performance, including corporate environmental initiatives, environmental awards and certificates, negative environmental publicity and, environmental reporting, permits and licences. Consistent with related research in developed countries, this study found that the market rewards certain categories of positive environmental performance but penalises certain categories of negative environmental performance more severely. The results show that there is a significant positive market reaction to announcements of corporate environmental initiatives on the trading day following the announcement. This result indicates a positive relationship between corporate environmental initiatives and financial performance, as measured by market value. In terms of negative environmental performance, it was found that the market responds negatively to the broad category of negative environmental publicity. In particular, negative announcements from civil society and environmental groups seem to result in more significant market reactions than negative announcements from local or national government. In contrast to some studies done in developed countries, no statistically significant relationship was found between announcements of environmental awards and certificates and the market value of companies. Neither was there a statistically significant relationship between environmental reporting, permits and licences and the market value of companies. These results therefore indicate that the market is selective in its response to announcements of environmental performance.

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Rathnam, Sharad. "Designing an environmentally conscious decision support tool for capital investments in small and medium enterprises." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/18922.

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Sze, Wai-mun, and 施惠敏. "Does the enhancement of employee environmental awareness help improve a company's environmental performance ?" Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45013238.

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Cox, Marcus Z. "When and Where Does It Pay to Be Green: Intra- and Inter-organizational Factors Influencing the Environmental/Financial Performance Link." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2014. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500091/.

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Managers are coming under increasing pressure from a wide array of stakeholders to improve the environmental performance of their firms while still achieving financial performance objectives. One of the most researched questions in the business and the natural environment (B&NE) literature is whether it pays to be green. Despite more than three decades of research, scholars have been unable to clearly answer this question. The purpose of this dissertation was to attempt to identify the antecedents that lead to increased, firm-level environmental performance and the conditions in which firms are then able to profit from enhanced environmental performance. First, I assessed three intra-organizational factors of top management teams (i.e. female representation, concern for non-financial stakeholders, and risk-seeking propensity) that theory indicated are associated with increased corporate environmental performance (CEP). Theory also leads us to believe that top management teams with these attributes should perform better in dynamic settings, so I tested to see if industry dynamism moderates these relationships. Second, I then examined industry-level forces that theory indicates would moderate the relationship between CEP and corporate financial performance (CFP). These moderating forces include industry profitability, industry dynamism, and the degree of industry environmental regulation. Hypotheses were tested using panel data obtained from the KLD, Compustat, and Environmental Protection Agency databases for the years 2000 to 2011. The sample consists of firms comprising the Standard and Poor’s 500 and was analyzed using fixed-effect regression and moderating variables were analyzed using the Johnson-Neyman technique.

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Haney, Aoife Brophy. "The evolution of firms' strategic responses to climate change : information, capabilities and impact." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.648572.

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Lillah, Riyaadh. "Environmental management systems in South African small and medium-sized businesses." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/2909.

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Businesses have been criticised for their contribution towards the ever-increasing rate of destruction of the natural environment. Although businesses have responded by adapting their management practices, production processes and products, they still face a number of challenges in reducing their environmental impact. One way in which businesses have responded to the environmental crisis is by implementing environmental management systems. Despite the importance of environmental management implementation, researchers have neglected to identify the antecedents that could lead to environmental management system implementation in South African small and medium-sized businesses. Indeed, much of the research on environmental management has concentrated on large business in Europe or the United States. The limited research that has been conducted on environmental management in small and medium-sized businesses has been descriptive in nature, and fails to produce results that are generalisable and that advance the understanding on this topic. Given this situation, the objective of this study was to develop and empirically test a theoretical model to explain the implementation of environmental management systems in small and medium-sized businesses. A quantitative survey methodology was adopted in this study to test the proposed theoretical model empirically. In total, 417 small and medium-sized businesses participated in the survey; 326 of these were not implementing an environmental management system, and 91 were implementing such a system. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the sample data. The findings of this analysis suggest that the respondents had a favourable attitude toward environmental management systems; they were aware of environmental issues; they perceived themselves and their businesses as able to deal with the barriers to environmental management system implementation; they felt personally obligated to reduce their business‟ environmental impact; and they perceived actions aimed at reducing their businesses‟ environmental impact as socially desirable. To test the hypothesised relationships in the theoretical model, correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. The hypotheses dealing with the relationship between the environmental antecedents and the owner-manager‟s intention to implement an environmental management system, and the actual implementation of an environmental management system, were supported in this study. Thus, the environmental antecedents were found to be positively related to the small and medium-sized business owners‟ intention to implement an environmental management system; to their formal and informal implementation of an environmental management system; and to their practices related to waste management and legal compliance. Empirical evidence to support the hypothesised effect of resource constraints as a moderating variable was found in this study. In terms of environmental values, support was found for the moderating effect of egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values. In terms of the biographical characteristics of the business owners, significant moderating effects were found for gender and age, but not for education. Gender influenced the relationships between the environmental antecedents, attitude towards an environmental management system and personal pro-environmental norms, and the intention to implement an environmental management system. Age moderated the relationship between subjective pro-environmental norms, waste management, and legal compliance. Given the empirical evidence provided in this study, it is recommended that greater awareness of environmental issues be fostered among small and medium-sized business owners as well as the individuals who influence their decision-making. There is also a need to reinforce the positive business outcomes of environmental management system implementation, as well as the personal and social obligations to protect the natural environment among small and medium-sized business owners.

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Harris, Peter-Dirk. "South African environmental taxes and investment incentives in practice." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95565.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African economy is faced with a number of challenges as an upper-middle income country that is highly resource-intensive, with an open economy. It has a number of developmental goals that must be achieved in order to maintain environmentally conscious sustainable development. The country will have to find pioneering ways to address the poverty problems faced by a large proportion of its people, while still ensuring economic growth at a reduced cost to the environment. In an effort to promote the shift to a “green” economy, the South African state and its related entities have developed a number of incentive programmes aimed at easing the transition. These incentives primarily support businesses in their efforts to become more energy-efficient, or to convert to renewable energy sources. The objective of this study is to critically evaluate what the South African government is doing with regard to environmental instruments aimed at assisting the country to reduce carbon emissions. This case study follows a quantitative approach, considering the financial effects that the different environmental instruments could have on South African manufacturers. Through the study the researcher will be able to make certain recommendations to businesses in the manufacturing industry who are interested in investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The results of the study will also give the researcher insight into the South African environmental incentives, which will allow him to make informed comments on the proposals that government has tabled regarding future environmental taxes and incentives. The research questions that the researcher tried to answer were based on the current and future policy measures that the South African government has implemented, or will implement, in order to move the country to a low-emissions trajectory. These policies were then also compared to international measures in order to determine if the policies chosen by the South African government are appropriate for the this country’s economy. This study has led the researcher to discover a number of issues relating to the status of environmental policy in South Africa. These discoveries have allowed him to make certain recommendations to businesses investing in this realm, as well as to government which develops these policy measures. The main findings of the study are that with the assistance of the South African government and related entities, investments in renewable energy have become viable. When considering the current status of South African environmental policy, the researcher has also come to realise that the country is lagging behind the rest of the world with regard to policy development. The South African economy is unique, thus policies have to be structured in a way that will not be detrimental to the country.

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Tekin, Ilknur Mary Joy Nirmala. "Green Index: Integration of Environmental Performance, Green Innovativeness and Financial Performance." PDXScholar, 2014. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1815.

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The integration of sustainability performance of companies is becoming increasingly important. The recent global requirements (i.e. the Kyoto Protocol) for significant reduction of the negative impact of companies on the environment over the next 6 years have been putting pressure on the companies, requiring them to lower the negative environmental impact of market performance. This requirement challenges the profitable growth of the companies' business functions, given the change needed for business operations to improve on their environmental impact. In this dissertation a new corporate sustainability performance index, called: The Green Index, for measuring and assessing the integrated sustainability performance of companies is developed. The Green Index integrates Environmental Performance, Green Innovativeness and Financial Performance, by quantifying the expert opinions toward their integration. Development of the Green Index is a holistic approach in defining and measuring "green" performance for companies, integrated into their market performance. Green Index, for the first time in the literature, introduces Green Innovativeness in defining and measuring Green Performance of companies, in integration with Environmental and Financial Performance. In the literature and business practices, there are various sustainability indices used, and methodological approaches in measuring corporate sustainability performance with more than hundred performance indicators. The Green Index, uniquely refers to the collective expert opinion of management researchers, executive managers of corporations, high-tech companies' R&D managers, financial managers, corporate social responsibility managers, in defining a shorter list of 29 performance measures under the three core performance dimensions. Hierarchical Decision Modeling is used for the development of Green Index based on experts' collective decisions. At the next level, desirability levels for each one of the 29 performance measures are scaled by a group of angel investors and investors. And their collective desirability quantifications are used toward the application of the Green Index to quantify the Green Index value for a set of scenario analyses for alternative company performance states. Green Index fills a major gap in the scholarly literature and business practices. It meets the needs prioritized in the near future strategy of World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) towards development of new performance metrics and business models for industries that are financially successful while innovating with green products as they are reducing their negative environmental impact (WBCSD Annual Report 2010, 2011).

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Nieuwoudt, Adriaan Hermanus (Riaan). "The development of an environmental strategy for Pepkor Retail Limited." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6428.

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Mitchell, Samantha Laura. "Environmental, social and corporate governance reporting : perspectives from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and an international metals and mining sample." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95862.

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Thesis (MComm) – Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Global interest in responsible investing has grown in recent years. To make effective decisions, responsible investors require listed companies to report on financial and nonfinancial performance, giving particular attention to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations. This study was undertaken to address the paucity of academic research on ESG reporting in South Africa. A number of local studies had focused on environmental and governance reporting, but no studies had taken a holistic view of ESG reporting. Nor had any studies focused on the metals and mining industry in particular. This is a very important industry from an economic and ESG perspective, both in South Africa and internationally. The primary objective of this study was two-fold. Firstly, it was to investigate the extent of ESG reporting (both in South Africa and in a sample of international Metals and Mining companies). The second objective was to evaluate the factors that could potentially influence ESG reporting in these two samples. A positivistic research methodology was adopted as this approach allowed the researcher to test the stated research hypotheses. Quantitative secondary data were thus collected and analysed. The data collection process consisted of three phases: the first phase involved an extensive literature review of the key constructs; the second phase dealt with the collection of data for the dependent variable (Overall ESG score) from MSCI ESG Research’s database; and the third phase entailed collecting data for the 12 independent variables from Bureau van Dijk and selected websites. MSCI ESG Research’s universe was used to establish the two samples used in this study. The JSE sample consisted of 110 listed companies, whereas the international Metals and Mining sample consisted of 173 companies. Because MSCI ESG Research had completed only one year of ESG research when this study commenced, only data for 2012 were available. Descriptive and inferential statistics were completed to analyse the data. The empirical findings of the JSE sample show that the Governance pillar mean score was significantly higher than the Social pillar mean score and the Environmental pillar mean score. ESG reporting was found to be positively associated with companies which were included in the Nedbank Green Index. Companies included in the JSE Socially Responsible Index produced significantly better ESG reports than those excluded from the index. Significant differences were also noted in the Overall ESG score based on the nature of the industry in which a company operated. In the international Metals and Mining sample, two statistically significant relationships were found: larger companies had higher ESG score than smaller companies; and the greater the ownership concentration in a company, the better the ESG reporting on average. Four statistically significant differences were observed. Companies included in the FTSE4Good Index Series had better ESG scores than companies excluded from the index. Companies in developed countries had better ESG reporting than companies in emerging markets. The third difference related to companies which used the Global Reporting Initiative’s guidelines. These companies had higher Overall ESG scores than those which did not use the guidelines. The same applies to companies which were participants of the UN Global Compact and those who were not. It was concluded that investors who favour sound ESG reporting (and hence ESG management) should ideally focus on larger companies, those which are included in an responsible investing index, use the Global Reporting Initiative’s guidelines, and are participants of the UN Global Compact. Listed companies, particularly those in the Metals and Mining industry, should give more attention to environmental and social considerations, to the overall quality of their ESG reports, and should make more use of available initiatives to aid non-financial reporting.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die afgelope jare het belangstelling in verantwoordelike beleggings wêreldwyd toegeneem. Ten einde verantwoordelike beleggers in staat te stel om doeltreffende besluite te neem, moet genoteerde maatskappye oor hul finansiële én nie-finansiële prestasie verslag doen, met bepaalde klem op omgewings-, maatskaplike en korporatiewe beheer (OMB) kwessies. Hierdie studie is onderneem om ’n leemte in akademiese navorsing oor verslagdoening in Suid-Afrika te vul. ’n Aantal plaaslike studies het al op omgewings- en beheerverslagdoening gekonsentreer, maar geen navorsing tot dusver het OMB-verslagdoening holisties beskou nie. Ook het geen studies nog die soeklig op die metaal- en mynboubedryf in die besonder gewerp nie. Hierdie is ’n baie belangrike bedryf uit ’n ekonomiese en OMB-oogpunt, in Suid-Afrika sowel as internasionaal. Die hoofoogmerk van hierdie studie was tweeledig. Eerstens wou die studie ondersoek instel na die omvang van OMB-verslagdoening (by ’n Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef sowel as ’n steekproef van internasionale metaal- en mynboumaatskappye). Tweedens wou die navorsing die faktore bepaal wat ’n moontlike invloed op die OMB-verslagdoening van hierdie twee steekproewe kan hê. ’n Positivistiese navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik, aangesien hierdie benadering die navorser in staat gestel het om die navorsingshipoteses te toets. Kwantitatiewe sekondêre data was dus ingesamel en ontleed. Die data-insamelingsproses het uit drie fases bestaan: In die eerste fase was ’n omvattende literatuurstudie oor die hoofkonstrukte onderneem; die tweede fase het uit data-insameling oor die afhanklike veranderlike (algehele OMB-telling) uit die databasis van MSCI ESG Research bestaan, terwyl die derde fase data-insameling oor die 12 onafhanklike veranderlikes uit Bureau van Dijk en op uitgesoekte webtuistes behels het. Die universum van MSCI ESG Research is gebruik om die twee steekproewe in hierdie studie te bepaal. Die Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef het uit 110 genoteerde maatskappye bestaan, terwyl die steekproef van internasionale metaal- en mynboumaatskappye 173 entiteite ingesluit het. Aangesien MSCI ESG Research met die aanvang van hierdie studie nog net een jaar van OMB-navorsing onderneem het, was data slegs vir 2012 beskikbaar. Beskrywende en inferensiële statistieke is ontwikkel om die data te ontleed. Die empiriese bevindinge van die Suid-Afrikaanse-steekproef lewer ’n beduidend hoër gemiddelde telling vir beheerverslagdoening as vir maatskaplike en omgewingsverslagdoening op. OMB-verslagdoening blyk ’n positiewe korrelasie te toon met maatskappye wat by Nedbank se groen-indeks ingesluit is. Maatskappye wat ingesluit was in die Johannesburg Effektebeurs se indeks vir maatskaplike verantwoordelikheid het op hulle beurt aansienlik beter OMB-verslae opgestel as dié buite die indeks. Beduidende verskille in algehele OMB-tellings is ook opgemerk op grond van die aard van die bedryf waarin ’n maatskappy funksioneer. In die internasionale metaal- en mynbousteekproef is twee statisties beduidende verwantskappe aangetref: Groter maatskappye het ’n hoër OMB-telling as kleiner maatskappye getoon, en hoe hoër die eienaarskapskonsentrasie in ’n maatskappy, hoe beter die OMB-verslagdoening oor die algemeen. Vier statisties beduidende verskille is boonop waargeneem. Maatskappye wat deel was van die FTSE4Good-indeksreeks het beter OMBtellings opgelewer as maatskappye buite die indeks, en maatskappye in ontwikkelde lande het beter gevaar met OMB-verslagdoening as dié in ontluikende markte. Die derde verskil hou verband met maatskappye wat die riglyne van die Globale Verslagdoeningsinisiatief (GRI) volg, wat algeheel hoër OMB-tellings gehad het as diegene wat nié die riglyne gebruik nie. Dieselfde geld vir maatskappye wat aan die Verenigde Nasies (VN) se wêreldverdrag (“Global Compact”) deelneem en diegene wat nie deelneem nie. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat beleggers wat goeie OMB-verslagdoening (en dus goeie OMB-bestuur) verkies, behoort te konsentreer op groter maatskappye, maatskappye wat by ’n indeks vir verantwoordelike belegging ingesluit is, wat die riglyne van die Internasionale Verslagdoeningsinisiatief volg, en wat aan die VN se wêreldverdrag deelneem. Genoteerde maatskappye, veral dié in die metaal- en mynboubedryf, behoort ook meer aandag te skenk aan omgewings- en maatskaplike sake sowel as die algehele gehalte van hul verslae, en behoort meer gebruik te maak van beskikbare inisiatiewe om nie-finansiële verslagdoening te ondersteun.

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Price, Leigh. "A transdisciplinary explanatory critique of environmental education." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2007. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/909/.

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Barter, Nicholas J. "Pursuing sustainability : an exploratory study of organisations that have environmental missions." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/1707.

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Numerous management scholars argue that management theory is anthropocentric and considers humans as being separate from the environment. Further anthropocentrism does not enable theory and organisations to contribute to sustainable development. To counter this it is argued theory and organisations should embrace an environmental paradigm that does not separate humans and the environment. This exploratory research attempts to identify whether any organisations operate with an environmental paradigm. The research questions focus on paradigms and some of the tensions surrounding the human-environment debate, such as; sufficiency versus profit maximisation and quoted status, money as a means or an end and notions of boundaries between the organisation and the environment. The questions are explored with individuals from 23 environmentally focused, primarily for profit, organisations. The results indicate that the organisations operate with an environmental paradigm, do not perceive of boundaries between the organisation and the environment, do not pursue profit maximisation, can demonstrate sufficiency, view money as a means rather than an end and do not have a favourable view of quoted status. Furthermore, the interviewees do not separate their world into two realms, one social and one natural. Narratives that arise include the organisations operating to a mode of mission and money and that an aphorism of “altruistically selfish and selfishly altruistic” (Maturana & Varela, 1998:197) can be applied. In short, the results indicate some challenges to conventional management theory, in particular strategy and competitive advantage, and that the organisations interviewed could help to, some extent, enable sustainable development. To close, the hope of this study it that its narratives and the conceptual tool it has prompted, provide succour to students and managers who want to develop a ‘future normal’ of theories and organisations that better enable sustainability.

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Larwood, Andrew John. "Cleaner production : promoting and achieving it in the South Australian foundry industry." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envl336.pdf.

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Bibliography: leaves 123-130. The literature search and the findings from the investigation have been used to provide recommendations for a sector specific cooperative approach using regulation, self-regulation, voluntary agreements, economic incentatives and educational/information strategies to promote and acheive cleaner production in the South Australian foundry industry.

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Lee, Po-kwan Edmund, and 李寶均. "The role of the private sector in environmental conservation." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3125830X.

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Anderson-Marks, Michelle. "The decision making processes of small business owner-managers : an environmental focus." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/861.

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Large business is often the focus when environmental issues are discussed because their individual impact on the environment is viewed as larger than that of the smaller business. However due to the large size of the small business sector it has been recognised that reducing their collective impact is critical to achieving a sustainable future. A lack of engagement by small businesses in environmental management invoked an interest in understanding how to better engage the owner-managers in this area, but more specifically what influenced their decision. With an emphasis on the day to day running of the business, many small business owner-managers place more emphasis on core business operations and often neglect the impact their business has on the natural environment. Considering 96% of all business in Australia is classified as small, their collective impact on the natural environment is significant. As many small business owner-managers see their environmental impact as minimal, improving their environmental behaviour is challenging. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the decision making approaches of the small business owner-manager to environmental management issues. Nine small businesses from three industries were chosen and using the Critical Incident Technique to explore their decision making process, this study sought to understand from the owner-managers perspective how and why business decisions are made. Semi structured interviews were used to identify the decision making approaches for four different business decisions: economic, legislative, social and environmental. Over a series of interviews the owner-managers were able to freely describe their decision process and rich data was able to be obtained. Results indicated that owner-managers base business decisions on many factors and use a range of decision making styles depending on the type, and importance, of the decision to be made, that is core business decision are more often rationally made, whilst discretionary decisions will often be made intuitively based on the information at hand. Therefore to better engage them in ways to improve environmental management practices, increasing the knowledge and understanding to the benefits of these improvements is imperative. In addition this information is more readily accepted when the information is relevant to their business and presented in a clear manner by someone with whom the owner-manager has established a pre-existing relationship.

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Adam, Shalima. "Carbon disclosure and company performance : a portfolio performance approach." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21194.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
The objective of this research study was to investigate whether socially responsible companies that disclose their carbon emission, referred to in this research report as ‘carbon disclosure leaders’, outperform their non-disclosing counterparts, referred to in this research report as ‘carbon disclosure laggards’. This research study attempted to substantiate the relationship between companies’ carbon disclosure practices and companies’ share price performance. An empirical analysis was conducted with a focus on South African-listed Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) top-100 companies. A portfolio approach was utilised to establish if any significant relationship exists between company carbon disclosure and company share price performance. Portfolios were constructed based on companies that participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and were thus categorised into JSE industry sectors. It was assumed that by using industry-specific sectors, the macro-economic conditions would generally affect all companies in that specific sector in a similar way, thus enabling comparative analysis. The results from this study subsequently found, having done various analyses in terms of share price growth and carbon disclosure, that no significant correlation exists in terms of the CDP. This would, however, be correct in terms of the analysed data, which is limited at times, but cannot be necessarily inferred as a broader statement. Intuitively, it can be said that carbon disclosure and greater ratings in terms of the CDP would imply that companies are more positive in dealing with their carbon footprint, which would be more positive for their long-term existence and sustainability. Equally, it could also yield various cost savings that will translate into higher earnings and earnings per share that drive share price growth. In becoming more active in reducing the carbon footprint, companies would also reduce their risk profile since they would be better aligned to potential restrictive carbon emission legislation and improve their public profile, which could again boost profitability. Further arguments can be made to suggest that disclosure of a company’s carbon initiatives and footprint would benefit the company’s value and share price performance. Thus, having observed the outcomes of the analyses conducted in this report, the more appropriate question would be if other factors exist that could have affected the outcomes as observed and whether these factors could have overshadowed the proof that there is a positive correlation between share price growth and carbon disclosure.

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Tonti-Filippini, Justi. "The economic efficacy (in terms of cost and quality outcomes) of outsourcing IT services and cleaning services by large Australian companies and government business enterprises." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1868.

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On-shore outsourcing has been common in Australia for a number of decades across a range of business services in both the public and private sectors. Given this, there is less literature examining Australian on-shore outsourcing than one would reasonably expect. Whilst the literature examines the general motives for organisations to outsource and the economic effects of outsourcing for those organisations, it generally does not examine whether there are any differences in the motives, management strategies and techniques, and economic outcomes associated with the outsourcing of high skill functions compared to the outsourcing of low skill functions. The literature also devotes less attention than may be expected to the role of managerial strategy in determining the economic outcomes and relative successes of outsourcing projects. This study aims to contribute a bounded examination of these issues to the academic literature, by presenting an in-depth comparative investigation of the on-shore outsourcing of (high skill) IT services and (low skill) cleaning services by large Australian Government Business Entities (GBEs) and private sector companies, from each organisation’s decision to outsource to the end of their outsourcing lifecycle (relationship). The study will; identify and explain any differences (or lack of differences) in the cited motives for Australian GBEs and companies to outsource IT and cleaning services; discuss the economic impact of outsourcing decisions upon these GBEs and companies; examine the strategies used by those organisations in outsourcing cleaning and IT services, and the effects of these chosen strategies upon the economic outcomes of outsourcing for each organisation; and explain any differences (or the lack of difference) between the economic outcomes of outsourcing cleaning and IT services. The study was conducted over a number of years, using a triangulated mixed methods design involving thirteen case study organisations (with in-depth semi structured interviews with a large number of primary interview subjects at each case study organisation site) and data triangulation using corroborative interviews, company and public records, service provider records, service provider (corroborative) interviews, and focus group data.

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Von, Witt Simon. "Why do companies go green? A qualitative study of the motivations and contextual factors inducing sustainable responses." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6859.

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Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: ‘Going green’ draws its origins from the ‘green’ in politics, which was first used as a party name by the German Greens (Die Grünen) in the late 1970s, which, although not the first green party, through media hype triggered the conception of a green movement in the early 1980s. This was voiced through green parties across the globe. Green is now seen as a buzzword and is often used as shorthand for discussing sustainability. It has since gained support leading to the gathering of more than 100 heads of state at the Earth Summit, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 and provided the necessary platform to launch a global campaign. It initially began in developed nations, in particular European countries, but has since spread to developing countries, despite receiving abundant opposition both from developed and developing nations, due to its impact on the oil and coal sectors. The purpose of this research is to determine the core motivation behind companies going green. The researcher does this through a qualitative study of the motivations and contextual factors that induce ecological responsiveness ranging from day to day business practices to the ecological design of their offices. The researcher tests the hypothesis, namely climate change mitigation, which is developed through the literature study and adopted to evaluate the four case studies selected. The researcher builds up his argument in chapters 3 to 5, which draw on the literature studied and first discuss Government’s response to climate change, then the interventions in place to address climate change and finally look at the four case studies. Climate change and its relevance to companies is the key motivation behind deciding on this topic and it is discussed throughout the thesis. Companies interviewed in this thesis expressed concern about it, although it was not always the primary motivation. Some had already introduced measures to address it and were continually looking at new ways of mitigating it. Similarly, the companies interviewed and others analysed were all concerned about introducing cost saving measures, which had the added advantage of being of benefit to the environment. Genuine reasons for mitigating climate change and concern over the future of the planet put forward by certain companies, while protecting profit margins were given by others. All served to achieve one goal to protect the environment through the sustainable use of natural resources and ultimately to enhance companies’ public images as being green companies. This study is divided into a literature review and case studies, where literature pertaining to climate change, renewable energy, sustainable building, corporate governance, green jobs and others was sourced from government gazettes, newspapers, academic studies, books, documentaries, journals, magazines and internet sources. These serve to develop and support the case studies, which take the form of interviews done with owners and workers from the selected companies.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om groen te wees is ‘n uitdrukking wat van die politiek afkomstig is. Die naam is eers deur die Duitse Groenparty (Die Grünen) in die laat sewentiger jaar gebruik en alhoewel dit nie eintlik die eerste groenparty was, het dit deur middel van die media gelei tot die totstandkoming van die groenbeweging in die vroeer tagtige jare. Die naam “groen” is deur groenpartye wêreldwyd gebruik en ‘groen’ word deesdae as ‘n bynaam gebruik as ‘n mens van verdedigbaarheid praat. In 1992 te Rio de Janeiro, Brazil het die groenbeweging sterk steun gevind toe meer as 100 staatshoofde by die ‘Earth Summit’ bymekaar vergader het. Oorspronklik het die groenbeweging in die ontwikkelde nasies, veral Europese nasies, begin maar het daarna tot die ontwikkelende nasies uitgebrei. Maar daar was heelwat teenstand van beide ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende nasies, weens die ekonomiese uitwerking op die olie en steenkool industriëe. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal watter motiverende faktore maatskappye inagneem as hulle “groen” gaan. Die skrywer versoek om vas te stel deur middel van ‘n kwalitatiewe studie van die motiverende en samehangende faktore wat ekologiese antwoordendheid teweegbring. Hierdie faktore beweeg van daaglikse besigheidspraktyke tot die ekologiese beplanning van die kantore. Die skrywer gebruik die versagting van klimaatverandering as ‘n toets, wat deur die literatuurstudie ontwikkel is en wat verwys word as die sleutelmotivering wat tot groening lei, en wat gebruik word om die vier uitgesoekte studies te beoordeel. Elkeen van die studies word volgens hierdie kriteria bepaal. Die skrywer pas hierdie kriteria ook op voorbeelde wat gebruik word om die vier uitgesoekte studies te steun. Die skrywer bou in hoofstukke 3 tot 4 sy argument op. Daar word die regering se reaksie tot klimaatverandering en groot besigheid se antwoord op regeringsbeleid uiteengesit. Ons sien ook die bemiddelinge wat in staat gestel is om klimaatverandering teen te staan; daarna word die agtergrond oor die logiese gronde vir die verkiesing van die vier gevallestudies bespreek, en laastens word die eintlike gevallestudies behandel. Klimaatverandering en die relevantheid daarvan is die sleutelmotivering vir die keuse van hierdie onderwerp en dit word deurgaans in die proefskrif bespreek. Dit is die een gemeenskaplike faktor waaroor die vier ondervraagde maatskappye getoets is; hulle het reeds stappe geneem om dit teen te staan en soek aanhoudend om die uitwerking van klimaatverandering te versag. ‘n Oorsig van die algemene literatuur en sakestudies, die literatuur wat spesifiek op klimaatverandering van toepassing is, hernieubare energie, verduurbare geboue, maatskaplike beheer, ‘groen’ werk en klimaatverandering te versag. Inligting afkomstig van staatskoerante, koerante, akademiese studies, boeke, dokumentere studies, joernale, tydskrifte en internet bronne. Altesame het hierdie bronne bygedra tot die ontwikkeling en steun van die gevallestudies, wat hoofsaaklik die vorm van onderhoude met werkgewers en werknemers van uitgesoekde maatskappye gevat het.

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de, Aguiar Thereza R. S. "Corporate disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions : a UK study." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/840.

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Two beliefs drove this dissertation to be centered on the analysis of the UK corporate disclosure (CD) related to global climate change (GCC). Firstly, GCC is the most significant environmental concern of our current age (IPCC, 2001; Stern, 2006; IPCC, 2007). Secondly, CD could illustrate the values of organizations and possibilities for changing organizations’ responsibility regarding to GCC (Gray et al., 1996; Bebbington and Larrinaga-Gonzalez, 2008; Bebbington et al., 2009). This study utilizes content analysis as its principal method and seeks to achieve its goal by way of a two investigations. The first investigation focuses on disclosures made by direct participants’ (DP) in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). It captures GCC disclosures from both stand alone (SA) and annual reports (AR) during 2000 - 2004. This part of the study explores if joining the UK ETS changed GCC disclosures. This is tested on both a longitudinal and matched pair (MP) basis. An analysis using institutional theory suggests that instruments of environmental policy may influence GCC disclosures. Results showed that DP increased GCC disclosure, especially in the AR where mainstream business rationale is accepted. MP disclosures, in contrast, focus on the SA media and on different topics than DP disclosures. AR and SA both contain CD, but in this study they showed different patterns of disclosure and therefore may constitute different disclosure media. The second investigation suggests a method to compare GCC disclosure for a sample of DP and MP, using three different media: carbon disclosure project (CDP), AR and SA. Analysis shows that GCC disclosure did not provide sufficient information to compare GCC initiatives and disclosures. Despite the fact that organizations have similar characteristics in terms of sector, size and origin country, they showed different views on GCC issues and this may partially explain differences on GCC initiatives and disclosure.

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23

Welter, Karen. "Sustainability in the restaurant industry : a Cape Town study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71819.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main aims of this thesis were to focus on the restaurant system in Cape Town with a view to creating a support mechanism for a move to more sustainable practices. A review of the literature found that despite a growing global population, the pressure on resources and consumption has been driven by the global middle class. Over half the world lives in cities and dualistic urban systems reinforce access to resources by excluding the poor and favouring the wealthy. Resource flows and consumption have degraded ecosystems, created waste and emissions. We use resources faster than they can be replenished and have exceeded the earth’s regenerative capacity. Counter to this, there is evidence of decoupling resource use from economic growth. Similarly, the industrialised food system has been created on external inputs such as fertiliser and insecticides, largely derived from fossil fuels. Food produced in the system uses energy, produces waste, depletes the soil and thwarts biodiversity. The global food system counters local food economies. This thesis argues that a sustainable system would have the economy as a basis for a better and equitable environment for current and future generations within ecological and regenerative capacity. As a city Cape Town reflects the inequalities and unsustainability of the global system, with vast disparities in wealth and opportunity. Restaurants can control flows of energy, food and waste, support people and the environment, as well as communicate and educate consumers. By collaborative efforts they can lay the basis for local food economies. Restaurants connect consumers to their food and make decisions about where the food comes from, how it will be prepared and disposed of and who will engage in that preparation. The restaurant sector can contribute to sustainability in its use of resources as well as its employment, community engagement and communication practices. This in turn supports local economies and impacts on the broader sustainability of the city. Research into the restaurant system in Cape Town showed that there is consumer interest in sustainability. There is evidence of restaurants making efforts towards sustainable endeavours. Within Cape Town there is the opportunity to look for more sustainable energy, work around local and seasonal menus, support local food economies, and control wastage. Local food economies can be supported while staff can also be treated fairly and given growth opportunities. Endeavours can be communicated as a way of shifting current unsustainable consumption patterns. The conclusions drawn from the thesis suggest that like the Sustainable Restaurant Associations (SRA) and Dinegreen there is space for a support mechanism for the restaurant industry where individual restaurants can be helped to move to sustainability and collaborate with other stakeholders. The recommendations of the thesis are to create an organisation that can evolve into a co-operative that will bring restaurants together and map out the changes they make. They need to be supported with expertise and audits of their current practice so that they can set goals for the future with regard to their environmental and social actions.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoof doel van hierdie dissertasie was om die restaurantstelsel in Kaapstad te ondersoek met die oog daarop om ‘n ondersteuningsmeganisme vir meer volhoubare praktyke te skep. ‘n Literatuuroorsig het getoon dat ten spyte van ‘n groeiende wereldbevolking, die druk op natuurlike en ander hulpbronne deur die wereldwye middelklas uitgeoefen word. Meer as die helfte van die wereld woon in stede en dualistiese stedelike stelsels versterk toegang tot sulke hulpbronne deur die armes uit te sluit en voorkeur te gee aan die reikes. Die vloei en verbruik van hulpbronne het ekologiese stelsels gedegradeer en afskeidings en afval vergroot. Ons verbruik hierdie hulpbronne vinniger as wat hulle vervang kan word en het die aarde se herstelkapasiteit oorskry. Aan die ander hand is daar bewyse dat die verbruik van hulpbronne ontkoppel is van ekonomiese groei. Insgelyks is die industrieele voedselstelsel gegrond op externe inset soos kunsmis en insekdoders, wat grootendeels van fossiele brandstof bekom word. Voedsel wat in hierdie stelsel geproduseer word verbruik energie, skep afval, put die grond uit en werk biologiese verskeidenheid tee. Die globale voedselstelsel is in teenstand teenoor plaaslike voedselekonomiee. Hierdie dissertasie redeneer uit die oogpunt dat ‘n onderhoudbare stelsel die ekonomie as ‘n basis vir ‘n beter en billike omgewing vir huidige en toekomstige geslagte, binne die ekologiese kapasiteit, sou he. Die stad Kaapstad weerkaats die ongelykhede en onvolhoubaarheid van die wereldwye stelsel, met sy ongelykhede in welstand en geleenthede. Restaurante kan beheer uitoefen oor hulle vloei van energie, voedsel en afval, kan mense en die omgewing ondersteun, sowel as verbruikers inlig en oplei. Deur pogings om saam te werk kan hulle die grondslag le vir plaaslike voedselekonomiee. Restaurante kan verbruikers verbind tot hulle voedsel en kan besluite neem oor waarvandaan die voedsel verkry word, asook hoe dit berei en afgedoen sal word en wie dit sal berei. Die restaurantsektor kan bydra tot volhoubaarheid in sy gebruik van hulpbronne sowel as inwerkneming, gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid en kommunikasiepraktyke. Dit sal op sy beurt dan plaaslike ekonomiee ondersteun en ‘n wyer impak he op die volhoubaarheid van die stad. Navorsing oor die restaurantstelsel in Kaapstad het getoon dat die verbruiker belang stel in volhoubaarheid. Daar is tekens daarvan dat restaurante pogings aanwend in die rigting van beter volhoubaarheid. In Kaapstad bestaan die geleentheid om te soek na meer volhoubare energie, rondom seisoenaangepaste spyskaarte, die ondersteuning van plaaslike voedselekonomiee, en die beheer van afval. Plaaslike voedselekonomiee kan ondersteun word terwyl werknemers regverdig behandel word, en moontlikhede tot vooruitgang het. Hierdie pogings kan oorgedra word as ‘n manier om die huidige onvolhoubare verbruikspatrone te verander. Die afleidings wat gemaak word in hierdie dissertasie stel voor dat daar plek is vir ‘n ondersteuningsmeganisme vir die restaurantindustrie, soos die “Sustainable Restaurant Associations” (SRA) en “Dinegreen”, waar die individuele restaurant gehelp kan word in rigting volhoubaarheid te beweeg en om saam te werk met ander belangstellendes. Hierdie dissertasie stel voor om ‘n organisasie te skep wat kan ontwikkel tot ‘n kooperatiewe wat restaurant saam kan bring en die veranderings wat hulle aanbring kan uiteensit. Hulle sal moet ondersteun word met kennis en ouditering van hulle huidige praktyke, sodat hulle doele kan stel vir die toekoms met betrekking tot hulle omgewings en sosiaal gerigte handeling.

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Jarron, Christina. "More nearly social institutions legal regulation and the sociology of corporations /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/81460.

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"October 2008"
Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, Dept. of Sociology 2009.
Bibliography: leaves 273-293.
Introduction -- Patterns of corporate activity as patterns of corporate dominance: legal, organisational, and economic features of corporations -- Representations of corporate dominance in insidious injuries -- The legal basis of corporate dominance: History of the corporation -- Legal individualism and corporate personhood -- Theories of the corporation -- The legal regulation of corporations - corporate liability laws -- Conclusion.
Corporations are no longer simply a type of business structure; they are dominant social institutions. As institutions, corporations are archetypes of contemporary complex social organisation and should, therefore, be a central concern for sociology. Yet with few notable exceptions, sociologists have failed to address their increasingly dominant position in contemporary societies. In this thesis I argue the importance of a renewed sociological interest in corporations. This must acknowledge, but go beyond, the political-economic outcomes of corporations to address the profound consequences of the legal foundations of the corporate form. Corporations are created and regulated by legal doctrine; it is only with a legal mandate that corporations are able to act as employers, suppliers and investors. On this basis, I claim that any understanding of corporate dominance and its effects must commence with an appreciation of the laws that enable the corporation to exist and operate. -- While contributing significantly to wealth creation, corporate dominance also increases the potential for harm to occur to individuals and communities who fall within a corporation's scope. The contemporary proliferation of industrial illnesses is a prime example of this and is examined through a case study of the operations of an Australian asbestos corporation, James Hardie. This case study is timely and unique in its specification of the link between corporate activity and law in contemporary society. -- I argue that corporate activity such as that in the case study is enhanced and legitimated by the legal description of the corporation that assigns to it the capacities of a human individual through corporate legal personhood. Corporate personhood is examined as an example of the legal individualism endorsed in liberal common law countries. By exploring accounts of corporate structure, decision-making and work processes, I explain how the individualised description of the corporation is at odds with its collective realities; the largest and most successful corporations are collectives of human and monetary resources. -- In light of this, I question the extent to which the effective regulation of corporations can be achieved within existing legal frameworks. Building upon research into workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom, the regulation of workplace deaths in Australia is examined to demonstrate the various approaches to regulating corporations and to identify their shortcomings. This is a striking example of the problems law faces in regulating corporations by virtue of its individualistic design. -- The thesis concludes with an affirmation that sociology needs to grapple with issues of corporate activity and that an understanding of the legal basis of the corporation is the foundation of such studies.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
295 leaves

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Badenhorst, Leon. "A study into the slow rate of energy conservation in the base metal refinery of Anglo American Platinum (Amplats)." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21385.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
The consumption of energy results in environmental costs, which include resource shortages, air pollution and radioactive wastes. Due to the economic cost associated, more and more Western industrial organisations are investing in innovative technologies to reduce energy consumption through improved thermal insulation of buildings, modifying equipment and by using energy-saving devices. The organisations are, however, not assured of any savings unless employees handle apparatus and equipment in a manner that conserves energy. Therefore, the important question to answer is how organisational behaviour can be changed to improve and enhance energy conservation efforts. Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has identified that it needs to change its operations to conserve energy, thus ultimately conserving the planet. The company has identified an internal goal of reducing its energy consumption by fifteen percent, without sacrificing output, over a period of ten years from 2004. Current (2011) energy consumption at the Rustenburg Base Metals Refinery (RBMR) facility indicates that the mentioned goal does not seem achievable in 2014 as anticipated. The proposition to this phenomenon is that the prevailing culture at RBMR is not conducive to a conservation culture as required to conserve energy. Organisational culture is the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that shape the ways in which people behave and things get done. This hypothesis was tested with a culture survey in the form of an environmental questionnaire. The findings from the questionnaire confirm cultural barriers to achieving centralised targets and goals. Responses to the questionnaire indicated that the organisation does not measure energy conservation efforts accurately and that the information on how to attain the required conservation is not sufficient. The respondents further indicated that they have very limited input into energy conservation efforts and that trust issues present themselves as barriers to achieving set goals and targets. The prevailing perception by the respondents is that inadequate recognition systems are in place to drive the required savings. A surprising finding of the research is that the level of education of the respondents showed no significance with regard to energy conservation and the environment in general. A second interesting finding was that most respondents felt that they could do something to conserve energy and thereby conserve the environment. The challenge facing Amplats is to transform this awareness into a vehicle that will produce significant and sustainable results. Clear and decisive action will be required to bring about cultural change.

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Siqueira, Adriano Rodrigues. "Processo de interação escola-empresa: o caso do escritório verde da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná/UTFPR." Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, 2012. http://repositorio.utfpr.edu.br/jspui/handle/1/955.

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Esta dissertação apresenta a abordagem da importância da interação universidade empresa no ambiente acadêmico, com foco na descrição da construção da edificação do Escritório Verde da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, campus de Curitiba, que foi viabilizado a partir de parcerias com empresas. Analisa as bases históricas das relações universidade-empresa no Brasil, e evidencia as vantagens e necessidades advindas de tal interação do meio acadêmico com o setor produtivo. Discute as motivações que despertaram nas empresas o interesse em investir nesta relação, ofertando produtos e serviços para a viabilização do projeto de construção do Escritório Verde. Demonstra a importância de tal projeto para a universidade, bem como analisa as bases de criação de uma empresa Junior multidisciplinar que terá como sede o Escritório Verde, a qual prestará consultoria verde. Complementando a análise descritiva de como se deu o processo de interação, o estudo verificou por meio de um questionário enviado às principais empresas parceiras quais as expectativas destas quanto a sua participação em um projeto acadêmico e o que elas esperam desta relação após a conclusão da edificação. Traz como resultado as análises destas parcerias, as quais demonstraram que desde que se tenha um ambiente propício com ganhos mútuos, as empresas mostram-se solidárias e agregam-se a projetos acadêmicos. Evidencia o desejo das mesmas em capacitar profissionais em suas tecnologias e serviços ainda na universidade, enxergando a mesma como formadora de mão de obra. Em termos de responsabilidade socioambiental, verificou-se que as empresas desejam vincular seu nome a projetos que remontam a tais iniciativas, tendo em vista que estes trabalham com produtos e serviços que possuem apelo ambiental. O Escritório Verde mostrou-se uma vitrine no ramo da sustentabilidade e conscientização para com o meio ambiente, sendo alvo de inúmeras reportagens em mídias diversas.
This dissertation presents the approach of the importance of university-industry interactions in the academic environment, focusing on the description of the construction of building the Green Office Federal Technological University of Parana, Curitiba campus, which was made possible through partnerships with companies. Analyzes the historical basis of university-business relations in Brazil, and highlights the advantages and requirements arising from this interaction of academia with the productive sector. Discusses the reasons that sparked the interest in the companies to invest in this relationship, offering products and services for the feasibility of the construction of the Green Office. Demonstrates the importance of such a project for the university, as well as examines the foundations of creating a multidisciplinary junior company will be based at the Green Office, which will advise green. To complement the descriptive analysis of how was the process of interaction, the study found through a questionnaire sent to key business partners such as the expectations for their participation in an academic project and they expect this relationship after completion of the building. Bring the analyzes as a result of these partnerships, which demonstrate that since it has an environment conducive to mutual gains, companies appear to be supportive and add to academic projects. It highlights the desire of those in training professionals in their technologies and services still in college, seeing it as a trainer of labor. In terms of social and environmental responsibility, it was found that companies want to link your name to projects that go back to such initiatives, given that they work with products and services that have environmental appeal. The Green Office proved to be a showcase in the field of sustainability and awareness for the environment, the target of numerous articles in various media.

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Wilkinson, Roger Lindsay. "Population dynamics and succession strategies of rural industry producers." Thesis, full-text, 2009. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1943/.

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Sheep farming in Australia has a long tradition, built up over several generations, of inheritance of the family farm, the occupation of sheep farming and the personal identity around being a sheep farmer. This tradition appears to be under threat, due to a combination of hard times and the long-term and inexorable decline in the terms of trade. I examined this threat to the continuation of family farming in Australia’s sheep industry by describing the demographic structure of the industry, documenting the structural changes and questioning whether the changes actually matter. The work involved demographic analysis of data from recent censuses of population and housing and in-depth interviews with sheep farming families. The average age of Australia’s sheep farmers is increasing, caused mainly by the decrease in entry of young people to the industry. This phenomenon is not confined to Australia’s sheep industry but is widespread and long-term through the industrialised world. Also, as some areas focus on agricultural production and others on amenity consumption, the rural landscape is changing. The changes to the structure of Australia’s sheep industry and the nation’s rural landscapes are driven by substantial forces that cannot be resisted easily. This has implications for policy-makers, extension agents and farm families.

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Saad, Pedro Fernandes. "Empresas eODS: priorizando as ações sustentáveis de maior retorno econômico, social e ambiental para a humanidade." Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, 2018. https://tede2.pucsp.br/handle/handle/21547.

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Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-09T10:23:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Fernandes Saad.pdf: 3567757 bytes, checksum: a541132c7b6c355a8ad4c3842debd248 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-09-13
Comprising 8 goals and 21 associated targets, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were in forcesincethe beginning of the millennium until2015, have produced good results. Although this success was not entirely due to the MDGs,but also to a number of other global favorable circumstances, such as China's accelerated growth in the period, significant reductions were observed in global indices such as extreme poverty, hunger, out-of-school children and child mortality. The 2030 Agenda, which has succeeded the MDGs since 2016, is composed of 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and 169 associated targets, representing a much greater ambition to be achieved in an equalperiod of 15 years. According to the United Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP), it is estimated that US$ 5-7 trillion will be needed to meet the SDGs, with a deficit of US$ 2.5 trillion in developing countries, an order of greatness above the assistance they receive from developed countries, in the order of billions. It is a consensus that this difference can only be covered through partnerships involving the UN, governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector (companies and investors). This idea is advocatedby both market experts and the UN itself. Since the creation of the United Nations Global Compact in 2000, UNhas discussed partnerships every two years in the General Assemblies and has dedicated SDG17 to specifically deal with the partnerships to achieve the other SDGs. In order to stimulate the active participation of companies in SDGs, incorporating sustainability into their value chains, the Global Compact has been active on several fronts, including the provision of Blueprint for Business Leadership in the SDGs (BBL), a guide that presents suggestions for possible actions and guidelines on how to implement them. However, these actions are presented qualitatively, without any kind of expected cost/benefit parameter that can help companies and investors in decision making. This is a matterthat the Copenhagen Consensus Center (CCC) addresses in the Post-2015 Consensus, suggesting the prioritization of SDGtargets based on a return perdollar invested ratio, although the return,in this case,is the benefit to people, the planetand prosperity. The objective of this work is to propose a method to assist companies in decision making regarding thechoice of sustainable actions to be carried out in partnership with governments, NGOs and the UN itself, as recommended by SDG17, taking into account the cost/benefit ratio in terms of return (for mankind) per dollar invested. For this, the actions listed by the CCC in the Post-2015 Consensusare taken as basis and, for those that can be executed by companies, the model proposed in the BBL by the Global Compact is applied. The aim is to enhance the impact of sustainable actions carried out by companies and to help the UN and its specialized agencies, programs and funds to select and prioritize the most impactful partnerships, thereby contributing to achieving the intended targets by 2030
Compostos por oito objetivos e 21 metas associadas, os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio (ODM) da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), que vigoraram do início do milênio até 2015, produziram bons resultados. Ainda que este sucesso não tenha sido integralmente devido aos ODM, mas também a uma série de outras conjunturas globais favoráveis, como o crescimento acelerado da China no período, foram observadas significativas reduções em índices globais como extrema pobreza, fome, crianças fora da escola e mortalidade infantil. A Agenda 2030, que sucedeu os ODM a partir de 2016, é composta por 17 Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e 169 metas associadas, representando uma ambição muito maior para ser atingida em igual prazo de 15 anos. De acordo com o Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento (PNUD), estima-se que serão necessários de US$ 5 a 7 trilhões para atingir os ODS, sendo que nos países em desenvolvimento há um déficit de US$ 2.5 trilhões. Trata-se deuma ordem de grandeza acima da assistência que eles recebem dos países desenvolvidos, na casa de bilhões. É consenso que esta diferença só pode ser coberta por meio de parcerias que envolvam a ONU, governos, Organizações Não-Governamentais (ONGs) e o setor privado (empresas e investidores). Esta ideia é defendida tanto por especialistas do mercado, como pela própria ONU, que desde a criação do Pacto Global das Nações Unidas, em 2000, discute o tema das parcerias a cada dois anos nas Assembleias Gerais, além de ter dedicado o ODS 17 para tratar especificamente das parcerias para o atingimento dos demais Objetivos. Para estimular a participação ativa das empresas nos ODS, incorporando a sustentabilidade em suas cadeias de valor, oPacto Global tem atuado em diversas frentes, dentre elas a disponibilização do Blueprint for Business Leadership on the SDGs(BBL), um guia que apresenta sugestões de possíveis ações e orientações de como implementá-las. Entretanto, essas ações são apresentadas qualitativamente, sem nenhum tipo de parâmetro de relação custo/benefícioesperada que possa auxiliar as empresas e investidores na tomada de decisão. Esta é uma questão que o Copenhagen Consensus Center (CCC) endereça no Post-2015 Consensus, sugerindo a priorização das metas dos ODS com base em umarelação de retorno por dólarinvestido, embora o retorno, neste caso, seja o benefício para as pessoas, o planeta e a prosperidade. O trabalho tem por objetivo propor um método para auxiliar as empresas na tomada de decisão em relação à escolha de ações sustentáveis a serem realizadas em parceria com governos, ONGs e a própria ONU, conforme preconiza o ODS 17, levando em consideração o fator custo/benefício em termos de retorno (para a humanidade) por dólar investido. Para isto, tomam-se por base as ações listadas pelo CCC no Post-2015 Consensuse, para aquelas que podem ser executadas por empresas, aplica-se o modelo proposto no BBL pelo Pacto Global. Pretende-se, desta forma, potencializar o impacto das ações sustentáveis executadas pelas empresas e ajudar a ONU e suas agênciasespecializadas,programas e fundos a selecionareme priorizaremas parcerias de maior impacto, contribuindo, desta forma, para o atingimento das metas pretendidas até 2030

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Ginindza, Mpendulo Tozi. "Towards zero-waste to landfill : the case of CSIR's framework." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20114.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations are beginning to take responsibility for the impacts made by their operations/activities on the environment. The sustainability of organisations can not only be measured by their economic performance, but also by their social and environmental performance. Good governance as recommended in the King III report (Institute of directors in South Africa, 2009) requires reporting to be integrated with the organisation’s social and environmental performance. Organisations inevitably use natural resources and generate waste. Agenda 21 states that organisations should use natural resources efficiently (UNCED, 1992). The challenge according to UNDP (1998:1) is not to stop growth, but to “change the patterns of consumption and production, using new technologies to achieve greater efficiency and reduce waste and pollution”. Waste management is not only an internal concern for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), but also for the national and international institutions. In South Africa, waste management previously only involved the disposal of waste aspects of it; leaving out important components of waste management such as its treatment and the principles of waste reduction, reuse and recycling. South Africa has in the past ten years changed and has instead developed sustainability plans. For example, The Polokwane Declaration on waste management outlines what the government, civil society and the business community will do to ensure the reduction of waste generation and disposal (South Africa, 2001). The National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act 59 of 2008) states that waste must be reduced, reused, recycled and treated before it is disposed. To this effect, South African municipalities are trying to identify ways to ensure that residents and industry adhere to these requirements. The CSIR is a scientific and technological research, development and implementation organisation which has a long-standing commitment to environmental protection. It has been accredited for adherence with ISO14001 Environmental Management System requirements for over ten years. Development of the Zero-Waste to Landfill Framework builds on the strengths of the organisation’s Environmental Management System and enhances sustainable practices throughout the organisation; and also responds to national imperatives such as the Polokwane Declaration. Typical waste streams generated at the CSIR sites include general business waste (paper, cans, plastics, glass etc), general industrial waste (oils, greases, metals, plastics etc), and hazardous waste (chemical, laboratory, bio hazardous). The Zero-Waste to Landfill Framework assists, and gives guidance to the organisation in order to achieve Zero-Waste to Landfill. It informs the CSIR in planning for initiatives and systems that need to be in place in order to achieve the Zero-Waste to Landfill goal. The framework is developed to provide sustainable solutions for waste management which result in economic, social and environmental benefits for an organisation such as the CSIR. This research was done to look into the factors that ensure that an effective waste minimisation process and programme is implemented at the CSIR, and the recommendations are that; a) The CSIR participates in sustainability reporting. b) The CSIR implements green procurement. c) The CSIR explores different innovative methods, technologies and materials that can be used to minimise waste. d) The CSIR runs intensive awareness raising campaigns.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit blyk dat sekere Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies uiteindelik besig is om verantwoordelikheid te neem ten opsigte van die impak wat hul produksieprosesse op die omgewing het. Die volhoubaarheid van organisasies word nie net deur ekonomies uitsette gemeet nie, maar sluit ook die monitoring van organisatories-ekonomiese in. Effektiewe bestuur soos aanbeveel deur die King III verslag (Institute of directors in South Africa, 2009) vereis dat organisatoriese rapportering sosiale en omgewingsuitsette insluit. Dit is onafwendbaar dat organisasies natuurlike bronne sal gebruik en afval daardeur genereer. Agenda 21 (UNCED, 1992) vereis egter dat organisasies natuurlike hulpbronne op ‘n effektiewe en verantwoordelike manier sal gebruik. Volgens die UNDP (1998:1) is die uitdaging aan organisasies nie om vooruitgang te stuit nie, maar “to change the patterns of consumption and production, using new technologies to achieve greater efficiency and reduce waste and pollution”. Effektiewe afvalbestuur is nie net van toepassing op die “Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) nie, maar geld ook vir ander nasionale organisasies. In die verlede was afvalbestuurmetodes in Suid-Afrika hoofsaaklik gemik op die wegdoening van afval, terwyl metodes soos hergebruik, afvalvermindering en herwinning nie eers oorweeg is nie. Suid-Afrika het gedurende die afgelope tien jaar vooruitgang gemaak op hierdie terrein deur planne te ontwikkel wat volhoubaarheid sal bewerkstellig, byvoorbeeld the Polokwane Verklaring insake Afvalbestuur wat bepaal watter metodes die regering, gemeenskap en besigheidsgemeenskap sal implementeer om die vermindering en wegdoening van vaste afval te verseker. Die “National Environmental Management Waste Act” van 2008 vereis dat metodes vir die vermindering, hergebruik en herwinning oorweeg moet word alvorens blote wegdoening plaasvind. Die munisipaliteite in Suid-Afrika is tans besig om maniere te identifiseer wat sal verseker dat inwoners en industrieë hierdie vereistes nakom. The CSIR is gemik op tegnologiese navorsing, ontwikkeling en implementering en het ‘n langtermyn verbintenis om die omgewing te beskerm. Dit het die afgelope tien jaar die ISO 14 001 akkreditasie bekom en behou. Die ontwikkeling van die “Zero-waste to landfill”-Beleid bou op die positiewe aspek van die Organisasie se omgewingsbestuursisteem en bevorder volhoubare praktyke regdeur die Organisasie. Die Beleid spreek ook tot nasionale imperatiewe soos die Polokwane Verklaring. Die CSIR genereer afvalstrome ten opsigte van algemene kantoorafval (papier, blikkies, plastiek, glas, ens.), industriele afval (olie, ghries, metale, plastiek, ens.), sowel as gevaarlike afvalstowwe afkomstig van laboratoriums wat chemikalieë en biologies-gevaarlike materiaal insluit. Die “Zero-waste to Landfill”-Beleid fasiliteer en gee gestalte aan die Organisasie om hierdie doelwitte in die praktyk te bereik deur die ontwikkeling van inisiatiewe en sisteme. Die Beleid is ontwikkel met die doel om volhoubare oplossings te verskaf aan ‘n Organisasie soos die CSIR wat uiteindelik ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewingsvoordele sal inhou. Hierdie navorsing is gedoen om faktore wat die suksesvolle implementering van effektiewe afvalverminderings prosesse en programme by die CSIR beinvloed te ondersoek. Die aanbevelings sluit die volgende in: a) Die CSIR moet betrokke wees by volhoubare rapporteringsmetodes. b) Die CSIR moet aankoopmetodes implementeer wat volhoubaarheid ondersteun. c) Die CSIR moet verskeie innoverende metodes, tegnologie en materiale ondersoek wat gebruik kan word om die generering van afval te minimaliseer. d) Die CSIR moet intensiewe bewusmakingsveldtogte van stapel stuur.

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Castillo-Salazar, Juan-Carlos-Cris, and Jimmy-Paúl Silva-Bazán. "Estudio de prefactibilidad para la instalación de un centro ecoeficiente de fisioterapia dirigido al adulto mayor en la ciudad de Lima." Bachelor's thesis, Universidad de Lima, 2015. http://repositorio.ulima.edu.pe/handle/ulima/3329.

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El presente proyecto de investigación tiene como objetivo principal demostrar la viabilidad técnica, económica y de mercado de implementar un establecimiento que brinde servicios de fisioterapia a los adultos mayores de la ciudad de Lima Metropolitana enfocado en mejorar la calidad de vida de sus pacientes, en el aumento del nivel de servicio de sus terapias y en la optimización de la eficiencia de sus instalaciones a través de la implementación de un sistema de gestión ambiental basado en la ecoeficiencia lo que contribuirá en el desarrollo sostenible y mitigación del impacto ambiental en el área de influencia del proyecto.
The main aim of the present research project is to demonstrate the technical, economic and market feasibility of implementing an establishment that provides physiotherapy services for seniors of the city of Metropolitan Lima focused on improving the quality of life for patients, increasing the level of service of its therapies and optimizing the efficiency of its facilities through the implementation of an environmental management system based on the eco-efficiency which will contribute to sustainable development and mitigation of the environmental impact in the project´s area of influence.
Trabajo de investigación

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Pearse, Guy Dugald. "The business response to climate change : case studies of Australian interest groups." Phd thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/109792.

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This research project is predominantly aimed at improving our understanding of interest group behaviour. Assessments about 'group interest' and decisions about group engagement in the Australian greenhouse policy network provide a useful opportunity to pursue this research aim. As an empirical contribution to the study of interest groups and policy networks, this research is atypical in a few ways. First, while most of the literature concentrates on the role of interest groups and policy networks in explaining policy outcomes, this study focuses on understanding group behaviour. Second, while the literature concerns itself heavily with group-government relationships, the focus here is on group decision-making about network engagementrelationships with government are addressed only to the extent that they impact on these decisions. Third, while most interest group research assumes that groups know and pursue their interests, or that behaviour reveals group preferences, this research does neither. Instead there is a strong emphasis on what forces shape and change perceptions of group interest and no assumption that groups necessarily pursue those perceived interests. These differences necessarily mean that this work does not deal heavily with some of the main preoccupations in the literature-like why groups mobilise and whether they are good for society. Instead, light is shone on aspects of interest groups and policy networks which are acknowledged as important but receive relatively little attention. Alongside the primary objective--to make the empirical contribution to the literature-the aim here is also to contribute to a greater understanding of the history of greenhouse policy development in Australia. This is seen as being valuable in its own right and it addresses widespread curiosity about why business groups with an apparent interest in climate change policy have responded so differently in the Australian context The result is seven case studies which examine the greenhouse responses of a diverse range of business interest groups that have been active in, or judged relevant to the Australian greenhouse policy network. The case studies rely heavily on analysis of interviews conducted with 56 people drawn both from the case groups and from a broad cross-section of other important players in the greenhouse policy network. As a study of the wider policy network, this work is arguably unprecedented in scope. Those interviewed include party leaders, cabinet ministers, advisors and departmental secretaries spanning the Hawke, Keating and Howard federal governments. Past and present leaders of industry associations, think tanks, environmental organisations, along with academics, and journalists were also interviewed with all sides of the debate represented. The results presented here aim to make an commensurate contribution to our knowledge of both interest group behaviour and greenhouse policy development in Australia.

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Nolles, Karel Electrical Engineering &amp Telecommunications Faculty of Engineering UNSW. "Using markets to implement energy and environmental policy. Considerations of the regulatory challenges and lessons learned from the Australian experience and laboratory investigation using experimental economics." 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/40778.

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Government is constantly attempting to balance the competing interests within society, and is itself active in a variety of different roles. The conflict between these roles becomes particularly clear when an attempt is made to implement a "regulatory market" - that is a market that exists only because of government action- such as an electricity or environmental market - to implement some policy objective, since it is the nature of markets to candidly reveal weaknesses that in a non-market management framework may have remained hidden for some time. This thesis examines the difficulty that government has in setting market rules that implement an efficient market design for such markets. After examining the history and development of the Australian Electricity Industry market reform process, we examine more closely some of the electricity related environmental markets developed specifically to drive a policy outcome in Australia -- in particular the Australian Mandatory Renewable Energy Target Market (MRET) and the New South Wales Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme. By comparing these environmental markets with established financial markets, and using the techniques of experimental economics, we show that these environmental markets have significant inefficiencies in their design. We argue that these come about because lessons from the financial markets have not be learned by those implementing environmental markets, that stakeholders are lobbying for market design characteristics that are not in fact in their own best interests, and that governments struggle to manage the divergent pressure upon them. For example, in MRET we show experimentally that one of the market design characteristics most fought for by generators (the ability to create renewable energy certificates from qualifying energy without declaring the certificates to the market until a later time of the creator's choosing) in fact leads to market volatility, and ultimately inefficiently low prices. We also examine the impact on the overall MRET market of simple rule changes upon market performance. Key conclusions of this thesis are that it is more difficult than has been appreciated to successfully use a market to implement public policy and that important lessons have not yet been learned from the existing financial markets.

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"Corporate environmental behavior and competitive advantage." Thesis, 2006. http://library.cuhk.edu.hk/record=b6074176.

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Data are collected from twenty-nine corporations in Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta, Beijing, and England. Concurring with the conceptual framework, competitiveness, legitimacy, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are identified as key motivations of CEB. Among these three motivations, CSR has the most obvious direct impact on CEB. Notably, attitudes toward CSR vary significantly among corporations, and CSR is critically linked to the extent of managerial engagement in CEB. With some corporations successfully linking CEB with competitive advantage, the findings clear the causal ambiguity between engagement in CEB and competitive advantage. Several strategies in terms of reputation building, productivity improvement, market positioning, and capability enhancement are identified. The study enriches theory development of the two divergent perspectives: (a) strategic management and (b) CSR by suggesting a theory of strategic management embracing CSR in building competitive advantage, and the latter affirming engagement of CEB in improving corporate financial performance.
Existing views on how corporations resolve environmental problems are polarized with one side seeing corporate environmental investment as a cost with an inherent trade-off between economic and environmental concerns; and the other side asserting the moral obligation for corporations to do so. This study adopts a holistic view to resolve the problem by proposing a conceptual framework of corporate environmental behavior (CEB) through the linking mechanism to synthesize the seemingly diverged views.
Croft Kan, Man Ping Lena.
"December 2006."
Adviser: Shige Makino.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3457.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-279).
Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
School code: 1307.

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Manning, Elizabeth Sophie Mary. "Local content and related trade policy: Australian applications / by Elizabeth S.M. Manning." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/22073.

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Tracey, Jacqueline Lee. "Coping with insecurity : family firms in the New South Wales logging industry." Phd thesis, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/130339.

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Although logging firms are at the centre of the conflict over logging native forests in Australia, little is known about them or the families which own them. This thesis provides a detailed account of a hitherto unexplored world. Its insight stems from my unique position as an insider, with a family background in logging and a role with the New South Wales Logging Association. The study combines a detailed examination of logging firms with an analysis of how they respond to the insecurities and livelihood problems that confront them. It argues a case that only by achieving the integration of the relations of production with those of family and gender can this be done. The analytical framework constructed here is informed by political economy and feminist developments in the social theory of family and work. The central concepts of political economy, such as class and labour process theories, are important in describing the structure of the industry and employment relations. However, social structures and processes other than these are important in frilly understanding how family firms operate. The relations of family and gender are explored and ideological dimensions are integrated into the overall analysis. By integrating these concepts, logging firms are differentiated in terms of variations in the family labour process and capitalist class relations by drawing upon the experiences of owners of logging firms in northern New South Wales. Realist methodologies, such as participant observation and interviewing, are used to explore the reality of the owners lives and to find out what it means to be a 'logging contractor' and a 'logging contractor's wife'.. Gender and family are defining features of the labour process. Women play an important role which varies according to the type of firm. Notions of family and kinship shape employment relations between employers and owners in complex, informal and negotiated ways. The major sources of insecurity and uncertainty for logging firms and their families are: the flexible contract system in the timber industry and the environmental movement's anti-logging campaigns. The cumulative business, family and personal effects of these are discussed. This research supports the argument for integrating capitalist class relations with those of family and gender in the analysis of family logging firms. In doing so, an in-depth analysis of the logging industry and logging firms is acquired, contributing to a better understanding of the logging industry in northern New South Wales and a reorientation of political economy.

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Kamwendo, Zanele. "Embracing green practices : perspectives from the tourism accommodation industry in the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/9680.

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Kalidin, Uveer. "An exploration of the views of manufacturing small medium enterprise owners with regards to green tax incentives in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/2486.

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Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Accounting: Taxation, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017.
The study was to explore the awareness of owners of small medium enterprises with regards to green tax incentives; to identify their attitudes towards such green tax incentives and the possible impact it will have on small medium manufacturing enterprises going green.This study used a quantitative research design, specifically a descriptive survey approach. A census sample was drawn through a list provided by the Durban Chamber of Commerce. A survey questionnaire was the primary data collection tool used. At total of 152 questionnaires were distributed and a 104 were received yielding a response rate of 68 %. The data showed that small medium enterprises were concerned about the environment, and acknowledged that their business activities have a negative impact on the environment. The study also established that small medium enterprise owners are concerned with the impact that climate change will have on their business operations. A majority of the sample considered green taxation to be an important driver that would allow businesses to become eco-friendly. Owners were found to support the utilization of green taxation incentives and were considering using green taxation as part of future business decision making, thus ensuring that meet corporate social responsibility. It was concluded that there was a need for the government to put more focus into creating awareness of global warming and climate change. There was also a need to find more innovative ways of promoting eco-consciousness and green sustainable practices and the need to draft and identify new green taxation legislature that caters for public and small medium enterprises.
M

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Von, Solms Sebastian Heinrich. "A systems approach to TQM for integrating quality and environmental management." Thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4498.

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Total Quality Management (TQM) is both enthusiastically praised and severely criticised in the management literature. The current study discusses various problems related to TQM and suggests a model for TQM to attempt to alleviate these problems. This model integrates quality and environmental management basing the system on a combination of the ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 standards. A number of perspectives, which are consequences of the model, are discussed, including integration, participation and multi-criteria decision making. Different strands of Systems Theory are presented as providing insights that should assist in successfully addressing these perspectives. General Systems Theory is described as providing perspectives regarding integration and Soft Systems Thinking as providing perspectives regarding participation. Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodologies are not normally seen as part of Systems Thinking but the compatibility of these two approaches is argued and the utility for TQM of the link between MCDM and Systems Thinking indicated. Critical Systems Thinking is suggested as providing the theoretical perspectives to define a multimethodology framework linking three methodologies, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), Strategic Assumptions Surfacing and Testing (SAST) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This framework is suggested as providing the diversity of perspectives needed to promote participation in the process and to give a sense of direction in the multifaceted management intervention on the problem of progressing toward a combined ISO 9002114001 system. T!Us framework was implemented at Mondi Kraft, Richards-Bay Mill via three workshops following an Action Research based process. This process is described and the data emanating from the workshops analysed and discussed. The process succeeded in the objective of promoting organisational learning on two levels. First, the introduction of the three new methodologies increased management knowledge by providing extra problem solving methods. Second, the issues and models discussed during the workshops heightened management awareness of quality and environmental matters across a wide front and, through the AHP ratings, management was able to prioritise these issues for later action. A number of recommendations and items for possible further research flowed from this study and are discussed.
Thesis (M.Comm.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

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Methakullawat, Phongpob. "An assessment of the environmental performance of the foreign firms in Vietnam : evidence from the manufacturing sector." Phd thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150289.

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Ernpirical evidence on the environmental performance of foreign-owned firms has been mixed at best. Recent studies by Eskeland and Harrison (2003) and Elliott and Cole (2008) argue that foreign ownership is associated with superior environmental outcomes relative to the domestic counterparts. In contrast, others such as Pargal and Wheeler (1996) and Dasgupta et al (2000) indicate that no such positive relationship between foreign firms and the environmental outcomes exist in their studies. As a result, this thesis attempts to contribute to the existing literature and the FDI-environment debate. This thesis investigates the environmental performance of foreign-owned firms in the manufacturing sector in Vietnam. It offers several additional insights into whether the environmental performance of foreign firms depend on a country of origin or export orientation. It also employs alternative environmental measures to determine whether environmental outcomes depend on the choice of the measures used in the analysis. To do so, this study employs the Vietnamese 2004 Enterprise Survey. The study carefully considers several econometric challenges inherent in the data, namely the non-reporting and the zero-coded observations which present problems under the OLS estimator. Several candidate estimators are reviewed and the negative binomial pseudo-maximum likelihood estimator is found to be the best estimator amongst the candidate estimators. The estimation results reject the hypothesis that foreign-owned firms perform better environmentally compared to private domestic firms. In fact, foreign-owned firms in the manufacturing sector in Vietnam discharge around forty per cent more of the liquid waste per revenue. I also employ two alternative environmental measures: expenditure on environmental protection and the adoption of waste treatment methods to determine whether the environmental outcomes might be dependent on the measures used in the analysis. Using the likelihood of adopting different treatment methods, the estimation results indicate that foreign firms are not more likely to adopt a treatment method relative to the private domestic firms. The results also indicate that environmental outlay by foreign firms is higher that of the private domestic firms. However, amongst the firms which reported positive outlay of environmental spending, foreign ownership does not imply more spending than the private domestic firms. Since these results are contrary to some of the literature and some of the theoretical predictions, this thesis also examines whether particular subsets of foreign firms are responsible for the lack of a finding of foreign "greenness". I consider exporting versus non-exporting foreign firms, as well as North (developed countries) versus South (developing countries) foreign firms. The findings show that there is significant statistical difference between the exporting and the non-exporting foreign firms in that the exporting foreign firms discharge more liquid waste per revenue than the non-exporting foreign firms. However, even the non-exporting foreign firms are no better environmentally than their domestic counterparts. A simple model is also developed to explain these results as arising from a combination of trade, FDI and disposal costs leading to sorting of foreign firms according to their environmental performance. Lastly, perhaps the most surprising result, the South foreign firms are no more polluting than their North counterparts, and that the North foreign investors are at least as polluting as the similar domestic counterparts.

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Andreassen, Tor Håvard. "The practice of corporate social resonsibility among small, micro and medium manufacturing enterprises in the Pietermaritzburg area and how this practice is influenced by their stakeholders." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4962.

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The operations of South African SMMEs have significant environmental and social implications, and the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) practices in these companies is therefore of great value, both environmentally and socially. Implementation of practices of CSR is influenced by the stakeholders of a company and thus by the socio-economic and political context in which the company operates. This study examines the practice of CSR in manufacturing SMMEs in the Pietermaritzburg area, and how this practice is influenced by their stakeholders. This is done through semi-structured interviews with representatives from key local stakeholders and a sample of eight local manufacturing SMMEs. The study shows that manufacturing SMMEs in the Pietermaritzburg area have implemented a wide variety of CSR practices and that they are managing and interacting with their stakeholders in a sophisticated manner. The studied companies do in general have a limited understanding and narrow interpretation of CSR, and CSR is often confused with Corporate Social Investment (CSI) as it is described in the South African Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scorecard. The companies do, however, practise CSR in a number of ways. The companies have implemented practices that address all of the CSR issues examined in this study: Labour issues, B-BBEE, HIV/AIDS, environmental issues and community outreach. The nature of, extent of, and motivation for these activities do, however, vary considerably. The results of the study reveal that the motivation for undertaking practices of CSR generally can be attributed to influence from the stakeholders of the examined companies. In this study the stakeholders were identified on the basis of a contextual analysis, and the stakeholder model of Donaldson and Preston was grouped into: Civil society stakeholders and communities, Government stakeholders, Stakeholders affiliated with the companies, and Business stakeholders. All groups of stakeholders were found to be exerting a significant influence on the CSR practices undertaken by the examined companies. The degree of influence varies amongst the different stakeholders and practices, and some of the CSR practices had been undertaken as a result of influence from several stakeholders. A few of the CSR practices undertaken by the interviewed SMMEs can be attributed to influence from the local key stakeholders that were interviewed in this study. It is also possible to find examples of companies implementing CSR practices as a result of local stakeholders combining their efforts. The study shows that SMMEs in the Pietermaritzburg area are responsive to their stakeholders and that the practice of CSR is greatly influenced by what the companies consider to be their stakeholders’ concerns. The interviewed local stakeholders have, however, only a limited influence on the SMMEs. It is therefore likely that the stakeholders can deepen the practice of CSR in local SMMEs by co-operating and thus increasing one or more of their stakeholder attributes: power, legitimacy, and urgency. The study has contributed to a greater understanding of the role of stakeholders in influencing CSR practice in South African SMMEs and has revealed important hints on how this influence can be strengthened and directed through government activities and other stakeholder alliances.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

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Young, Owen Australian Graduate School of Management Australian School of Business UNSW. "The internationalisation of financial services firms." 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/40634.

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Most financial institutions have not been successful at internationalisation, with some being remarkably unsuccessful. There are fewer occurrences of cross-border mergers and acquisitions than in most other industries. Foreign financial institutions tend to underperform relative to domestic financial institutions. Rugman and others have argued that their internationalisation primarily occurs at the regional rather than global level. Existing theories identify some barriers to firms? internationalisation, but these theories, were developed for manufacturing firms, and were rarely applied to financial services firms. This research seeks to identify barriers to financial institutions' internationalisation and contribute to the under-researched area of services internationalisation. To better understand the barriers to internationalisation, qualitative research techniques were used for an in-depth case-study analysis of one firm and its attempts at internationalisation, followed by detailed interviews of internationally experienced financial institutions executives from other firms. Finally, the apparent preference for regional over global expansion was investigated, through a quantitative analysis of over 12,000 cross-border, financial-services merger and acquisition transactions from 1990 to mid-2005. The research identified thirty-eight barriers to internationalisation, consistent with Rugman's findings on regional expansion, but also with the effects of similarity variables such as language, culture and legal system. The quantitative analysis tested these effects and found that the region effect was high, and was stronger than language and cultural effects individually, but about the same as their combined effect. The legal system similarity is not statistically significant when all effects are combined. This research contributes to this under-researched field. Given that internationalisation supports economic growth in the host and home countries, an improved understanding of these barriers may assist policy makers and enable managers to make better international investment decisions. The findings on the effect of geography versus other factors, such as language and culture, may inform managers' choice of target countries.

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Bok, Elizma Sharee. "Adopting green information and communication technology: barriers for South African small and medium enterprises." Diss., 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26472.

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Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa
Green information and communication technology (ICT) is viewed as a pioneering initiative that plays a key role in reducing the negative impact of ICT on the environment. The research problem of the study was the low green ICT adoption rate in South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The primary objective was to identify the most prominent barriers resulting in this low adoption rate. The first secondary objective was to determine the barrier with the strongest underlying correlation resulting in the low adoption rate of green ICT in South African SMEs. The second secondary objective was to recommend strategies on how to improve the adoption rate of green ICT. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data through electronic and paper-based surveys. A census study was conducted among owners and managers of high-technology-based SMEs located in Gauteng. An exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify the barriers resulting in the low adoption rate of green ICT. These barriers were found to be a lack of funding, awareness, legislation, skills, and knowledge based on complexity and uncertainty. A lack of funding was identified as the most prominent barrier to adopting low green ICT. Although five constructs were discussed in the literature, the overall results presented six components, with the construct of knowledge being made up of two parts – complexity and uncertainty. This study recommends that SMEs align green ICT initiatives with their strategic goals and that government consider more adequate support structures for SMEs. The study confirmed a low green ICT adoption rate in South African SMEs, and more research is required to explore the impact of each of the factors above on the environment.
Met groen inligting-en-kommunikasietegnologie (IKT) word baanbrekerswerk gedoen om die nadelige uitwerking wat IKT op die omgewing het, te verklein. Die trae tempo waarteen Suid-Afrikaanse klein en medium ondernemings (KMO’s) groen IKT aanneem was die navorsingsprobleem van hierdie studie. Die primêre oogmerk was om die grootste struikelblokke vir die aanneem van groen IKT aan te toon. Die eerste sekondêre oogmerk was om die struikelblok met die sterkste onderliggende korrelasie met die trae tempo waarteen Suid-Afrikaanse KMO’s groen IKT aanneem, te bepaal. Die tweede was om met strategieë te kom om die tempo te versnel waarteen groen ITK aangeneem word. Data is met ŉ selfvraelys deur elektroniese en papieropnames versamel. ŉ Sensusstudie is onder die eienaars en bestuurders van hoëtegnologie-KMO’s in Gauteng gedoen. Struikelblokke wat vir die trae aanneming van groen ITK verantwoordelik is, is met ŉ verkennende faktoranalise aangetoon. Daar is bevind dat gebrekkige befondsing en bewustheid, wetgewing, ŉ gebrek aan vaardighede en kennis weens die kompleksiteit en onsekerheid struikelblokke is. ŉ Gebrek aan befondsing was die grootste struikelblok vir die aanneem van groen IKT. Hoewel vyf konstrukte in die literatuur bespreek is, het die uitslag aangedui daar is ses. Die konstruk kennis is uit twee dele saamgestel: kompleksiteit en onsekerheid. Hierdie studie beveel aan dat KMO’s hulle groen IKT-inisiatiewe met hulle strategiese doelwitte in ooreenstemming bring, en dat die regering KMO’s beter ondersteun. Die studie bevestig die trae tempo waarteen Suid-Afrikaanse KMO’s groen ITK aanneem. Die invloed van elk van die bogenoemde faktore op die omgewing moet in verdere navorsing verken word.
Ulwazi lwezeMvelo kanye nobuchwepheshe bezokuxhumana (ICT) kuphawuleka njengemizamo yamaqhinga amasha adlala indima esemqoka ekunciphiseni umthelela omubi we-ICT kwezemvelo. Inkinga exazululwayo kucwaningo kwabe kuyizinga eliphansi lomthintela we-ICT kwezemvelo kumabhizinisi amancane nalawo asafufusa (SMEs) eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso yokuqala kwabe kuwukuthola izikhinyabezo ezigqamile eziholela ekutheni kube nezinga eliphansi lokwamukela ezemvelo. Inhloso yokuqala esesigabeni sesibili kwabe kuwukuthola isikhinyabezo esinezimpawu ezihambisanayo kakhulu esidala izinga eliphansi lokwamukela ezemvelo kwi-ICT. Inhloso yesibili yesigaba sesibili kwabe kuwukuncoma amasu angasetshenziswa ukuthuthukisa izinga lokwamukelwa kwezemvelo kwi-ICT. Umbhalo wemibuzo ehlelwe wumcwaningi ngokwakhe wasetshenziswa ukuqoqa idatha ngohlelo lwesaveyi eyaqhutshwa ngekhomphyutha nangephepha. Ucwaningo lohlelo lokubalwa kwabantu/lwesensasi lwenziwa phakathi kwabanikazi kanye nabaphathi bamabhizinisi amancane nasafufusa esifundazweni saseGauteng, amabhizinisi encike kubuchwepheshe beqophelo eliphezulu. Uhlelo lokuhlaziya oluhlolayo lwasetshenziswa ngesizathu sokuthola izihibhe ezidala izinga eliphansi lokulandelwa kwezemvelo ku-ICT. Lezi zihibhe zatholakala ukuthi ukuswela uxhaso lwezimali, ukwexwayiswa, umthetho, izakhono zomsebenzi kanye nolwazi olwencike phezu kwesimo esixubene kanye nokungabi nesiqinisekiso. Ukuswela ukuxhaswa ngezimali kwabonakala njengesikhinyabezo esikhulu mayelana nokwamukelwa kwezinga eliphansi lwe-ICT yezemvelo. Yize kuye kwaxoxwa ngezakhiwo ezinhlanu kumbhalo wobuciko, yonke imiphumela iveze izigaba eziyisithupha, ngesakhiwo solwazi esahlukene izingcezu ezimbili – isimo esixubene kanye kanye nokungabi nasiqinisekiso. Ucwaningo luncoma ukuthi amabhizinisi amancane nasafufusa (SMEs) ahambisana nemizamo yohlelo lwe-ICT olulandela ezemvelo kanye nezimpokophelo zamasu kanye nokuthi uhulumeni ubhekelele ukuthi kube nezakhiwo eziningi nezanele zokuxhasa amabhizinisi amancane nasafufusa (SMEs). Ucwaningo luqinisekisile ukuthi kunezinga eliphansi lokubhekelelwa amabhizinisi amancane nasafufusa mayelana nezemvelo kwi-ICT eNingizimu Afrika, kanti kudingeka ucwaningo oluningi ukuhlola umthintela wazo zonke izinto ezingenhla mayelana nezemvelo.
Business Management
M. Com. (Business Management)

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Hlahla, Sithabile. "Wealth creation through green economy in urban areas : a case study of poor urban women's use of environmental services to generate income in Msunduzi Municipality, South Africa." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/11044.

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Urbanisation is an inevitable process that creates opportunities for economic growth and development, however, it can come at the cost of urban poverty and environmental degradation - two of the greatest challenges facing policy-makers. The global failure to develop in a sustainable manner has led to the adoption of green economy in the context of poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Given South Africa’s high rates of urbanisation, the nation’s government, in partnership with civil society and the private sector, is taking steps to green its economy, with the transition ranging from large-scale solar installation projects to small-scale grassroots level projects where the green jobs are created for the poor, predominantly women, by paying them for environmental services. This research investigates how urban poor women in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, under the management of a local environmental non-governmental organisation (ENGO), Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT), are using the green economy concept to generate income and contribute to environmental sustainability. Using a case study approach, three areas were selected in which semi-structured questionnaires were administered to women who are involved in a ‘green-preneurship’ initiative, consisting of three project nodes, namely, waste-, tree-, and food-preneurship. The women registered under the project collect and segregate waste for sale to the ENGO (waste-preneurs), while others grow indigenous trees for sale to the ENGO (tree-preneurs), and some grow food crops for subsistence and sale of any excess to community members (food-preneurs). The project is reducing poverty levels and empowering the women both economically and socially. Furthermore, while the primary incentive for participating in the green economy initiative was found to be financial, the project has helped to raise environmental awareness and is a mechanism through which women can contribute to environmental sustainability. Their voluntary participation in the project indicates the importance of urban poor women to green economy. This role stems from understanding the importance of the environment to their livelihood, and in this regard, green economy can be said to be addressing the social and environmental externalities of urbanisation, with women at the forefront.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

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Samuel, Oluranti Sunday. "Environmental and sociological factors as determinants of occupational health and safety of workers in selected small and medium scale enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/22669.

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Work is an essential activity that provides goods or services of value to oneself and others. Paradoxically, in a bid for self-realisation, workers are seriously endangered. Work-related or induced diseases and stresses pose serious threats to workers’ health and the general well-being, hence, the need to seriously consider the issue of occupational health and safety of workers. In terms of safety at work, the experience of small and medium scale enterprises (SMSEs) worldwide is that of neglect. Their incomes are very low and uncertain, coupled with high levels of risk and hazard in their work, with little or no social protection coverage (Chen, 2008). This study therefore examines how environmental and sociological factors determine occupational health and safety of workers in SMSEs in Lagos State, Nigeria. Ulrich Beck “Risk Society” theory, Political Economy of Health framework (PEH) (Minkler et al 1994, Linnan et al, 2001) and Labour Process Theory (LPT) (Braverman, 1974; Marx, 1976; Bottome, 1991) underpinned the study. The study adopts both the qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The qualitative method includes field observation of the selected workplaces, six Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and eight In-depth interviews (IDIs). The quantitative involved the use of structured questionnaire. The sample survey involved 180 respondents in a multi-stage sampling technique from purposively selected sawmills, mechanic villages and blacksmith cottages in three Local Government Areas in Lagos State. The quantitative data analysis uses simple percentile and univariate analyses, while the qualitative data are content-analysed, based on the objectives of the study. The findings identified low level of education (60.5%), and poor awareness of OHS in SMSEs (86.1%). It further reveals poor physical (69.5%) and technological environment (70.5%), unavailability of OHS facilities (60.5%) and prevention methods by manager/owners (60.5%), carefree attitudes of workers/managers/owners to OHS (69.5), non-acquaintance of workers to OHS laws (86.1%), workers’ economic incapacitation to deal with issues of occupational hazard (76.1%), lack of enforcement of OHS (88.3%), and transferring knowledge on OHS (82.2%) in the selected SMSEs. The study recommends roles for managers/owners, workers, trade associations, government, non-governmental organisations to promote effective OHS in the selected SMSEs.
Sociology
D.Phil. (Sociology)

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Hamner, Rebecca Anne. "Identifying the relevance of "family forest" wood product origin and environmental certification for Oregon consumers, and specifiers and industrial customers." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/33663.

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The wood products industry is influenced heavily by family ownership along the entire value chain. Although family ownership affects each link of the wood products value chain, there has been little research into the importance of products originating from family forestland. Specific attributes of products, such as origin or environmental certification, have been considered part of a business��s marketing strategies. This study evaluates the relevance of family forest wood product origin and environmental certification for Oregon consumers who participated in this study and Oregon specifiers and industrial customers. Data was collected from consumers, and specifiers and industrial customers in Oregon. Conjoint analysis was employed with softwood lumber as the product and price, wood origin, and environmental certification as the features. Results from this analysis for consumers show that wood origin is the most important factor followed by price and environmental certification. However, for specifiers and industrial customers, price is the most important factor followed by environmental certification and wood origin. "Family" is seen as the most preferred wood origin level for both buyer groups in the study.
Graduation date: 2013

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