Natural resources are limited. The circular economy is one of several different concepts that has... more Natural resources are limited. The circular economy is one of several different concepts that has been useful in the quest to understand how resources can be used most efficiently. It proposes that closing loops and repeatedly using resources has the potential to procure maximum eco-efficiency. To track society's progress towards a circular economy, indicators and measures are needed. The majority of these aim to capture the circularity of resource flows, yet fail to simultaneously consider the length of time for which a resource is in use. More recently, a longevity indicator has been proposed, but similarly, it fails to take into account how many times a resource is used. Both longevity and circularity are needed for sustainable resource use, but to date, no measure that combines both approaches is in use. Based on existing measures we develop and further develop indicators for both circularity and longevity that focus on the contribution that organisations and other resource users make to the sustainability of resource use. By combining both indicators we enhance their explanatory power.
Paradoxically, pricing is both one of the most important and yet one of the most neglected aspect... more Paradoxically, pricing is both one of the most important and yet one of the most neglected aspects of business-to-business marketing. On average, a 5 per cent increase in price increases earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) by 22 per cent, whereas a 5 per cent increase in sales ...
Eco-efficiency is often considered an adequate response to the problem of the scarcity of non-ren... more Eco-efficiency is often considered an adequate response to the problem of the scarcity of non-renewable resources. Even if a more eco-efficient use of natural resources cannot guarantee lower resource consumption, it can allow a better combination of desirable economic activity with undesirable resource use. However, more eco-efficient use of resources at the micro-level does not always lead to higher eco-efficiency at the macro-level. This is due to resource flows between actors at the micro-level. They use both virgin resources and resources that have been previously used. Virgin resources represent the relevant scarcity at the macro-level, while eco-efficiency at the micro-level typically does not discriminate between virgin and used resources. We develop an eco-efficiency formula that closes this gap. Our formula not only allows the measurement of the eco-efficiency of virgin resource use at the micro-level, but also helps to identify the drivers of the eco-efficiency of virgin resource use. Application of the formula to the case of gold in smartphones points to the very limited potential of technical improvements and shows that behavioural and collaborative endeavours promise dramatically higher improvements in eco-efficiency. This calls for a reconsideration of the focus of efforts to increase eco-efficiency for sustainable development.
Purpose – The paper aims to describe and develop the constructs of trust and adaptation in suppli... more Purpose – The paper aims to describe and develop the constructs of trust and adaptation in supplier-customer relationships when associated with environmental (green) issues. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on empirical data obtained from the perspective of both supplier and customer companies involved in dyadic exchange relationships, using qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Findings – The paper
Places adaptation within the context of firm behaviour in supplier-customer relationships before ... more Places adaptation within the context of firm behaviour in supplier-customer relationships before going on to review previous adaptation studies. Gives the rationale and outline of the chosen case-study based research strategy before findings are presented in which the nature of the adaptation process and progression of this process are considered. Concludes by discussing the significance of the findings in terms
Individuals around the world engage in one common yet fundamental activity that is of personal, e... more Individuals around the world engage in one common yet fundamental activity that is of personal, emotional, social, and environmental significance –disposal of the dead. As the global landscape becomes increasingly populated, so disposal choice becomes a critical environmental issue. Disposal of the dead is an essential aspect of our existence; it is an inevitable activity, which cannot be avoided. This paper contributes to an emerging body of work written from a consumer culture theory and marketing perspective on disposal of the dead. The paper examines the convergence of the consumer decision with environmental factors from a multicultural viewpoint. We add to existing literature in this area through a perspective that highlights key environmental issues that cross cultural and spatial boundaries, namely land use, land space, and pollution implications. These in turn are seen within the context of cultural norms, individual memorialisation practice, and specific regulations pertaining to body disposal.
Natural resources are limited. The circular economy is one of several different concepts that has... more Natural resources are limited. The circular economy is one of several different concepts that has been useful in the quest to understand how resources can be used most efficiently. It proposes that closing loops and repeatedly using resources has the potential to procure maximum eco-efficiency. To track society's progress towards a circular economy, indicators and measures are needed. The majority of these aim to capture the circularity of resource flows, yet fail to simultaneously consider the length of time for which a resource is in use. More recently, a longevity indicator has been proposed, but similarly, it fails to take into account how many times a resource is used. Both longevity and circularity are needed for sustainable resource use, but to date, no measure that combines both approaches is in use. Based on existing measures we develop and further develop indicators for both circularity and longevity that focus on the contribution that organisations and other resource users make to the sustainability of resource use. By combining both indicators we enhance their explanatory power.
Paradoxically, pricing is both one of the most important and yet one of the most neglected aspect... more Paradoxically, pricing is both one of the most important and yet one of the most neglected aspects of business-to-business marketing. On average, a 5 per cent increase in price increases earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) by 22 per cent, whereas a 5 per cent increase in sales ...
Eco-efficiency is often considered an adequate response to the problem of the scarcity of non-ren... more Eco-efficiency is often considered an adequate response to the problem of the scarcity of non-renewable resources. Even if a more eco-efficient use of natural resources cannot guarantee lower resource consumption, it can allow a better combination of desirable economic activity with undesirable resource use. However, more eco-efficient use of resources at the micro-level does not always lead to higher eco-efficiency at the macro-level. This is due to resource flows between actors at the micro-level. They use both virgin resources and resources that have been previously used. Virgin resources represent the relevant scarcity at the macro-level, while eco-efficiency at the micro-level typically does not discriminate between virgin and used resources. We develop an eco-efficiency formula that closes this gap. Our formula not only allows the measurement of the eco-efficiency of virgin resource use at the micro-level, but also helps to identify the drivers of the eco-efficiency of virgin resource use. Application of the formula to the case of gold in smartphones points to the very limited potential of technical improvements and shows that behavioural and collaborative endeavours promise dramatically higher improvements in eco-efficiency. This calls for a reconsideration of the focus of efforts to increase eco-efficiency for sustainable development.
Purpose – The paper aims to describe and develop the constructs of trust and adaptation in suppli... more Purpose – The paper aims to describe and develop the constructs of trust and adaptation in supplier-customer relationships when associated with environmental (green) issues. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on empirical data obtained from the perspective of both supplier and customer companies involved in dyadic exchange relationships, using qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Findings – The paper
Places adaptation within the context of firm behaviour in supplier-customer relationships before ... more Places adaptation within the context of firm behaviour in supplier-customer relationships before going on to review previous adaptation studies. Gives the rationale and outline of the chosen case-study based research strategy before findings are presented in which the nature of the adaptation process and progression of this process are considered. Concludes by discussing the significance of the findings in terms
Individuals around the world engage in one common yet fundamental activity that is of personal, e... more Individuals around the world engage in one common yet fundamental activity that is of personal, emotional, social, and environmental significance –disposal of the dead. As the global landscape becomes increasingly populated, so disposal choice becomes a critical environmental issue. Disposal of the dead is an essential aspect of our existence; it is an inevitable activity, which cannot be avoided. This paper contributes to an emerging body of work written from a consumer culture theory and marketing perspective on disposal of the dead. The paper examines the convergence of the consumer decision with environmental factors from a multicultural viewpoint. We add to existing literature in this area through a perspective that highlights key environmental issues that cross cultural and spatial boundaries, namely land use, land space, and pollution implications. These in turn are seen within the context of cultural norms, individual memorialisation practice, and specific regulations pertaining to body disposal.
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Papers by Louise Canning