1,720,977 research outputs found
Understanding Inter-Organizational Dynamics to Boost Circular Bioeconomy in the Bio-based Plastics Industry
No full textThis work examines existing inter-organizational configurations with the goal to identify and evaluate the key elements boosting Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) in the bio-based plastics industry. Indeed, while it is clear that multi-stakeholder engagement, together with cooperation, coordination and collaboration mechanisms, play a pivotal role in accelerating value creation and preservation for bio-based plastics, there is still the need to understand how these dynamics affect product development processes, end-user experiences and ultimately, the full circularity of the solutions proposed. Based on a conceptual framework, this study provides a structured lens to scrutinize the varying degrees of engagement and synergy among diverse entities operating in the bio-based plastics industry. Specifically, Alliances, Associations, Collaborative Research and Development, Consortia, Joint Ventures, Networks and Strategic Partnerships have been investigated. For each engagement mode, we delineate the scope, type and number of stakeholders involved, their specific roles, the motives addressed and funding involved, the operational timeframe, and the degree of innovation that resulted. Furthermore, the framework addresses factors that critically influence the strength of cooperation, coordination and collaboration mechanisms, such as trust, information, resources, and power. Drawing on real-world cases, we then present a non-exhaustive list of inter-organizational configurations already in place in the field of CBE. The work aims to help researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to dissect and interpret the nature of inter-organizational dynamics among multiple stakeholders, in order to facilitate the understanding of the elements that drive successful synergies across organizational boundaries and boost a more effective CBE in the overall bio-based plastics industry
Are Biodegradable Plastics The Future For Agricultural Mulch Film Applications?
Full text linkThis report summarises the findings of a focus group conducted by the University of Bologna on May 25, 2023, as part of the BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project.
With the aim to investigate the potential of biodegradable plastics to increase the sustainability of the agriculture sector, the focus group was joined by stakeholders, experts and researchers from public and private organisations representing the whole value chains.
Using system thinking and multi-dimensional analysis, the findings reveal that biodegradable plastics have a high potential to contribute to the sustainability of the agriculture sector. However, many questions remain open and multiple measures must be implemented. Among the priorities, the most compelling are:
1. To increase farmers’ awareness about the impact of certain practices to the soil and the human health
2. To define applications and contexts where conventional mulch films are still a valid option, provided that removal, collection and recycling is ensured
3. To invest in R&D to improve the technical characteristics of biodegradable mulch films
4. To introduce guidelines for better removal of conventional mulch films from soils
5. To establish mandatory or voluntary Extended Producer Responsibility schemes in each EU country
It follows that biodegradable plastics are not conceived as a stand-alone solution but as one of the alternatives in a more comprehensive sustainability roadmap.
These elements reveal the necessity for a systemic joint policy intervention in the sector oriented to build up new business ecosystems, going beyond the boundaries of a single business to embrace collective actions in innovative ecosystems
Tourism intensity and plastic waste management insights from European capital cities /
No full textThe surge in demand for plastic materials, coupled with the rising trend of out-of-home food consumption, has posed significant challenges to urban waste management systems. These challenges are intensified in touristic cities where touch-and-go tourism leads visitors to spend most of the day outside, resulting in a high generation of waste in urban areas. While existing research focuses predominantly on the hospitality sector, the role of public administrations remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by surveying city managers from ten European capitals, providing a comprehensive overview of plastic waste management and prevention patterns. Results reveal that legislative measures and plastic bans are effective, but local initiatives and social programs require further support. Waste generated in public areas is less scrutinized than residential waste, and differences in municipal waste collection schemes hinder proper sorting. Findings underscore the need for collaborative efforts in both waste prevention and management to strengthen partnerships with hotels, restaurants and shopkeepers, as well as the proper design of waste logistics and infrastructure and dedicated communication campaigns in tourist hotspots
A Step-by-Step Process towards an Evolutionary Policy Encouraging the Adoption of Sustainable Business Models
Full text linkThe increasing awareness on environmental issues and their implications for society and economy, has led policymakers to rethink the legislative and financial measures supporting companies to innovate their business. As a result, companies are encouraged to integrate corporate sustainability (CS) into their value creation. Different from the past approaches, the current policy making process has been inspired by a multi-value creation system, aimed to deeply analyze the present situation, and identify the bottlenecks to design further steps to be taken. In this context, regional authorities cover a pivotal role in financing the pre-competitive phase of innovative and sustainable business models (SBMs). A survey was launched in the Emilia Romagna Region (ERR), analyzing the main factors contributing to maximizing CS. This paper investigates supply chain, welfare, environmental management as well as planning, control and communication strategy together with ecological footprints such as materials, energy, water, plastics, and waste ecological footprints. It gives a twofold contribution: first, it sets the stage for the construction of a theoretical model representing an SBM, and second, it gives a practical contribution by supporting the public administration decision-making in adopting a breakthrough roadmap facilitating the value transfer from industry to society
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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