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Keyword = small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
Total — 22 articles
Article7 March 2023
Olaniran Anthony Thompson, Agbotiname Lucky Imoize and Taiwo Timothy Amos
The study determined the critical variables inducing the choice of mitigation and adaptation methods adopted by the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) against the effect of climate change on their enterprises in Southwest Nigeria. A
The study determined the critical variables inducing the choice of mitigation and adaptation methods adopted by the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) against the effect of climate change on their enterprises in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to choose 200 SMEs Managers/Chief Executive Officers (100 mitigating climate change and 100 not mitigating) as respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics and a multinomial regression model were employed to investigate the data collected. The findings show that the mean age of Managers/CEOs mitigating climate change was 41.8 years, and the level of education of climate change mitigating Managers/CEOs (80.0%) was significantly different from the non-mitigating (50.0%). The net profit margin ratio for the mitigating SMEs was 32.04%, and 17.83% for the non-mitigating SMEs. The multinomial logit model showed that income, enterprise experience, access to credit, enterprise size, and enterprise type significantly induced the choice of climate change mitigation approaches used by the SMEs in the study area. The study suggested that government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) should assist SMEs by enhancing their income-generating ability to ameliorate the impact of climate alteration over the years on their enterprises.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 35–49
105 Views21 Downloads
Article28 February 2023
Michele Sisto and Angela Cresta
The aim of this original contribution is to present the procedures and process initiated by some municipalities in inland areas for the inclusion of an ancient rural tradition, practiced in south-central Italy—the “Tracing of the straight
The aim of this original contribution is to present the procedures and process initiated by some municipalities in inland areas for the inclusion of an ancient rural tradition, practiced in south-central Italy—the “Tracing of the straight furrow”—in the “National Register of Rural Landscapes of Historic Interest, Agricultural Practices and Traditional Knowledge”. The registry proposes to identify and catalog in a database the rural landscapes, practices and knowledge worthy of importance to safeguard their integrity and vulnerability. The article describes the research activity that was implemented to record the practice, and also wants to show that the standard procedure prepared by the Ministry cannot consist only of desk analysis (data collection, and preparation of the required dossier). Indeed, there is a need to initiate a process that, starting with the proposing institutions, involves local actors and communities who are familiar with traditional places and practices. Citizen participation in this decision-making process that implements the area’s tourism-cultural development policies is also essential to consolidate intra-generational and local relationships: desk analysis is thus enriched by field analysis. This makes it possible to highlight problems/potentialities and help in the selection of contextualized solutions to encourage adherence to initiatives especially after recognition of traditional practice in the National Register.
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This article is part of the Special Issue Sustainable Tourism.
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 16–34
219 Views43 Downloads
Commentary24 February 2023
Ada Rocha and Cláudia Viegas
Food service comprises the production of meals consumed outside the home, including consumers from all age groups and in different sectors, such as schools (from kindergarten to university), public and private companies, the health sector (from
Food service comprises the production of meals consumed outside the home, including consumers from all age groups and in different sectors, such as schools (from kindergarten to university), public and private companies, the health sector (from hospitals to elderly care institutions), military, sports facilities and restaurants (from fine dining to fast-food). Food service units (FSU) achieved importance and responsibility not only for feeding the population but also as an important setting for public health interventions, potentially educating consumers and modulating behaviours through the meals provided. In addition to its socioeconomic impact, the food service industry has a strong environmental impact. More sustainable food service starts with the basics: minimizing environmental impact by reducing carbon footprint. Food service industry is being encouraged to make choices that positively impact the environment. Nevertheless, most of the efforts and research made in the last years have been focused on evaluating and reducing food waste. This article focuses on strategies that could be implemented beyond food waste, and act on changing the food offer towards health and sustainability while promoting consumers’ behaviour change.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 10–15
122 Views35 Downloads
Short Note10 February 2023
Simone Pettigrew and Leon Booth
Autonomous vehicles will be a key component of the sustainable cities and transport systems of the future. However, there is little data available on effective methods of communicating with the public about these benefits to optimise
Autonomous vehicles will be a key component of the sustainable cities and transport systems of the future. However, there is little data available on effective methods of communicating with the public about these benefits to optimise uptake and achieve their sustainability potential. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess outcomes associated with exposure to various messages communicating proposed benefits of autonomous vehicles. Australians aged 16+ years (n = 1053) responded to two online surveys administered two weeks apart. The instruments included items relating to demographic attributes, driving factors, and attitudes to autonomous vehicles. Respondents were randomised to one of five messages referring to efficient travel time, economic savings, saving lives, mobility for the elderly and disabled, and job opportunities. Messages relating to saving lives and providing mobility for the elderly and disabled performed best, especially in terms of presenting a strong argument (62% agreement) and believability (67% agreement), respectively. The results provide initial evidence that public awareness communications could favourably influence attitudes to autonomous vehicles, potentially enhancing uptake rates to yield corresponding benefits. This information will be of value in countries where the roll-out of autonomous vehicles is a strategic priority to achieve sustainable cities and transport systems.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 1–9
170 Views40 Downloads
Article5 February 2023
Murad Shoman, Hocine Imine, Kenth Johansson and Viveca Wallqvist
In this paper, we present the instrumentation of a city bicycle with different sensors and devices in order to measure cyclists’ inputs (i.e., pedaling and steering) and the dynamical and kinematic properties of the bicycle. The
In this paper, we present the instrumentation of a city bicycle with different sensors and devices in order to measure cyclists’ inputs (i.e., pedaling and steering) and the dynamical and kinematic properties of the bicycle. The instrumentation includes two tri-axial accelerometers, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), GPS, a potentiometer, a laser scanner, a pedaling power meter, and speed and cadence sensors, in addition to a mobile eye tracker worn by the cyclists. After the instrumentation and adjustment of the sensors, a study was conducted in the city of Stockholm using the instrumented bicycle with the aim to evaluate cycling safety and comfort on snowy surface conditions. The outputs of this experiment will be employed further to study the interaction of cyclists with road infrastructure and other road users and their impact on cyclists’ behavior and cycling safety.
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Highlights of VehiclesVolume 1, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 1–16
343 Views76 Downloads1 Citation
Editorial22 December 2022
Highlights of Sustainability Editorial Office
Reviewers who perform an invaluable service to the scientific community are essential to ensuring the quality of the papers published in the journal Highlights of Sustainability. The editorial team of the journal Highlights of Sustainability would
Reviewers who perform an invaluable service to the scientific community are essential to ensuring the quality of the papers published in the journal Highlights of Sustainability. The editorial team of the journal Highlights of Sustainability would like to take this opportunity to thank the following reviewers for their time and effort in reviewing manuscripts in 2022. Their contribution and support helped a lot to improve the scientific quality of the published articles and enhance the scientific level of the journal.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 4 (2022), pp. 253–254
419 Views87 Downloads
Article6 December 2022
Julia Hillmann, Anne Bergmann and Edeltraud Guenther
This paper investigates the time-dependent effects of building organizational resilience. So far, empirical research only finds evidence that organizational resilience provides benefits in the long term. For the short and medium term, the link remains unclear
This paper investigates the time-dependent effects of building organizational resilience. So far, empirical research only finds evidence that organizational resilience provides benefits in the long term. For the short and medium term, the link remains unclear. On the one hand, literature indicates that building organizational resilience is costly. On the other hand, actions to build organizational resilience are perceived by investors, which should provide immediate positive effects for companies. This study investigates these two assumptions in the climate change context. We apply multiple regression analysis to study the relationship between resilience capabilities and different measures of financial performance. For market value and financial volatility, our findings indicate that building organizational resilience provides immediate benefits. For the total stock return index, we find only benefits that materialize with a time lag. We find no evidence at all that building resilience capabilities is related to costs in terms of lower accounting-based financial performance. Overall findings indicate that building organizational resilience is advantageous as it prepares an organization to face the challenges of climate change and, at the same time, provides financial benefits.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 4 (2022), pp. 233–252
472 Views123 Downloads1 Citation
Article21 October 2022
Elena Bulmer, Magali Riera Roca and Julio Blas
Adopting a long-term perspective has helped companies survive in difficult times and overcome economic crises, recessions, and pandemics such as the current COVID-19. At present, the project management approach is changing from more authoritarian management models
Adopting a long-term perspective has helped companies survive in difficult times and overcome economic crises, recessions, and pandemics such as the current COVID-19. At present, the project management approach is changing from more authoritarian management models to frameworks that are based on the management of people and society. This article researches the concept of sustainable leadership in the project management profession. It evaluates the level of sustainable leadership among project managers in Spain using the Avery and Bergsteiner’s (2011) model of bees and locusts as a reference framework (Bee and Locust Sustainable Leadership Model). A qualitative study was carried out based on the analysis of the responses given by sixty-eight project managers in Spain who answered a 52-point ques-tionnaire. The findings yielded interesting results. It was found that in projects considered as temporal organizations, companies tended to employ a mixture of bee and locust’s leadership elements. Respondents recognized the importance of employee training and development, and most considered that it was essential to consider the environment when determining the organization’s commercial objectives. However, based on this study’s findings, the project management profession still has a long way to go as regards the practical implementation of sustainable leadership.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 4 (2022), pp. 224–232
590 Views153 Downloads
Article8 September 2022
Annalisa Stacchini, Andrea Guizzardi and Michele Costa
The first objective of this study is to analyze visitors’ perceived value of four Italian small areas, that have been granted the European Regional Development Fund’s financing for developing sustainable tourism. The second objective of this
The first objective of this study is to analyze visitors’ perceived value of four Italian small areas, that have been granted the European Regional Development Fund’s financing for developing sustainable tourism. The second objective of this work is to investigate the influences of socio-demographic and trip-related characteristics on the tourists’ assessments of the main aspects of such destinations, for detecting variables useful for market segmentation and for designing better-targeted marketing actions. These areas host protected natural reserves, historical heritage, rural or mountain traditions, and ways of life, the conservation of which is combined with local economic growth through the development of green, cultural, and slow tourism. Thus, insights on how visitors’ perceived value is configured there might provide hints useful for upgrading the local tourism supply consistently with the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the European Green Deal Strategy. Results confirm that the perceived value is a fundamental construct, as it strongly and positively influences satisfaction, intention to recommend, and destination image. The value of sustainable destinations, as perceived by visitors, is mainly based on the affective benefits that sustainable experiences provide, starting from positive social interactions making tourists feel welcomed. The tourist segment valorizing sustainable destinations is mostly composed of old people and low-income travelers, who seek basic services and facilities, as their satisfaction depends mainly on relaxing immersed in pristine nature.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 3 (2022), pp. 202–223
778 Views220 Downloads
Article26 August 2022
Stephen K. Wegren
Although Russia’s grain growing regions have experienced episodic droughts, the financial impact of climate change has to date been modest when measured in terms of value of production lost. As industrial agriculture continues to emit greenhouse
Although Russia’s grain growing regions have experienced episodic droughts, the financial impact of climate change has to date been modest when measured in terms of value of production lost. As industrial agriculture continues to emit greenhouse gases, the impact of climate change will intensify, making Russia’s southern regions drier and hotter, and potentially forcing a structural shift in production northward, an event that will lead to lower yields and grain output. The sustainable sector in Russia’s agricultural system is not able to compensate for lower grain output in the south, nor is it able to feed the nation or ensure food security across the full spectrum of commodities that consumers expect. The prospect of Russia as a declining grain power impacts the dozens of nations that import Russian grain, most notably authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.
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Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 3 (2022), pp. 188–201
587 Views219 Downloads