Miles Richardson and Iain Hamlin
To explore the associations between noticing nature, nature connectedness, time in nature and human and nature’s well-being during the corona pandemic restrictions.
Abstract
Purpose
To explore the associations between noticing nature, nature connectedness, time in nature and human and nature’s well-being during the corona pandemic restrictions.
Design/methodology/approach
Natural England’s people and nature survey (PANS) data (n = 4,206) from the UK was used to assess a number of well-being outcomes (loneliness, life satisfaction, worthwhile life and happiness) and pro-nature behaviours as a function of longer-term physical time in nature and psychological connectedness to nature and shorter-term visits and noticing of nature.
Findings
Longer-term factors of nature connectedness and time in nature were both consistent significant predictors of well-being measures (apart from loneliness) and pro-nature conservation behaviours. Considered alone short-term visits and noticing were again consistent and significant predictors of three well-being measures, but recent visits to nature were not associated with pro-nature conservation behaviours. A combined regression highlighted the importance of a longer-term relationship with nature in all outcomes apart from loneliness but also revealed that even when considered in concert with longer-term factors, currently noticing nature had a role in feeling one’s life was worthwhile, pro-nature behaviours and loneliness.
Originality/value
The closeness of the human-nature relationship and noticing nature have rarely been examined in concert with nature visits. Further, the reciprocal benefits of pro-nature behaviours are often overlooked.
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Rosaline Keenan, Ryan Lumber, Miles Richardson and David Sheffield
Visiting and connecting with nature through psychological interventions improves well-being within the general population. However, few such interventions have been conducted in…
Abstract
Purpose
Visiting and connecting with nature through psychological interventions improves well-being within the general population. However, few such interventions have been conducted in clinically relevant populations. This paper aims to address this gap by investigating the effectiveness of a nature-based psychological intervention within a clinically relevant sample.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental design using a noticing Three Good Things in Nature (TGTiN) task during a nature based or urban (control) walk was conducted with nature connectedness, well-being, positive and negative affect measured at baseline, post and six-week follow-up. Individuals living with depression and/or anxiety (n = 50; 39 having a diagnosis) were randomly allocated to 30 min walking in nature or urban environments for five consecutive days.
Findings
An ANCOVA, with age as co-variate, showed a significant effect of time by condition on all variables: nature connectedness ηp2 = 0.34; positive affect ηp2 = 0.42; negative affect ηp2 = 0.66; well-being ηp2 = 0.29. Post-hoc tests indicated a significant increase in nature connectedness and positive affect in the nature versus an urban walk at post and follow-up. Negative affect decreased in the nature walk at post intervention, while well-being was significantly greater in the nature walk at follow-up.
Originality/value
The TGTiN intervention effectively improves positive affect, and well-being in clinically relevant populations, although replication with a larger sample is warranted.
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Miles Richardson, Kirsten McEwan and Gulcan Garip
There is a need to provide interventions to improve well-being that are accessible and cost-effective. Interventions to increase engagement with nature are coming to the fore. The…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a need to provide interventions to improve well-being that are accessible and cost-effective. Interventions to increase engagement with nature are coming to the fore. The Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild campaign shows promise as a large-scale intervention for improving public engagement with nature for well-being. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 273 people fully participated in a repeated measures evaluation comparing baseline measures of nature connection, health, happiness and conservation behaviours with measures post-30 days and 3 months.
Findings
There were sustained and significant increases for scores in nature connection, health, happiness and conservation behaviours. Those with lower scores at baseline in nature connection, conservation behaviours and happiness showed the most benefit. Older participants and those with higher baseline scores in conservation behaviours were the most likely to sustain their engagement with the campaign.
Research limitations/implications
Although the design and defined outcomes meet criteria for public health interventions, the self-reported measures, self-selecting sample and attrition are limitations.
Originality/value
The significant and sustained effects of the campaign on health, happiness and nature connection and conservation make this a promising intervention for improving human’s and nature’s well-being. The large community sample and naturalistic setting for the intervention make these data relevant to future interventions and policy.
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The paper attempts to answer the question as to the determinants of the typical size configuration of firms in Central Europe's hospitality industry. In discussing the…
Abstract
The paper attempts to answer the question as to the determinants of the typical size configuration of firms in Central Europe's hospitality industry. In discussing the historically fragmented character of hospitality and tourism and the associated conduct and performance characters of this industry, the paper presents different possible growth scenarios and/or possibilities for the hotel accommodation sector including internationalisation. In the concluding section of the paper the consequences of the twin forces ofglobalisation and heightened competition and a quickened pace of technological change are analyzed with respect to the industry's pattern of growth and development.
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Gavriella Rubin Rojas, Jennifer Feitosa and M. Gloria González-Morales
Mindfulness-based interventions are on the rise in workplace settings to enhance Well-Being and address work stress. Their popularity is in part due to the fact that they are…
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions are on the rise in workplace settings to enhance Well-Being and address work stress. Their popularity is in part due to the fact that they are often assumed to have a net positive impact on both workers’ Well-Being and organizational functioning. However, the majority of workplace mindfulness practice and research focuses on individual-level mindfulness interventions and their associated outcomes, like reduced stress. However, the modern workplace is highly dependent on positive team functioning, and the impact of mindfulness in teams is lesser known. This review differentiates individual mindfulness from team mindfulness and explores how both individual and team mindfulness impact team functioning. The authors review mindfulness and teams’ literature to understand antecedents, correlated mediators, and consequences of mindfulness in team contexts, team processes, and the boundary conditions related to mindfulness outcomes. This review adds to the budding theoretical conversation regarding mindfulness at work and contributes valuable insight into the practical applications of mindfulness in teams.
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Since the environmental movement began, teachers, researchers, and activists on college and university campuses have made great strides toward making campuses “greener” places. As…
Abstract
Since the environmental movement began, teachers, researchers, and activists on college and university campuses have made great strides toward making campuses “greener” places. As effective as these efforts have been and continue to be, some increasingly salient questions about sustainability remain unanswered. This paper offers an answer to the question, “How big is the University of Redlands’s ecological impact?”, using a recently developed technique called ecological footprint analysis (EFA). The output of EFA, as used here, is a partial ecological footprint for the University of Redlands (UR). UR’s ecological footprint is then evaluated using criteria derived from several different theoretical approaches to sustainability.
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Roberto Cervelló‐Royo, Rubén Garrido‐Yserte and Baldomero Segura‐García del Río
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis and an optimization model of the spatial impact for the externalities derived from urban regeneration and rehabilitation of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis and an optimization model of the spatial impact for the externalities derived from urban regeneration and rehabilitation of degraded and segregated historic heritage areas.
Design/methodology/approach
From the amount invested and state intervention locations, an impact index is put forward. The spatial distribution of these impact indexes in the interventions' area of influence will be the basis for the analysis. Hence, by setting some specific objectives of the decision agent about this distribution homogeneity, and with the aim of avoiding inner segregation and to facilitate the sustainable urban development and cohesion of the neighborhood as a whole, a model which will allow the allocation of the budget available among the different locations fixed a priori is proposed.
Findings
It is found that by comparing the spatial distributions of impact indexes obtained in both situations, a measure of the urban regeneration and rehabilitation process and its impact can be obtained.
Originality/value
In order to favour the neighborhoods' internal cohesion and to avoid inner segregation, the model enables one to better address priority areas of intervention inside a historic heritage urban area and to better achieve sustainable urbanization by providing a more equitable and efficient managing of resources.
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Rodrigo de Souza Gonçalves, Otávio Ribeiro de Medeiros, Elionor Farah Jreige Weffort and Jorge Katsumi Niyama
This study is aimed at developing and validating an index designed to measure the level of social disclosure of external social programs of firms listed on the Brazilian stock…
Abstract
Purpose
This study is aimed at developing and validating an index designed to measure the level of social disclosure of external social programs of firms listed on the Brazilian stock market.
Methodology/Approach
The index of social disclosure is composed of 13 items distributed in three dimensions: past information, prospective actions, and accessibility. Its validation involved: (a) pre-test, (b) analysis by referees, (c) exploratory factor analysis, (d) Cronbach’s alpha test, and (e) final validation. The sample is composed of 83 Brazilian firms listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange from 2005 to 2009.
Findings
The index presented robustness in all validation stages. It was found that size, industry sector, internationalization, auditing, and listing on social responsible investment funds are decisive factors for increasing the level of social disclosure.
Research Limitations
The index of social disclosure evaluates external social programs only. Hence, some types of social information are not captured, such environmental ones. Besides, the sources of information for the index are restricted to annual and sustainability reports, so that information from other sources, such as official announcements and company websites, are not captured.
Social Implications
The social disclosure index developed can be useful to analysts and investors assessing listed firms, as well as to financial-market regulators defining policies applicable to the disclosure of corporate social information.
Originality/Value
(a) Construction of a social disclosure index validated and tested in Brazilian firms, which is liable to replication; (b) Utilization of a representative sample of firms listed on an important emerging stock market.