| 1. |
- Fernqvist, Niklas, 1973, et al.
(författare)
-
Entrepreneurial Sustainability Engagement of Insiders Initiating Energy System Transition
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050 .- 1548-7733. ; 13:2, s. 1-16
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The central point in this article is that energy system transition can be initiated by a team of individuals interacting entrepreneurially beyond their different home-grounds in business, research, or regional development. Such entrepreneurial engagement of insiders with belongings to an established socio-technical system has not been captured in prevalent sustainability transitions or entrepreneurship perspectives. Insiders have mostly been expected to act within (and not outside)of their role expectations. This study investigates who individuals initiating energy transition are, what motives they have, and how they accomplish institutional change. The purpose is to qualify a perspective that can help us better appreciate how transitions, such as in energy systems, can be initiated. The new perspective recognizes the importance of insiders, their personal sustainability beliefs, their choice to teamwork entrepreneurially, and their narratives about the initiative affecting institutional change. It explains how transition in a heavily regulated Swedish energy system can occur. Implications are drawn for research, policy and entrepreneurial teamwork.
|
|
| 2. |
- Norefjäll, Fredric, et al.
(författare)
-
Innovationsförmåga för ett hållbart transportsystem : Trafikverket och samverkande aktörers processer för innovations- och omställningsförmåga
- 2019
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Detta dokument sammanfattar arbetet som utförts under förstudien till forskningsprojektet: Innovationsförmåga för ett hållbart transportsystem – Trafikverkets och samverkande aktörers processer för innovations- och omställningsförmåga. Syftet med forskningsprojektet är att bidra till att Trafikverkets innovationsarbete får genomslag för omställningen av transportsystemet. Genom ökad kunskap om hur egna strukturer och processer för innovation påverkar och påverkas av, exempelvis andra aktörer, specifika marknadsvillkor eller normer, stärker detta projekt arbetet för ett hållbart transportsystem.
|
|
| 3. |
- Rex, Emma, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
-
Towards increased impact of life cycle information in product and service innovation
- 2018
-
Ingår i: <em></em>.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many businesses of today now recognize the need for a life cycle perspective, for use not only in accounting but also for innovative purposes. However, while availability of data and understanding of the life cycle concept as such continues to grow, there is still inertia in life cycle information having practical implications on decisions and actions throughout the everyday work in the company.In a project aimed at a better understanding of company internal uses of life cycle information, the existence and use of life cycle information in four large companies (all having with extensive experience of life cycle thinking) were studied. Data collection was made in case studies with two main purposes; to a) follow and illustrate flows of life cycle information within large companies, and to b) understand the role of life cycle information in decision-making outside of the environmental departments. The case studies covered applications such as development of new product concepts, introduction of new materials, and market introduction of eco designed products and services.The study reveals other dominant barriers than normally assumed; not having or understanding the life cycle information provided. The barriers found were rather related to other aspects of the decision process: Complementary data important for the decision (such as material availability or economic implications for alternate designs) could be missing, recommendation of the most preferred alternative not being clearly presented, concerns about e.g. increased uncertainties and risk not being met, or guidance on how to handle tradeoffs such as between economic and ecologic goals absent. Sometimes information was also not provided in the timeframe needed to change the particular process, or existing routines and tools did not allow the inclusion of life cycle information in a systematic manner. Insights from the study point to the importance of understanding the broader context in which the life cycle information should be used, in order to reach impact as decision support. To assist in this, a short guide has been designed to support life cycle proponents in having a more holistic view of the decision making situation and to highlight common pitfalls hindering life cycle information to influence company practices.
|
|
| 4. |
- Fernqvist, Niklas, 1973, et al.
(författare)
-
It's all about the functionality: Psychological determinants of acceptance of energy efficient water taps in freshwater abundant urban areas
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Energy and Climate Change. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-2787. ; 2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global climate changes will intensify the competition for fresh water. Technologies for reducing household tap water consumption may be an effective measure for sustainable water consumption. However, such technologies may come with a potential perceived reduction in comfort. This field study thus examines whether and how tenants, who live in apartments in water abundant areas and have a standard cost for water included in their rent, accept reduction in tap-water comfort over a six-month period of technology familiarisation, A repeated questionnaire study (n = 38) was conducted to mesasure changes in acceptance and perceived functionality of water efficient faucets over time. We also tested to what extent motivational factors posited by the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory accounted for acceptance of hands-on experiences in the early-stage of familiarisation. Unlike the familiarisation hypothesis, our results show decreased acceptance for bathroom and kitchen faucets mediated by impaired perceived functionalities (in flow and temperature). No such changes were observed for shower faucets. Moreover, while the casual chain hypothesised by the VBN theory (i.e., moving from values to awareness of consequences to a personal norm of water conservation) is shown to account for acceptance, no ascription of responsibility is disclosed. Overreliance and boundary conditions for familiarisation effects are discussed.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Rex, Emma, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
-
Tailored for decision – Knowing your target group prior to adaptation
- 2017
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Life cycle thinking is but one perspective - if at all considered -, in everyday business decisions throughout the organization; in the selection of suppliers, in the strategy of new product ranges, and, in what information is chosen to be highlighted to the customers. Tradeoffs are constantly made between e.g. environment, quality, price and other company goals. Before any successful adaptation and visualization of life cycle information, it is important for internal life cycle experts to identify and understand how other functions of the company perceive and value life cycle information in their specific working situations.To get a better understanding of these internal users of life cycle information, life cycle experts in four multinational companies (Akzo Nobel, Vattenfall, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group) have joined forces with researchers in life cycle management and behavioral science to create a graphical map of how life cycle information is spread and used in different parts of an organization. The aim of the map is to be used as a basis for discussions and recommendations on how to tailor life cycle information in order to support decision making throughout a company.The map is constructed by combining a) inventories on how quantitative data seeks its way to internal users through databases, reports and KPIs, with b) qualitative interviews on goal framing and decision weights of e.g. environmental and economic information. As a result, the map illustrates both the “physical” flows of life cycle information and the “cognitive logics” of this information for different users (e.g. how values, attitudes and norms influence the target groups’ likelihood of including life cycle information in their decision processes).Based on the map, each company can identify and discuss who the main users of life cycle information are and what premises for life cycle thinking these users have: In what decision making situation is, or can, life cycle information be used? How is the information understood? What other sources of information and rationales for decisions are used in parallel to, or in conflict with, LCA-results?Initial analyses on the usefulness of the map point to a better understanding of how life cycle experts can tailor information for decisions in different parts of the company, as well as on its usefulness in illustrating to people outside of the environmental departments the widespread use of life cycle information that already exist in the company. The latter is not least important for creating an understanding in how the organization respond to ongoing external pressure to focus more on a life cycle approach, e.g. new requirements in ISO 14001, new EU Directives on public procurement and current EU work to establish a common LCA methodology.
|
|
