This dissertation advances the understanding and teaching of systems thinking by integrating it with the Direction, Alignment, and Commitment model of leadership. Reframing systems thinking through the lens of leadership offers an important innovation and focus to the theory of systems thinking, and to the pedagogy of building the competencies sustainability professionals need. Chapter 1 offers a case study for teaching specific systems thinking competencies that promote leadership for systems change. It uses leadership as a novel way to identify and organize systems thinking competencies that are important for successful multi-stakeholder collaborations. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to assess learning outcomes across four cohorts of graduate students from 2017 to 2020. The study examined a one-month-long assignment, out of a year-long program, that focuses on systems leadership for climate change. Findings demonstrate that higher education programs can successfully build these competencies in sustainability students and professionals. Chapter 2 is a case study which illustrates how systems thinking and leadership practices were applied within Eileen Fisher, Inc. as the company reimagined its approach to sustainability starting in 2012. Eileen Fisher's efforts to promote sustainability provide a known example of leadership for systems change. The purpose of the case study is to determine whether the theory of systems leadership developed in Chapter 1 can explain the systems change that occurred in Eileen Fisher, Inc.; to help readers envision, extend, and apply this theory to their own situations; and, to support a case that can be used in classrooms to teach systems thinking and systems leadership. The case study demonstrates that substantive, systemic, organizational change resulted because of an intentional and specific set of practices put in place to promote systems thinking and sustainability. Chapter 3 explains the attributes and pedagogy of teaching cases, and Chapter 4 offers a teaching case for use by educators and workshop moderators interested in teaching systems thinking and systems leadership. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation advances the understanding and teaching of systems thinking by integrating it with the Direction, Alignment, and Commitment model of leadership. Reframing systems thinking through the lens of leadership offers an important innovation and focus to the theory of systems thinking. Systems thinking is the ability to understand the nature of systems, whether natural or socially constructed, including how various components of systems interact with one another and impact the behavior of the system as a whole. A system is any set of things working together in concert. Systems leadership is the ability of humans to apply systems thinking and leadership competencies while working across boundaries to engage others in the advancement of complex change. One theory that is particularly well suited to the advancement of systems leadership focuses on a continual cycle of achieving Direction, Alignment and Commitment (DAC) among diverse stakeholders. Direction is achieved by defining a shared vision, mission and overarching goals based on a level of agreement among members of a collaborative about both the aim of the collective effort as well as its value. Alignment pertains to how knowledge, strategies and associated tasks within a collaborative endeavor are identified, organized and coordinated, both at the outset and over time as conditions evolve. Commitment is the willingness of collaborators to embrace common goals and dedicate time, energy and resources to advancing associated tasks. In addition to DAC, it is important for stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of systems, issues, strategies, diverse perspectives and the impacts of interventions over time. Chapter 1 offers a case study for teaching specific systems thinking competencies that promote leadership for systems change. It uses leadership as a novel way to identify and organize systems thinking competencies that are important for successful multistakeholder collaborations. Findings demonstrate that higher education programs can successfully build these competencies in sustainability students and professionals. Chapter 2 is a case study which illustrates how systems thinking and leadership practices were applied within Eileen Fisher, Inc. as the company reimagined its approach to sustainability starting in 2012. Eileen Fisher's efforts to promote sustainability provide a known example of leadership for systems change. Chapter 3 explains the attributes and pedagogy of teaching cases, and Chapter 4 offers a teaching case for use by educators and workshop moderators interested in teaching systems thinking and systems leadership.

Commercial fishing results in the incidental capture, injury, and mortality of marine mammals. Often, this occurs at levels constituting an existential threat to individual populations or species. One solution to this global problem is gear modification, which is generally the preferred strategy of the fishing industry. Gear modifications can sometimes achieve bycatch reduction, but commonly suffer from several important limitations: (a) they are often narrowly focused on individual species or populations, have limited applicability to others, and often carry risks to other marine species and ecosystems; (b) they may be implemented in the absence of adequate scientific assessment of their efficacy; (c) testing new gear can actually subject threatened species to increased bycatch risk, a problem compounded by the extreme difficulty of obtaining adequate sample sizes; and (d) a disproportionate focus of this work occurs in developed countries, even though most of the world’s fishing sector (98%) is located in developing countries, as are many of the marine mammals threatened by bycatch. Here, I present global reviews of techniques for reducing marine mammal bycatch in gillnets, and for large whales in multiple gear types. Next, I present results from a field study in a small-scale non-industrial gillnet fishery, in which the catch and bycatch are compared between traditional gillnets and an alternative gear (pots). The most commercially valuable fish species were caught in both, however with differences in size class selectivity. Switching gears may represent a more promising approach than making incremental modifications to existing ones. Lastly, I employ a new computer model that simulates conflicts between the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and fishing lines. The model examined their tensile strength under different entanglement scenarios, as an aid for evaluating the potential of using ropes with reduced breaking strength that are practical for fishing but allow large baleen whales to break free if entangled. The results support the use of these “whale-release” ropes to reduce entanglement risk within a large subsector of the US east coast lobster fishery. These studies highlight the benefits of applying new tools and strategies for reducing marine mammal bycatch.

Faced with increasing risks from climate change, food systems will need to transition away from dominant industrial paradigms and move towards a more sustainable way of producing, distributing, and consuming food. One solution or one side alone though might not have the desired systemic change or might not capture the full complexity of food systems. To go beyond two known criticisms of local food sustainable initiatives, i.e., to be rather small and to be developed outside policy frameworks and/or in stark opposition to current food systems, in this thesis I argue to look at governance spaces of transformation at local level where community members, professionals, and governments get together to share knowledge, deliberate, and collectively devise place-based strategies to address complex food systems issues. The thesis is divided into three chapters. To completely understand spaces of transformation, the first chapter provides a conceptual framework of analysis combining ideas from sustainability transitions, environmental governance and sustainable food communities’ approaches. With the first chapter laying out the theoretical framework, chapter 2 and 3 will rely on the empirical analysis of data gathered through interviews and surveys. The conceptualization of territorial spaces of transformation and the analysis of whether biodistricts can be considered such spaces of transformation for food systems, will be laid out in chapter 2. Chapter 3 will consider two additional research questions, namely how territorial characteristics influence the emergence of a biodistrict, and what role the biodistricts have in territorial transformations towards agroecology. The aim of the thesis is to generate solid and harmonized evidence on the impact of biodistricts on key sustainability characteristics, such as a biodiverse environment, inclusive societal and cultural values, sustainable economic development, sound governance systems and organic, regenerative agricultural practices. The results allow to develop a blueprint for biodistricts as meso-spaces, showing how the presence of actors, the objectives, activities, and governance structure should evolve according to the maturity phases. Moreover, the application of the CAET-TAPE assessment shows that the biodistricts are performing solidly on agroecological transitions.

Background:           Cost reduction in logistics is crucial for improving profitability and achieving continuous sustainability improvement. Companies aim to maintain margins through cost reduction strategies in logistics yet staying sustainable in competitive markets.  Purpose:                  The thesis analyses the impact of supply chain management cost reduction on sustainability as well as the other way around, particularly focusing on logistics cost cutting and their influence on efficiency improvement and long-term sustainability. Method:                   The research methodology involves qualitative research, including interviews with experienced professionals in the logistics field who have tackled cost reduction and sustainability. Conclusion:             Achieving sustainability in supply chain management necessitates the successful integration of logistics strategies and the implementation of cost-cutting measures. Companies can strike a balance between economic efficiency and sustainable practices by optimizing operations, minimizing waste, and adopting responsible approaches.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important aspect of a company’s image and has provided profitability by appealing to consumers. The Tanzanian sisal value chain provides an interesting case where newly established companies have the ability to incorporate CSR in their everyday work and create a sustainable environment where social and environmental aspects of responsibility are undertaken. The following thesis investigates corporate social responsibility within the Tanzanian sisal industry through a thematic analysis inspired by Martha Nussbaum's (2011) capabilities approach. The ten central capabilities presented by Nussbaum have been applied as codes on the available CSR work of the largest actors within the Tanzanian sisal industry. The aim of the research is to investigate what CSR strategies exist in the industry and to what extent the CSR work uplifts the livelihoods they affect. The theoretical framework will provide a guideline of one established theory that the available CSR work can be analysed. The analysis will, therefore, highlight potential pitfalls as well as good initiatives and policies in relation to Nussbaum's capabilities approach. The research concluded that two corporations out of the five largest in the industry have available CSR strategies: SFI Tanzania and the MeTL Group. The policies and projects within these strategies contain some of the predetermined codes. However, neither sufficiently addresses the ten central capabilities. After analysing the policies, it can be concluded that many of the ten central capabilities are not fulfilled in the investigated companies' CSR work.

Till följd av nytt regelverk för granskning av hållbarhetsrapporter ställs nyakompetenskrav på revisorer. Historiskt har revisorer endast behövt hakompetens att granska finansiell information men nu kommer de att behövaskaffa sig kompetens att granska icke finansiell information. Revisorerna kommerbehöva nå upp i en tillräcklig kompetensnivå för att erhålla komfort medrevisionskvaliteten vilket i sin tur leder till en kvalitet som gerhållbarhetsrapporten legitimitet mot intressenterna. Syftet med denna studie är att öka kunskaperna om hur revisorer ser på sinkompetens för att kunna granska icke-finansiell information ihållbarhetsrapporter. Två frågeställningar har valts ut för att besvara syftet medstudien. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med tio revisorer, vilka får anses varaexperter på området, har svaren analyserats och slutsatser dragits. Slutsatser som studien kom fram till var att det råder stor komfort hos revisoreridag med revisionskvaliteten under det befintliga regelverket. Det finns däremoten stor osäkerhet hos revisorer med att uppnå komfort med sin revisionskvalitettill det utökade regelverket. Revisorernas bedömning är att de kommer att behövahöja kompetensnivån avseende kunskap om hållbarhet generellt samt hurrevision ska ske av icke-finansiell information. Det kommer att krävas en storutbildningsinsats. Respondenterna i studien anser att det kommer att bli en storomställning kompetensmässigt för hela branschen. Studien kom även fram till attdet fanns delade åsikter om det kommer att behövas standardiseradekompetenskrav till att bedöma hållbarhetsrapporter. De var dock överens om attdet kommer att behöva rekryteras hållbarhetsspecialister. Till vilken grad somspecialister ska användas, differentierades svaren bland respondenterna. Respondenterna i studien anser att kompetensnivån måste ökas för att kunnamöta det utökade regelverket annars finns det risk att hållbarhetsrapportenslegitimitet ifrågasätts av dess intressenter. Revisorernas kompetens kritiseras avdess intressenter och hållbarhetspecialister efterfrågas till större grad. Flertaletav respondenterna menar dock att med större standardisering av granskningenav hållbarhetsrapporter kommer legitimiteten öka gentemot dess intressenter. Nyckelord: Kompetens, revisionskvalitet, komfort, legitimitet, intressenter / As a result of new regulations for the review of sustainability reports, newcompetence requirements are placed on auditors. Historically, auditors have onlyneeded to have competence to review financial information, but now they willhave to acquire competence to be able to review non-financial information. Theauditors will need to reach a sufficient level of competence to obtain comfortwith audit quality, which in turn leads to a quality that gives the sustainabilityreport legitimacy to the stakeholders. The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge regarding how auditors viewtheir competence to review non-financial information in the sustainability report.Two questions have been selected to answer the purpose of the study. Throughqualitative interviews with ten accountants, who may be considered experts inthe field, the answers have been analysed and conclusions drawn. The study ́s conclusions were that auditors today are very comfortable with auditquality under the existing regulatory framework. On the other hand, there is greatuncertainty among auditors about achieving comfort with their audit quality tothe expanded regulatory framework. The auditor ́s assessment is that they willneed to raise the level of competence regarding knowledge of sustainability ingeneral and how to audit non-financial information. A large educational effortwill be required. The respondents in the study believe that there will be a majoradjustment in terms of skills for the entire industry. The study also concludedthat there were divided opinions on whether standardized competencerequirements will be needed to assess sustainability reports. However, theyagreed that it will be necessary to recruit sustainability specialists. To what degreespecialists should be used, the answers were differentiated among therespondents. The respondents in the study believe that the level of competencemust be increased to be able to meet the expanded regulatory framework,otherwise there is a risk that the legitimacy of the sustainability report will bequestioned by its stakeholders. The auditors' competence is criticized by itsstakeholders and sustainability specialists are in greater demand. However, mostrespondents believe that with greater standardization of the review ofsustainability reports, legitimacy will increase towards its stakeholders. Keywords: Competence, audit quality, comfort, legitimacy, stakeholders

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.