This thesis examines the climate role conceptions and climate role positions of Iceland and Sweden respectively, as they are portrayed in their climate action plans. This study compliments the current trend to examine climate leadership within International Relations, with an additional focus on the Nordic countries. Not only is the Nordic identity enmeshed with ideas of environmentalism, but the Nordic countries also have a reputation of being environmental leaders. Despite this reputation, the Nordic countries vary considerably between themselves when it comes to climate performance, thus inspiring the study of the highest and lowest Nordic emitters of greenhouse gases. The study is carried out from a constructivist role theory perspective, which is complemented with a novel climate role analytical framework. A content analysis is conducted on Iceland‘s and Sweden‘s countries‘ climate action plans, and climate role indicators are coded and analyzed. The study reveals that both Iceland and Sweden depict themselves as climate leaders in their climate action plans. However, while both countries refer to themselves as climate leaders, the leadership indicators are manifested distinctively, resulting in the countries projecting different climate leadership role positions. By evaluating Iceland’s and Sweden’s portrayal of global climate leadership, it is assessed that Iceland assumes the climate role position of a pioneer, with aspirations for setting an example for other countries through its climate transition, and that Sweden assumes the climate role position of a constructive pusher, with aspirations to lead the domestic and global climate transition through ambitious actions. The analysis thus reveals how Sweden’s internationally ascribed roles as a climate leader and Iceland’s internationally ascribed role as an environmental leader is legitimated and reverberated throughout their respective climate action plans, in accordance with their role conceptions and identities.

This research explores how provincial governments in Canada can foster environmental leadership in business firms, and develops a framework to guide provincial policy and regulatory decisions with respect to environmental leadership. The research question is: How can provincial governments in Canada support environmental leadership in businesses? Environmental leadership is defined as voluntary beyond compliance behaviour. In order to answer the research question, what motivates and challenges environmental leadership must also be explored. Three case studies are used in this research: the electronics extended producer responsibility (EPR), marine and agriculture sectors. Data was collected through surveys and interviews with businesses, officials and organizations in each of the case studies. The focus is on British Columbia, although data was also collected from other Canadian provinces. Results demonstrate that the electronics EPR sector is characterized by compliance and coordination issues: businesses focus on meeting rather than exceeding regulations, and they identified a strong need for improved harmonization and coordination between jurisdictions on EPR regulations. The marine sector is characterized by businesses taking matters into their own hands, due to weak regulations accompanied by strong community pressures. The agriculture sector is characterized as one of contestation and capacity: contestation over what is environmental leadership (whether or not it requires beyond compliance steps such as organic certification), and capacity concerns, due to the high need identified for support, education and training for farmers. Five themes cut across the three case studies. First, environmental leadership is an ongoing process rather than a relatively fixed category in which businesses can be placed. Second, although social licence is important in all three cases, the licence comes from different sectors of society: consumers, community or citizens. In the electronics EPR sector, the social licence pressures come primarily from customers; in the marine sector, from communities; and in the agriculture sector, from citizens as a whole, comprised of both customers of agricultural products and communities that live near farms. Third, corporate culture or visionary leadership is important in driving environmental leadership. Fourth, a need exists for greater leadership by government, by strategic planning, taking advantage of new markets, resolving conflicts, greater harmonization and coordination of regulations. Fifth, continuous learning within a firm is important in environmental leadership, be it through formal training, sharing of expertise and knowledge, or through ongoing reflection on business practices. Key policy implications are that provincial governments use a broader mix of regulatory tools: accompanying stringent standards with training and education; support for transition to greener technologies or processes; and public education on the purpose of regulations, how they work, and the role of all sectors of society in achieving social goals. Cross government cooperation and harmonization of regulations could be improved, especially in the electronics EPR sector. The results of this research should assist in identifying ways for government to foster environmental leadership in businesses, through new approaches to governance and selection of policy instruments. / Graduate

Introduction: This study considered the role that safety, health and environmental (SHE) risk culture should play in the improvement of SHE risk management. The study focused on the perception of SHE risk culture at management and non-management levels in a manufacturing organisation in South Africa. SHE risk culture was viewed in terms of tone from the top and operational understanding of the risk management process. Method: A SHE risk culture questionnaire was created based on information available in the academic literature. The aim of this exploratory questionnaire was to assess the status of the SHE risk culture within the targeted organisation and to recommend improvements. The questionnaire included items designed to assess five aspects of SHE risk culture: understanding of the SHE risk approach; understanding of SHE risks and controls; SHE risk involvement and buy-in; communication; and governance, leadership and accountability. The target group for this study consisted of operations personnel and risk and SHE employees at different levels in the company. Survey data were obtained from 224 employees from a wide range of jobs in the company. Results: The data from the Likert-scale items in the questionnaire showed a number of significant differences between the perceptions of managers and non-managers with respect to the status of the SHE risk culture in the organisation. These differences indicated that management felt more comfortable with their understanding of the SHE risk approach, of the actual SHE risks, and of risk management controls than the non-management group. Also, management showed greater support for, and buy-in to, the SHE risk approach than the non-management group. In addition, participants shared their views of how the SHE risk culture in the organisation may be improved. The top five recommendations were: improve communication on SHE risk culture; standardise the SHE risk management approach; enhance SHE risk-related training to build capacity and understanding; emphasize the significance of leadership’s approach to embedding the SHE risk culture; and acknowledge the importance of involving employees in the development and implementation of the desired SHE risk culture. Conclusion: This study illustrated the importance of a number of factors required to improve the SHE risk culture in the organisation both in terms of tone from the top and operational understanding of SHE risks: they include well-structured communication; standardising and simplifying SHE risk management; SHE risk capacity building; and encouraging employee participation when developing and improving the desired SHE risk culture. The central role played by leadership to set the tone from the top and lead by example when implementing the desired organisational SHE risk culture was also highlighted by the participants. Practical application: This study provides evidence-based guidance for the manufacturing sector on how to evaluate and improve a desired SHE risk culture. The paper also shows how the concept of risk culture can be applied to SHE risk culture. The questionnaire used in this study can be used by management teams wishing to get an understanding of the prevailing SHE risk culture in their organisations. The results of the survey can be used to inform change interventions to improve the existing SHE risk culture in the organisation studied. The questionnaire should also be useful for further research on the concept of risk culture and in particular SHE risk culture.

Introduction: This study considered the role that safety, health and environmental (SHE) risk culture should play in the improvement of SHE risk management. The study focused on the perception of SHE risk culture at management and non-management levels in a manufacturing organisation in South Africa. SHE risk culture was viewed in terms of tone from the top and operational understanding of the risk management process. Method: A SHE risk culture questionnaire was created based on information available in the academic literature. The aim of this exploratory questionnaire was to assess the status of the SHE risk culture within the targeted organisation and to recommend improvements. The questionnaire included items designed to assess five aspects of SHE risk culture: understanding of the SHE risk approach; understanding of SHE risks and controls; SHE risk involvement and buy-in; communication; and governance, leadership and accountability. The target group for this study consisted of operations personnel and risk and SHE employees at different levels in the company. Survey data were obtained from 224 employees from a wide range of jobs in the company. Results: The data from the Likert-scale items in the questionnaire showed a number of significant differences between the perceptions of managers and non-managers with respect to the status of the SHE risk culture in the organisation. These differences indicated that management felt more comfortable with their understanding of the SHE risk approach, of the actual SHE risks, and of risk management controls than the non-management group. Also, management showed greater support for, and buy-in to, the SHE risk approach than the non-management group. In addition, participants shared their views of how the SHE risk culture in the organisation may be improved. The top five recommendations were: improve communication on SHE risk culture; standardise the SHE risk management approach; enhance SHE risk-related training to build capacity and understanding; emphasize the significance of leadership’s approach to embedding the SHE risk culture; and acknowledge the importance of involving employees in the development and implementation of the desired SHE risk culture. Conclusion: This study illustrated the importance of a number of factors required to improve the SHE risk culture in the organisation both in terms of tone from the top and operational understanding of SHE risks: they include well-structured communication; standardising and simplifying SHE risk management; SHE risk capacity building; and encouraging employee participation when developing and improving the desired SHE risk culture. The central role played by leadership to set the tone from the top and lead by example when implementing the desired organisational SHE risk culture was also highlighted by the participants. Practical application: This study provides evidence-based guidance for the manufacturing sector on how to evaluate and improve a desired SHE risk culture. The paper also shows how the concept of risk culture can be applied to SHE risk culture. The questionnaire used in this study can be used by management teams wishing to get an understanding of the prevailing SHE risk culture in their organisations. The results of the survey can be used to inform change interventions to improve the existing SHE risk culture in the organisation studied. The questionnaire should also be useful for further research on the concept of risk culture and in particular SHE risk culture.

As the corporate world, communities, and individuals become more globalized and demands on natural resources increase, a new emphasis on environmental leadership including a new pragmatic environmental ethos is needed to meet certain basic human needs of future generations. The research problem addressed in this study was the lack of knowledge concerning how environmental cognitive dissonance influences consumption practices related to inefficient resource utilization and ecosystem degradation. The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the breadth and depth of environmental cognitive dissonance among visitors to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The research questions addressed the development, manifestation, and mitigation of environmental cognitive dissonance. This qualitative case study was designed for a purposeful sample of 12 participants visiting the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Data were collected via structured interviews, field observations, and questionnaires, and then were analyzed using a data spiral and cross case analysis. The dominant findings indicated that (a) awareness of personal values, culture, and perceptions of the environment were responsible for basic attitudes regarding the environment and consumption; (b) wasteful habits, excessive consumption, and market influences were juxtaposed with nostalgic/episodic memories and deep thoughts about personal consumptive habits; and (c) an interactive multisensory experience in a pristine and wild environment changed perceptions and values regarding ecosystems and ecosystem preservation. The results of this study could help stewards of natural resources develop a new understanding of consumptive behavior and a new consumer ethos of stewardship and environmental leadership, one that inspires healthy and sustainable ecosystems.

Réalisée sous la codirection de l'Université de Montréal (Anthropologie) et de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Aménagement du territoire) / Le foisonnement de rapports et de débats entourant le Sommet Climat Paris 2015 illustre bien la complexité des enjeux planétaires actuels. Cette situation soulève avec acuité la question de la capacité de nos leaders à y faire face. Cette recherche a justement pour objet de vérifier si les leaders d’initiative de développement durable qui mettent en œuvre une pensée complexe sont davantage en mesure d’apprécier la multiplicité des dimensions inhérentes à ces démarches. Rappelons que la méthode de la pensée complexe (Morin, 2008) prétend offrir une approche paradigmatique qui facilite l’appréhension juste et sensible de la réalité. Cette étude réalisée au Québec compare vingt-cinq leaders de démarches territoriales de développement durable. Les résultats corroborent l’affirmation de Morin : la pensée complexe constitue un atout pour saisir le réel de façon plus complète. De fait, une forte corrélation ressort entre, d’une part, le degré de maîtrise de la pensée complexe des leaders et, d’autre part, leur capacité à considérer les six dimensions d’une démarche territoriale, intégrée et globale de développement durable. Néanmoins, peu de leaders maîtrisent l’art des stratégies complexes, et les initiatives de développement durable correspondent peu à l’idéal type de ce concept. Ces constats militent en faveur d’études supplémentaires sur la convergence de ces résultats avec de récentes recherches associant l’atteinte de stades de conscience post conventionnels à une meilleure gestion des programmes de développement durable (Boiral et al., 2013). L’évolution des connaissances en cette matière pourra contribuer à enrichir les programmes de développement du leadership de nos futurs leaders. / The proliferation of reports and discussions surrounding the 2015 Paris Climate Summit illustrates the complexity of current global issues. In fact, the environmental challenge we face acutely raises the question of the ability of our leaders to cope with their responsibility. This research aim at evaluating whether the leaders involved in sustainable development initiative who implement Morin’s Complex Thought Method are better able to appreciate the many dimensions inherent in these processes. The Complex Thought Method (Morin, 2008) claims to offer a paradigmatic approach that facilitates fair and sensible apprehension of reality. This study compares twenty-five people located in Quebec who are leaders of sustainable development program based on territorial approaches. The results support Morin’s assertion: Complex Thought is an asset to grasp reality more completely. Indeed, a strong correlation occur between, the degree of control of Complex Thought by leaders and their ability to consider the six dimensions of an integrated comprehensive territorial approach to sustainable development. This being said, few leaders master the art of Complex Thought Strategies and the sustainable development initiatives are generally far from ideal. These findings build on the recent research linking post conventional consciousness level to better sustainable development projects (Boiral and al., 2013). This argues in favor of upgrading leadership development programs to stimulate better Complex Thought and post consciousness stage in benefice of our collective future.

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