The social and environmental responsibility of informal artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana: An Akan philosophical perspective.

Informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) continues to grow globally, raising both challenges and opportunities in terms of economic, social, and environmental impacts. The ASM literature explores the formalization and transfer of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices from larger firms as the pathway to minimize negative impacts and maximize benefits. But we know very little about environmental and social responsibilities of informal mining operations (and informal economy actors in general, who are often portrayed as devoid of these responsibilities). This paper aims to theorize and empirically explore principles and practices of social and environmental responsibility in informal mining. We combine elements of relational stakeholder theory with Ghana's Akan philosophy to develop our theoretical framework. Through a qualitative research process involving thematic analysis - of field notes from field observations and 81 interviews with ASM miners, community leaders/residents and executive members of Small-Scale Mining Association-Prestea Branch in Ghana - and pattern-matching technique, we find that: a) informal ASM is culturally and relationally motivated to be socially and environmentally responsible, b) there is a model of informal social and environmental responsibility (ISER) that is characterized by commonality, solidarity, tradition, and human-nature interdependencies, and c) social and environmental responsibilities are interpreted in a distinctive, non-Western way and comply with two main informal norms: gifting for social responsibilities and taboos for environmental responsibility. We conclude by suggesting that governments should collaborate with traditional authorities to promote ISER practices as cultural norms.

Assessing the determinants of intentions and behaviors of organizations towards a circular economy for plastics.

The production and consumption of plastics, although inevitable in our modern life, are predominantly unsustainable and inefficient. Hence, the concept of a circular economy for plastics has been proposed as a sustainable approach to thrive both economy and our modern life. To implement a circular economy for plastics, an understanding of both individuals' and organizations' behaviors is needed since psychological effects often undermine technical solutions. We particularly focus on organizations' behaviors since commercial plastic waste has not been thoroughly investigated compared to household plastic waste. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we assess the determinants of intentions and behaviors of 637 organizations in Belgium towards a circular economy for plastics. Our PLS-SEM analysis support that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of decision makers positively influence organizations' intentions to implement best practices of plastic recycling. Furthermore, organizations' intentions, perceived behavioral control, pressures, and enablers positively, whereas barriers negatively, influence organizations' behaviors. Our study shows that most organizations have positive intentions, yet they seem to be failing in implementing best practices of plastic recycling due to some critical barriers. To overcome this intention-behavior gap and to attain a circular economy for plastics, our study suggests some measures.

From Sustainable Global Value Chains to Circular Economy-Different Silos, Different Perspectives, but Many Opportunities to Build Bridges.

A growing interest in the circular economy concept has pushed the discourse in various management-related disciplines beyond established boundaries, with calls to better address how such a model may be developed in a world of global value chains. Still, the conventional linear economy model continues to dominate business, society, and research. While the concept of better connecting physical output and input flows at multiple production or consumption levels is becoming more accepted, it remains unclear how to make this happen while ensuring that sustainability targets are met or exceeded. Multiple scientific communities contribute different perspectives to this discourse, with promising opportunities for research. Circular economy and sustainability from business and economics perspectives are multifaceted. The existing body of knowledge needs to be advanced to assist private individuals, business managers, investors, or policymakers in making informed decisions. In this article for the inaugural issue, we provide a snapshot of the discourses among those who have studied the circular economy and its related topics. We outline conceptual inroads and potential research questions to encourage further circular economy and sustainability research and discourse from business or economics perspectives as well as from the broader transdisciplinary angle. We propose three research pathways: (1) connecting output with input needs in a global circular economy; (2) beyond today's business logic for a global circular economy; and (3) inclusion of the Global South in North-dominated circular economies. For each, we propose concepts, theories, or methodological approaches and offer various perspectives from the micro, macro, and meso levels.

Environmental management intentions: an empirical investigation of Argentina's polluting firms.

This paper builds on past behavioural research which explicitly recognises that 'actions' are preceded by 'intentions' which are in turn determined by individual mindsets, locus of control, principles of governances and context factors. More concretely, it presents a model that investigates the extent to which environmental behavioural intentions are explained by i) managers' core values, basic assumptions, and beliefs, ii) individual and socio-cognitive frames, iii) principles of governance, and iv) context factors. Context factors include obstacles and drivers of greener behaviours, market pressures, and firm demographics. The resulting theoretical framework is tested empirically through regression analyses that use data gathered from a survey of 536 Argentinean firms in polluting industries. The model performs well, explaining approximately 50% of the variations in the (pro) environmental behaviour of firms. Policy implications are briefly discussed.