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This chapter explores the ethical challenges arising from the integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into intelligent manufacturing systems. Machine learning (ML), augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), digital twins, and human–robot collaboration (HRC) redefine industrial production, they bring forth unprecedented efficiencies and capabilities but also introduce complex ethical considerations. The text delves into issues such as data privacy, job displacement, the impact of automation on workforce dynamics, and the psychological effects of working alongside AI-powered systems. Through a detailed examination of these technologies and their implications, the chapter advocates for a dynamic ethical framework that evolves alongside technological advancements. This framework should prioritize human dignity, safety, and rights, involving all stakeholders in its development and implementation. By addressing the ethical implications of AI, AR/VR, digital twins, and HRC, the chapter underscores the necessity of balancing technological innovation with ethical responsibility. It calls for collaborative efforts involving policymakers, industry leaders, workers, and consumers to navigate the ethical landscape of intelligent manufacturing, aiming to harness the potential of these technologies responsibly for the betterment of society and the workforce.

Research indicates that children’s early experience of fire can influence what and how they learn about fire. In turn, early fire-learning can influence how people come to use it later in life, including whether they engage in maladaptive use, i.e. firesetting. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of fire-learning, which was the basis for this study. The research question was: “how do adults educate children about fire in the UK/ Ireland”? The purpose of this study was to explore the child fire education process from an adult perspective.

Semi-structured interviews was conducted with 21 fire-educators who had regular contact with children. Data was analysed using abbreviated grounded theory. Steps were taken to ensure reliability and validity, including a Cohen’s Kappa calculation, indicating an agreement level of 0.9 between two raters.

Four core themes were identified: the fire narrative, enabling growth, risk management, and communication, from which the fire-learning process model (F-LPM) was formed.

The main limitation is the nature of the sample, in that it was diverse and self-selecting.

The findings are discussed, including how they offer support for social learning theory (SLT) perspectives on fire-learning.

The social construction of fire (i.e. the way fire is viewed by society as a whole in the UK/ Ireland) is discussed in depth, and cultural variability is highlighted. Suggestions are made for how the societal view of fire and, consequently, how adults convey this to young people, could be better balanced.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in the UK/ Ireland to consider how adults educate young people about fire from a concurrent perspective. This is important given that research indicates early experiences of fire can impact how people later go on to use it (including maladaptive use in the form of firesetting).

Greenwashing is defined as the overstatement of companies’ environmental disclosures relative to their performance. This paper aims to develop a greenwashing measure, examines its relationship with environmental performance and investigates the mitigating effects of Japanese firm-level corporate governance characteristics (corporate structure, board leadership, foreign share ownership, ratio of independent directors and ratio of directors’ variable compensation) and third-party assurance of environmental information on the extent of greenwashing.

This paper analyzes a sample of 420 firm-year observations from the period between 2018 and 2019 from Japanese listed companies that responded to the CDP Climate Change survey via probit/logit and multivariate panel data regression models.

This paper finds that the probability of engaging in greenwashing is negatively associated with environmental performance, which supports the reliability of the study’s greenwashing measure. Japanese firm-level corporate governance characteristics are ineffective at mitigating greenwashing. This paper also finds that assurance carries a significant risk of being exploited by companies involved in greenwashing to increase the degree of their overstatement.

The findings have significant implications for investors, who should increase scrutiny and skepticism of environmental disclosures, particularly from companies with poor environmental track records. Japanese companies should consider strengthening their corporate governance to ensure the effective oversight of environmental disclosure and performance. Regulators and standard setters should implement stricter guidelines for and oversight of environmental information assurance.

No empirical study has examined the effectiveness of Japanese corporate governance characteristics and environmental disclosure assurance on the mitigation of greenwashing.

Information from secondary sources was used to develop this case study. The sources of the data included the organization’s website, yearly reports, news releases, reports that have been published and documents that are accessible online.

As of 2023, Kenya generated around 0.5–1.3 million tons of plastic waste per year, of which only 8% was recycled. The remaining waste was either dumped into landfills, burned or released back into the environment. In addition to the plastic problem, a deforestation crisis was looming large in the country. Despite the country’s efforts to improve recycling, banning the use of single-use plastic to reduce plastic pollution, plastic waste continued to be a major issue. Growing up in the Kaptembwa slums of rural Kenya, Lorna saw the adverse impact that plastic waste had on the local ecosystem. Also, she was perturbed by the widespread cutting down of trees for construction of buildings, etc., which had resulted in deforestation. Lorna’s concern for the environment and her desire to address these issues motivated her to found EcoPost, a business that promoted a circular economy by gathering and recycling plastic waste.

With the common goal of enhancing circularity, EcoPost and Austria-based chemical company Borealis collaborated to stop waste from seeping into the environment and to make a positive socioeconomic and environmental impact. The funding from Borealis would help EcoPost in increasing its capabilities, providing training and recruiting more waste collectors. The funds were also supposed to help formalize the work of the waste pickers (mostly youth and women from marginalized communities) by financing the entrepreneurial start-up kits. Lorna aimed to create a business model that would not only solve the plastic waste problem but would also contribute to the social and economic development of local communities. Amidst these gigantic problems of plastic waste and deforestation that Kenya was facing, how will Lorna achieve her ambitious goal of reducing plastic waste and save trees? How will EcoPost pave the way to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future?

This case is intended for use in MBA, post-graduate/executive level programs as part of entrepreneurship and sustainability courses.

The nature of policework is uniquely challenging to officers’ mental health, producing detrimental outcomes such as higher rates of suicide, substance abuse and divorce compared to other occupations. This is especially true in small and rural police departments, where officers often have broader responsibilities and cover a larger geographic area than their counterparts who work in large urban departments. Given the limited resources available to small and rural police, the purpose of this study is to explore the mental health services available to officers in small and rural police departments.

We used a mixed methods approach. First, we surveyed 349 small and rural Pennsylvania police chiefs about the mental health services in their department. Of these chiefs, 53 participated in subsequent in-depth qualitative interviews about officer awareness of the mental health services available to them, what resources they thought would be helpful to officers and what barriers exist to prevent officers from seeking help.

Quantitative results indicated that 22% of small and rural police departments had no mental health programs available to officers; Critical Incident Stress Management and Employee Assistance Programs were most commonly available. Budget size and the presence of a union influenced whether a department had mental health programs available to officers. Qualitative interviews found that although most departments provided some mental health services, officers were unlikely to use them. Chiefs expressed a need for improved services that officers might be more likely to use.

Given the lack of resources available in small and rural police departments and the lack of adoption of some resources, we recommend peer assistance, general wellness programs and telehealth as feasible options for officer mental health.

Small and rural police comprise the bulk of policing in the USA, yet remain understudied. This study focuses on small and rural police.