Within the research field of urban water demand management, understanding the link between environmental and water conservation attitudes and observed end use water consumption has been limited. Through a mixed method research design incorporating field-based smart metering technology and questionnaire surveys, this paper reveals the relationship between environmental and water conservation attitudes and a domestic water end use break down for 132 detached households located in Gold Coast city, Australia. Using confirmatory factor analysis, attitudinal factors were developed and refined; households were then categorised based on these factors through cluster analysis technique. Results indicated that residents with very positive environmental and water conservation attitudes consumed significantly less water in total and across the behaviourally influenced end uses of shower, clothes washer, irrigation and tap, than those with moderately positive attitudinal concern. The paper concluded with implications for urban water demand management planning, policy and practice.

Sustainable urban water consumption has become a critical issue in Australian built environments due to the country's dry climate and increasingly variable rainfall. Residential households have the potential to conserve water, especially across discretionary end uses such as showering. The advent of high resolution smart meters and data loggers allows for the disaggregation of water flow recordings into a registry of water end use events (e.g. showers, washing machine, taps, etc.). This study firstly reports on a water consumption end use study sample of 151 households conducted in the Gold Coast, Australia, with a focus on daily per capita shower end use distributions. A sub-sample of 44 households within the greater sample was recruited for the installation of an alarming visual display monitor locked at 40 litres consumption for bathroom showers. All sub-sample shower end use event durations, volumes and flow rates were then analysed and compared utilising independent sample t-tests pre-and post intervention. The installation of the shower monitor instigated a statistically significant mean reduction of 15.40 litres (27%) in shower event volumes. Monetary savings resulting from modelled water and energy conservation resulted in a 1.65 year payback period for the device. Furthermore, conservative modelling indicated that the citywide implementation of the device could yield 3% and 2.4% savings in total water and energy consumption, respectively. Moreover, a range of non-monetary benefits were indentified, including the deferment of water and energy supply infrastructure, reduced resource inflationary pressures, and climate change mitigation, to name a few. Resource consumption awareness devices like the one evaluated in this study assist resource consumers to take ownership of their usage and individually tackle individualistic and/or society driven conservation goals, ultimately helping to reduce the ecological footprint of built environments.

2010) "Web-based knowledge management system: linking smart metering to the future of urban water planning."Web-based knowledge management system: linking smart metering to the future of urban water planning ABSTRACT The planning of cities and their water supplies are intertwined. This paper explores the potential role of smart metering for the future of water planning and management in Australian cities. Smart meters for electricity are being rolled out nationally, and while smart meters for water are not yet being implemented at such a scale, they have the capacity to deliver increasing data to planners and residents about patterns of water use. To translate this data to useful information, a Web-Based Knowledge Management System (WBKMS) is proposed, which integrates smart metering, end use water consumption data, wireless communication networks and information management systems in order to provide real-time information on how, when and where water is being consumed for the consumer and utility. Summary data from the system will also be of interest to architects, developers and planners, seeking to understand water consumption patterns across stratified urban samples. An overview of the challenges for developing the WBKMS and an associated research agenda to address current knowledge gaps concludes the paper.

A rapid change management cycle such as Transforming Care At the Bedside can be a useful process when implementing numerous clinical changes in short succession.

The purpose of this study was to explore the predominant determinants of shower end use consumption and to find an overarching research design for building a residential end use demand forecasting model using aligned socio-demographic and natural science data sets collected from 200 households fitted with smart meters in Southeast Queensland, Australia. ANOVA as well as multiple regression analysis statistical techniques were utilised to reveal the determinants (e.g. household makeup, shower fixture efficiency, income, education, etc.) of household shower consumption. Results of a series of one-way independent ANOVA extended into linear multiple regression models revealed that females, children in general and teenagers in particular, and the showerhead efficiency level were statistically significant determinants of shower end use consumption. Eight-way independent factorial ANOVA extended into a three-tier hierarchical linear multiple regression model, was used to create a shower end use forecasting model, and indicated that household size and makeup, as well as the showerhead efficiency rating, are the most significant predictors of shower usage. The generated multiple regression model was deemed reliable, explaining 90.2% of the variation in household shower end use consumption. The paper concludes with a discussion on the significant shower end use determinants and how this statistical approach will be followed to predict other residential end uses, and overall household consumption. Moreover, the implications of the research to urban water conservation strategies and policy design, is discussed, along with future research directions.

Purpose-Innovation and the process of diffusion have been widely acknowledged as hinging upon the complex social psychological process. Invariably, such a process manifests itself in the form of "climate" in an organisation, which influences people's behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the roles of a facet-specific climate, namely "climate for innovation" in determining innovation-related outcomes. In particular, this paper focuses on interrelationships and roles of specific constructs forming such climate. Additionally, this paper attempts to determine the efficacy of innovation by examining the relationship between outcomes of innovation diffusion and business performance. Design/methodology/approach-A conceptual model incorporating three climate for innovation constructs including leadership, team, and organisational culture along with two constructs addressing innovation diffusion outcomes and business performance was developed. Statistical analyses, specifically exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM), were conducted based on the data collected from a questionnaire survey of 181 design professionals employed in Australian architecture and engineering design (AED) firms. EFA was employed as a preliminary step to ascertain the factors underlying each construct, and SEM was sequentially utilised to determine the factor structure of the model and to assess the relationships between model constructs. Findings-The results revealed that perceived organisational culture functions as a gateway to the diffusion of innovation, by mediating the relationships between leadership and team climate, and innovation diffusion outcomes. More importantly, it was found that all pathways to innovation diffusion outcomes originated from the leadership construct, highlighting its critical role in creating a supportive culture that fosters and nurtures innovation. Finally, the findings warranted the benefits of innovation by demonstrating its significant contribution to business performance in AED firms. Originality/value-The study presents an empirically developed model depicting pathways that explain the mechanisms of climate for innovation constructs in determining the degree of innovation diffusion outcomes and business performance. The model can potentially form the foundations of a framework for firms seeking to diagnose their existing condition and use such findings to enhance the diffusion of innovation which could, in turn, strengthen their business performance.

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Highlights • Determinants and drivers of residential water end-use consumption categories revealed • Predictors of six residential water end-use consumption categories determined • Forecasting model alternatives for each end-use consumption category developed • Implications for urban water policy, planning, demand forecasting and conservation