Green Technologies and Business Practices: An IT Approach

287 Pages·2012·11.934 MB·English

Green Technologies and
Business Practices:
An IT Approach
Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos
University of Oviedo, Spain
Managing Director: Lindsay Johnston
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Book Production Manager: Sean Woznicki
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Development Editor: Myla Merkel
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Cover Design: Nick Newcomer
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Green technologies and business practices : an IT approach / Patricia Ordonez
de Pablos, editor.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary: “This book presents new theories, research findings and case
studies for understanding green issues in business, and the role of
information technologies play”--Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4666-1972-2 (hbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-4666-1973-9 (ebook) -- ISBN 978-
1-4666-1974-6 (print & perpetual access) 1. Sustainable development--
Environmental aspects. 2. Information technology--Environmental aspects. 3.
Industries--Environmental aspects. I. Ordsqez de Pablos, Patricia, 1975-
HC79.E5G69167 2013
658.4’083--dc23
2012009817
British Cataloguing in Publication Data
A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.
All work contributed to this book is new, previously-unpublished material. The views expressed in this book are those of the
authors, but not necessarily of the publisher.
List of Reviewers
Albena Antonova, Sofia University, Bulgaria
Ambika Zutshi, Deakin University, Australia
Bardo Fraunholz, Deakin University, Australia
Craig M. Parker, Deakin University, Australia
F. Loeser, Technical University Berlin, Germany
Giovanna Sissa, University of Milan, Italy
Guangming Li, Jinan University, China
Jingyuan Zhao, Harbin Institute of Technology, China
K. Erek, Technical University Berlin, Germany
M. Spruit, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
M.H. Smeitink, Accenture, The Netherlands.
Merete Crofts, Deakin University, Australia
Miltiadis D. Lytras, American College of Greece, Greece
Murat Cetin, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia
R. K. Jena, Institute of Management Technology, India
R. Zarnekow, Technical University Berlin, Germany
Table of Contents
Preface ..................................................................................................................................................xii

Chapter 1
A Paradigm of Constructing Industrial Symbiosis and Coupling in China’s County-Region
Economic Sustainable Development .....................................................................................................1
Guangming Li, Shenzhen Tourism College, Jinan University, China
Chapter 2
A Method for Examining SME Descriptions of Environmental Sustainability Online .......................15
Craig M. Parker, Deakin University, Australia
Ambika Zutshi, Deakin University, Australia
Bardo Fraunholz, Deakin University, Australia
Merete R. Crofts, Deakin University, Australia
Chapter 3
Organizational IT Sustainability Measures: The Strategic Green Ontology ........................................36
M. H. Smeitink, Accenture, The Netherlands
M. Spruit, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Chapter 4
Green IT Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for the Alignment of Information Technology and
Corporate Sustainability Strategy .........................................................................................................58
F. Loeser, Berlin Institute of Technology and Management, Technical University Berlin, Germany
K. Erek, Berlin Institute of Technology and Management, Technical University Berlin, Germany
R. Zarnekow, Berlin Institute of Technology and Management, Technical University Berlin, Germany
Chapter 5
Not Madness but Business: A Green Paradigm Shift in Architecture and Building Industry ...............96
Murat Çetin, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia
Chapter 6
Empirical Study on the Correlations of Environmental Pollution, Human Capital, and Economic
Growth: Based on the 1990-2007 Data in Guangdong China ............................................................128
Li Guangming, Jinan University, China
An Zhaofeng, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute Co. Ltd., China
Chapter 7
Green Computing to Green Business .................................................................................................138
R K Jena, Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur, India
Chapter 8
Green, Sustainable, or Clean: What Type of IT/IS Technologies Will we Need in the Future? .........151
Albena Antonova, Sofia University, Bulgaria
Chapter 9
Longer Use, Better Use: How to Avoid Software Induced Hardware Obsolescence .........................163
Giovanna Sissa, University of Milan, Italy
Chapter 10
EcoRide: The Social Based System for Car Traffic Optimization ......................................................175
Tomasz Filipowski, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland
Piotr Bródka, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland
Przemysław Kazienko, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland
Chapter 11
Web-Based Digital Habitat Ecosystems for Sustainable Built Environments ....................................185
Kamatchi Pillai, Victoria University, Australia
Cagil Ozansoy, Victoria University, Australia
Chapter 12
An Investigation into the Factors which Influence the Adoption of Green IT: A Case Study of an
Irish Public Sector Organisation .........................................................................................................200
Michael Lang, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Lisa Molloy, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Chapter 13
Green Manufacturing Practices and Performance among SMEs: Evidence from a Developing
Nation ..................................................................................................................................................208
T. Ramayah, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Osman Mohamad, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Azizah Omar, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Malliga Marimuthu, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Jasmine Yeap Ai Leen, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Chapter 14
Data Center Waste Management ........................................................................................................226
Peter C. Gossin, ChangeLabs, USA
Ryan C. LaBrie, Seattle Pacific University, USA

Compilation of References ...............................................................................................................236
About the Contributors ....................................................................................................................262
Index ...................................................................................................................................................268
Detailed Table of Contents
Preface ..................................................................................................................................................xii
Chapter 1
A Paradigm of Constructing Industrial Symbiosis and Coupling in China’s County-Region
Economic Sustainable Development .....................................................................................................1
Guangming Li, Shenzhen Tourism College, Jinan University, China
The chapter analyses sustainable development of country-region economy under the constraint of natural
resources and environment in China when parts of classic industries along the south-eastern coast are
shifting to the poorer mountain areas and middle-western areas. The authors propose that the county
regional economic development at this stage should focus on the agricultural growing and breeding and
their processing sectors, natural resource exploitation and its processing, manufacturing, tourism, and
ecological industrial park, according to the resource endowment.
Chapter 2
A Method for Examining SME Descriptions of Environmental Sustainability Online .......................15
Craig M. Parker, Deakin University, Australia
Ambika Zutshi, Deakin University, Australia
Bardo Fraunholz, Deakin University, Australia
Merete R. Crofts, Deakin University, Australia
This chapter contributes to the growing body of research on “green” ICT/IS by presenting a content
analysis method for analysing the environmental sustainability descriptions on SME websites. Past
research on green ICT/IS and sustainability generally focuses on large firms, despite 90% of firms in
most global economies being SMEs, which collectively have a large negative impact on the environ-
ment. Very few studies have explored how firms of any size describe sustainability on their websites.
Chapter 3
Organizational IT Sustainability Measures: The Strategic Green Ontology ........................................36
M. H. Smeitink, Accenture, The Netherlands
M. Spruit, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
This chapter offers an overview of contemporary measures to improve environmental IT sustainability
and explains how to prioritize these measures. The question is not if, but how and when organizations
should be addressing sustainability issues, due to expected growth in regulations and growth in stake-
holder pressure. In mitigating these sustainability problems the role of IT is ambiguous. IT is both part of
the problem and part of the solution to the problem. The chapter discusses how IT-related opportunities
in organizations can support a sustainable environment and how these relate to organizational goals.
Chapter 4
Green IT Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for the Alignment of Information Technology and
Corporate Sustainability Strategy .........................................................................................................58
F. Loeser, Berlin Institute of Technology and Management, Technical University Berlin, Germany
K. Erek, Berlin Institute of Technology and Management, Technical University Berlin, Germany
R. Zarnekow, Berlin Institute of Technology and Management, Technical University Berlin, Germany
This chapter clarifies the linkages of strategy types and levels that relate to Green IT: business, sustain-
ability, and IT strategy. The underlying strategy framework consists of three different strategy levels
(corporate, competitive, functional) and domains (business, IT, sustainability). The conceptualized
framework facilitates a holistic Green IT alignment with the aid of a five-step process. In the scope of
this alignment process, four different Green IT strategies are presented. These strategies are subdivided
along two dimensions: competitive advantage and focus. This research is supposed to provide new
insights concerning the strategic impact of Green IT and to assist practitioners in identifying the Green
IT strategy that corresponds most appropriately to their firm-specific context.
Chapter 5
Not Madness but Business: A Green Paradigm Shift in Architecture and Building Industry ...............96
Murat Çetin, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia
This chapter sheds light on the nature of the current paradigm shift in the field of architecture and build-
ing sector towards a concern for environmental problems, ecological awareness, and thus, sustainable
design and green technologies and materials. Having conceived architecture and building practices as
one of the leading economic activities globally, this chapter elucidates the role of architecture in creat-
ing business opportunities.
Chapter 6
Empirical Study on the Correlations of Environmental Pollution, Human Capital, and Economic
Growth: Based on the 1990-2007 Data in Guangdong China ............................................................128
Li Guangming, Jinan University, China
An Zhaofeng, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute Co. Ltd., China
Based on 1990-2007 Data in Guangdong China, this chapter analyses the correlation of environmental
pollution, human capital and economic growth. The empirical evidences show that Guangdong’s eco-
nomic growth deteriorates the environmental quality. Highly skilled human capital is one of the main
engines of the economic growth and the growth promotes the human capital’s accumulation. Upgrad-
ing the human capital helps controlling pollutant emission and environmental pollution depresses the
human capital accumulation. Finally, the chapter states that understanding the individual relationships
between environmental pollution and human capital or economic growth will help the environmental
protection authority or governments in China to make more effective and efficient regulations or policies
to coordinate the country’s sustainable development.
Chapter 7
Green Computing to Green Business .................................................................................................138
R K Jena, Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur, India
This chapter highlights the concept of green computing, green business and their needs in the current
global scenario. The reality of rising energy cost and their impact on international affairs coupled with
the different kinds of environmental issues has shifted the social and economic consciousness of the
business community. “Greening” the computing equipment is a low-risk way of doing business. It not
only helps the environment but also reduce costs. It is also one of the largest growing trends in business
today. Hence, the business community is now in search of an eco-friendly business model.
Chapter 8
Green, Sustainable, or Clean: What Type of IT/IS Technologies Will we Need in the Future? .........151
Albena Antonova, Sofia University, Bulgaria
Since antiquity human activity and technological innovations endanger environmental balance. Any
new technology generates more business activity, leading to increased resource extraction and waste and
directly menacing natural ecosystems. As result technological progress and economic growth are based
on unsustainable practices. In the last few decades, ICT accelerated and globalized business activity and
many problems emerged as scarcity of natural resources, global warming, and population growth are
only few of them. For less than 20 years, information technologies made the world smaller and smarter.
ICT transformed all aspects of human life including business processes and practices, communication,
logistics and transportation, learning, entertainment, commerce, and many others.
Chapter 9
Longer Use, Better Use: How to Avoid Software Induced Hardware Obsolescence .........................163
Giovanna Sissa, University of Milan, Italy
The main concerns of green ICT are related to the energy consumption in the computer’s use phase,
which doesn’t depend only from hardware but also from software configuration and from its efficiency.
Software is also responsible for the induced hardware obsolescence: the computer lifecycle is shorter
than the potential one. A software based approach, as proposed in the chapter, will also allow a longer
use for PCs, respecting the environment, saving energy, emissions and money and, in the meantime,
moving toward the cloud computing paradigm.
Chapter 10
EcoRide: The Social Based System for Car Traffic Optimization ......................................................175
Tomasz Filipowski, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland
Piotr Bródka, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland
Przemysław Kazienko, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland
Sophisticated shipping approaches allow optimization of transportations costs and time for sea and inland
ship transportation or airplane traffic. Also some other, more platform-independent solutions were pro-
posed. Wireless communication allows even to track shipments location in the real time thanks to GPS
navigation systems which are common, well known and broadly used. This chapter analyses a modular
mobile system utilizing social and localization information in the purpose of city traffic optimization on
a single person scale. The system operates based on human behaviour and presents the recommendations
to reduce car traffic without overloading public transport. Since the system is meant to work with single
humans, the success will depend on people’s willingness to use the recommendations.
Chapter 11
Web-Based Digital Habitat Ecosystems for Sustainable Built Environments ....................................185
Kamatchi Pillai, Victoria University, Australia
Cagil Ozansoy, Victoria University, Australia
This chapter introduces the Digital Ecosystem (DE) concept and its application in the home environ-
ments. DEs are clusters of distributed and diverse digital components, which interact with each other in
a self-organising, scalable, and sustainable manner. This could be viewed similar to the interaction of
living organisms in a biological ecosystem. The DE concept has traditionally found widespread use in
the business environments. However, the concept can well be applied to the home environment; giving
rise to the concept of Digital Habitat Ecosystem (DHE). Thus, a DHE refers to a cluster of devices for
measurement, control, and sensing of environment parameter with the help of Information and Com-
munication Technologies (ICTs).
Chapter 12
An Investigation into the Factors which Influence the Adoption of Green IT: A Case Study of an
Irish Public Sector Organisation .........................................................................................................200
Michael Lang, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Lisa Molloy, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
This chapter presents a case study which investigated the adoption and implementation of Green IT
within an Irish public sector organization, namely Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh (OÉG). The Unified
Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was employed as a theoretical lens
for gathering and analyzing data, looking at how such factors as facilitating conditions, performance
expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and other moderating variables affect the intention to
use Green IT, which for the purposes of this study is defined as “the environmentally responsible use
of computers and related resources.” The study found that the most significant facilitating condition as
regards employees’ willingness to adopt Green IT within OÉG was awareness of the expected benefits.
Chapter 13
Green Manufacturing Practices and Performance among SMEs: Evidence from a Developing
Nation ..................................................................................................................................................208
T. Ramayah, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Osman Mohamad, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Azizah Omar, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Malliga Marimuthu, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Jasmine Yeap Ai Leen, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Due to the rise in environmental awareness, green technologies and practices have become the conscien-
tious imperative expected from all manufacturing industries. Consequently, environmental initiatives
are becoming an essential part of the strategic planning in organizations, including small and medium
enterprises (SMEs). Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the extent of implementation
in green manufacturing practices among the SMEs as well as to examine the relationship between those
practices and manufacturing performance. Data was collected via a survey from 544 SMEs across all types
of industries located throughout Malaysia. Results of the analysis showed that there is an encouraging
level of implementation in green practices among the SMEs, with the optimization of processes to reduce
solid waste being the top practice. The results also revealed that green practices within the inbound and
production phase of the manufacturing lifecycle significantly affected manufacturing performance but
not practices within the outbound phase.
Chapter 14
Data Center Waste Management ........................................................................................................226
Peter C. Gossin, ChangeLabs, USA
Ryan C. LaBrie, Seattle Pacific University, USA
This chapter identifies several key foci of waste within the management of data centers, including: power,
emissions, computing resource lifespan, facilities, and packaging methods. Furthermore, this research