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Taking its primary interest in active environmental citizenship, this paper aims at evaluating a case of an educational intervention designed to foster environmental citizenship among undergraduate students at a technological university. The study employs a survey methodology implementing a recently validated environmental citizenship questionnaire. A randomized pre-group –post-group quasi-experimental survey design explores students’ environmental citizenship attributes before and after the intervention course, ‘Sustainable Development’, in comparison to students who participated in a general elective course, ‘Media Philosophy’. The results show that the participation in the intervention course induced positive change in students’ environmental citizenship in comparison to the control group. Additional analysis indicates that environmental citizenship is significantly related to environmental attitudes, nature experiences during childhood and adolescence, and gender. The article provides a timely contribution shedding light on how specific pedagogical approaches in higher education can foster environmental citizenship.
Audronė Telešienė; Jelle Boeve-De Pauw; Daphne Goldman; Ralph Hansmann. Evaluating an Educational Intervention Designed to Foster Environmental Citizenship among Undergraduate University Students. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8219 .
AMA StyleAudronė Telešienė, Jelle Boeve-De Pauw, Daphne Goldman, Ralph Hansmann. Evaluating an Educational Intervention Designed to Foster Environmental Citizenship among Undergraduate University Students. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8219.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAudronė Telešienė; Jelle Boeve-De Pauw; Daphne Goldman; Ralph Hansmann. 2021. "Evaluating an Educational Intervention Designed to Foster Environmental Citizenship among Undergraduate University Students." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8219.
An integrative environmental behavior model was applied in an online survey to investigate the determinants of intentions to reduce personal air travel and corresponding perceived restrictions and options among participants in Switzerland (N = 1206). Flying habits emerged as the most powerful predictor of air travel intentions, followed by prescriptive social norms, general environmental attitudes, flight-specific personal norms, and acceptance of general justifications for environmentally negative behavior. The overall model achieved substantial explanative power (multiple R = 0.75). Availability of alternative means of transportation was most frequently mentioned as requirement for reducing personal flights, and participants proposed replacing physical business meetings with online formats. Trains were often proposed as alternative transportation mode; however, concerns regarding travel duration and price constrain their use. Faster connections, attractive pricing, and measures facilitating the enjoyment of lengthier travel times could help reduce the number of flights and contribute toward deceleration of life.
Ralph Hansmann; Claudia R. Binder. Reducing personal air-travel: Restrictions, options and the role of justifications. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 2021, 96, 102859 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Claudia R. Binder. Reducing personal air-travel: Restrictions, options and the role of justifications. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 2021; 96 ():102859.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Claudia R. Binder. 2021. "Reducing personal air-travel: Restrictions, options and the role of justifications." Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 96, no. : 102859.
With increasing urbanisation, new approaches such as the Circular Economy (CE) are needed to reduce resource consumption. In Switzerland, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste accounts for the largest portion of waste (84%). Beyond limiting the depletion of primary resources, implementing recycling strategies for C&D waste (such as using recycled aggregates to produce recycled concrete (RC)), can also decrease the amount of landfilled C&D waste. The use of RC still faces adoption barriers. In this research, we examined the factors driving the adoption of recycled products for a CE in the C&D sector by focusing on RC for structural applications. We developed a behavioural framework to understand the determinants of architects’ decisions to recommend RC. We collected and analysed survey data from 727 respondents. The analyses focused on architects’ a priori beliefs about RC, behavioural factors affecting their recommendations of RC, and project-specific contextual factors that might play a role in the recommendation of RC. Our results show that the factors that mainly facilitate the recommendation of RC by architects are: a senior position, a high level of RC knowledge and of the Minergie label, beliefs about the reduced environmental impact of RC, as well as favourable prescriptive social norms expressed by clients and other architects. We emphasise the importance of a holistic theoretical framework in approaching decision-making processes related to the adoption of innovation, and the importance of the agency of each involved actor for a transition towards a circular construction sector.
Valeria Superti; Cynthia Houmani; Ralph Hansmann; Ivo Baur; Claudia Binder. Strategies for a Circular Economy in the Construction and Demolition Sector: Identifying the Factors Affecting the Recommendation of Recycled Concrete. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4113 .
AMA StyleValeria Superti, Cynthia Houmani, Ralph Hansmann, Ivo Baur, Claudia Binder. Strategies for a Circular Economy in the Construction and Demolition Sector: Identifying the Factors Affecting the Recommendation of Recycled Concrete. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (8):4113.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValeria Superti; Cynthia Houmani; Ralph Hansmann; Ivo Baur; Claudia Binder. 2021. "Strategies for a Circular Economy in the Construction and Demolition Sector: Identifying the Factors Affecting the Recommendation of Recycled Concrete." Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4113.
A survey of 1206 participants investigated determinants of positive environmental behaviors (PEBs) in Switzerland. Based on a principle component analysis on data for 23 different PEBs, three behavior types were distinguished: (i) public sphere PEBs with politically mediated impacts; (ii) socially salient private “lighthouse” PEBs that convey a pro-environmental message; and (iii) less socially salient private PEBs. An environmental behavior model identified general environmental knowledge and attitudes as the strongest predictors of PEBs, followed by green self-identity, justifications, assumed consequences, prescriptive social norms, gender, age, and perceived behavioral control (PBC), respectively. To promote sustainability-oriented behaviors and achieve corresponding societal and economic changes, the identified psychological factors need to be promoted by education and communication strategies as well as complementary measures ranging from policy changes to technology development and systems design. Green self-identity turned out to be significantly more influential for private PEBs than for public sphere PEBs, whereas prescriptive social norms and environmental knowledge were more important for public sphere PEBs. These findings indicate that promoting different types of sustainability-oriented behaviors may require distinct strategies. Public sphere PEBs may be enhanced well by conveying social practices and norms, whereas the promotion of a pro-environmental green self-identity may increase private sphere PEBs effectively.
Ralph Hansmann; Claudia R. Binder. Determinants of Different Types of Positive Environmental Behaviors: An Analysis of Public and Private Sphere Actions. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8547 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Claudia R. Binder. Determinants of Different Types of Positive Environmental Behaviors: An Analysis of Public and Private Sphere Actions. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8547.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Claudia R. Binder. 2020. "Determinants of Different Types of Positive Environmental Behaviors: An Analysis of Public and Private Sphere Actions." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8547.
A survey of 620 Swiss households was conducted to investigate the determinants of purchases of organic fruits and vegetables and identify subjectively perceived requirements for more environmentally friendly and healthier food consumption. An integrative behavior model incorporating various psychological and socio-structural variables was applied to explain the ratio of organic vs. non-organic purchases. The theory of planned behavior was considered fundamental for the development of this integrative model, and supplementary variables were included, accounting for moral justifications, education level, income, and further aspects. The resulting model accounted for 42% of the variance of organic food consumption. Financial and environmental justifications for purchasing non-organic food resulted as the most important predictors, followed by recent consumption changes, health-related aspects of attitudes and social norms, perceived behavioral control, environmental values, income, and education level. The participants considered more knowledge and information and having more money at their disposal to be important requirements for achieving more environmentally friendly and healthier food consumption. Furthermore, they considered having more time to prepare meals oneself as particularly important to achieving healthier food consumption.
Ralph Hansmann; Ivo Baur; Claudia R. Binder. Increasing organic food consumption: An integrating model of drivers and barriers. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 275, 123058 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Ivo Baur, Claudia R. Binder. Increasing organic food consumption: An integrating model of drivers and barriers. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 275 ():123058.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Ivo Baur; Claudia R. Binder. 2020. "Increasing organic food consumption: An integrating model of drivers and barriers." Journal of Cleaner Production 275, no. : 123058.
In the context of an initiative to become a carbon neutral campus, an online survey (N = 1864) of students, scientists, and administrative and technical staff of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) was conducted to measure pro-environmental behaviors and potentially influential factors. Female gender, age, and position (from bachelor’s student, master’s student, doctoral student, postdoc/senior scientist to professor) showed a significant positive correlation with positive behaviors as measured by a pro-environmental behavior scale developed for this study. Excluded from the academic position ranking were the members of technical and administrative staff, who displayed the highest level of pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, the level of pro-environmental behavior was generally higher among members of strongly environmentally-oriented university subsections as compared to other sections. Based on previous research and theories on environmental behavior, such as the theory of planned behavior, a predictive model including psychological, structural, and demographic variables was developed and accounted for 44% of the variance of pro-environmental behavior scores. Among psychological variables, the strongest positive influence was observed for green self-identity. Willingness to sacrifice, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and perceived effects were also significantly positively related to positive behavior. Future behavioral decision-making models should consider these variables accordingly. The position of the participants was significantly positively correlated with green self-identity, suggesting positive education and socialization effects, but negatively correlated with perceived behavioral control, pointing to practical constraints coincident with professional seniority.
Ralph Hansmann; Rafael Laurenti; Tarik Mehdi; Claudia R. Binder. Determinants of pro-environmental behavior: A comparison of university students and staff from diverse faculties at a Swiss University. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 268, 121864 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Rafael Laurenti, Tarik Mehdi, Claudia R. Binder. Determinants of pro-environmental behavior: A comparison of university students and staff from diverse faculties at a Swiss University. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 268 ():121864.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Rafael Laurenti; Tarik Mehdi; Claudia R. Binder. 2020. "Determinants of pro-environmental behavior: A comparison of university students and staff from diverse faculties at a Swiss University." Journal of Cleaner Production 268, no. : 121864.
Gender equality is essential to social justice and sustainable development in the higher education sector. An important aspect thereof is to promote equal opportunities for academic careers. This study investigates the current situation and possibilities for improvement in this regard from the perspectives of mid-career scientists in a sustainability-oriented university department. A survey of scientists from the postdoctoral to adjunct professor level (N = 82) in the Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS) of ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) was thus conducted to investigate judgements, experiences, and ideas for improvement concerning equal career opportunities. About 90% of the respondents perceived no disadvantages based on gender, ethnicity, race, or faith. However, about 30% felt disadvantaged due to their age. Comments revealed not a single case in which latter disadvantages were based on prejudice. Instead, ETH-wide or national age and time-based restrictions for certain positions caused the inequality perceptions. Furthermore, comments indicated that these restrictions can disadvantage scientists taking care of children. Some participants suggested a revision or removal of corresponding rules. Further suggestions included an improved availability of childcare places. ETH Zurich recently undertook great efforts to provide excellent and affordable childcare services, increasing the number of available places by about 30% in the year following this survey.
Ralph Hansmann; Dagmar Schröter. Equal Opportunities in Academic Careers? How Mid-Career Scientists at ETH Zurich Evaluate the Impact of Their Gender and Age. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3343 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Dagmar Schröter. Equal Opportunities in Academic Careers? How Mid-Career Scientists at ETH Zurich Evaluate the Impact of Their Gender and Age. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (9):3343.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Dagmar Schröter. 2018. "Equal Opportunities in Academic Careers? How Mid-Career Scientists at ETH Zurich Evaluate the Impact of Their Gender and Age." Sustainability 10, no. 9: 3343.
In the context of the Bologna reform, the Environmental Sciences programme at ETH Zurich was transformed from a Diploma to a Master's degree programme. In a comparative secondary analysis of graduate surveys of the last homogeneous cohort of Diploma graduates (N = 85) and two Master's cohorts after the reform (N = 108), this study investigated the qualifications required by graduates in their professional activities and matched them with the level of qualification acquired at university. It concluded that graduates’ general skills meet professional requirements better after the reform. However, for two out of five domain-specific skills (knowledge of legal aspects, interdisciplinary knowledge) ratings of skill acquisition declined significantly. Nonetheless, Master's graduates showed a slight or substantial knowledge and skills advantage for seven of the eight skills of the programme's qualification profile that were addressed in the survey. The basic quality of the sustainability oriented programme has thus been maintained.
Ralph Hansmann; Almut Jödicke; Urs Brändle; Doris Guhl; Peter Frischknecht. How the Bologna reform influenced learning outcomes: analysis of perceived qualifications and professional requirements of environmental sciences graduates. Studies in Higher Education 2017, 44, 1004 -1022.
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Almut Jödicke, Urs Brändle, Doris Guhl, Peter Frischknecht. How the Bologna reform influenced learning outcomes: analysis of perceived qualifications and professional requirements of environmental sciences graduates. Studies in Higher Education. 2017; 44 (6):1004-1022.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Almut Jödicke; Urs Brändle; Doris Guhl; Peter Frischknecht. 2017. "How the Bologna reform influenced learning outcomes: analysis of perceived qualifications and professional requirements of environmental sciences graduates." Studies in Higher Education 44, no. 6: 1004-1022.
Subjective causal explanations for littering of waste are investigated through a questionnaire-based survey (N = 147). Participants were asked if they littered waste in the past, and if so why, and they were also asked why they think some other people litter. 71% of the participants admitted having littered in the past. An analysis of the perceived reasons for littering showed significant differences between the reasons provided for own as compared to other people’s littering. The differences found were in line with previous research demonstrating a self-serving bias in intrapersonal as compared to interpersonal attributions. Own littering is often “justified” by external causes for example shortcomings in the infrastructure, such as missing or filled garbage cans, whereas negative personal attributions such as ignorance, naivety, and convenience are most commonly considered to cause littering by others. Findings are discussed with reference to the integrative Model of Justified Behaviour (MJB) (Hansmann and Steimer 2015) which covers a broad range of factors including attitudes, norms, knowledge, restrictions and options, habit formation, and evaluative processes of justification as determinants of behavioural decision-making. Implications for environmental management and for the design of anti-littering campaigns and environmental education are discussed.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.73.1.18521
Ralph Hansmann; Nora Steimer. Subjective Reasons for Littering: A Self-serving Attribution Bias as Justification Process in an Environmental Behaviour Model. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management 2017, 73, 8 - 19 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Nora Steimer. Subjective Reasons for Littering: A Self-serving Attribution Bias as Justification Process in an Environmental Behaviour Model. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management. 2017; 73 (1):8 - 19.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Nora Steimer. 2017. "Subjective Reasons for Littering: A Self-serving Attribution Bias as Justification Process in an Environmental Behaviour Model." Environmental Research, Engineering and Management 73, no. 1: 8 - 19.
Ian Whitehead; Ralph Hansmann; Frank Lohrberg; Ivana Živojinović; Andreas Bernasconi; Nerys Jones. The Role of Partnerships and the Third Sector in the Development and Delivery of Urban Forestry and Green Infrastructure. Future City 2017, 7, 259 -282.
AMA StyleIan Whitehead, Ralph Hansmann, Frank Lohrberg, Ivana Živojinović, Andreas Bernasconi, Nerys Jones. The Role of Partnerships and the Third Sector in the Development and Delivery of Urban Forestry and Green Infrastructure. Future City. 2017; 7 ():259-282.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIan Whitehead; Ralph Hansmann; Frank Lohrberg; Ivana Živojinović; Andreas Bernasconi; Nerys Jones. 2017. "The Role of Partnerships and the Third Sector in the Development and Delivery of Urban Forestry and Green Infrastructure." Future City 7, no. : 259-282.
A humorous, an environmentally oriented and an authoritarian poster against littering were tested in a field experiment on their behavioural effectiveness. Corresponding slogans were placed on anti-littering posters designed for this study and used experimentally at four railway stations. The experimental design entailed 4 communication conditions including a control condition where no poster was presented. In each experimental run (N = 96), flyers were distributed for 30 minutes. The number of distributed flyers was counted, and the proportion of littered flyers was determined for each experimental run. It was found that the humorous and environmentally oriented posters achieved a reduction of 58% and 64%, respectively, in littering as compared with the control condition. The authoritarian poster was significantly less effective, but achieved a significant reduction of 25%. Considered together with some previous findings and theories, the results indicate that environmentally oriented and humorous anti-littering posters are more effective than authoritarian onesDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.72.1.14169
Ralph Hansmann; Nora Steimer. A Field Experiment on Behavioural Effects of Humorous, Environmentally Oriented and Authoritarian Posters against Littering. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management 2016, 72, 35-44 .
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Nora Steimer. A Field Experiment on Behavioural Effects of Humorous, Environmentally Oriented and Authoritarian Posters against Littering. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management. 2016; 72 (1):35-44.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Nora Steimer. 2016. "A Field Experiment on Behavioural Effects of Humorous, Environmentally Oriented and Authoritarian Posters against Littering." Environmental Research, Engineering and Management 72, no. 1: 35-44.
This study analyzes the development of Regional Organizations (RO) of forest owners for joint forest management in the Canton of Lucerne and discusses the transferability of this new type of organization to improve the management structures elsewhere, particularly in other Swiss cantons with similar small-scale ownership patterns. For this purpose, Lucerne’s forest owners were surveyed (n = 221) and interviews with leaders of five ROs and representatives of the cantonal forest service were conducted. Nine wood-processing companies participated in a supplementary survey on effects of ROs on the wood chain. RO members were found to perceive an improvement of their position in the wood market, more professionalism and economies of scale as advantages. Some wood-processing companies acknowledge efficient cooperation with the ROs, but there are also wood buyers who are skeptical about ROs and see disadvantages for themselves. Offering a comprehensive forestry and wood-marketing service, the 11 existing ROs were able to get more than 5000 forest owners to join who possess 54 % of the Lucerne forest area. This strengthens the capacity of the cantonal forestry sector and the improved handling and mobilization of wood also supports the regional wood-processing industry. Most of the RO members (86 %) consider the RO a possible model for improving the management structures of other cantons, whereas only 30 % of the forest owners who did not join an RO share this opinion.
Ralph Hansmann; Petra Kilchling; Klaus Seeland. The Effects of Regional Forest Owner Organizations on Forest Management in the Swiss Canton of Lucerne. Small-scale Forestry 2015, 15, 159 -177.
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Petra Kilchling, Klaus Seeland. The Effects of Regional Forest Owner Organizations on Forest Management in the Swiss Canton of Lucerne. Small-scale Forestry. 2015; 15 (2):159-177.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Petra Kilchling; Klaus Seeland. 2015. "The Effects of Regional Forest Owner Organizations on Forest Management in the Swiss Canton of Lucerne." Small-scale Forestry 15, no. 2: 159-177.
The energy efficiency of residential buildings is a central issue in the widely discussed energy transition. This study investigates which factors influence homeowners´ decisions regarding the energy efficiency standard of their houses. Homeowners who built or renovated their houses between 2008 and 2013 participated in a questionnaire survey in two Austrian “energy regions” within the federal states of Styria and Burgenland. In the majority (66%) of cases, homeowners chose the low-energy house standard B (≤ 50kWh/m2a) for their building or renovation projects, followed by the conventional standard C (≤ 100kWh/m2a) (21%). Only 13% realized ultra-low-energy, passive or plus-energy houses with a higher energy efficiency standard (A (≤ 25kWh/m2a), A+ (≤ 15kWh/m2a), or A++ (≤ 10kWh/m2a)). Expert recommendations on energy standards showed the highest correlation with the selected standards, and on average, new building projects realized better energy efficiency standards than did renovations. Further variables that were significantly related to the realized standards included homeowners’ attitudes and knowledge about building energy efficiency standards and the age of the respondents. Although the homeowners who were surveyed were initially satisfied with the selected energy efficiency standard, many now indicate a preference to implement significantly higher energy efficiency standards than those achieved in their project. Further, they would recommend even significantly higher energy efficiency standards to friends than the standards preferred for their own house. These findings suggest that current preferences and communication in social networks promote higher future energy efficiency standards.
Katja Bedenik; Ralph Hansmann; Monika Popp; Anne Von Streit; Claudia R. Binder. Energy Efficiency Standards of Single-Family Houses: Factors in Homeowners’ Decision-Making in Two Austrian Regions. Energy and Environment Research 2015, 5, 49 .
AMA StyleKatja Bedenik, Ralph Hansmann, Monika Popp, Anne Von Streit, Claudia R. Binder. Energy Efficiency Standards of Single-Family Houses: Factors in Homeowners’ Decision-Making in Two Austrian Regions. Energy and Environment Research. 2015; 5 (2):49.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatja Bedenik; Ralph Hansmann; Monika Popp; Anne Von Streit; Claudia R. Binder. 2015. "Energy Efficiency Standards of Single-Family Houses: Factors in Homeowners’ Decision-Making in Two Austrian Regions." Energy and Environment Research 5, no. 2: 49.
Diverse elements of anti-littering campaigns may be effective at addressing different causes of littering. Therefore, a complementary approach combining various elements is needed to ensure the behavioral effectiveness of corresponding campaigns. The present study investigates personal, problem-centered face-to-face conversations compared to three different types of anti-littering posters (witty, authoritarian, environmentally oriented). In total, N = 147 persons participated in the questionnaire-based survey. Pictures of the three anti-littering posters were presented to all respondents, but only 82 of them additionally took part in problem-centered face-to-face conversations. Participants of the latter condition liked the conversations significantly more and judged them more effective for reducing littering than each of the three posters. Intentions for future behavior also improved more in the condition with face-to-face communications than in the reference condition in which only the anti-littering posters were presented. Regarding the posters, it was found that the witty and the environmentally-oriented poster were liked more and judged to be more effective by the respondents than the authoritarian poster. Findings are discussed in relation to the design of campaigns, which combine elements with reference to an integrative behavior model covering a broad range of factors, including processes of justifications, habit formation and reactance.
Ralph Hansmann; Nora Steimer. Linking an Integrative Behavior Model to Elements of Environmental Campaigns: An Analysis of Face-to-Face Communication and Posters against Littering. Sustainability 2015, 7, 6937 -6956.
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Nora Steimer. Linking an Integrative Behavior Model to Elements of Environmental Campaigns: An Analysis of Face-to-Face Communication and Posters against Littering. Sustainability. 2015; 7 (6):6937-6956.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Nora Steimer. 2015. "Linking an Integrative Behavior Model to Elements of Environmental Campaigns: An Analysis of Face-to-Face Communication and Posters against Littering." Sustainability 7, no. 6: 6937-6956.
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. The book Environmental Literacy in Science and Society contributes to the scientific understanding and sustainability-oriented management of Human–Environment Systems (HES) based on processes of transdisciplinarity and mutual learning. It presents a historical analysis, and modern explanations, of crucial concepts and developments regarding environmental literacy in science and society. In addition, it presents an original framework for the analysis of HES in which these are seen as inextricably coupled transactional systems. This framework is applied in the book to sustainability learning and decision making in real-world problem-solving processes with respect to complex, ill-defined problems that pose threads to the balance of certain aspects of HES or to the anthroposphere as a whole.
Ralph Hansmann. Environmental Literacy in Science and Society: From Knowledge to Decisions. By Roland W. Scholz. Cambridge University Press: New York, USA, 2011; Hardback, 631 pp; ISBN 978-0-521-19271-2; Paperback, ISBN 978-0-521-18333-8. Sustainability 2012, 4, 863 -865.
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann. Environmental Literacy in Science and Society: From Knowledge to Decisions. By Roland W. Scholz. Cambridge University Press: New York, USA, 2011; Hardback, 631 pp; ISBN 978-0-521-19271-2; Paperback, ISBN 978-0-521-18333-8. Sustainability. 2012; 4 (5):863-865.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann. 2012. "Environmental Literacy in Science and Society: From Knowledge to Decisions. By Roland W. Scholz. Cambridge University Press: New York, USA, 2011; Hardback, 631 pp; ISBN 978-0-521-19271-2; Paperback, ISBN 978-0-521-18333-8." Sustainability 4, no. 5: 863-865.
Starting from the concept of three fundamental sustainability dimensions (environmental, social, and economic), this study investigated professional contributions to sustainability by means of principal component analysis (PCA). Graduates from the Environmental Sciences program (N = 542) at ETH Zurich described their best professional contributions to sustainable development. Next, they evaluated whether their best practice example contributed to achieving any of the five environmental, social, and economic objectives of the Swiss national sustainability strategy. These judgments served as the basis for a PCA aiming to identify principal sustainability components (PSCs) covering typical synergies between sustainability objectives within and transcending the three fundamental dimensions. Three PSCs capturing important synergies were identified. PSC 1 Product and Process Development reflects how ecological innovation and modernization can generate social and economic benefits and at the same time facilitate the reduction in use of as well as the responsible use of natural resources. PSC 2 Education and Social Economics reflects how educational activities and sociocultural sustainability initiatives can simultaneously promote income and employment, social and human capital, and free personal development. PSC 3 Protection of Nature and Humans covers the synergetic benefits which protection of natural spaces and biodiversity and the reduction of environmental risks have for the protection of health and safety of the population. The study also revealed that integration of environmental, social, and economic aspects is often connected to conflicts between these dimensions. However, contributions which consider the economic situation of future generations or enhance social and human capital achieved considerable integration but showed no inclination toward such conflicts.
Ralph Hansmann; Harald A. Mieg; Peter Frischknecht. Principal sustainability components: empirical analysis of synergies between the three pillars of sustainability. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 2012, 19, 451 -459.
AMA StyleRalph Hansmann, Harald A. Mieg, Peter Frischknecht. Principal sustainability components: empirical analysis of synergies between the three pillars of sustainability. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. 2012; 19 (5):451-459.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRalph Hansmann; Harald A. Mieg; Peter Frischknecht. 2012. "Principal sustainability components: empirical analysis of synergies between the three pillars of sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 19, no. 5: 451-459.
This paper reports on a sustainability outreach study based on an assessment of human and social capital. The aim was to capture the national sustainability outreach of twenty years of Environmental Sciences education, centered at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. The study contained two lines of research, one being a human capital assessment with a survey among graduates from the years 1992 to 2005 (n = 542) and the other being a social capital analysis based on interviews with institutions that represent the Swiss social systems of economy, politics/public administration and civil society (20 institutions). Our analyses reveal several functional forms of both human capital (specialists, pioneers, leaders) and social capital (qualification profile, internalization, networks, standardization, professionalization) that trigger and channel sustainability outreach.
Harald A. Mieg; Ralph Hansmann; Peter M. Frischknecht. National Sustainability Outreach Assessment Based on Human and Social Capital: The Case of Environmental Sciences in Switzerland. Sustainability 2011, 4, 17 -41.
AMA StyleHarald A. Mieg, Ralph Hansmann, Peter M. Frischknecht. National Sustainability Outreach Assessment Based on Human and Social Capital: The Case of Environmental Sciences in Switzerland. Sustainability. 2011; 4 (1):17-41.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHarald A. Mieg; Ralph Hansmann; Peter M. Frischknecht. 2011. "National Sustainability Outreach Assessment Based on Human and Social Capital: The Case of Environmental Sciences in Switzerland." Sustainability 4, no. 1: 17-41.
Unconferencing is a method for organizing social learning which could be suitable to trigger sustainability learning processes. An unconference is defined as participant-driven meeting that tries to avoid one or more aspects of a conventional conference, such as top-down organization, one-way communication and power-relationships based on titles, formal hierarchies and status. This paper presents a case study on the application of unconferencing in a large Swiss university (ETH Zurich) where an unconference was conducted to engage students, academics, staff and external experts in a mutual learning process aimed at the development of project ideas for reducing its CO2 emissions. The study analyzes how the unconferencing format initiated and promoted sustainability oriented group processes during the unconference, and in how far the projects which were developed contributed to a reduction of the university’s CO2 emissions.
Patricia Wolf; Peter Troxler; Ralf Hansmann. Moving Universities: A Case Study on the Use of Unconferencing for Facilitating Sustainability Learning in a Swiss University. Sustainability 2011, 3, 875 -896.
AMA StylePatricia Wolf, Peter Troxler, Ralf Hansmann. Moving Universities: A Case Study on the Use of Unconferencing for Facilitating Sustainability Learning in a Swiss University. Sustainability. 2011; 3 (6):875-896.
Chicago/Turabian StylePatricia Wolf; Peter Troxler; Ralf Hansmann. 2011. "Moving Universities: A Case Study on the Use of Unconferencing for Facilitating Sustainability Learning in a Swiss University." Sustainability 3, no. 6: 875-896.
The capacity for innovation spurred by regional organizations (ROs) and their impact on regional economic development are explored through forest expert interviews and a survey of small-scale forest owners in the Canton of Lucerne, in central Switzerland. The results show significant differences between the economic positions of forest owners who joined ROs and those who did not. Among RO members, the proportion of certified forests is higher, and in net financial return from their forest holdings and marketing effectiveness, they are significantly better off after only a short period of time compared with RO nonmembers. This process innovation, however, will not transform the forest sector substantially nor does it intend to do so. Its economic impact on regional development is modest at the present level of organization.
Klaus Seeland; Joël Godat; Ralf Hansmann. Regional forest organizations and their innovation impact on forestry and regional development in central Switzerland. Forest Policy and Economics 2011, 13, 353 -360.
AMA StyleKlaus Seeland, Joël Godat, Ralf Hansmann. Regional forest organizations and their innovation impact on forestry and regional development in central Switzerland. Forest Policy and Economics. 2011; 13 (5):353-360.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKlaus Seeland; Joël Godat; Ralf Hansmann. 2011. "Regional forest organizations and their innovation impact on forestry and regional development in central Switzerland." Forest Policy and Economics 13, no. 5: 353-360.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the potential of available event formats for facilitating the initiation of organizational change processes. It presents unconferencing, a relatively new event format, which seems to provide unique opportunities for this purpose. It reports and analyzes the case of a large Swiss university which initiated its pro-sustainability transformation by organizing an unconference. Design/methodology/approach – Researchers studied the effects of unconferencing and the mechanisms, which brought them about in a case study. In the empirical setting of a large Swiss university, a qualitative study triangulating participatory observation, narrative and problem-centered interviews, participant survey and documentary analysis was carried out. Data were collected and analyzed at different points in time. Findings – Empirical findings suggest that unconferencing is an appropriate event format for facilitating the initiation of the pro-sustainability organizational change process of a university. In our case, unconferencing achieved systems connectivity, enabled mutual learning and generated excellent outputs in form of project proposals. Social implications – The paper raises the awareness of other universities and organizations of an event format they might wish to apply in their organizational change processes. Originality/value – So far, research has not provided satisfactory answers to the question, how to best initiate organizational change. This paper provides a systematic investigation of available methodological approaches. It furthermore explains unconferencing, which is increasingly applied by practitioners but so far has stimulated only little discourse in the scientific community.
Patricia Wolf; Ralf Hansmann; Peter Troxler; Ralph Hansmann. Unconferencing as method to initiate organisational change. Journal of Organizational Change Management 2011, 24, 112 -142.
AMA StylePatricia Wolf, Ralf Hansmann, Peter Troxler, Ralph Hansmann. Unconferencing as method to initiate organisational change. Journal of Organizational Change Management. 2011; 24 (1):112-142.
Chicago/Turabian StylePatricia Wolf; Ralf Hansmann; Peter Troxler; Ralph Hansmann. 2011. "Unconferencing as method to initiate organisational change." Journal of Organizational Change Management 24, no. 1: 112-142.