Introduction to the Research Handbook of Sustainability Agency

Teerikangas, Satu; Koistinen, Katariina; Onkila, Tiina; Mäkelä, Marileena

doi:10.4337/9781789906035.00005

Cited by 10 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…However, the relevance of this suggested sustainability structuration to education and educational institutions comes in a few different forms. Sustainability educators ought to pay much more attention to structuration as a broader concept of knowledgeable agents in structures of actions (Teerikangas et al 2021), the existing cultural and societal paradigm (McGeown and Barry 2023) and power (Feola 2015), and to the instilled reality thereof (Bhaskar 1978), as these are the paths of dependency. Thus, a key outcome of this study is the recommendation to educators, as agents of change, to explore and employ sustainability structuration as it would (and does) exist in a systemically unsustainable society.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, there has been a shortfall of broader attention and elaboration related to articulating or de ning the context which best fosters the expert qualities needed to further sustainability transformation (Farla et al 2012). Following these observations and the recognised research and knowledge gaps present in the concept of sustainability agency, we take on the de nition forwarded by Teerikangas et al (2021), which positions sustainability agency as the capacity of different actors to act toward sustainable futures. Building off this de nition, we argue that agency capacity differs from capability by contextualising Structuration Theory through sustainability education, which is a source for the change-agents and individual actors (Koistinen and Teerikangas 2021) to emerge and further the process of transformation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sustainability agency in Unsustainable structures: Rhetoric of a capable transformative individual

Salovaara,

Hagolani-Albov

2024

Preprint

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While sustainability has been implemented in education for a long time, the conceptualisation of an impactful sustainability actor has not been as thoroughly formulated. The theory of structuration is relevant as a lens for critical reflection on the transformative potential of individuals educated in sustainability as a practice, who are often described as change-makers and mandated to enact sustainability. This paper examines sustainability agency using materials produced for a set of online sustainability courses. This text corpus is utilised as a representation of climate and sustainability education. The materials repeat systemic framings present in sustainability rhetoric, such as the contexts and targets in which sustainability transformation occurs. Additionally, through the analysis of the textual corpus descriptions emerged as attributes of the agents to enact sustainability. This uncovers the juxtaposition between the often-repeated perception that sustainability must be achieved by capable agents and the capacities they possess. Further, our content analysis suggests a rhetorical process of othering within sustainability, for example by positioning “people”—the general population—as the cause of the sustainability crisis, and “us”—the educated—as the solution. Through our findings, the article concludes that when utilising the concept of sustainability agency—be it in theoretical, educational, or practical work—one ought to pay significant attention to the structures wherein the activities take place. The full comprehension of the transformative potential of individual agents ought to include an acknowledgement of the difference between educated capability and capacity—the latter of which necessitates dominance over the structural resources.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability agency in Unsustainable structures: Rhetoric of a capable transformative individual

Salovaara,

Hagolani-Albov

2024

Preprint

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“…Based on the results, sustainability of the health care sector provides an interesting point for future research, since its performance is weakest in the light of the results. Future research on work organizations and employees' roles will provide new insight for previous discussion on community action [4,25] and actors [56][57]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring employees’ perceptions of sustainability transitions at work – A novel survey method with findings from Finland

Moilanen,

Toikka

2023

Preprint

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Sustainability transitions have effects on working life, but there are no standardized measurement instruments for understanding employees’ views on their effects. This article presents a novel survey targeted at employees to gather information on employees’ perceptions of sustainability in their work. A survey was designed to gather information on all workers, regardless of the economic sector in which they work in, to broadly capture transition-relevant changes in working life. These include measuring the actions of both work organizations and employees to work in a more sustainable way. This paper presents the survey with findings from a nationally representative data collection taken in Finland. The topics include questions from work organizations’ sustainability actions to employees’ own sustainable actions. The results show the differences in organizations and individuals’ actions in working life. Large work organizations are most active, and there are differences between sectors. Individuals’ sustainable actions are more common among women and climate worried employees. The method provides evidence of employees’ views and actions in sustainability transitions and improves our holistic understanding of transitions in all sectors of the economy. In addition, the results provoke new questions for both policy and research on how to acknowledge differences between social groups in transitions and support them in delivering a just sustainability transition.

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“…This constructionist approach (Gehman et al, 2018) views actors as agential (capacity to bring change) through collaboration and cooperation (Emirbayer, 1997;Vanderlinden et al, 2020), as the context is shaped through their interpretations and actions (Sengupta and Lehtimäki, 2022). They are not powerless beings but individuals with the capacity and propensity to create a sustainable future by playing an active role (Teerikangas et al, 2021). As an agri-food system has multiple actors deploying different business models, there is a need to understand how these actors relate to each other in the networked business model.…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing food loss through sustainable business models and agricultural innovation systems

Sengupta,

Choudhary,

Obayi

et al. 2024

SCM

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Purpose This study aims to explore how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems (AIS) and emphasize an integration of the two with a systemic understanding for reducing food loss and value loss in postharvest agri-food supply chain. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted longitudinal qualitative research in a developing country with food loss challenges in the postharvest supply chain. This study collected data through multiple rounds of fieldwork, interviews and focus groups over four years. Thematic analysis and “sensemaking” were used for inductive data analysis to generate rich contextual knowledge by drawing upon the lived realities of the agri-food supply chain actors. Findings First, this study finds that the value losses are varied in the supply chain, encompassing production value, intrinsic value, extrinsic value, market value, institutional value and future food value. This happens through two cumulative effects including multiplier losses, where losses in one model cascade into others, amplifying their impact and stacking losses, where the absence of data stacks or infrastructure pools hampers the realisation of food value. Thereafter, this study proposes four strategies for moving from the loss-incurring current business model to a networked SBM for mitigating losses. This emphasises the need to redefine ownership as stewardship, enable formal and informal beneficiary identification, strengthen value addition and build capacities for empowering communities to benefit from networked SBM with AIS initiatives. Finally, this study puts forth ten propositions for future research in aligning AIS with networked SBM. Originality/value This study contributes to understanding the interplay between AIS and SBM; emphasising the integration of the two to effectively address food loss challenges in the early stages of agri-food supply chains. The identified strategies and research propositions provide implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to accelerate sustainable practices for reducing food loss and waste in agri-food supply chains.

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Introduction to the Research Handbook of Sustainability Agency

Abstract: There is increasing evidence that the world is heading toward an environmental crisis. Human perturbations have destabilized Earth-system processes at planetary scale (

Cited by 10 publications

References 67 publications

Sustainability agency in Unsustainable structures: Rhetoric of a capable transformative individual

Sustainability agency in Unsustainable structures: Rhetoric of a capable transformative individual

Measuring employees’ perceptions of sustainability transitions at work – A novel survey method with findings from Finland

Reducing food loss through sustainable business models and agricultural innovation systems

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