Yes / Whilst many studies consider labelling as means of aggregated communication of environmental product features, the presentation of detailed product information seems a promising alternative. However, the mechanisms through which detailed product information takes effect on consumers requires better understanding. This study empirically develops a framework that focuses on consumers’ perceived usefulness of, and trust in, detailed product information, whilst also considering the role of environmental self-identity. This understanding will help businesses to further stimulate eco-friendly consumption. Structural equation modelling and conditional process analysis are utilised to test hypotheses based on a sample of 279 respondents to a German online survey. Findings: Results show that the perceived usefulness of product information has a positive effect on purchase intention, and this effect is intensified by an individual’s environmental self-identity. Furthermore, for consumers with high environmental self-identity, the effect of perceived usefulness of product information on purchase intention is mediated in turn by trust in detailed product information and resistance to negative information. This study contributes to the debate on the role of product information in ethical consumption by showing how detailed product information gives rise to favourable behavioural outcomes. When detailed information is perceived as being useful, it can affect purchase intention through greater trust and an increased resistance to negative information. Further, detailed product information appears beneficial for both, the mass market and specific segments with high environmental self-identity. Hence, this study empirically establishes the effects of detailed product information on consumer decision-making, thus informing sustainability-related marketing theory and practice.

La cellulose bactérienne (CB) est bien connue pour sa biocompatibilité, moulabilité, pureté et cristallinité ainsi que pour sa structure fibrilleuse nanométrique. Cependant, la production des matériaux par des microorganismes est innovante. La présente thèse initialise ce type de bioproduction dans nos laboratoires. Les bactéries productives de cellulose sont isolées à partir d'un vinaigre Libanais. Plusieurs études cinétiques sont établies. Les isolats sont étudiés dans différents milieux de cultures en variant la source de carbone et la température d'incubation, pour déterminer les conditions optimales recommandées pour la production de meilleurs rendements de CB. La bactérie productive de CB a été étudiée en détails au niveau de son cycle de vie et phases de croissance. La physiologie des cellules a été clarifiée et les mécanismes qui précédent et qui accompagnent la synthèse de CB ont été expliqués. Un modèle mathématique se basant sur l'équation logistique est employé pour standardiser les paramètres étudiés. Le rendement de CB a été accru en appliquant différents chocs aux cellules. Le choc thermique appliqué pendant les étapes précoces d'incubation ainsi que le choc acide ont montré des résultats innovants et accéléré le métabolisme de synthèse de CB. L'aspect environnemental du travail a été valorisé en préparant un milieu de culture extraits des fruits et légumes endommagés. En termes d'application, la CB a été utilisée pour produire des papiers et des papiers résistants à l'eau et comme additive dans un prototype d'industrie de papier. Ainsi des composites de cellulose/Liquides ioniques ont été produits afin de performer des matériaux à haute constante diélectriques / Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a wellknown polymer of this family. Its main attractive properties are the biocompatibility, moldability, purity, crystallinity and fibrillar structure at the nanoscaled level. The production of such materials by microorganisms is an innovative procedure. In order to trigger this production procedure in our laboratories, the present thesis was the preliminary step to go through this huge micro-world. In the first step, we isolated cellulose producers from Lebanese vinegar. Kinetic studies were established to clarify the profile of the producer and to optimize cellulose production. The isolates were studied under different incubation temperatures in different microbiological media and at different carbon sources levels to determine optimal conditions for BC production. In the second step, cellulose producer was studied concerning bacterial phases and life cycles. Cells physiologies were clarified and mechanisms that accompany cellulose formation on the top of cultures were discussed. A mathematical model was set basing on Logistic equation to standardize the parameters. Then, cellulose yield was enhanced by different cells choc methods. Thermal choc was applied on cultures during earlier stages of incubation. Moreover, acids were used as doping agents to the culture media. In parallel, to satisfy the eco-friendly aspect of the work, bacterial cellulose production was optimized using fruits and vegetables wastes juice. Papers and waterproof papers were produced using BC. BC was also used as an additive in industrial paper making and was found to enhance mechanical resistance of the papers. In addition, a high-K material was performed using bacterial cellulose and ionic liquids

Currently, there are environmental issues the world is facing which include global climate change, ozone depletion, pollution, high consumption of resources and increasing amounts of solid waste. Tourism is one of the largest industries and it is an important economic tool. However, it also has many negative effects on the environment. Hotels as one of the tourism industry’s component parts have a significant impact on the environment. From an environmental perspective, hotels consume a large amount of resources such as water and electricity as they make efforts to provide physical comfort to guests. In addition, hotels generate large quantities of waste, which is one of their most visible effects on the environment. Hotels also make a significant contribution to greenhouse gases which are a cause of concern due to the ozone layer depletion. Many hotel customers have become aware of the environmental damages and wasting of environmental resources caused by hotels and they now look for hotels that follow eco-friendly practices. This has brought increasing pressure on hotels to implement more green initiatives. There is limited documented information on green management among hotels in South Africa and in Zimbabwe. While the number and range of impacts hotels have on the environment suggests an urgent need to address them, the environmental management initiatives in these hotels are scantly addressing these green issues and this study is the first to address these issues. The goal of the study was therefore to develop a green management framework for hotels in South Africa and Zimbabwe so that these developing countries may contribute significantly in mitigation of the negative environmental effects. To achieve this goal, two literature chapters addressed the issue of green management and how it can be implemented by hotels. A qualitative research was then carried out employing the case study strategy to collect data from hotel managers in South Africa and Zimbabwe (four in Zimbabwe and four in South Africa). Data was collected using personal interviews involving a direct meeting of the interviewer and the interviewee. Personal interviews were carried out in Zimbabwe. In South Africa, data was collected using telephone interviews. In both Zimbabwe and South Africa, data was recorded on a digital voice recorder. Data was later transcribed and then analysed using the content analysis method. Some of the main findings of the study are that, while some perceptions of managers about the green management concept are consistent with a number of aspects emphasised in literature, some hotel managers do not fully understand or grasp what the concept of green management entails. This indicates that a gap exists between managers’ knowledge and what green management really means, at least according to literature. The study has also established that in most hotels, there is unavailability of green management policies, suggesting that there is a lack of knowledge about the importance of a green management policy amongst hotel managers in these two developing countries. The key contributions of this study are that, it provides insights on the current debate on green management in hotels as revealed through green management initiatives implemented in hotels in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Secondly, the study makes a contribution by doing a supply side analysis and identifying the views of hotel managers with regard to green management. This study also contributed by proposing a green management framework for hotels – an aspect that is currently lacking in the existing literature especially from a developing country point of view. The green management framework proposed has guidelines for implementation. The hoteliers in the two countries will thus benefit from the framework and will be in a position to implement green initiatives to mitigate the negative impacts hotels have on the environment. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Currently, there are environmental issues the world is facing which include global climate change, ozone depletion, pollution, high consumption of resources and increasing amounts of solid waste. Tourism is one of the largest industries and it is an important economic tool. However, it also has many negative effects on the environment. Hotels as one of the tourism industry’s component parts have a significant impact on the environment. From an environmental perspective, hotels consume a large amount of resources such as water and electricity as they make efforts to provide physical comfort to guests. In addition, hotels generate large quantities of waste, which is one of their most visible effects on the environment. Hotels also make a significant contribution to greenhouse gases which are a cause of concern due to the ozone layer depletion. Many hotel customers have become aware of the environmental damages and wasting of environmental resources caused by hotels and they now look for hotels that follow eco-friendly practices. This has brought increasing pressure on hotels to implement more green initiatives. There is limited documented information on green management among hotels in South Africa and in Zimbabwe. While the number and range of impacts hotels have on the environment suggests an urgent need to address them, the environmental management initiatives in these hotels are scantly addressing these green issues and this study is the first to address these issues. The goal of the study was therefore to develop a green management framework for hotels in South Africa and Zimbabwe so that these developing countries may contribute significantly in mitigation of the negative environmental effects. To achieve this goal, two literature chapters addressed the issue of green management and how it can be implemented by hotels. A qualitative research was then carried out employing the case study strategy to collect data from hotel managers in South Africa and Zimbabwe (four in Zimbabwe and four in South Africa). Data was collected using personal interviews involving a direct meeting of the interviewer and the interviewee. Personal interviews were carried out in Zimbabwe. In South Africa, data was collected using telephone interviews. In both Zimbabwe and South Africa, data was recorded on a digital voice recorder. Data was later transcribed and then analysed using the content analysis method. Some of the main findings of the study are that, while some perceptions of managers about the green management concept are consistent with a number of aspects emphasised in literature, some hotel managers do not fully understand or grasp what the concept of green management entails. This indicates that a gap exists between managers’ knowledge and what green management really means, at least according to literature. The study has also established that in most hotels, there is unavailability of green management policies, suggesting that there is a lack of knowledge about the importance of a green management policy amongst hotel managers in these two developing countries. The key contributions of this study are that, it provides insights on the current debate on green management in hotels as revealed through green management initiatives implemented in hotels in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Secondly, the study makes a contribution by doing a supply side analysis and identifying the views of hotel managers with regard to green management. This study also contributed by proposing a green management framework for hotels – an aspect that is currently lacking in the existing literature especially from a developing country point of view. The green management framework proposed has guidelines for implementation. The hoteliers in the two countries will thus benefit from the framework and will be in a position to implement green initiatives to mitigate the negative impacts hotels have on the environment. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Eco-labels impact consumers‟ likelihood to buy eco-labelled products and serve as a tool during the decision-making process that helps consumers make informed purchase choices. The textile industry is responsible for a large amount of pollution, but has started to follow a more holistic, eco-friendly approach. Information about their eco-friendliness is communicated to consumers via eco-labels. Consumers can influence the textile industry to include more eco-labelled textile products in their desired range of products, by buying and demanding eco-labelled textile products. However, international studies indicate that consumers do not understand textile eco-labels and the information that is found on these labels. A lack of understanding prevents consumers from including such products in their pre-purchase decision-making process. Yet some consumers, from developed and developing countries, are willing to buy eco-labelled products and pay more for such products. Limited research in this regard, within a South African context, is available hence, more research was required in this study field. Therefore, this study aimed to explore consumers‟ understanding and utilisation of textile eco-labels during pre-purchase decision-making. The research for the study was done using a convenience and purposive sampling method with a quantitative structured online questionnaire for data collection purposes. Findings suggest that respondents were environmentally conscious, but only to some extent. Most respondents objectively understood textile eco-labelled products, but not textile eco-labels or organic label information regarding cotton production processes. Respondents indicated that they do not use textile eco-labels when making a pre-purchase decision, yet they somewhat recognised the need to buy eco-friendly textile products, because they are aware of environmental implications. Regarding the information on eco-labels, respondents searched for information surrounding the quality of eco-labelled textile products, followed by the care instructions and the credibility of the eco-label on the product. Finally, there was a segment of respondents who buy and utilise textile eco-labelled products, and are willing to pay a higher price for these products. The higher price was the main factor that prevented other respondents from buying eco-labelled textile products. Consumers can benefit from education regarding environmental issues and how their purchasing choices can make a difference in protecting the environment. Furthermore, educating consumers about eco-labelled textile products might increase their awareness and utilisation of these products. In turn, this awareness about eco-labels might encourage consumers to include these kinds of products in their pre-purchase decision-making process. Additionally the industry can strive towards keeping eco-labelled products‟ prices relatively equal to regular product‟s prices to make it easier for consumers to choose between the different products, based on their environmental attributes and not price. Finally, the textile industry and manufacturers can focus on making textile eco-labels more attractive and attention-grabbing in order to focus consumers‟ attention on these labels. Furthermore, on these labels, symbols and words should be used together and all elements should correspond to enhance consumers‟ understanding. If all of these elements of an eco-label convey the same message, consumers might be able to understand the intended message by manufacturers and the industry better. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Hospital-acquired infections are to date a major challenge in the patient safety. The proliferation of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae is often reported in connection with textiles, which represent a significant source of transmission. This leads most often to the contamination and cross-contamination of the hospitalized patient and the hospital staff. A promising approach and the immediate objective of this research is the application of probiotics to a textile fabric. They provide preliminary evidence in being able to inhibit pathogenic bacteria growth through their competitive mechanism. During this study, screen-printing was used as a method to apply probiotics on a polyester fabric. The viability of probiotics on the fabric was evaluated in the agar plate test method. Samples that exhibited a growth of grown out colonies were further tested regarding their efficacy towards the abovementioned pathogens. This was determined in a competition test, that included the individually inoculation of the samples with the different bacteria strains. Contact-angle measurements and abrasion resistance as well as the durability were tested in order to investigate the applicability of the fabric and scanning electron microscope images were taken to detect probiotics and to evaluate the quality of the print on the fabric. Major findings included that probiotics were able to survive on the polyester fabric and that these viable probiotics are further successful in the growth inhibition of pathogenic bacteria. Thereby their efficacy against pathogens is related to the viability the probiotics. As neither the probiotics used in this study, nor the other ingredients are considered as hazardous, this process is environment-friendly. This work increases the understanding of probiotics mechanism and their survival and competition behaviour on a textile material. It opens a way in the reduction of hospital-acquired infections through the beneficial effects of probiotics.

Panama for many decades has been characterized for its privileged geographic position, biodiversity, modern city, economic development, and its success attracting tourists. Panama figures indicate that the tourism and hospitality industries are growing at impressive rates. In the next few 4 years, worldwide international tourist arrivals is expected to grow by the year 2020 to 1.4 billion and by the year 2030 is expected to reach 1.8 billion. Success in the international tourism industry has had also a positive impact in the Hospitality Industry. Accordingly, by 2018 the Hospitality industry is expected to reach a global retail value of 553.8 Billion. Currently out of those millions of tourists, in 2016 Panama attracted over 1.9 million tourists. Important to consider is that this new millennial tourists come with a new mindset, and are looking for new Eco-friendly hospitality options. As it has been stated by the World Travel and Tourism Organization: “The new millennium and the coming decades are a crucial time for the relationship between travel and tourism and sustainable development. The need to preserve the world’s inherent assets for future generations is becoming an imperative goal not only for travel and tourism, but also for all other industries that use the earth’s natural resources.” Consequently Panama is currently facing a shortage in Eco-friendly focused accommodations, and we are currently facing a rising demand of tourists who are looking for affordable Eco-friendly accommodation. Interestingly, Panama through the Ministry of Tourism has been building its infrastructure to promote Eco-tourism. Within our isthmus we offer activities such as: snorkeling, diving, hiking, camping, bird watching, whale watching, zip line tours, rain-forest tours, rock climbing, sailing with dolphins, swimming with sea turtles, white water rafting among others. Therefore due to the increasing number of tourists entering our country, Panama shortage of Eco friendly accommodations, and our well suited infrastructure for Eco-tourism activities, we have a great business opportunity to capitalize in. In our continuous endeavor to have a positive impact on caring the environment while displaying Panama to the world, we are joining efforts in order to start an Eco-friendly hospitality business. Our business model wants to full-fill the current demand for Eco- friendly, self-sustainable, and affordable accommodations. The lodge is expected to be located in Gatun which is characterized by dense forests, fresh air, beautiful lake scenery, hiking trails, the Panama Canal locks, and peace-full environment. We have chosen this location due to its proximity with Panama Canal Gatun locks, Gatun Lake, Rio Chagres, its biodiversity and the fact that there is no Eco-friendly lodges in this area. Therefore, due to the high influx of tourist in Panama, the multiple activities as well as comfortable accommodations we offer, we are confident our Eco lodge will enjoy high occupancy rate. In the initial construction phase, the lodge will consist of 4 main cabins, which will be completely constructed with recycled products such as Reused maritime shipping containers, refurbished furniture's, in addition, we will construct our cabins in harmony with nature and our cabins will run 100% with solar energy. We are not only offering an Eco-friendly, and low carbon foot print option for tourists, we will also offer tours that allow our guests to explore the beauty of Panama. Including the visit to the Gatun locks, bird watching trails, kayaking in the lake, getting to know local culture, exiting adventures on the Chagres River, and connecting with nature. Our main sources of revenue will be from hospitality services, and touristic attraction services. Accordingly, our main expenses recall on the acquisition of land, equipment and construction of cabins and monthly salary and maintenance expenses. In order to evaluate this project, we have calculated a project duration of 10 years with a 10% discount rate. We will begin the project in 2019, and break even on July 2023. The initial total Capital investment will be of $220,000.00 and we will generate with yearly incomes average $60,000.00 and a NPV of +$195,656.55.

The rate of failure to manage e-waste and the business sectors' failure to produce more eco-friendly products is high. These failure rates cause companies to lose profits on expanding an eco-friendly customer market. The central research question addressed by this correlational design examined the quality, price, and brand loyalty of eco-friendly products related to customers' willingness to recycle e-products. Consumer and buying behavior theories served as the theoretical framework in this investigation. SurveyMonkey was used to distribute the researcher-developed survey to the participants for the collection of the data. The collection data instrument was validated by performing a pilot test using students of the subject organization. The final sample size consisted of 381 participants, 18-24 years old. The strength of the association between ranked variables was determined using Spearman correlation while the customer behavior relationships of interest were examined using ordinal regression. One of the key findings was that when customers had used a certain brand in the past, they were more likely to continue buying that brand, even when the price increased. However, another finding showed that some customers were not willing to recycle electronic devices even if more drop-off recycling facilities were available. The profitability of green product innovations due to brand loyalty, combined with a demonstration of social responsibility by a business, could create a powerful venue for positive social change. The socially-responsible activities of a business could promote awareness that green products and recycling of e-waste are important for an environmentally-secure future.

Fruit producers in Northern Utah face several challenges to their production, urbanization, decreased availability of agricultural land, and competition from domestic producers and imports. As consumers are willing to pay premiums for foods differentiated by production method, such as eco-friendly and organic, conversion to these methods may increase the profitability of fruit growing operations. This study found that consumers in Northern Utah are willing to pay a premium for peaches grown using organic and eco-friendly production practices over conventionally grown peaches. The study also found that of the three methods of peach production examined (conventional, eco-friendly, and organic), organic had the highest average grower net returns and had the lowest associated risk, while conventional peach production had the potential for the highest net returns. These results may guide producers when making orchard management decisions and in the profitability assessment of alternative production methods.

Due to the global warming, the increase in greenhouse gases and the resulting threat for the environment, not only private households have to rethink their behaviour towards the environment, but also companies and organisations have a responsibility towards their environment. Therefore, we investigated several small and midsize enterprises in order to understand their way of implementing strategies of eco-friendliness and thus contributing to the ‘green revolution’ which is apparently in progress. The managers and company leaders provided us with their personal experiences in implementing environmental certificates and Environmental Management Systems. We learned that the trigger point for the implementation of certificates or management systems is often a stakeholder demand. Therefore, our theoretical framework presents our personal understanding of leadership, an example of the relationship of leadership and eco-friendliness, the conflicts of interest within different roles leaders are often captured in, the presentation of personally chosen environmental certificates and stakeholder theory.