OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development
Open access peer-reviewed journal
Consumer Preferences and Success of Retail Facilities
Xin Ning (Natalie) Cheah
University of Toronto, Mississauga Campus, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 11-18, 2014.
Abstract: There is a growing interest in the study of the development and changing trends of retail spaces, which have exerted considerable pressure on the transformation of the retail environments of many cities. Changes to retail spaces and shopping environment are undoubtedly subject to various influences. This study looks at the success of different retail spaces as they struggle to remain competitive. It compares two specific retail facilities, namely retail strips and shopping malls. The former are usually unplanned and more adaptable while the latter are usually planned facilities, which are less adaptable in the short term. Retail strips used to attract consumers from different geological locations based on their unique ambience and products that are often catered to specific ethnic communities. On the other hand, shopping malls, with controlled spatial organisation, used to provide an arena for leisure, with combination of different types of stores, offering a huge range of goods and services catering to different consumer tastes and needs. In terms of methodology, an on-site non-obtrusive observation was conducted at selected locations in Mississauga, Ontario, by recording consumer count. The number of consumers at those locations were profiled according to specific criteria – gender, age group and ethnicity. This paper concludes with a brief discussion on the three main reasons for the changes in consumer preferences for specific retail spaces. These are the influx of American companies, the prevalence of online shopping, and the arrival of new retail facilities have definitely caused a change in consumer preferences.
Keywords: Development, Retail, consumers, competitive
Strengthening Innovation Performance Among SME’s In Tema Metropolitan of Ghana
Andy Ohemeng Asare
School of Management and Economics,
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731
Chengdu, P.R. China
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 19-28, 2014.
Abstract: Small and Medium Enterprises( SME’s) play significant roles in economic growth in most developed and developing countries such as Ghana, generating employment and contributing to poverty alleviation. With the current fast pace of globalization of most entrepreneurship, the implementation of innovation strategies in Small and Medium Enterprises will help most entrepreneurs in dealing with current business challenges, such as competitiveness within the global market economy, development of new products and services and access to internal and external ideas.
However, Small and medium Enterprises in Ghana face a lot of challenges hampering its growth in the country. The study of this paper, therefore, assessed the significant challenges for promoting innovation strategies in SME’s in Ghana. The research involved primary and secondary quantitative data gathered through self- administered survey of eighty-nine SME’s in Tema Metropolitan of Ghana. The major findings of the study revealed the significant barriers which have been categorized in four aspects: human aspects, general, policy and competition constraints.
The study suggests that, the government of the country and financial institutions should aim at improving SME conditions to the local and global economy, help them in increasing productivity and transform through innovation. Also, they should encourage financial institutions within the local government and ministry of trade to financially support SME’s sectors in the country. With these, the implementation of innovation strategies among SME’s sector growth will be achieved.
Keywords: Innovation Strategies, SME’s, Ghana, financial institutions, economic growth.
An analysis of the stubborn spectre of violent service delivery protests and its link to xenophobia in South Africa the case of Alexandra and Bekkersdal townships
Frank Gadiwele Lekaba
Human Sciences Research Council, Pretorius street, Pretoria, South Africa.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 29-38, 2014.
Background
Violent service delivery protests are a recurring phenomenon in South Africa. The causes of this phenomenon are elusive, precisely because the spheres of government are structured in such a way that they are aimed at reaching to the masses of the Republic. One of the spheres of government that is aimed at reaching out to the people in a more convenient and effective way is the local government, composed of various municipalities. The local municipality is tasked to deliver basic services to the people such as, clean water and sanitation, collection of rubbish bins etc. Despite the fact that the municipality has to deliver basic services to the people, they are a theatre of power contestation from various factions in the African National Congress (ANC) which is a ruling party. As a result, make it difficult for those elected to deliver impartially to all in the society. It therefore means the incapacity of the municipality to deliver services to the people is a relative failure on the part of the government and those deployed to the municipal offices; and they have to be held accountable for this failure either by their constituency or their political parties. This study is a response to the appeals for comprehensive empirical research on understanding the violent service delivery protests in South Africa. It seeks to advice the authorities on how to best respond to this challenge and consequently limit or eliminate xenophobic attitudes towards foreign nationals by South Africans during these protests.
Research Problem
As South Africans demonstrate their dissatisfaction about the lack of service delivery, they engage on other criminal activities. At the centre of violent service delivery protests is the violence meted out on the foreign nationals and looting of their shops.
Aims
Establish the link between violent service delivery protests and xenophobia.
Methodology
The fieldwork study was conducted in the Gauteng province, because it has registered a steady increase in the widespread of violent service delivery protests, particularly in Bekkersdal and Alexandra. Alexandra is a township that first saw the emergence of widespread xenophobic attacks in 2008. The study covered general attitudes of South Africans towards foreign nationals, particularly of African descent, this was done at various levels of the communities. This study employed a case study research design, which helped to establish the link between two variables in both townships. Central answers of this study were sought from people of various standing in the communities, the leaders of political parties, municipal officials, South African Local Govemment Association (SALGA) officials, and members of the communities. The sample method used in this study was purposive sampling. The data gathered was analysed through content analysis.
Findings
Apparently what sparked xenophobic attacks in Alexandra was the fight between South African and Zimbabwean fellows . Zimbabwean fellows outnumbered a South African and killed him, then the community joined the fight on the side of the South African fellow. The fight escalated to what we know today as xenophobic attacks. It was discovered that there is a gap between the local leadership and the community. Councillors hardly call ward meetings to brief and consult the community about the developments taking place. There is no consultation with regards to the draft and implementation of the Integrated Development Plan. The researcher discovered from the interviews with the community members that the success of delivery of services in the nearby township of Mohlakeng which falls under the Greater Westonaria Municipality has influenced the outbreak of the protest. There is acknowledgement from the participants that there were elements of criminality involved in their service delivery protest. Some attribute this act to the gangsters who seize the moment of anarchy to cause chaos and loot shops of foreign nationals. Others attribute violence as a culture of protests in South Africa, this culture is ascribed to the manner in which Apartheid was brought down in the country from 1960s until 1994. The intended aim of the research project was to establish whether there is a link between violent service delivery protests and xenophobia. The researcher dealt with the in-depth study of xenophobia in Alexandra. The responses from South African participants were that, the 2008 xenophobic attacks were not necessarily xenophobic in their view. They regard 2008 xenophobic attacks as a bold act against indignity. Most said they felt disrespected by the foreign nations who beat up and killed a South African fellow. They alleged that most foreign nationals are not legal in South Africa and thus it is difficult to trace them when they have committed crime. This study has further problematized the understanding and explanation of the concept, xenophobia.
Keywords: integrated development programme , leadership, service delivery, violent protests, xenophobia.
Building height effects on indoor air temperature and velocity in high rise residential buildings in tropical climate
Ardalan Aflaki a, Norhayati Mahyuddinb , Golnoosh Manteghi c, Mohamad Rizal Baharumd
a, b, d Center for Urban Conservation and Tropical Architecture (UCTA), Faculty of Built Environment,
University of Malaya, Malaysia.
c Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University Technology Malaysia, Malaysia
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 39-48, 2014.
Abstract: Natural ventilation as a passive design strategy has been considered recently as an effective way to reduce energy consumption and create better indoor thermal condition. Different architectural elements and techniques have been applied in previous studies to increase the efficiency of ventilation systems in naturally ventilated buildings. However, limited researches have been carried out on the application of building characteristic such as form and height of building and their effects on overall indoor ventilation. Current study looks into the impact of building heights on the indoor air temperature and velocity and indicates that how this building character influences on indoor thermal condition. The field experiment was applied to evaluate indoor thermal condition in a high-rise building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Selection of units is based on the orientation and height with emphasis on outdoor prevailing wind direction. The results show that there are significant differences between mean air temperature and velocity within units in the lower and higher floors. The air temperature differences in the living and dining rooms in units are 1.2 C˚ and 1.54 C˚ respectively. The air temperature within the unit at higher floor is cooler than the unit at lower floor. This can be justified due to significant difference of indoor air velocity in the lower and upper levels. The results demonstrate that the amount of indoor wind in the living room at unit in the upper floor is four times higher than the amount for same room at unit in the lower floor. However, this value for the dining room is just two times more.
Keywords: Building height; Natural and mechanical ventilation; Passive design strategies; Residential building; Tropical climate
Longitudinal Study on the relationship of workspaces and wellbeing (case study of a University in UK)
Negin Minaei a, Ali Parsab, Nicholai Thomasin-Foster c
a, b School of Real Estate and Land Management, Royal Agricultural University, United Kingdom.
c School of Agriculture, Royal Agricultural University, United Kingdom.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 49-64, 2014.
Abstract: This paper is extracted from an empirical longitudinal on-going project on seven academic members of a University in UK. The aim was to evaluate their work spaces and investigate potential impact on the well-being and health of the participants. The approach of this research is derived from social design and environmental psychology science. Participants were selected based on, either their expressed dissatisfaction with their work spaces or recommended by their line-manager to improve their low-quality workspaces. The average age of the participants was 46.14. This study was mainly a field study with original data collected questionnaires, interviews, environmental measures and observations (direct and indirect) during a seven months period. Different psychological measures as well as mixed methods have been used to analyze the data. For questionnaires, the standard psychological measures such as (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) HADS, and behavior questionnaires and for observation measures including ‘Mental Status Evaluation Checklist’ have been used. Two separate studies have been conducted: first, their work space has been studied for its physical environmental characteristics (from environmental factors to ergonomics) and second was the status of their well-being specifically regarding the common disorders of anxiety, depression, social phobia and agoraphobia. Results of psychological assessment shows from 7 participants 3 have anxiety in abnormal level and 2 have anxiety in borderline range. Anxiety of 4 out of 5 participants has increased during the last 7 months, and just one of the participants stayed in the same level. In case of depression just one of the participants has developed borderline depression during the study period. Regarding social phobia, one of the participants is still in the abnormal range, one is in the borderline range and the third one has improved from borderline to normal comparing to the last assessment. Just one of the participants showed higher mark in agoraphobia and the rest were all normal. Findings suggest that those who were more dissatisfied with their workspaces regardless of having an organized or disorganized office, developed higher level of anxiety or social phobia after seven months. Photographs will be used to represent the participant’s work spaces in an anonymous way because of the confidential aspects of the study. Tables, forms, and charts will demonstrate the changes in their psychological status that has happened during the 7months of the study and the relationships among different environmental factors and participant’s well-being.
Keywords: environmental psychology; longitudinal study; mixed methods; wellbeing; work space
Gender Inequality and Sustainable development
Naierossadat Daneshvar Hoseini
Counseling Department, Islamic Azad University, Khomeinishahr Branch, Isfahan, Iran.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 65-74, 2014.
Abstract: According to the most quoted definition of sustainable development it can be defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In fact sustainable development refers to a development process which enhances peoples’ capacity to create and consume wealth on a lasting basis.
Sustainable development requires, among other things, a socio-economic, and environment conditions which enables men and women to engage in and sustain the development process. The social relationships between individuals and communities can either promote or constrain sustainable development.
The three dimensions of gender equality and sustainable development which will be discussed in this paper are: (a) Gender and economic dimension of sustainable development, (b) Gender and social dimension of sustainable development, (c) Gender and environmental dimension of sustainable development,
These dimensions have equal and interrelated importance. The paper will explain that stressing the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development in the absence of economics neglects the financial capital needed to pay for progress. Building up the economic and social aspects of sustainability while neglecting the environment degrades the natural capital needed for growth. Focusing on economics and the environment without attention to social factors may lead to growth but just for a few and not for all society. In the paper we refer to some studies indicate that gender inequalities are extracting high economic costs and leading to social inequities and environmental degradation around the world.
The present paper tries to provide a critical perspective on the current sustainable development paradigm and tries to integrate a human rights approach too. In the Beijing Platform for Action, governments agreed that Equality between women and men is a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and is also a necessary and fundamental prerequisite for equality, development and peace. A transformed partnership based on equality between women and men is a condition for people-centered sustainable development. While UN member states acknowledged at the Rio+20 Conference, that “gender equality and effective participation of women are important for effective action on all aspects of sustainable development”.
Finally the paper conclude that sustainable development is a multidimensional process . It encompasses economic, social, political, cultural and environmental dimension’s. In this paper we will explain the aforementioned dimensions in detail and the importance of gender issues and gender equality in sustainable development will be discussed.
Finally based on findings of the paper, some recommendations for promoting gender equality will be presented.
Keywords: Environment, Gender Inequality, Human rights, Socio economic, Sustainable Development
Non-Political Clientelism: A Lesson In Confusion For Sustainability
Adam D. Kiš
Asia-Pacific Research Center,
Adventist International Institute for Advanced Studies,
Km. 45.5 Aguinaldo Hwy., Lalaan 1, Silang 4118 Cavite, Philippines.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 75-81,2014.
Abstract: The word “sustainability” is differentially understood by various key stakeholders in the development process. Viewed through the lens of non-political micro-level clientelism, however, yet another definition for sustainability emerges. How one interprets sustainability matters, for development project outcomes often hinge upon a shared understanding between development implementers and development beneficiaries on project goals. A framework is proposed for bridging potential gaps in understanding over the meaning of sustainability in such a way that affirms both the core principles of development implementers and the sensibilities of project beneficiaries.
Keywords: clientelism; culture; semantics; sustainability.
Consumer Social Responsibility: Toward a Comprehensive Index
Hossein Samavatyan a, Fereshteh Akhoondi b , Shadi Zareie
a,b,c Psychology Department, University of Isfahan, Iran.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 82-95, 2014.
Abstract: Socially responsible purchasing is the desire to express social and environmental concerns through purchasing choices. Although research in the area of consumers’ social responsibility is continually growing, a wide range of studies in this area has been carried out in developed countries while limited theoretical and applied researches have been conducted in developing countries (Chen & Kong, 2009). I should be also noted that the developing countries face different issues and concerns compared with the developed countries. Researchers have developed numerous scales to measure socially responsible purchasing research in this area; however, in spite of a multi-dimensional look at this concept in most scales, none of them covers a wide range of social issues at various stages of before, during, and after the purchase. In addition, differences in economic, social, legal, and cultural development of each country can make different dimensions in the area of social responsibility which requires the identification of factors involved. On the other hand, due to the multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of the concept, it is necessary to implement and monitor social responsibility over time. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to identify the dimensions and elements involved in the social responsibility of consumers and also to develop a comprehensive measure of social responsibility of consumers.
In order to achieve the goal of the study, which was to identify the involved factors in the buyers’/consumers’ social responsibility, a qualitative study conducted through an in-depth interview with a group of consumers and experts. During the interview process, all violations of social responsibility as well as important issues to achieve sustainable development were discussed. The main factors involved in emerging social responsibility were identified through the results of the analysis done on the interview contents which in turn, formed a questionnaire. Content validity of the designed questionnaire was examined by the experts in the area of consuming behaviours and its face validity was reviewed and approved by a number of customers. The questionnaire was then administered in a pilot group and a satisfactory reliability of the questionnaire was obtained via Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.94). The questionnaire was administered among 253 customers in two branches of a giant chain store. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to detect the validity of the designed scale which identified the main dimensions of social responsibility. Exploratory factor analysis was performed using the principal components and Varimax rotation. The results of the factor analysis showed five factors with eigenvalue greater than one, which could explain totally, 43.169% of the variance of social responsibility. Those are the environmental, health, cultural-national, legal, and ethical dimensions. The final version of the designed scale containing 43 items can be considered as a comprehensive scale in the context of social responsibility that entails the entire process of pre-buying, while buying, consuming, and withdrawing products. It might be used as a comprehensive scale to examine the behaviour of socially responsible consumers particularly in developing countries. On the other hand, dimensions detected for consumers’ social responsibility determine the areas to enable managers in order to develop strategies in line with identified factors in order to align with social desires of customers and promote their social responsibility practices.
Keywords: Consumer purchase behavior, Consumer social responsibility, Multi-dimensional scale of responsible consumption.
Work-Life Balance – Implications For Working Women
Shobha Sundaresan
Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women, Bangalore, India.
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 96-102, 2014.
Abstract: Work life balance is a term used to describe the balance between an individual’s personal life and professional life. A healthy work-life balance assumes great significance for working women particularly in the current context in which both, the family and the workplace have posed several challenges and problems for women. The dynamics of the work environment have exerted enormous pressure on working women as they need to cope with virtually two full time jobs – one at the office and the other at home. Review of literature related to the subject has revealed that working women experience greater difficulty than men in balancing work and family. It is also found that they experience conflict as there is job spill over into the home more frequently than home spill over into work. Besides to succeed in one environment, working women are often called upon to make sacrifices in another as each of the environments makes different demands on them and have distinct norms to adhere to. This study investigates the factors affecting work life balance among working women and the consequences of poor-work life balance. Data were obtained through a structured questionnaire administered to 125 randomly selected working women across organizations/institutions in Bangalore City. The response rate was about 93% and the obtained data were statistically analysed. Results indicate that a significant proportion of working women are experiencing difficulty in balancing work and family due to excessive work pressure, too little time for themselves and the need to fulfill others’ expectations of them. Majority of the working women experience job spill over into the home as they have to put in longer hours. Major consequences of poor work-life balance are high levels of stress and anxiety, disharmony at home, experiencing job burnout and inability to realize full potential. They feel irritable and resentful often due to their inability to balance work and family life. The findings have implications for working women and provide insights into finding solutions to maintain healthy work life balance. Two models of work life balance, viz. role-analysis model and three factor model have been developed to enable working women resolve the conflict caused due to poor work life balance. These models equip women with the mechanism to strike a fine balance and make them smarter, healthier and happier in every facet of their lives. Both the models assume greater significance for working women across the world as it helps them resolve the dilemmas of managing their multiple roles in the personal and professional lives.
Keywords: Job burnout; Role analysis; Working women; Work life balance; Work pressure.
Working Well-Being And Workplace Inclusion: An Exploratory Study Involving People With Disabilities
Colì Elisa a, Rissotto Antonella b
a,b Italian National Research Council, Institute of Cognitive Science and Technologies,
Via San Martino della Battaglia 44 Rome, Italy
Volume 07, Issue 07, Pg. 103-110, 2014.
Abstract: The reform of mandatory employment in Italy, performed by the national Law 68/99, represented a crucial step not only for the assertion of the right to work for people with disabilities, but also a cultural innovation in the matter of workplace inclusion. Is the Law sufficient to ensure this process? The literature on working inclusion of people with disabilities has focused mainly on accommodation as “technical measures” to be implemented in organizations, and has mainly investigated the point of view of employer and coworkers. Few studies have instead evidenced the importance of social factors in the inclusion process and has involved people with disabilities. The research presented was performed in the National Research Council (CNR), the major public research Agency in Italy. The aim of the study was to investigate how the employees with disabilities perceive their working well-being, identifying those factors that could promote or hinder the workplace inclusion. The study involved 21 employees with different types of disabilities, such as people visually impaired and blind, people with limited mobility and with difficulties in articulation of language, people with mental disease and cognitive delay. 57% of participants were male and 43% were female. 52.4% was in the 41 to 50 age group, 19% was in the 18 to 40 age group and 28.6% was in the 51 to 60 or more age group. As research tools, we used a questionnaire focused on the dimensions of organizational well-being in the CNR and a semi-structured interview. The more critical factors highlighted from employees concern dimensions related to work environment, value, professional development and social usefulness. In particular, people expressed a feeling of worthlessness of their work, reporting stress conditions related to the impossibility of career advancement and to the lightweight workload. A source of stress is related indeed to the non-allocation of tasks or to an allocation of tasks judged below their capabilities. Therefore they perceive a sense of injustice and discrimination, they do not feel valued for their actual skills and abilities. Some of them also refer to the lack of involvement in working group tasks and in decision making. These difficulties sometimes got worse because of the physical location of their offices, such as the work room of the blind telephone operators, labeled by colleagues as “office of the living dead”. The workplace inclusion seems to be a rather complex process, in which organizational/managerial factors have an important role, as well as social and environmental ones.
Keywords: disabilities; exploratory study; working well-being; workplace inclusion