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Sustainable development requires us to change our construction technologies in order to avoid negative environmental and economic impacts. However, evidence shows that stakeholders in the field are still choosing housing construction materials and methods that do not advance sustainable development. This problem has been attributed to their underlying choice determinants. Therefore, this thesis investigates the inherent values and choice processes that determine the choice decisions of housing user and housing practitioners, as well as the relationship between these choice determinants and the requirements of sustainable development. The empirical investigation is an exploratory behavioural study in the social sciences and uses a qualitative research strategy. A case study investigation is conducted in Uyo, Nigeria, as a context that is instrumental to understanding the inherent choice behaviour of stakeholders in the field when faced with a choice of housing construction technologies. Choice decision theories provide the analytical framework. The outcomes of the empirical research are:  An emerging theory of stakeholders’ choice behaviour, identifying the values and describing the processes that determine their choice of housing construction materials and method; and  A propositional model of the relationship between the egoistic, preference-based requirements of housing users; the deontological, performance-based requirements of housing practitioners; and the wider welfare requirements of sustainable development. From this model, the study predicts how these stakeholders themselves would choose change, and thereby advance sustainable development, without the need to alter their normal choice values and processes. This new knowledge contributes to choice behaviour theory. The findings also inform needed alterations to sustainable development policy, innovation and impact assessment. Further research is prescribed to test the propositions, conclusions and recommendations made here. The study also supports the call for further research into behavioural areas in the field of housing production that are crucial to sustainable development.

Sustainability has become fundamental to many global policy agendas in areas relating to human impact on the earth's resources, such as food production and consumption. In the UK, the former labour government devised 'Food 2030', a strategy document stipulating sustainable production and consumption as priority issues for food policy; however this has not been incorporated into guidance for consumers. Additionally, current dietary guidelines concerning meat and fish are in direct conflict with environmental interests. Amidst this ambiguity, Sustain: 'the alliance for better food and farming' provides advice to citizens seeking to consume food more sustainably. This study seeks to assess consumer attitudes towards some of the issues associated with sustainable food, particularly in the context of current dietary intake and purchasing behaviour. Method(s) Adopting a qualitative approach with 11 adults, based on a consumer focussed framework for understanding sustainable food, a structured self-completion postal questionnaire was developed. This explored regular shopping habits, attitudes towards sustainable food across a variety of sustainability related issues, for example animal welfare, local food, organic food, fish, packaging, seasonal food, Fair trade, bottled water and food transport. Dietary intake was assessed, and respondents reported 'sustainable food' purchasing behaviour. Finally some information was noted on participants' socio-demographic characteristics. A final sample size of 842 was achieved. Results Findings suggest that consumers are largely positive in their attitudes towards 'sustainable food'; however some issues such as local food assume a higher priority for respondents than others, for example organic food. Some notable socio-demographic characteristics are observed, such as the trend for older consumers (>60 years of age) to hold more positive attitudes towards sustainable food. There is also an association between respondents reporting healthier dietary intakes and holding more positive attitudes towards sustainable food. Further relationships are observed between attitudes towards meat, consumption and purchasing data. Respondents largely agreed (88.5%) that animal welfare was important when buying meat, however when consuming meat, women were significantly more likely (P<0.0l) than men to report consuming less but also to be concerned over the source of meat (P<0.00l) and animal welfare (P<0.05). In the key area of fish consumption, over half of participants (57%) were aware of the health benefits of fish consumption and reported health as a primary motivator for purchasing fish; however, only 26% actively sought to purchase fish from a sustainable source (i.e. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish). Only 30% of participants met current dietary recommendations for fish intake. Older respondents (>60 years of age) were more likely to report purchasing fish for health reasons and to buy MSC fish. Participants were significantly less likely to report MSC purchases if they were confused about which type of fish I should be eating to protect fish stocks (P < 0•001). Purchasing data reveals participants stated priorities when buying food, and in particular the reported preference for 'local' food over other 'sustainable' options. Conclusions This research contributes to the field by providing an enhanced understanding of how consumers view different components of 'sustainable food'. Additionally, relationships were observed which were previously unreported, for example, positive attitudes to 'sustainable food consumption' and a healthier dietary intake. Furthermore, results show links between attitude, consumption and reported purchases in key areas of 'sustainable food' consumption such as fish and meat, which provide an insight into tackling the issues from a consumer perspective. These findings are helpful in considering how to develop guidance to enable consumers to make more sustainable food choices, but also from a food policy perspective, in terms of considering which policy options may require further support, e.g. local food systems. Recommendations for Future Research Future research could replicate all or part of this study in another UK or European locality, or indeed further afield, to explore the role that geography and culture have on 'sustainable food' perceptions and behaviour. Further qualitative work could explore the link uncovered between healthier dietary intakes and holding more positive attitudes towards 'sustainable food', and additionally investigate some of the socio-demographic associations observed such as age, for example to explore the influence that different life stages have on 'sustainable food' perceptions and behaviour.

The primary question that I am seeking to approach is, 'how can we consider sustainability?': 'consider' meaning both to contemplate and, to approach through social research. The two questions that have guided three phases of fieldwork are: 'how are managers holding views about sustainability?'; and, 'how are managers taking action?'. The first two phases of fieldwork involved interviewing managers in the energy and power industry. The third phase consisted of my participation in two different fieldwork spaces: a newly established community of private and public sector organisations, and a city council climate change strategy stakeholder consultation process. By drawing in epistemological sensibilities from Science and Technology Studies, I contribute through offering alternative research methods and practices for scholars in Organisation and Management Studies to consider sustainability by: performing writing practices which respect my reflexive and embodied approach; evolving conceptualisations of myself researching as a 'conduit'; enacting notions of humility and modesty through my methods; and, conducting' gatherings' to bring together disparate domains of literature about sustainability, and assemble my analysis of fieldwork. My interpretations of the first and second phases of fieldwork show: how tensions amongst the managers' sense-making manifest; and, how differing environmental discourses, to which their discursive patterns can be associated, collide and can collapse. In the third phase I describe how, when sustainability is performed: it struggles in the margins; it is depicted substantially by quantitative data; and, seems to be a troubling and inconvenient problem. From my PhD journey, I propose that sustainability challenges us to think differently. To approach this I suggest that scholars within OMS need to experiment with alternative reflexive and embodied research methods which offer more ambiguous knowledges. I argue that by nurturing a sense of humility and modesty researchers can help enable more inclusive and meaningful sustainabilities.

The thesis investigates potential to reconcile sustainable development and industrial competitiveness in the public and private sectors in Scotland, presenting recommendations that will facilitate any such reconciliation, making business activity more sustainable. The thesis introduces and explores the concept of sustainable competitiveness and determines whether it has the potential to encapsulate the reconciliation of sustainable development and industrial competitiveness. A literature review of sustainable development, competitiveness and good practice examples of their reconciliation is used to present a definition of sustainable competitiveness and set the framework for data gathering. Interviews with practitioners working on sustainable development with business and industry in the public and private sectors in Scotland offer a practical insight into current good practice. Good practice is chosen as the basis for the interviews to demonstrate what is possible and explore approaches that can create more sustainable outcomes. The interviews were conducted between 1999 and 2001. Analysis of the interviews revealed certain themes in relation to understanding and practice. The interviews are analysed using these themes to structure the findings. Approaches by public and private sectors are compared to understand the relative roles that each sector is undertaking and whether or not those activities aim to deliver sustainable development, reconcile sustainable development and competitiveness or simply rebrand existing activity. In analysing implementation of good practice, it is important to understand what drives and supports that process. Thesis findings concentrate on what these drivers and supports are and their implementation. A sustainable development/competitiveness matrix draws this information together both in a theoretical matrix and in one based on practice in Scotland. Finally recommendations are presented that summarise how effective drivers and supports for sustainable competitiveness can be implemented in Scotland.

Over the last decades there has been a growing concern about the impact of economic development on the environment. Economic development can cause environmental degradation, threatening the health of both humans and ecosystems. This research investigates the relationship between income and pollution in all Malaysian states. In the first two parts of the study, the relationships between income, air and water pollution are examined. A panel data set comprising ambient concentrations of air and water pollution for all Malaysian states was constructed for the period of 1990 to 2007. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), which hypothesises that pollution at first increases, and then decreases, as per capita income rises, is tested. This inverse U-shaped EKC relationship was found for only one type of air pollutant - carbon monoxide. In the water pollution data, there is no evidence of an EKC relationship found. The income-air pollution findings suggest that typically levels of air pollution concentrations improve as per capita GDP rises, whilst the study on income and water pollution shows that rising income can have positive impacts on different measures of water pollution. The final part of the research focuses on a micro level issue: the manufacturing industry and pollution. Employing a panel data model covering the period between 1996 and 2005, with observations across 13 Malaysian states, and 11 manufacturing groups, the study aims to analyse the relationship between pollution and manufacturing industries' indicators - gross output and value added. Analysing the possible relationship between manufacturing and pollution enables the development of effective policies for controlling pollution from this major industry. In essence, the results of the manufacturing-pollution study show that manufacturing worsens both air and water pollution in Malaysia, suggesting the need for further industry level pollution policies.

Various approaches have been adopted to implement sustainable development in tourism (SOT). However, their impact is contentious and emerging trends suggest that theoretical best practices do not necessarily transform into sustainable outcomes. Recent tourism studies have attributed the lack of stakeholder participation to being one of the major barriers to the effective implementation of SOT. As a result, stakeholder involvement is increasingly called for. Although much has been written on SOT, the academic literature on its implementation is only emerging and the role of stakeholders has received limited attention in tourism. This deficiency in knowledge and the global significance of the topic forms the basis of this study. The study explores stakeholder involvement in the implementation of SOT through a purposive case study of an influential organisation. The objectives were to identify the stakeholders, to establish the factors that influence their involvement in SOT, to elicit stakeholders own perceptions of SOT and to assess how they can be effectively involved in the implementation of SOT. A qualitative approach to data collection and analysis was adopted including focus groups, individual semi- structured face-to-face interviews and documentation review. This triangulation enabled the understanding of stakeholder values, experiences and expectations of SOT. The findings reveal that stakeholders and SOT are inextricably linked. However, the stakeholder involvement process is complex and multi-dimensional. Its effectiveness in achieving sustainability objectives depends on the approach taken. The importance of developing a SOT strategy that takes into account the 'Ieadership- stakeholder involvement capacity nexus' is underscored. As such, a 'Multi- Stakeholder Involvement Management (MSIM) Framework' is offered together with the support of a 'Green Route' and 'Five Criteria for Effective Stakeholder Involvement in SOT' as key contributions from this research.

Currently businesses are not reporting environmental information in a clear, consistent, comparable and transparent manner "en masse". Supplementary government data are not available and current estimation methods do not enable efficient generation of environmental data (emissions and water use data) for many or all businesses in a given area. Without such estimates or methods for estimation, it is difficult to identify or attribute environmental impacts to individual business and encourage businesses to acknowledge and reduce these impacts. Generation of such emissions and water use estimates for groups of businesses can also have wider uses such as in the assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of waste management schemes. To be conducted effectively, this requires detailed and disaggregated estimates of relevant wastes for all businesses in an area. To deal with these problems and gaps, this study generates a new framework model capable of estimating the direct and indirect GHG emissions, C&I waste, food waste and water use for individual businesses of a specific sector, or all businesses of a specific sector within a defined area. A chapter is devoted to formal documentation of the framework and data; a second presents methods for testing the framework. To illustrate the framework, the PhD presents a case study for hospitality and food retail businesses in Southampton using best estimates. Key to the development of the model is to assess the reliability of estimates. Three chapters are devoted to this. This allows an indication of reliability and robustness of the estimates of this PhD. Best estimates for GHGs applied a new approach that resulted in a 126 sector model which is unique to this UK study. The final chapter identifies key findings and added value of the work and draws conclusions for the dissertation.

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