Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of The Dimensions Of Green Supply Chain Management Practices On Corporate Performance, Hassan Younis

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Global warming, carbon emissions and the depletion of natural resources have heralded significant changes in the way organizations produce and deliver products and services. Within this context the greening of supply chains has gained the attention of practitioners in many countries. In some countries, for example, carbon taxation has been introduced as a mandatory requirement. However, the implementation of green supply chain management practices and the impact of these practices on corporate performance are still in a nascent stage.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces many challenges including increased energy consumption, the depletion of natural resources and the generation of …

“Wolf Totem” – Metaphorical Narrative Of Sustainability Reporting Practice From A Balanced Ecosystem Perspective: A Longitudinal Study Of Sustainability Reporting By Chinese Banks, Tairan Kevin Huang

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This research attempts to explain and evaluate corporate sustainability reporting practices from an ecosystems perspective, through the application of metaphors. It argues that commonly held ideas of sustainable development, which many firms embrace to produce sustainability reports, narrowly focus on the sustainability performances of individual firms and fail to comprehend a broader systems view, that incorporates a holistic understanding of sustainability embracing ecological perspectives. The study draws on the work of Chinese intellectual Jiang Rong, author of a best-selling semi-autobiographical novel Wolf Totem, which documents the life experiences of a Beijing student sent to the Inner Mongolian countryside during …

Understanding Printing Behaviours And Paper Consumption At The University Of Wollongong, Alison Louise Scobie

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Universities and other organisations have a role to play in reducing the environmental impacts of their operations. Government, through policy, are encouraging organisations to reduce these impacts by minimising consumption, purchasing products with reduced environmental impacts and through improvements to technology. Understanding how much paper is consumed, how it is consumed and the reasons for paper consumption are important for understanding ways to reduce the environmental impacts of the organisation’s operations in relation to paper use.

This study examines the office paper purchased, used and disposed and the reasons for office paper consumption at the University of Wollongong (UOW). This …

Weather-Ways: Experiencing And Responding To Everyday Weather, Eliza De Vet

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Climates are changing, yet how these changes will affect individuals in their everyday lives is unclear. In climate change research, weather and climate (change) have largely been represented quantitatively. Such representations offer individuals, societies and institutions limited tangible explanation of future climate change, impeding efforts to develop and implement effective climate change responses. In order to comprehend the realities of climate change and potential adaptation capacities, research must recognise how individuals and societies currently relate to weather in context of everyday life.

This thesis contributes to research on weather relations by exploring the role of weather in everyday life in …

Questioning The Hand-Made Letterform As A Preferred Visual Language For Environmental Consciousness, Danielle Hooker

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This research examines the attributes of hand-made graphic design, in particular lettering design, when communicating values specifically associated with environmental concern. The study is especially interested in establishing whether, rooted in the notions of sustainability, the hand-made letterform is the most appropriate conceptual form for the branding and communication of environmental and sustainability issues in the not-for-profit sector. The research aims to develop broader methods and approaches of working with environmental concern through graphic means and asks questions about the sense of urgency and the values, effective or otherwise, transmitted using hand-made lettering. In brief, the strength of this research …

Driving Cultures, Theresa Mary Harada

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis provides rich insights into the lived experiences of mobility by investigating the embodied dimensions of transport choices. In a context of climate change and the need for adaptive transport behaviours this thesis goes beyond conventional and longstanding Cartesian dualist thinking that separates mind and body. Instead, this thesis proposes a more holistic approach to understanding why car driving remains the dominant form of daily transport. Inspired by the work of post-structuralist feminist scholars and the non-representational turn in geography and cultural studies, this thesis takes a visceral approach. This approach utilises feminist readings of philosophers Deleuze and Guattari …

Household Sustainability Dilemmas And Challenges Surrounding Keeping Warm In Winter And Hot Water: Older, Social Housing Tenant Households In Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, Katrina Jayne Skellern

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis explores the household sustainability dilemmas and challenges surrounding hot water and winter warming of older, social housing tenant households in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Hot water and warming are generally identified as two of the key contributors of Australian household greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, Commonwealth and State energy efficiency policies target social and low income households through the provision of education programs and auditors to help households improve energy efficiency, save money and the environment by lowering emissions. Yet, research repeatedly suggests that education alone is inadequate to sustain behavioural change, and low income households are already …

Delivering The Vision Of Sustainable Buildings, Haleh Rasekh

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This research concerns the delivery of sustainable building projects. These projects are defined as those which either attempt to achieve a green rating or try to address certain sustainability issues. Two sustainability rating systems, Green Star from the Green Building Council of Australia and the Living Building Challenge are considered.

The research examines a number of completed projects and looks at one project nearing completion. These include 18 residential buildings which were the subject of television documentaries in the series Grand Designs. One completed university multi-purpose building (the SMART Infrastructure Facility) and an advanced research facility, the Sustainable Buildings Research …

Management Skills For Professionals - Are They Required? A Case Study On The Needs Of Engineering, Peter Childs

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

For more than thirty years the world’s economies have become increasingly oriented towards a more diverse set of objectives, including a focus on sustainability, stakeholder management and the effective motivation of staff for competitive advantage.

The need for engineers to be educated in business and management skills has been addressed to some extent, by the development of the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Engineering Management (MEM) and similar courses. These have been offered as supplementary qualifications to engineers holding undergraduate degrees. However, the need to develop undergraduate engineering courses that integrate such aspects as business strategy, entrepreneurship, leadership, …

Disassembly Sequence Generation Based On Accessibility And End-Of-Life Strategy, Jing Dong

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The manufacturing industry recognises that recycling worn-out products is a major contribution to conserving natural resources and solving landfill problems, but for recycling to be as effective as possible, as well as economical, the disassembly of reused products is critical (Garcia 2000). An appropriate disassembly sequence generation can maximise the gain from recycling and minimize the waste dumped to land fill.

In this thesis, two new methods are developed for optimal disassembly sequence generation. The first method is called Combined AND/OR and Petri Net. The second method is called Category Sequence which consists of Direct Disassembly, Level Disassembly and Group …