Corporate social responsibility in Japanese firms in transport sector

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting has become common practice for large organisations globally, yet there is variance in the CSR related activities claimed in disclosures. CSR researchers argue that cultural and historical backgrounds are the influential drivers of CSR behaviour. However, the links between actual activities claimed in CSR reports and the cultural systems that underpin these reported activities is an under-explored area. This thesis discusses the uniqueness of Japanese socio-cultural aspects. While Japan is well-known for having the most advanced energy efficient technologies in the world, it is also known for being below international standards for gender equality in the workplace. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore and examine organisational behaviours through the lens of relativism in order to understand what organisations are reporting and how and why managers prioritise these activities. This thesis is based on longitudinal qualitative research focusing on the Japanese transport companies that published CSR reports between 2005 and 2009. The findings from manually coded content analysis revealed: (1) that activities related to providing public safety, waste management and the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), and environmental innovation were the top three most frequently reported CSR activities; and (2) complying with laws, career planning, flexible work practices, and providing public safety were the three categories that showed the most significant increase in reporting frequency from 2005-2009. This thesis extends the previous literature. Takagaki (2010b) identified that the transport industry, particularly the air and water sub-sectors, is the industry where the environmental problems are serious and require urgent attention. Takagaki (2010b) chose to explore the electronics industry as this industry is considered to be middle ground for its level of seriousness and urgency. This research: (1) examines the transport industry; (2) investigates the links between the actual activities reported, and the activities reported to be influential drivers of these activities.

The engagement of small to medium enterprises for managing waste in building retrofit projects

The market of building retrofits is increasingly more intensified as existing buildings are aging. The building retrofit projects involve existing buildings which impose constraints on stakeholders throughout the project process. They are also risky, complex, less predictable and difficult to be well planned with on-site waste becoming one of the critical issues. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) carry out most of the work in retrofit projects as subcontractors, but they often do not have adequate resources to deal with the specific technical challenges and project risks related to waste. This paper first discusses the requirements of waste management in building retrofit projects considering specific project characteristics and work natures, and highlights the importance of involving SMEs in waste planning and management through an appropriate way. By utilizing semi-structured interviews, this research develops a process model for SMEs to be applied in waste management. A collaboration scenario is also developed for collaborative waste planning and management by SMEs as subcontractors and large companies as main contractors. Findings from the paper will promote coordination of project delivery and waste management in building retrofit projects, and improve the involvement and performance of SMEs in dealing with waste problems.

Of dogs, fish, birds and turds : the social construction of sewage pollution by recreational boaters

Animals are often used as ‘evidence’ of marine pollution. Take for instance the ubiquitous images of miserable oil-soaked marine birds following high profile oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez, Pacific Adventurer and Deepwater Horizon incidents or the images of bloated floating fish carcasses which are used to signal the presence of toxic pollutants. In recent years waste discharges from vessels have come under increased public and regulatory scrutiny both in Australia and around the world. International, regional, national and local restrictions are becoming more stringent for high profile marine pollutants such as oil as well as previously overlooked vessel-sourced pollutants such as sewage. Drawing upon media reports and recreational boater responses to government attempts to regulate the discharge of sewage from recreational vessels, this paper considers the important role played by animals in constructions of marine pollution by sewage and attributions of blame for this pollution. Specifically, this study found that recreational boat owners disputed claims their sewage management practices posed an environmental threat arguing that the sewage discharged was readily and eagerly consumed by fish in the receiving environment. Boat owners also argued that increased levels of bacteria which indicate the presence of faeces within the marine environment could be directly attributed to the excrement of marine mammals and birds or were the result of dog faeces being washed through municipal storm water systems rather than the result of vessel discharges. By contrast the contamination of oysters was provided as evidence of sewage pollution by other stakeholders.

Diffusion tensor of water in partially aligned fibre networks

Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate the relationship between the morphological characteristics and the diffusion tensor (DT) of partially aligned networks of cylindrical fibres. The orientation distributions of the fibres in each network were approximately uniform within a cone of a given semi-angle (θ0). This semi-angle was used to control the degree of alignment of the fibres. The networks studied ranged from perfectly aligned (θ0 = 0) to completely disordered (θ0 = 90°). Our results are qualitatively consistent with previous numerical models in the overall behaviour of the DT. However, we report a non-linear relationship between the fractional anisotropy (FA) of the DT and collagen volume fraction, which is different to the findings from previous work. We discuss our results in the context of diffusion tensor imaging of articular cartilage. We also demonstrate how appropriate diffusion models have the potential to enable quantitative interpretation of the experimentally measured diffusion-tensor FA in terms of collagen fibre alignment distributions.

New catalysts for organic synthesis driven by light and efficient sorbents for removal of radioactive ions from water

The body of the thesis contained two separate elements which made an original contribution to fundamental understanding in the areas of photocatalysis, chemical synthesis and water treatment. Research on chemical reactions catalyzed by noble metal nanoparticles (such as gold) or surface complex grafted metal oxides which can be driven by sunlight at ambient temperature and the second element on radioactive cesium (137Cs+) cations and iodine (125I-) anions recovery by the unique structural features of titanate nanostructures for firmly capture and safe storage; the works has been all published in journals that are rated at the top of their respective fields.

An investigation of silver electrodeposition from ionic liquids : influence of atmospheric water uptake on the silver electrodeposition mechanism and film morphology

The electrodeposition of silver from two ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]) and N-butyl-N-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C4mPyr][TFSI]), and an aqueous KNO3 solution on a glassy carbon electrode was undertaken. It was found by cyclic voltammetry that the electrodeposition of silver proceeds through nucleation–growth kinetics. Analysis of chronoamperometric data indicated that the nucleation–growth mechanism is instantaneous at all potentials in the case of [BMIm][BF4] and [C4mPyr][TFSI], and instantaneous at low overpotentials tending to progressive at high overpotentials for KNO3. Significantly, under ambient conditions, the silver electrodeposition mechanism changes to progressive nucleation and growth in [C4mPyr][TFSI], which is attributed to the uptake of atmospheric water in the IL. It was found that these differences in the growth mechanism impact significantly on the morphology of the resultant electrodeposit which is characterised ex situ by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.

Engaging young people : reflections from a participatory water planning exercise

While participatory processes have become an important part of water planning, young people are a particularly vulnerable group in terms of potential marginalisation and exclusion from effective participation. Including the views of young people in water planning is not simply a matter of bringing them into existing processes. Instead, processes must be modified to accommodate their needs and ways of expressing their views. Without these adjustments young people may simply move from being kept outside the process to a situation where although they are formally included, their claims are not taken seriously and they are not treated with equal respect. In this paper we reflect on the success of the community advisory committee, formed to develop the Gold Coast Waterfuture Strategy, in integrating the views of young people into their deliberations. Using Young's communicative democracy we highlight the challenges and opportunities presented by this approach, as articulated by both the young people involved and the adult participants, and specifically consider the how the elements of greeting, rhetoric and narrative were reflected in the committee process.

Better understanding of food material on the basis of water distribution using Thermogravimetric analysis

The prime objective of drying is to enhance shelf life of perishable food materials. As the process is very energy intensive in nature, researchers are trying to minimise energy consumption in the drying process. In order to determine the exact amount of energy needed for drying a food product, understanding the physics of moisture distribution and bond strength of water within the food material is essential. In order understand the critical moisture content, moisture distribution and water bond strength in food material, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) can be properly utilised. This work has been conducted to investigate moisture distribution and water bond strength in selected food materials; apple, banana and potato. It was found that moisture distribution and water bond strength influence moisture migration from the food materials. In addition, proportion of different types of water (bound, free, surface water) has been simply identified using TGA. This study provides a better understanding of water contents and its role in drying rate and energy consumption.

Vision in water

The purpose of this study is to determine visual performance in water, including the influence of pupil size. The water en-vironment was simulated by placing a goggle filled with saline in front of eyes, with apertures placed at the front of the goggle. Correction factors were determined for the different magnification under this condition in order to to estimate vision in water. Experiments were conducted on letter visual acuity (7 participants), grating resolution (8 participants), and grating contrast sensitivity (1 participant). For letter acuity, mean loss in vision in water, compared to corrected vision in air, varied between 1.1 log minutes of arc resolution (logMAR) for a 1mm aperture to 2.2 logMAR for a 7mm aperture. The vision in minutes of arc was described well by a linear relationship with pupil size. For grating acuity, mean loss varied between 1.1 logMAR for a 2mm aperture to 1.2 logMAR for a 6mm aperture. Contrast sensitivity for a 2mm aperture dete-riorated as spatial frequency increased, with 2 log unit loss by 3 cycles/degree. Superimposed on this deterioration were depressions (notches) in sensitivity, with the first three notches occurring at 0.45, 0.8 and 1.3 cycles/degree with esti-mates for water of 0.39, 0.70 and 1.13 cycles/degree. In conclusion, vision in water is poor. It becomes worse as pupil size increases, but the effects are much more marked for letter targets than for grating targets.

Vision in water

Purpose: To determine visual performance in water, including the influence of pupil size. Method: The water environment was simulated by placing a goggle filled with saline in front of eyes, with apertures placed at the front of the goggle. Correction factors were determined for the different magnification under this condition to estimate vision in water. Experiments were conducted on letter visual acuity (7 participants), grating resolution (8 participants), and grating contrast sensitivity (1 participant). Results: For letter acuity, mean loss in vision in water, compared to corrected vision in air, varied between 1.1 log minutes of arc resolution (logMAR) for a 1mm aperture to 2.2 logMAR for a 7mm aperture. The vision in minutes of arc was described well by a linear relationship with pupil size. For grating acuity, mean loss varied between 1.1 logMAR for a 2mm aperture to 1.2 logMAR for a 6mm aperture. Contrast sensitivity for a 2mm aperture deteriorated as spatial frequency increased, with 2 log unit loss by 3 cycles/degree. Superimposed on this deterioration were depressions (notches) in sensitivity, with the first three notches occurring at 0.45, 0.8 and 1.3 cycles/degree and with estimates for water of 0.39, 0.70 and 1.13 cycles/degree. Conclusion: Vision in water is poor. It becomes worse as pupil size increases, but the effects are much more marked for letter targets than for grating targets.

Atmospheric particles as a pollutant source in the urban water environment in Sri Lanka – current research trends and future directions

Human and ecosystem health impacts imposed by water pollution are a major problem in the urban areas of Sri Lanka. A primary source of pollutants to urban water sources is atmospheric particles. Hence, it is important to develop a detailed understanding of atmospheric particle characteristics, their sources of origin and the transport pathways. Several research studies have been conducted in Sri Lanka on atmospheric pollution and these studies have tended to differ in their scope, study region and the investigated pollutants. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to report the outcomes of a detailed state-of-art literature review of atmospheric pollution related studies in Sri Lanka to understand the current trends and (2) to discuss the future research activities necessary to generate the important knowledge required for the development of effective strategies to control the adverse impacts of atmospheric pollution on urban waterways.

Nondiscretionary residential water use : the impact of habits and water-efficient technologies

Several studies published in the last few decades have demonstrated a low price-elasticity for residential water use. In particular, it has been shown that there is a quantity of water demanded that remains constant regardless of prices and other economic factors. In this research, we characterise residential water demand based on a Stone-Geary utility function. This specification is not only theory-compatible but can also explicitly model a minimum level of consumption not dependent on prices or income. This is described as minimum threshold or nondiscretionary water use. Additionally, the Stone-Geary framework is used to model the subsistence level of water consumption that is dependent on the temporal evolution of consumer habits and stock of physical capital. The main aim of this study is to analyse the impact of water-saving habits and water-efficient technologies on residential water demand, while additionally focusing attention on nondiscretionary uses. This is informed by an empirical application using data from a survey conducted among residents of Brisbane City Council, Australia. The results will be especially useful in the design of water tariffs and other water-saving policies.

Characteristics of nontuberculous mycobacteria from a municipal water distribution system and their relevance to human infections

This thesis documented pathogenic species of nontuberculous mycobacteria in the Brisbane water distribution system. When water and shower aerosol strains were compared with human strains of mycobacteria, the study found that the likelihood of acquiring infection from municipal water was specific for four main species. The method for isolation of mycobacteria from water was refined, followed by sampling from 220 sites across Brisbane. A variety of species (incl 15 pathogens) were identified and genotypically compared to human strains. For M. abscessus and M. lentiflavum, water strains clustered with human strains. Pathogenic strains of M. kansasii were found, though non-pathogenic strains dominated. Waterborne strains of M. fortuitum differed to human strains. Extensive home sampling of 20 patients with NTM disease, supported the theory that the risk of acquiring NTM from water or shower aerosols appears species specific for M. avium, M. kansasii, M. lentiflavum and M. abscessus.

Application of lean production to reducing operational waste in a tile manufacturing process

Roofing tile manufacturing is a mass production process with high operational and inventory wastes and costs. Due to huge operational costs, excessive inventory and wastes, and quality problems, roofing tile manufacturers are trying to implement lean manufacturing practice in their operations in order to remain competitive in an ncreasingly competitive global market. The aim of this research is to evaluate the possibility of reducing the operational and inventory costs of the tile manufacturing process through waste minimization. This paper analyses the current waste situation in a tile manufacturing process and develops current and future value stream mapping for such a process with a view to implementing lean principles in manufacturing. The focus of the approach is on cost reduction by eliminating non-value-added activities.

Multi-criteria optimization of group replacement schedules for distributed water pipeline assets

This thesis presents a multi-criteria optimisation study of group replacement schedules for water pipelines, which is a capital-intensive and service critical decision. A new mathematical model was developed, which minimises total replacement costs while maintaining a satisfactory level of services. The research outcomes are expected to enrich the body of knowledge of multi-criteria decision optimisation, where group scheduling is required. The model has the potential to optimise replacement planning for other types of linear asset networks resulting in bottom-line benefits for end users and communities. The results of a real case study show that the new model can effectively reduced the total costs and service interruptions.