Obesity is an epidemic that causes physical, emotional, and financial tolls for both individuals and communities. The United States experienced a dramatic increase in obesity rate from 1990-2010 (Flegal, Carroll, Ogden, & Curtin, 2010), with more than one-third of adults and 17% of children in the United States now considered obese (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2012). Although most people agree obesity is a problem (Oliver & Lee, 2005), it is a disease with multiple causes (Wake & Reeves, 2012) and no straightforward solution (Phil & Heuer, 2009). Informed by theory and research on agency and attributions, the current study examined effects of explicit arguments and linguistic agency assignment on attributions of responsibility for obesity and support for public obesity policies. Participants (N = 211) were randomly assigned to read one of six versions of a health flyer defined by a 3 x 2 (Explicit Argument x Agency Assignment) factorial design and thereafter completed a questionnaire derived from previous research. Respondents across conditions agreed that obesity is a serious health threat, but differed in how they attributed responsibility for the illness. Those who read a message that consistently assigned agency to the disease (e.g., Obesity causes health problems) endorsed genetics as the cause to a greater degree than others who read a different version assigning agency to humans (e.g., Obese people develop health problems). In contrast, the human agency version prompted higher attributions of individual responsibility and greater support for upstream public policies aimed at reducing obesity (e.g., a snack tax on junk food, eliminating soft drinks from public schools, adding warning labels to foods with high sugar content). Results suggest explicit arguments are less effective in shifting perceptions of a stigmatized health threat than the implicit arguments created by linguistic agency assignment. The findings demonstrate specific message features that affect social attributions of illness (Heider, 1958; Weiner, 2006) and perceptions of responsibility for the onset and solution of health problems (Barry, Brescoll, Brownell, & Schlesigner, 2009; Niederdeppe, Shapiro, & Porticella, 2011). Theoretical implications, practical applications, and future research directions are discussed. / text

There have been an increasing number of calls emphasizing the need to use the best-available research evidence to inform health system policies and, in response, efforts have been made in many countries to develop and implement policy-support organizations (PSOs) to enhance the use of research in policymaking. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding both the best approaches for the successful establishment of such organizations. Moreover, there are very few attempts to consider how approaches can be applied in particular contexts, and operationalized by policymakers and stakeholders in their efforts to support EIPM through the establishment of PSOs. This dissertation incorporates a mix of methodological approaches to address this gap. First, in chapter two, a critical interpretive synthesis was used to develop a conceptual framework that can guide the process of establishing a PSO or similar entities. The framework outlines the stages in the process of establishing a policy support organization and the contextual factors at the political-, research- and health-system level that influence this process. Second, in chapter three, the framework from the CIS was used to inform the design of a survey tool and interview guide used in a sequential mixed methods study to enrich the framework by soliciting insights from those with practical experience with developing and operationalizing PSOs in real-world contexts. Specifically, this study provides insights into the approaches and strategies for each stage in the establishment process for a PSO. Lastly, in chapter four, the findings from chapter two and three were used -- along with in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews with policymakers, researchers and stakeholders who are familiar with the Omani system -- to develop a model for an Omani knowledge translation department, which can be used in a future co-design process for activating the department. The dissertation chapters build on each other and make substantive, methodological, and theoretical contributions. Substantively this dissertation clarifies and defines key concepts that are essential to enable a rich understanding of the process of establishing a PSO. It highlights that the process of establishing such an organization is iterative and can be influenced by multiple contextual factors that affect the individual approach that has been used to support evidence-informed policymaking. Methodologically, this dissertation is the first study of PSOs that uses a mix of conceptual framework generation, insights from a wide range of fields such as organizational development, and empirical approaches that adopt mixed methods to derive fulsome answers to specific questions about establishing PSOs. Theoretically, this dissertation provides a conceptual framework that can be used to inform the process of establishing a PSO in different contexts. The theoretical constructs of this framework were verified and strengthened through direct application in subsequent studies in the dissertation. This dissertation has many implications for policy and research. Most importantly, for those interested in establishing a PSO, my findings provide a road map for identifying the most appropriate starting point and the factors that might influence the establishment process. In addition, leaders of existing PSOs can use my findings to expand or refine their scope of work. Given that this framework focuses only on PSOs in the health sector, an important next step for research will be to include other sectors and identify any additional insight that can enhance the framework I have developed. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Health system policymaking is a challenging task because many factors need to be balanced in policy decisions (e.g., efficiency, equity, and politics). There have been an increasing number of calls emphasizing the need to use the best-available research evidence to inform health system policies and, in response, efforts have been made in many countries to develop and implement approaches to enhance the use of research in the policymaking process. In some instances, organizations have been given sole responsibility for supporting evidence-informed policy, but evidence is limited to inform the process of establishing these organizations. This dissertation addresses this gap in the literature by: I) developing a new conceptual framework for the process of establishing organizations that can support evidence-informed policymaking; ii) identifying approaches that can be used in this process; and iii) developing a model for a proposed Omani knowledge translation department using this framework.

No description available.

As envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals, eradicating poverty by 2030 is among the most important steps to achieve a better and more sustainable future. A key contribution to reach this target is to ensure that vulnerable households are effectively protected against weather-related extreme events and other economic, social and ecological shocks and disasters. Insurance products specifically designed for the needs of low-income households in developing countries are seen as an effective instrument to encompass also the poor with an affordable risk-coping mechanism and are thus highly promoted and supported by governments in recent years. However, apart from direct positive effects, the introduction of formal insurance may have unintended side effects. In particular, it might affect traditional risk-sharing arrangements where income losses are covered by an exchange of money, labour and in-kind goods between neighbours, relatives or friends. A weakening of informal safety nets may increase social inequality if poor households cannot afford formal insurance. In order to design insurance products in a sustainable way, sound understanding of their interplay with risk-sharing networks is urgently needed. Socio-environmental modelling is a suitable approach to address the complexity of this challenge. In the first part of this thesis, an agent-based model is developed to investigate the effects of formal insurance and informal risk-sharing on the resilience of smallholders. To lay the conceptual foundation for this approach, a literature review is presented which provides an overview of how to couple agent-based modelling with social network analysis. In two subsequent modelling studies, it is analysed (i) how the introduction of insurance influences the overall welfare in a population and (ii) what determines the resilience of the poorest to shocks when income is heterogeneously distributed and not all households can afford formal insurance. The simulation results underline the importance of designing insurance policies in close alignment with established risk-coping arrangements to ensure sustainability while striving to eradicate poverty. It is shown that introducing formal insurance can have negative side effects when insured households have fewer resources to share with their uninsured peers after paying the insurance premium or when they reduce their solidarity. However, especially when many households are simultaneously affected by a shock, e.g. by droughts or floods, formal insurance is a valuable addition to informal risk-sharing. By applying a regression analysis to simulation results for an empirical network from the Philippines, it is furthermore inferred that network characteristics must be considered in addition to individual household properties to identify the most vulnerable households that neither have access to formal insurance nor are adequately protected through informal risk-sharing. In the second part of this thesis, a broader perspective is taken on the use of models in socio-environmental systems. First, it is envisioned how models in combination with empirical studies could improve insurance design under climate change. Second, requirements for making socio-environmental modelling more useful to support policy and management and scientific results more influential on policy-making are synthesised. Overall, this thesis offers new insights into the interplay of formal and informal risk-coping instruments that complement existing empirical research and underlines the potential of socio-environmental modelling to address sustainability and development challenges.

Climate change mitigation requires changes in greenhouse gas emitting behaviours. This dissertation aims to provide insights into the influences of behaviour change for two high-impact pro-environmental behaviours: climate policy support and consumption of animal products. It does so by using quasi- and randomized experiments and by monitoring changes in behaviour over time. Study 1 examined changes in climate policy support and climate change risk perception over the course of a naturally occurring event: seasonal forest fires. It employed growth curve modeling techniques in a structural equation modeling framework to analyze longitudinal relations between these two constructs over time, and to examine growth in climate change risk perception while controlling for the effect of exposure to forest fires and other extreme weather. Indirect exposure to forest fires (e.g., media) had a modest effect on climate change risk perception. Climate change risk perception for individuals with above-mean perceptions of scientific agreement tended to increase faster than for those with below-mean perceptions. Individuals whose climate change risk perception grew at a faster-than-average rate tended to also grow at a faster-than-average rate for climate policy support. Study 2 provided insight into the psychological influences on consumption of animal products and on willingness to reduce. Following a comprehensive literature review, known influences were examined using Latent Profile Analysis to identify groups of individuals with similar perceptions of facilitators of meat consumption and obstacles to reducing it. Three groups were identified: strong-hindrance meat eaters, moderate-hindrance meat eaters, and reducers. Validation variables confirmed the practicality of the three profiles: groups differed in their current consumption of animal products and in their willingness to reduce. Using these findings, three group-matched interventions were designed in Study 3. Intervention design was informed by four behaviour-change frameworks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: control condition, implementation-intention condition, information-and-healthy-recipe condition, and information-and-substitution condition. Then, they completed up to 28 days of food diaries. Multilevel model analyses were employed to examine changes in the consumption of animal products over time. Participants reduced their consumption by 20 grams of CO2 per day on average. Individuals that were randomly assigned to an intervention condition that matched their meat-eater profile reduced their consumption of animal products by 40 grams CO2 per day on average. Taken together, these studies highlight the importance of considering individual differences (i.e., tailoring) when designing pro-environmental behaviour interventions. / Graduate

Esta pesquisa visa analisar a política de apoio e de fomento as Micro e Pequenas Empresas no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, tendo como referência a atuação do SEBRAE/MS no período de 1990 a 2008, através da percepção dos empresários analisados. A pesquisa parte da informação de que o índice de mortalidade das pequenas e micro empresas é de 56% antes de completarem cinco anos de atividades (SEBRAE, 2007). Trata-se de uma informação preocupante, pois, segundo o SEBRAE (2007), as Micro e Pequenas Empresas constituem 99% do número de empresas formalmente estabelecidas no país, responsável por 60% dos empregos gerados, contribuindo com mais de 50% dos salários, e por 20% de participação no Produto Interno Bruto do país. A questão principal a ser investigada é se estas políticas acontecem de forma eficiente e quais as ações tomadas por estas empresas para se manterem no mercado. Para identificar a percepção dos micro e pequenos empresários sobre a contribuição das políticas de apoio e de fomento do SEBRAE/MS, assim como, suas ações tomadas diante das dificuldades enfrentadas, foram realizadas entrevistas e questionários dirigidos a várias empresas. Foi detectado que apenas uma das 24 empresas que aceitaram em participar da pesquisa, demonstrou estar satisfeita com os serviços prestados pelo SEBRAE/MS. Das 24 empresas analisadas, 14 utilizam ou já utilizaram os serviços do SEBRAE/MS e outras 10, não utilizaram. A metodologia utilizada foi de caráter exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa, utilizando a técnica de análise de discurso. Com base nas teorias utilizadas e nas informações obtidas das entrevistas e questionários, a pesquisa evidenciou que esta insatisfação não é proveniente da existência de alguma ineficiência do SEBRAE/MS, relacionado à falta de conhecimento técnico, e sim, da dificuldade do SEBRAE/MS em atender a ansiedade dos empresários pesquisados em obter respostas prontas e imediatas diante das dificuldades que enfrentam. Isto acontece devido à variedade e o volume de atividades existentes dentro destas empresas, mesmo de micro e pequeno porte, que induzem o micro e pequeno empresário ter uma organização e controle não muito eficiente de sua empresa. Quanto mais organizada e controlada, maior a possibilidade de uma empresa deste porte conseguir definir e melhor aproveitar os serviços de apoio e de fomento do SEBRAE/MS em comparação com aquelas cuja organização e controle são deficientes. / This research aims to analyze the political support and encouragement Micro and Small Enterprises in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with reference to the performance of SEBRAE / MS in the period 1990 to 2008, through the perception of entrepreneurs analyzed. The research is part of the important information that the mortality rate of small and micro enterprises is 56% before reaching five years of activities (SEBRAE, 2007). It is a troubling information because, according SEBRAE (2007), the Micro and Small Enterprises constitute 99% of the number of companies formally established in the country, accounting for 60% of jobs, contributing over 50% of salaries , and 20% share of the GDP of the country. The main question to be investigated is whether these policies occur efficiently and that the actions taken by these companies to stay in the market. To identify the perceptions of micro and small entrepreneurs on the contribution of political support and encouragement of SEBRAE / MS, as well as their actions taken in the face of difficulties, we conducted interviews and questionnaires to various companies. It was found that only one of 24 companies that agreed to participate in the study, proved to be satisfied with the services provided by SEBRAE / MS. Of the 24 companies surveyed, 14 use or have used the services of SEBRAE / MS and 10 others, did not. The methodology was exploratory in nature, with a qualitative approach, using the technique of discourse analysis. Based on the theories used and the information obtained from interviews and questionnaires, the survey showed that this dissatisfaction is not from the existence of some inefficiency SEBRAE / MS, related to lack of technical knowledge, but rather the difficulty of SEBRAE / MS address the anxiety of businessmen surveyed in getting immediate answers and the difficulties you face. This is due to the variety and volume of existing activities within these businesses, even micro and small, which leads to micro and small business to have an organization and not very efficient control of your company. The more organized and controlled, the greater the possibility of a company this size get set and enjoy the best support services and promotion of SEBRAE / MS compared with those whose organization and control are disabled.

Esta pesquisa visa analisar a política de apoio e de fomento as Micro e Pequenas Empresas no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, tendo como referência a atuação do SEBRAE/MS no período de 1990 a 2008, através da percepção dos empresários analisados. A pesquisa parte da informação de que o índice de mortalidade das pequenas e micro empresas é de 56% antes de completarem cinco anos de atividades (SEBRAE, 2007). Trata-se de uma informação preocupante, pois, segundo o SEBRAE (2007), as Micro e Pequenas Empresas constituem 99% do número de empresas formalmente estabelecidas no país, responsável por 60% dos empregos gerados, contribuindo com mais de 50% dos salários, e por 20% de participação no Produto Interno Bruto do país. A questão principal a ser investigada é se estas políticas acontecem de forma eficiente e quais as ações tomadas por estas empresas para se manterem no mercado. Para identificar a percepção dos micro e pequenos empresários sobre a contribuição das políticas de apoio e de fomento do SEBRAE/MS, assim como, suas ações tomadas diante das dificuldades enfrentadas, foram realizadas entrevistas e questionários dirigidos a várias empresas. Foi detectado que apenas uma das 24 empresas que aceitaram em participar da pesquisa, demonstrou estar satisfeita com os serviços prestados pelo SEBRAE/MS. Das 24 empresas analisadas, 14 utilizam ou já utilizaram os serviços do SEBRAE/MS e outras 10, não utilizaram. A metodologia utilizada foi de caráter exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa, utilizando a técnica de análise de discurso. Com base nas teorias utilizadas e nas informações obtidas das entrevistas e questionários, a pesquisa evidenciou que esta insatisfação não é proveniente da existência de alguma ineficiência do SEBRAE/MS, relacionado à falta de conhecimento técnico, e sim, da dificuldade do SEBRAE/MS em atender a ansiedade dos empresários pesquisados em obter respostas prontas e imediatas diante das dificuldades que enfrentam. Isto acontece devido à variedade e o volume de atividades existentes dentro destas empresas, mesmo de micro e pequeno porte, que induzem o micro e pequeno empresário ter uma organização e controle não muito eficiente de sua empresa. Quanto mais organizada e controlada, maior a possibilidade de uma empresa deste porte conseguir definir e melhor aproveitar os serviços de apoio e de fomento do SEBRAE/MS em comparação com aquelas cuja organização e controle são deficientes. / This research aims to analyze the political support and encouragement Micro and Small Enterprises in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with reference to the performance of SEBRAE / MS in the period 1990 to 2008, through the perception of entrepreneurs analyzed. The research is part of the important information that the mortality rate of small and micro enterprises is 56% before reaching five years of activities (SEBRAE, 2007). It is a troubling information because, according SEBRAE (2007), the Micro and Small Enterprises constitute 99% of the number of companies formally established in the country, accounting for 60% of jobs, contributing over 50% of salaries , and 20% share of the GDP of the country. The main question to be investigated is whether these policies occur efficiently and that the actions taken by these companies to stay in the market. To identify the perceptions of micro and small entrepreneurs on the contribution of political support and encouragement of SEBRAE / MS, as well as their actions taken in the face of difficulties, we conducted interviews and questionnaires to various companies. It was found that only one of 24 companies that agreed to participate in the study, proved to be satisfied with the services provided by SEBRAE / MS. Of the 24 companies surveyed, 14 use or have used the services of SEBRAE / MS and 10 others, did not. The methodology was exploratory in nature, with a qualitative approach, using the technique of discourse analysis. Based on the theories used and the information obtained from interviews and questionnaires, the survey showed that this dissatisfaction is not from the existence of some inefficiency SEBRAE / MS, related to lack of technical knowledge, but rather the difficulty of SEBRAE / MS address the anxiety of businessmen surveyed in getting immediate answers and the difficulties you face. This is due to the variety and volume of existing activities within these businesses, even micro and small, which leads to micro and small business to have an organization and not very efficient control of your company. The more organized and controlled, the greater the possibility of a company this size get set and enjoy the best support services and promotion of SEBRAE / MS compared with those whose organization and control are disabled.

Esta pesquisa visa analisar a política de apoio e de fomento as Micro e Pequenas Empresas no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, tendo como referência a atuação do SEBRAE/MS no período de 1990 a 2008, através da percepção dos empresários analisados. A pesquisa parte da informação de que o índice de mortalidade das pequenas e micro empresas é de 56% antes de completarem cinco anos de atividades (SEBRAE, 2007). Trata-se de uma informação preocupante, pois, segundo o SEBRAE (2007), as Micro e Pequenas Empresas constituem 99% do número de empresas formalmente estabelecidas no país, responsável por 60% dos empregos gerados, contribuindo com mais de 50% dos salários, e por 20% de participação no Produto Interno Bruto do país. A questão principal a ser investigada é se estas políticas acontecem de forma eficiente e quais as ações tomadas por estas empresas para se manterem no mercado. Para identificar a percepção dos micro e pequenos empresários sobre a contribuição das políticas de apoio e de fomento do SEBRAE/MS, assim como, suas ações tomadas diante das dificuldades enfrentadas, foram realizadas entrevistas e questionários dirigidos a várias empresas. Foi detectado que apenas uma das 24 empresas que aceitaram em participar da pesquisa, demonstrou estar satisfeita com os serviços prestados pelo SEBRAE/MS. Das 24 empresas analisadas, 14 utilizam ou já utilizaram os serviços do SEBRAE/MS e outras 10, não utilizaram. A metodologia utilizada foi de caráter exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa, utilizando a técnica de análise de discurso. Com base nas teorias utilizadas e nas informações obtidas das entrevistas e questionários, a pesquisa evidenciou que esta insatisfação não é proveniente da existência de alguma ineficiência do SEBRAE/MS, relacionado à falta de conhecimento técnico, e sim, da dificuldade do SEBRAE/MS em atender a ansiedade dos empresários pesquisados em obter respostas prontas e imediatas diante das dificuldades que enfrentam. Isto acontece devido à variedade e o volume de atividades existentes dentro destas empresas, mesmo de micro e pequeno porte, que induzem o micro e pequeno empresário ter uma organização e controle não muito eficiente de sua empresa. Quanto mais organizada e controlada, maior a possibilidade de uma empresa deste porte conseguir definir e melhor aproveitar os serviços de apoio e de fomento do SEBRAE/MS em comparação com aquelas cuja organização e controle são deficientes. / This research aims to analyze the political support and encouragement Micro and Small Enterprises in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with reference to the performance of SEBRAE / MS in the period 1990 to 2008, through the perception of entrepreneurs analyzed. The research is part of the important information that the mortality rate of small and micro enterprises is 56% before reaching five years of activities (SEBRAE, 2007). It is a troubling information because, according SEBRAE (2007), the Micro and Small Enterprises constitute 99% of the number of companies formally established in the country, accounting for 60% of jobs, contributing over 50% of salaries , and 20% share of the GDP of the country. The main question to be investigated is whether these policies occur efficiently and that the actions taken by these companies to stay in the market. To identify the perceptions of micro and small entrepreneurs on the contribution of political support and encouragement of SEBRAE / MS, as well as their actions taken in the face of difficulties, we conducted interviews and questionnaires to various companies. It was found that only one of 24 companies that agreed to participate in the study, proved to be satisfied with the services provided by SEBRAE / MS. Of the 24 companies surveyed, 14 use or have used the services of SEBRAE / MS and 10 others, did not. The methodology was exploratory in nature, with a qualitative approach, using the technique of discourse analysis. Based on the theories used and the information obtained from interviews and questionnaires, the survey showed that this dissatisfaction is not from the existence of some inefficiency SEBRAE / MS, related to lack of technical knowledge, but rather the difficulty of SEBRAE / MS address the anxiety of businessmen surveyed in getting immediate answers and the difficulties you face. This is due to the variety and volume of existing activities within these businesses, even micro and small, which leads to micro and small business to have an organization and not very efficient control of your company. The more organized and controlled, the greater the possibility of a company this size get set and enjoy the best support services and promotion of SEBRAE / MS compared with those whose organization and control are disabled.

Concerns about anthropogenic climate change, fossil fuel depletion, energy security, and damage to our ecosystems are acting as a catalyst for action in many sectors of industry and society. One key sector which has been identified as crucial for addressing these issues is the building sector. Therefore, in the UK context, with the aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the requirements for new homes in terms of their energy efficiency are becoming ever more stringent, leading to the introduction of the zero carbon homes standard from 2016. Alongside this, broader priorities for sustainable development have been established in the UK, with a focus on the creation of sustainable communities. These are communities which support the diverse needs of residents and provide a good quality of life whilst protecting the natural environment. The literature suggests that the volume housebuilding sector is failing to meet housing demand in terms of either quantity or quality. Furthermore, it is apparent that the sector is failing to respond to voluntary stimuli for the delivery of zero carbon homes. Thus, it is with an overall aim of supporting the delivery of zero carbon homes and sustainable communities that this thesis has been undertaken. The UK Government suggested in 2011 that self-build homes, in which the occupant is involved in either building or commissioning the home, are more likely to be affordable, energy efficient and innovative than open market housing. Self-build housing accounts for only around 10% of new homes built in the UK, and group self-build is a small proportion of this. The UK Government has an aspiration to double the size of the self-build sector, with an expansion in the group self-build sector, over the decade to 2021. Literature on the self-build sector is limited, and that on the group self-build sector even more so. Indeed, gaps in knowledge in terms of the motivations for and benefits of group self-build exist. There are also gaps in knowledge in terms of the barriers to group self-building and ways in which the expansion of the sector could be best supported. Furthermore, existing literature on drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding is limited and fails to gather opinions from the broad range of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes. With the aim of addressing these gaps in knowledge, three complementary studies were conducted with an element of focus on the region of Cornwall, in South West England. With the aim of exploring opinions of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes regarding zero carbon homebuilding, a series of 34 semi-structured interviews was undertaken within the first study (Perceptions of zero carbon homebuilding). The second study was undertaken with the aim of investigating professional and expert opinions on the suitability of group self-build as a development model for zero carbon homes and sustainable communities (Self-build perceptions). This investigation employed the Policy Delphi method, an iterative, non-contact group research process in which data was gathered from participants through three rounds of online questionnaire surveys. This second study was formed of two concurrent studies; one employed a panel of national participants within England, the other a panel of regional participants within South West England. The third and final study aimed to explore the experience-based opinions of group self-builders through a series of 11 in-depth interviews (Group self-build reflections). The three studies are presented independently. However, each subsequent study is built upon the knowledge gained in the previous study. Within the final chapter of the thesis, the results are brought together and triangulated through a consideration of how the findings coalesce to cast light on the three central concepts of zero carbon homes, sustainable communities, and group self-build housing. The findings from this research identify and elucidate a number of themes of drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. Themes of drivers include: legislative, economic, social responsibility, individual, and industry. Themes of barriers include: economic, skills and knowledge, industry, legislative, and cultural. Multiple potential support mechanisms for the delivery of zero carbon homes were also identified. The findings highlight the need for a cultural shift in the housebuilding industry, reducing the over-reliance on volume housebuilders. A broad range of benefits and motivations for group self-building have been identified and explored. However, whilst a strong appetite for environmentally sustainable development amongst group self-builders is established, this research casts some doubt on the central assertion that group self-build homes will be more energy efficient than speculatively built homes. Differences between the individual and group self-build sector were exposed both in terms of the motivations and the barriers faced. This thesis demonstrates how the benefits of group self-build housing serve to help create sustainable communities, and how they also serve to address some of the barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. The findings of this research demonstrate that group self-build housing offers a significant number of potential benefits towards the delivery of zero carbon homes and the creation of sustainable communities.

本研究旨在探討利己及利他價值觀如何影響大眾環境風險認知及政策支持，並進一步探討其影響是否受到風險規模、文化取向、及國家發展程度之影響。資料來源為世界價值觀調查(World Value Survey)第五波資料，以Schwartz的「人類價值觀理論」為理論基礎，測量個人利己及利他價值觀，並依風險規模將環境風險認知分為全球性及地區性。統計方法使用層級迴歸，同時檢驗國家層級變項(文化取向及發展程度)對個人層級變項之跨層級調節效果。研究結果顯示大眾對環境風險的感知及反應，受到其價值觀的影響，但針對不同規模的風險議題，在不同文化取向及發展程度的國家，其影響有顯著不同。 / Environmental issues have received much public and media attention abroad and at home. With the increased environmental awareness, there is a strong call for relevant policies and regulations aimed at sustainable development. To ensure sufficient public support, it is crucial to develop a fuller understanding of factors and processes underlying people’s willingness to help protect the environment when making decisions as consumers and citizens. This study aims to predict people’s environmental risk perception and policy support as a function of their values. Specifically, Schwartz’s self-transcendence and self-enhancement value clusters will be examined as determinants to understand why few people choose to make collectively beneficial decisions. Three extensions were made. First, instead of focusing on low-cost lifestyle changes, this study examined policy support that requires substantial personal costs. Second, global and local environmental risk perceptions are treated as two qualitatively different constructs according to their geographical scales. Finally, this study moves beyond an individualistic approach, incorporating country-level forces into the model. Information about the individuals are based on variables measured in the World Value Survey (2005), while cultural orientations and levels of development are measured by the Schwartz Value Survey (2005) and the Human Development Index (2005) respectively. Hierarchical regression are employed, with the nature of interaction being revealed by plotting techniques. The results suggested that perception and responses to environmental risks reflect their most basic value priorities and life goals. Consequently, environmental persuasive messages are most effective when intended behaviors are framed as fulfilling important life goals. However, the effects of person-level constructs greatly vary with social contexts and issue scales, suggesting that different strategies are preferred when dealing with risks associated with different geographical frame. Finally, cultural orientations and levels of development will influence the way members of a society respond to environmental threats. Practical implications for environmental risk communication are proposed and discussed.