Analysis and Implications
Mapping Urban Heat Vulnerability: Analysis of Social Inequalities in Seville, Spain View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Julia Díaz Borrego, Alicia Alonso, Rocio Escandon
Climate change poses significant challenges to public health, primarily due to the rise in extreme temperatures and heatwaves, with Spain being one of the most affected countries. Compounding this, multiple studies demonstrate that the distribution of the urban temperature gradient is linked to social inequalities, with the most severe effects of this climatic scenario predominantly affecting especially vulnerable populations. In order to reduce the population's exposure to extreme temperatures, it is imperative to develop effective adaptation strategies in urban environments, considering population vulnerability and the differential impacts of climate change on various social groups. Therefore, it is necessary, as a preliminary step, to identify, characterize, and categorize those urban areas most susceptible to the climatic risk of extreme heat. This study focuses on Seville, proposing a multifactorial approach to identify, at a district level, areas and socio-economic groups especially vulnerable to extreme heat. The methodology integrates geospatial, microclimatic, socio-economic, and demographic analyses, employing R-Studio as a statistical tool for the treatment and analysis of spatiotemporal data. Factors such as age, income, inequality, and unemployment, which increase health risks and exposure time to extreme temperatures, are considered. Additionally, the spatiotemporal distribution of microclimate during heatwaves, influenced by the Urban Heat Island (UHI), is analysed. The results of this research provide an understanding of the spatial distribution of vulnerability to extreme temperatures in the studied city and offer a solid foundation for prioritising and guiding future heat adaptation and mitigation strategies.
The Attitude Intention Gap to Green Energy Adoption: An Extended Behavioural Reasoning Perspective View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Aidatu Abubakari
Though attitudes towards green energy are generally positive, it still faces low rates of adoption in several countries across the globe. The current study examines the attitude intention gap to green energy adoption in Ghana. The study employed a quantitative research approach and data were collected from 425 homeowners in Ghana. Results were analysed using the two-stage approach to structural equation modelling. The findings indicated that reasons for the purchase significantly influenced purchase intention, while reasons against purchase had no significant effect. This suggests that consumers employ cognitive shortcuts to simplify decision-making, aligning with BRT principles. The positive effect of reasons for purchase resonates with prior BRT studies, emphasizing the impact of a green product meeting consumers' mental and psychological needs on decision-making. Regarding barriers, the study found that "reasons against" purchase, specifically cost barriers, significantly influenced purchase intention. However, risk and incompatibility barriers did not show a significant negative effect, possibly due to increasing awareness of solar panels as an alternative energy source and suitable architectural conditions in Ghana. The study highlights the importance of consumers' positive attitudes toward solar panels in influencing their adoption intentions, reinforcing the role of attitudes as key antecedents to behavioral intentions. The findings contribute to understanding consumer decision-making in adopting green technologies, emphasizing the multifaceted influence of perceived value and barriers in the context of solar panel adoption in Ghana.
A Trend or a Fad?: An Outlook on the Future of Corporate Purpose
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Vittorio Cerulli, Manon Filler
This paper explores the future of the disruptive notion of corporate purpose, shifting the firm’s main reason of being from profit to a broader societal focus. Using the framework introduced by George et al. (2023), the study scrutinizes three areas of purpose-driven practices: framing, formalizing, and realizing. Through a future temporal lens, the research investigates how corporate purpose may be integrated by companies across all three areas. Moreover, it examines the concern of decoupling, and analyses, from a neo-institutional perspective, how institutions influence purpose-driven practices. Employing a forward-looking Delphi approach with contributions from 96 international experts, the study assesses nine future scenarios featuring practices across the areas of corporate purpose in the year 2035. Results show that scenarios in the area of framing are the most likely to occur. Yet, purpose-driven practices in the area of realizing exhibit the highest expected impact. Best practices emerge as the most influential institutional force across all scenarios. However, uncertainties arise regarding the future role of regulation, creating the most disagreement among experts. This study expands the literature by examining how corporate purpose may evolve and unfold its disruptive potential in the future. Thus, addressing a gap in the current management literature, which has primarily focused on defining the purpose concept.
