Alfred Posch

Embedded Case Study Methods. Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Knowledge

1. Introduction Methods of Knowledge Integration Embedded Case Studies for Complex, Contextualized Problems Historical Landmarks PART I: CASE STUDY DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS 2. Types of Case Studies Design Motivation Epistemological Status Purpose Format Data Collection and Methods of Knowledge Integration 3. The Use of Case Studies in Different Disciplines Neuropsychology Educational Sciences Law Business Environmental Sciences 4. The Architecture of Knowledge Integration in Embedded Case Studies The Architecture of Embedded Case Studies Strategies of Synthesis The Brunswikian Lens Model Types of Knowledge Integration 5. The ETH-UNS Case Study Zurich North The Zurich North Case Case Prospects and History Understanding the Case Faceting the Case for Embedded Case Design Constraints of the Study Organizing the Study PART II: METHODS OF KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION 6. Overview 7. The Methods in Brief 8. How to Choose the Right Method PART III: THE METHODS IN DETAIL 9. Formative Scenario Analysis The Rationale The Method in Detail 10. System Dynamics The Rationale The Method in Detail 11. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory The Rationale The Method in Detail 12. Integrated Risk Management The Rationale Incorporating Different Perspectives The Method in Detail 13. Mediation: Area Development Negotiations The Rationale The Method in Detail 14. Future Workshops The Rationale The Method in Detail 15. Experiential Case Encounter The Rationale The Method in Detail 16. Synthesis Moderation and Group Techniques The Rationale The Method in Detail 17. Material Flux Analysis The Rationale The Method in Detail 18. Life Cycle Assessment The Rationale The Method in Detail 19. Bio-Ecological Potential Analysis The Rationale The Method in Detail PART IV: VALIDATION PERSPECTIVES 20. The Validation of Embedded Case Studies The Rationale Validation of Embedded Case Studies: A Practical View References Index About the Authors

Integrating research and teaching on innovation for sustainable development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to point out the necessity of implementing more appropriate approaches instead of the traditional single disciplinary approaches, in order to be able to cope with the ill‐defined, highly complex problem of sustainable development in systems such as organizations or regions.Design/methodology/approach – Based on empirical data concerning expert and stakeholder preferences, it is argued that research and teaching on innovation for sustainability need to be both inter‐ and transdisciplinary.Findings – Here, the approach of transdisciplinary case studies, developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, allows appropriate integration of research and teaching activities and thus leads to mutual learning between the case study actors.Practical implications – In the second part of the paper, these conceptual considerations are illustrated with the so‐called Erzherzog Johann case study, an integrative research and teaching project at the University of ...

Industrial Recycling Networks as Starting Points for Broader Sustainability-Oriented Cooperation?

This has potentially significant implications for the use of industrial symbiosis networks as starting points for sustainability networks with broader cooperation toward sustainability. The findings raise interesting questions as to whether such broader cooperation might result from a conscious planning process or might emerge largely spontaneously as part of normal market coordination. In any case, intercompany recycling is clearly considered to be a very important field of collaborative action for sustainability in industry.Statistical analysis shows that the percentage of by-products that are passed on to other companies for recycling purposes is not higher in member companies of the recycling networks than in the other companies of the manufacturing sector in Austria. In terms of cooperation, the relationships with the respective recycling partners are found to be very similar to regular customer relations. Furthermore, the companies of the recycling networks remain unaware of the network to which they belong. Instead, one of the main findings of this study is that intercompany recycling activities are regarded by the company representatives as bilateral market transactions, not as collaborative network activities.Closing loops by intercompany recycling of by-products is a core theme of industrial ecology (IE). This article considers whether industrial recycling networks or industrial symbiosis projects can be used as a starting point for much broader intercompany cooperation for sustainable development. Evidence presented is based on the results of an empirical investigation of the recycling network Styria in Austria, the recycling network Oldenburger Munsterland in Germany, and the manufacturing sector in Austria. Statistical analysis shows that the percentage of by-products that are passed on to other companies for recycling purposes is not higher in member companies of the recycling networks than in the other companies of the manufacturing sector in Austria. In terms of cooperation, the relationships with the respective recycling partners are found to be very similar to regular customer relations. Furthermore, the companies of the recycling networks remain unaware of the network to which they belong. Instead, one of the main findings of this study is that intercompany recycling activities are regarded by the company representatives as bilateral market transactions, not as collaborative network activities. This has potentially significant implications for the use of industrial symbiosis networks as starting points for sustainability networks with broader cooperation toward sustainability. The findings raise interesting questions as to whether such broader cooperation might result from a conscious planning process or might emerge largely spontaneously as part of normal market coordination. In any case, intercompany recycling is clearly considered to be a very important field of collaborative action for sustainability in industry.

Interorganisational cooperation for sustainable management in industry: on industrial recycling networks and sustainability networks

Industry plays a key role in the sustainable development of society. In this paper, the idea of sustainable resource management and circular economy will be discussed. On this basis, the concept of industrial recycling networks will be presented as a way of inter-organisational collaboration for recycling of by-products which not only helps reduce negative environmental impact of industry, but also leads to lower costs of raw material and waste disposal. Further, it will be discussed to what degree these recycling networks can be used as starting point for more comprehensive cooperation towards sustainable development. Here, the term sustainability network will be introduced. Finally, the management of such a sustainability network will be subject for discussion. It will be stated that an adequate management will be helpful for initiating such cooperation between stakeholders and promoting cooperative activity within the sustainability network over time.

Urban vulnerability and adaptation to heatwaves: a case study of Graz (Austria)

ABSTRACT The increasing frequency of heatwaves, particularly in urban contexts, is one of the perceptible consequences of climate change. A city’s vulnerability to these heatwaves must be determined to develop proper adaptation measures. This article addresses the vulnerability of a medium-sized city in Central Europe, Graz, to heatwaves. Based on secondary data and primary data gathered from expert interviews, we identified certain determinants of vulnerability for the city: temperature, proportion of open and green spaces to developed areas, construction period of buildings, distribution of age and poverty risk, adaptation strategies used, and risk perception levels assessed for decision makers in the city administration. Certain city districts can be classified as particularly vulnerable. A high level of risk perception was detected among all decision makers and some adaptation measures have already been enacted. In particular, inter-organizational collaboration in adaptation networks works effectively. A deficit in efficient communication between researchers, policy makers, and members of the public was perceived to be the main barrier. This case study exemplifies the assessment of a city’s vulnerability to heatwaves on the basis of particular determinants and can be applied to many other cities. Policy relevance The method applied revealed potential improvements and opportunities on the policy level. Strong networks for climate change adaptation are most effective if regular meetings take place, allowing trust and friendship to grow between decision makers. More target-group-oriented information is needed. Emergency organizations, in particular, need more information, because the perception of heatwave risks has only been based thus far on personal experiences. By establishing a central authority, more information could be provided on heatwaves in cities. The need to raise the perception of members of the population and motivate them to take personal responsibility during disasters was emphasized by interviewed decision makers. This can be supported by providing advice during heatwaves through newspapers, TV, and radio. People in risk groups and their relatives could be trained in workshops. City areas that are at high risk should be marked on maps to make relevant information more tangible for decision makers.

Save the Planet for Humans' Sake: A Study on Social and Environmental Value Orientations

Evidence for the relationship between social and environmental concerns is mixed. However, these constructs have commonly been measured by diverse methods that do not readily facilitate a direct comparison of results. We employ a consistent incentivized method to assess subjects’ social value orientations (SVO) and also their motivations for the environment and humanitarian aid. Subjects made resource allocation choices with real consequences while the experimental design ensured comparability of subjects’ preferences (i.e., their willingness to make tradeoffs for different environmental and social causes). We found that social and environmental value orientations are intertwined, and the results clearly show that people are generally willing to pay more for the benefit of people in need, compared to abstract environmental causes. We conclude that interventions to nudge people towards environmentally-friendly behavior may have a greater impact if the human suffering as resulting from global warming is made salient.

Understanding the side effects of emission trading: Implications for waste management

The trading of emission allowances is an important market instrument in climate policy. However, the inclusion of certain branches of industry in the trading system not only provides incentives for emission reduction, it also entails unwanted side effects. Thus, the objective of the present study is to identify such side effects—positive and negative—by examining the potential impact of waste management inclusion in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Desk research was supplemented with qualitative and quantitative empirical analysis (based on expert interviews and a questionnaire) in order to analyse the related perceptions and expectations of actors and stakeholders. The impact of waste management inclusion in the EU ETS is analysed in terms of the following three areas: (i) costs and cost pass-through, (ii), competitiveness and market position, and (iii) carbon leakage. Concerning expectations in the area of costs, both the interviewed experts and the practitioners surveyed thought that costs were likely to increase or that they could be passed on to customers. However, experts and practitioners differed with respect to the possibility of carbon leakage. Clearly, increased knowledge of the possible impact arising from inclusion of the waste sector in the EU ETS would enable managers to become more proactive and to manage waste streams and treatment options more economically.

Interaction patterns of systemic problems in distributed energy technology diffusion: a case study of photovoltaics in the Western Cape province of South Africa

ABSTRACT Compared to large-scale renewable energy systems, distributed systems have diffused relatively slowly in recent years, particularly in developing countries. In this study, we analysed the barriers to the diffusion of distributed photovoltaics in South Africa by applying the technological innovation system framework. More specifically, we carried out an interview-based structural-functional analysis to identify underlying systemic problems, reveal their patterns of interaction, and analyse the implications of these patterns for the relationship among the key processes within the innovation system, the so-called system functions. We identified a variety of interlinked problems, shed light on the specific roles of different, mal-performing, system functions, and revealed constellations where specific functions blocked each other and, thereby, created lock-in situations. Although the findings reveal the complexity of the problems that are associated with the implementation of distributed energy technologies, they also indicate that these problems may be addressed successfully.

Bottom-up-Initiativen im Bereich Photovoltaik in Deutschland und Österreich: Rahmenbedingungen und Handlungsressourcen

Der Klimawandel und die Energieversorgungssicherheit zeigen sich als starke Impulsgeber in Richtung einer nachhaltigen Energiewende. Dabei kann sich die Photovoltaik (PV) durch ihr noch immer hohes technologisches Potenzial und sinkende Kosten als ein zunehmend vielversprechendes Element der erneuerbaren Energieproduktion positionieren. Derzeit ist PV neben Windenergie der weltweit am schnellsten wachsende erneuerbare Energietrager (REN21, 2015), wobei sich allerdings zum Teil erhebliche Unterschiede im internationalen Vergleich, auch auf europaischer Ebene, zeigen (Gross & Mautz, 2015, S. 49 – 60). So befindet sich die Marktdurchdringung von PV in Osterreich, verglichen mit Deutschland, noch immer auf einem niedrigen Niveau. Das im osterreichischen Okostromgesetz (OSG 2012) im Jahr 2012 definierte Ausbauziel fur Photovoltaik bis 2020 liegt bei einer installierten Gesamtleistung von 1 200 MWp. Ende 2014 waren davon 785,25 MWp erreicht (Biermayr et al., 2015).

Dezentrale Energieversorgung – Die Rolle der Photovoltaik in der Energietransition

Unter den erneuerbaren Energietragern gilt vor allem die Stromerzeugung aus Sonne, die Photovoltaik (PV), als eine der wichtigsten Formen dezentraler, elektrischer Energie. Die Vielfaltigkeit ihrer Anwendungsmoglichkeiten spiegelt sich in diversen Adoptionsformen wider – es gibt PV-Anlagen fur Privathaushalte, Gewerbebetriebe, Burgerkraftwerke, aber auch gebaude- und infrastrukturintegrierte PV-Losungen. Um das Entstehen sowie die Entwicklung relevanter AkteurInnennetzwerke zur Diffusion von Photovoltaik im landlichen Raum weiter zu unterstutzen, werden diese im vorliegenden Beitrag untersucht. Im Fokus stehen ihr institutioneller Aufb au, ihre Schlusselelemente sowie Motivationsfaktoren und Barrieren. Diese Analyse soll zu einem besseren Verstandnis der besonderen Herausforderungen, die die bereits stattfindende Transition unseres Energiesystems mit sich bringt, sowie zu einem besseren Verstandnis der zukunftigen Gestaltungsmoglichkeiten beitragen.