When reduced working time harms the environment: A panel threshold analysis for EU-15, 1970–2010

Shao, Qinglong; Shen, Shiran Victoria

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.115

Cited by 29 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 44 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Some previous studies have also similarly indicated that reducing working time will lead to lower energy use and environmental pressure, partly due to the resultant reduction in income that prompts people to adopt more contained consumption and energy use behavior (Devetter and Rousseau 2011 ; King and van den Bergh 2017 ; Nässén and Larsson 2015 ). There are, however, other studies that indicate the relationship between average working hours and societal GHG emissions to be mixed (Fitzgerald et al 2018 ; Shao and Shen 2017 ). The time-use rebound effect triggered by changes in working time is also a factor that may complicate the assessment of mitigation potential, which according to Buhl and Acosta ( 2016 ) could include both the redistribution of time and losses in income.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the carbon footprint of household activities in Japan from the time-use perspective

Jiang

Motose

Ihara

2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The household sector is a major driver of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, most existing studies have only estimated households’ carbon footprint from their expenditures. Households’ daily activity time, a scarce resource that limits and determines their consumption behavior, has rarely been integrated into the estimation. Incorporating the daily time-use patterns should thus provide a more practical perspective for mitigation policies aiming at promoting sustainable household lifestyles. In this study, by linking household time-use data and expenditure data of Japan, the carbon footprint and the GHG intensity of time of 85 daily household activities constituting the 24 hours in a day are estimated. Compared to the maximal 20-activity disaggregation in existing studies, our detailed 85-category disaggregation of daily time enables unprecedented details on the discrepancies between the carbon footprint from daily activities, many of which have previous been treated as one activity. Results indicate significant carbon mitigation potential in activities with a high GHG intensity of time, such as cooking, bathing, and mobility-related and activities. Average daily GHG emissions were also found to be higher on weekends as time-use patterns shift from paid work to free-time activities, highlighting the need for mitigation strategies on a weekly scale.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the carbon footprint of household activities in Japan from the time-use perspective

Jiang

Motose

Ihara

2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Yet, policymakers and businesses with funds may hesitate to disrupt social structures. Moreover, a reduced work week may harm the environment if people use their leisure time to consume more [69,70]. I would suggest that if a business reduces work from five to four days yet pays for five days, it may stipulate that employees use the fifth day (or part of it) for environmental initiatives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Can Fintech Companies Get Involved in the Environment?

Ashta

2023

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Financial services providers have the funds to finance climate change, and new entrepreneurs would like to join this effort. They need ideas on what fintechs can do to make money yet be sustainable. The research purpose of this study is to explore what fintechs are doing in this field of climate change and what theoretical and policy implications can be gained. This exploratory study uses a multiple case study method, using secondary sources of information. The sample includes five big fintechs and twelve green fintechs. The study finds that large fintech firms are diverse in the extent of their reporting and the issues that they are tackling, but they all report on their Scope 1 and Scope 2 impacts, and most report on Scope 3. Smaller dedicated green fintechs in the sample are grouped into those that offer to crowdfund green projects, those that track the impact of green projects or other firms or individuals, payment firms that invest directly into green projects, and those that provide a platform for peer-to-peer trading of renewable energy. The exploration is relevant to theories and concepts, including product differentiation and enhancement, disruptive innovation, collaborative ecosystems, and environmental and social impacts. Using lateral thinking, microfinance, and work-sharing research can stimulate reflection on developing more inclusive and advanced green fintech offerings. A few directions for future research in this field have been provided for those interested in impact measurement, strategic management, business models, risk management, or innovation theories.

show abstract

“…The use of overtime reduces average productivity, measured as productivity per working hour (Shepard and Clifton, 2000). The environmental burden may increase once work time decreases below a certain threshold level (Shao and Shen, 2017). There is also a negative relation between work time and CO 2 emissions in developing Conceptualization: Crisis leadership activity Conceptualization: Leadership decisions and actions (Foster and Dye, 2005) Operationalization: Decisions and actions taken Flexibility in employment (Leung and Lam, 2004), lowering turnover and increasing employee retention (Dirani et al, 2020;Xu et al, 2015;Jayathilake et al, 2021;Stuart et al, 2021;Lewis and Sequeira, 2016;Kyndt et al, 2009) Securing the company's employees Sending employees on leave or downtime Building ethical attitudes by ensuring employee satisfaction and reducing employee turnover Yasin et al (2020), Hensvik et al (2021) Securing the company's employees…”

Section: Leadership Decisions and Responses In Times Of Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Leadership Decisions and Responses In Times Of Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

Leadership decisions for company SurVIRval: evidence from organizations in Poland during the first Covid-19 lockdown

Chudziński

Cyfert²,

Dyduch³

et al. 2022

JOCM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the leadership decisions taken during the crisis and their influence on the goals recognized by managers as crucial for surviving.Design/methodology/approachDuring the survey, conducted in April 2020 (one month after the first economic lockdown in Poland), as part of a research project called Sur(VIR)val – Survival during the virus, data was collected from 178 leaders from randomly selected companies from Poland using the CAWI method. Ordered logistic regression modeling was used to examine the impact of the decisions taken by company leaders on the goals seen by leaders as most important for company survival.FindingsThe results obtained in the study show that during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, leaders made decisions that can be seen as oriented toward survival and continuity. Changing to remote working, extending payment deadlines for customers, as well as selective employment reduction turned out to have the greatest influence on strategic support for maintaining current production levels and retaining competent employees in order to survive the crisis.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has certain limitations. First, the list of leadership decisions and company goals used as dependent variables is not exhaustive. Second, the selection of business goals oriented toward survival may not derive directly from the lockdown situation. Third, our study did not measure the actual accomplishment of the company goals, but the managerial perceptions as to which ones are crucial for company survival during crises, and which of them should be given strategic support respectively. Fourth, the research sample was randomly constructed and covered only business organizations in Poland. Fifth, the hypotheses were formulated in a way that treated leadership decisions as one construct. Finally, we used survey, with a scale measuring managerial perceptions.Practical implicationsLeaders should ensure that proper IT tools are developed within the organization, and that the skill level of employees is high enough for fast shifting employees on to remote working. At the same time, it is important to maintain IT infrastructure at a high level. In terms of general recommendations for leaders, they should make quick decisions, maintain the most valuable resources of the company (human resources and cash flow) and take actions aimed at taking advantage of opportunities (R&D) during and after the crisis.Social implicationsAdditionally, due to the key importance of human resources for the survival of the organization, leaders should respond quickly by making flexible decisions about sending employees on leave and downtime. As human resources are the most valuable assets of the company from the point of view of its survival, decisions concerning employment reduction should be taken carefully. Leaders who acted in panic after the first lockdown and made employees redundant, later on had problems recruiting skilled employees back and strived to return to full organizational capacity.Originality/valueAlthough scholars have investigated leadership decisions and actions taken during economic crises, little is known about how leaders behave when taken by surprise, and what decisions they make when the duration of a crisis is difficult to predict. The results of this study show which leadership decisions during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 influenced prioritizing critical company goals oriented toward survival.

show abstract

When reduced working time harms the environment: A panel threshold analysis for EU-15, 1970–2010

Cited by 29 publications

References 44 publications

Estimating the carbon footprint of household activities in Japan from the time-use perspective

Estimating the carbon footprint of household activities in Japan from the time-use perspective

How Can Fintech Companies Get Involved in the Environment?

Leadership decisions for company SurVIRval: evidence from organizations in Poland during the first Covid-19 lockdown

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About