This book explains how the traditional paradigm of private and public organizations is changing as a result of the multiple factors that are affecting the way in which goods and services are produced, and for whom they are produced. In view of these disruptive trends, the theory of the firm needs to be updated and to some extent rethought. Moreover, diverse challenges and opportunities such as climate change, aging populations, and new public accountability requirements are necessitating novel frameworks to ensure the long-term survival of public and private organizations. Against this backdrop, the authors contribute to the debate over the firm's primary interest by proposing a new way of viewing the nature of the firm and its relationship with stakeholders. In addition, they carefully analyze the challenges and opportunities mentioned above, evaluating their significance for various important aspects of organizations through different lenses. Global in scope, the book also takes the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals into account. Accordingly, it will be of interest to all readers seeking a better understanding of the evolving nature of firms and organizations in our changing world.

The effectiveness and scope of operational analysis of sustainable development is explored in this major new book. Ecological Economics and Sustainable Development offers an integrated treatment of theory, methods and applications for economic-ecological analysis taking into consideration all the relevant interactions between economic, development and physical and biological processes.An overview of different theoretical perspectives, based on insights from economics, ecology and thermodynamics, is followed by discussion of the dimensions of sustainable development including ethics and intergenerational equity, sustainable and multiple use, and spatial sustainability. The second part of the book discusses methods for analysis, covering the choice of indicators, natural resource accounting, and integrated static, dynamic and spatial modelling, and evaluation, including multi-criteria and cost-benefit analysis. Attention is also given to decision support and the choice of policy instruments. Combinations of the various methods are applied in the final part of the book, using case studies which cover a range of ecosystems and regions, as well as a variety of issues and problems. These studies clearly show the potential of policy-oriented integrated economic-ecological analysis for sustainable development.

This book highlights cutting-edge ecodesign research, covering product and service design, smart manufacturing, and social perspectives in ecodesign. Featuring selected papers presented at EcoDesign 2019: 11th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, it also includes diverse, interdisciplinary approaches to foster ecodesign research and activities. In the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it addresses the need for the manufacturing industry to design innovations for sustainable value creation, taking into account technological developments, legislation, and consumer lifestyles. Further, the book discusses the concept of circular economy, which originated in Europe and aims to increase resource efficiency by shifting away from the linear economy. Focusing on product life cycle design and management, smart manufacturing, circular economy, and business strategies, and providing useful approaches and solutions to these emerging concepts, this book is intended for both researchers and practitioners working in the broad field of ecodesign and sustainability.

This book examines the processes for the inclusion of women, and the role of women employees in Nepal's forestry bureaucracy. The book adopts a "gender lens" drawn from feminist institutionalism and is framed around the following four objectives: evaluating the effectiveness of current legislative and policy frameworks for the inclusion of women in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy; examining the dynamics of organizational culture, formal and informal institutions, and structure and agency in and around forest bureaucracy in Nepal; assessing power relations in forestry institutions focusing on influential participation of women forestry professionals in the bureaucratic structure; and gaining insights about the alternative space of feminist institutionalism in connection with women inclusive forest bureaucracy. Findings in the book inform and extend feminist institutionalism perspectives by applying it to a context which remains under explored, providing insights on the efficacy of public sector cultural change, especially as it relates to those areas within bureaucracies less in a position to adopt the changes mandated by society and principles of good governance.

This book provides a solid foundation for a comprehensive, systemic and water-centric approach to water management. Said approach integrates two performance principles essential for sustainable water use systems, namely equity and efficiency. Further, it decreases the policy space for decision-making encountered by water managers and makes it easier to arrive at reasonable solutions because of the bounded rationality inherent in its development. By combining the distributive and aggregative principles, the approach offers a transparent and autonomous structure for gathering water data and enabling stakeholder involvement. Lastly, it employs and promotes a unifying language for all types of water use systems, e.g. urban, agricultural and industrial.

This book discusses corporate citizenship, corporate responsibility and business ethics across Africa generally, and Botswana specifically. It begins by contextualizing Botswana within the broader context of Africa, using nine other countries - Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe - to provide a comparative perspective, examining the common factor: that weak legalization makes it challenging for corporate social responsibility to be actualized.From this background, the book then discusses Botswana as a key study. Botswana has been described as 'Africa's economic miracle' due to its growing economy since independence This puts it in a unique position for the implementation and study of corporate social responsibility. The interdisciplinary team of authors employ various research methods to examine the complex relationship between business, society, corporations and social justice issues.This book will be valuable reading for any academic working on corporate social responsibility in Africa, and will present an interesting insight to an often neglected area of study. France Maphosa is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Botswana. His research interests include migration and transnationalism, the sociology of entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, urban and rural livelihoods, labour studies and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Langtone Maunganidze is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. His research interests include industrial sociology, business and society, rural livelihoods and sustainable development, and entrepreneurship.

The decisions a corporation makes affect more than just its stakeholders and can have wide social, environmental, and economic consequences. This facilitates a business environment built around the practical regulations and transparency necessary to ensure ethical and responsible business practice. Corporate Social Responsibility for Valorization of Organizations is a critical scholarly resource that examines organizational management through a new perspective that considers corporate social responsibility within the relationship between companies and society. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as organizational innovation, corporate strategy, and cultural enterprises, this book is geared towards professionals, economists, students of business and finance, policy makers, and government agencies.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to microcosms (N-systems) in multiple-species testing and aquatic ecosystem risk assessment. It provides standardized methods for creating the microbial ecosystem, and proposes a standardized microcosm system for environmental impact risk assessments. The book will be of interest to students and educators, researchers, government authorities, developers and manufacturers engaged in ecosystem preservation, water quality management personnel at sewage treatment or industrial effluent treatment facilities, and anyone involved in education, management and analysis evaluation for environmental standards and waste water quality standards.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of and discussion about the relationship between green tourism, economic growth and globalization. It explores numerous topics relating to tourism including transport efficiency, foreign direct investment, clean energy, climate change dynamics and advances in sustainable tourism management. The book begins with discussion of sustainable tourism and economic growth, particularly focusing on management strategies. It then presents the relationship between energy use and tourism, looking at green energy and energy shock. It then discusses transport efficiency, tourism efficiency and financial growth in both developed and developing countries. This book is of interest to researchers, policymakers, and postgraduate students in the areas of energy, environmental and tourism economics.

This comprehensive Dictionary brings together an extensive range of definitive terms in ecological economics. Assembling contributions from distinguished scholars, it provides an intellectual map to this evolving subject ranging from the practical to the philosophical. Following an insightful review of the intellectual and organisational origins of this topic by Joan Martinez-Alier, over 1,200 terms are thoroughly defined with their meanings and uses in ecological economics explained. In addition, most of the terms include recommendations for further reading to provide greater context and understanding, alongside citations to allow for further illustration on how a term is used in the field. Encompassing a broad overview of the field, this Dictionary will be a useful reference for students at all levels, alongside faculty and researchers. It will also be an informative resource for government and NGO professionals in environmental conservation to better understand the crucial vocabulary that governs their field.

The environmental challenges of the twenty-first century have raised profound questions regarding the suitability of environmental law to manage the many complex issues at hand. This insightful book considers how the law has adapted to address these challenges and considers the ways in which it might be used to cope with environmental risks and uncertainties, whilst also promoting resilience and greater equality. The book uses a multi-disciplinary approach to address the compatibility of law with the notions of risk and resilience, it scrutinises how capable these approaches are to effect equitable solutions to environmental risks, and it raises important questions about multi-level and participatory governance. Key chapters examine a variety of global experiments in countries such as China and countries in Latin America, to generate further governance of the environment, improve the available legal tools and give a voice to more diverse groups. Students and scholars across a variety of fields such as environmental studies, socio-legal studies, law, and risk regulation will find this an stimulating read. Senior policy-makers in central and local government, regulators and risk managers will also find this book imperative in their efforts to manage the dilemmas of environmental control. Contributors include: F.H. Barnes, D. Curran, C. Holley, B.M. Hutter, C. Ituarte-Lima, T. Johnson, J. McDonald, L. Patton, O.W. Pedersen, D. Satterthwaite, E. Sofronova, H. Wang

This book highlights cutting-edge ecodesign research, covering product and service design, smart manufacturing, and social perspectives in ecodesign. Featuring selected papers presented at EcoDesign 2019: 11th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, it also includes diverse, interdisciplinary approaches to foster ecodesign research and activities. In the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it addresses the need for the manufacturing industry to design innovations for sustainable value creation, taking into account technological developments, legislation, and consumer lifestyles. Further, the book discusses the concept of circular economy, which originated in Europe and aims to increase resource efficiency by shifting away from the linear economy. Focusing on product life cycle design and management, smart manufacturing, circular economy, and business strategies, and providing useful approaches and solutions to these emerging concepts, this book is intended for both researchers and practitioners working in the broad field of ecodesign and sustainability.

Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish is the all-inclusive guide to fish species prevalent in the neotropical realm. It provides the most updated systematics, classification, anatomical, behavioral, genetic, and functioning systems information on freshwater neotropical fish species. This book begins by analyzing the differences in phylogeny, anatomy, and behaviour of neotropical fish. Systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, digestive, reproductive, muscular, and endocrine are described in detail. This book also looks at the effects of stress on fish immune systems, and how color and pigmentation play into physiology and species differentiation. Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish is a must-have for fish biologists and zoologists. Students in zoology, ichthyology, and fish farming will also find this book useful for its coverage of some of the world's rarest and least-known fish species.

The Vanishing of a Species? is a serious treatise exploring the past evolution, present predicament and possible future extinction of a particular species on planet Earth. The species is Homo sapiens. The threat to the species is Homo sapiens. The author, a former professor of geology and geophysics, starts his exploration by putting man in context, both in terms of space and time. We find that in either case, man is not as pre-eminent as he may believe. While man is the most accomplished toolmaker this planet has ever seen, his technical progress is overpowering his social progress-an imbalance that sets the stage for his vanishing act, absent quick, corrective action. The author makes a compelling case that society's unrestricted material growth is the challenge of our times. Modern man's predicament refers broadly to man's collision course with nature-his attitude of ruthless exploitation leading to depletion of non-renewable resources, pollution of the environment, overpopulation, with its accompanying increase in human aggression, and other effects. After the agricultural and industrial-scientific revolutions, it is now time for the Human Revolution-a more realistic attitude on the part of man towards the universe, the earth and other forms of terrestrial life. Vanishing covers a wide spectrum from man's early beginnings to the modern problems of population increase, resource depletion, pollution, crime, and many more. The book addresses the roles that heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) play in shaping man's nature, and in particular, his current high level of aggression-a trait that stands in the way of the Human Revolution. The author calls for the humanists to communicate with the technologists through an interdisciplinary dialogue that may pave the way to the Human Revolution. Major works discussed in Vanishing include the Club of Rome's much reviewed 1972 work The Limits to Growth and updates thereto, as well as C.P. Snow's seminal 1959 lecture on The Two Cultures. Vanishing concludes that without the Human Revolution in short order, Homo sapiens may well turn out to be an evolutionary flash in the pan-occupying a dominating but fleeting position in earth history. Vanishing should appeal to all audiences. Recent economic turmoil around the globe, and increasing evidence of the serious strain placed on the earth by the demands of humankind, make the observations and recommendations raised within Vanishing deserving of the sober attention of all Homo sapiens interested in the survival and prosperity of their species.

The book provides a holistic and practical approach to lean management throughout the business value chain. The lean management framework and tools demonstrate the optimal design and use of methods, tools and principles for companies and organisations. The author describes comprehensively how lean management enables companies to concentrate on value-adding activities and processes to achieve a long-term, sustainable competitive advantage. A wealth of best practices, industry examples and case studies are used to reveal the diversity and opportunities of lean management methodologies, methods and principles. Moreover, the book shows how lean management principles are ultimately applied in industries like automotive, healthcare, education and services industries.

Because many people and ecosystems share-or constitute-any given place, they all have a stake in the outcome of what any of us do in regard to environmental problems. It is not surprising that issues are hotly contested given the many divergent interests, needs, and preferences of a community's members, much less those of people "downstream" who are affected by the consequences of our actions or of "outside" parties who play a part, including those who would speak on behalf of the ecosystems. Thus, we not only must make careful individual decisions concerning the environment, but need to improve the way we operate socially, especially given the roles and responsibilities we have as environmental professionals, private-sector developers, public policy-makers and staff, or engaged citizens. To aid in resolving our environmental dilemmas, Mugerauer and Manzo focus on the decision making process. Their goal is to help readers become more aware of the worldviews, beliefs, and values that enter into the decisions they make and to better resolve differences with others. To guide readers in thinking about their own positions and how to approach ethical decisions, Mugerauer and Manzo employ a number of exercises and cases to investigate the choices and issues that different stakeholders face (for example, concerning sustainability). Additionally, the book presents alternatives in terms of formalized ethical principles, the major ethical theories, and professional codes of ethics.

This volume "Coniferous Forests" is the last in the series "Ecosystem of the World."

Conifers and coniferous forests are an important element around us and attract our interest. This volume starts with an account of the history and distribution of the conifers. In six chapters the most important areas in Asia, Europe, North and South America with conifers forest are described covering boreal, temperate, tropical as well as mountainous regions. The descriptions are made out from a biome and an ecosystem perspective. Also detailed accounts on tree species other vegetation is also briefly described. Climatic and soil conditions are dealt with as well as disturbances. Interesting notes on vegetation classification is also to be found, among others from Russia.

The functional aspects of the conifer forests in terms of physiology, production, biomass, water and elemental cycling are dealt with in four chapters. Applied aspects as their economic value, management and importance for tourism are also presented.

Fostering inclusive green growth in Africa means addressing existing and emerging development challenges, while efficiently managing Africa's natural capital and building resilience to environmental, social and economic risks. Although this new paradigm for development has the potential to create tremendous business opportunities, there are also challenges. This book provides empirical evidence on the conditions for the emergence of green businesses in Africa. It includes 13 case studies, which identify the determinants of small and medium-size enterprises' engagement in inclusive and sustainable growth in rural Africa, and the factors that hinder eco-innovation in business and entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore it discusses appropriate regulations and policies to stimulate the development of green business in Africa. Offering insights into the relationship between eco-innovation, labor productivity and business competitiveness in rural Africa, this book appeals to scholars, policy makers and practitioners interested in a green economy for Africa.

In the age of corporate responsibility, green technology and sustainability continue to grip the consciousness of business and academic institutions. However, development of appropriate business-driven green applications requires an awareness of best practices of the green agenda. Green Technology Applications for Enterprise and Academic Innovation addresses the importance of green technology and sustainability for technology, enterprise, and academic innovation in energy management, renewable energy, and carbon reduction strategies. This book acts as the bridge for practitioners, academia, businesses, industrialists, governmental executives, and students seeking research in this emerging area.