This study assesses the evolutionary leadership theory and the natural leadership instrument of Van Vugt and Ahuja (2011) in the context of youth elite football. The Evolutionary Leadership Theory is a comprehensive new way of looking at leadership that suggests environmental pressures influence the choice of who becomes the leader. The results revealed that the concept of natural leadership, as measured using the six natural leaders questionnaire, cannot be applied to the context of youth football. The preliminary data showed that natural leadership in youth sport requires a more basic framework of leadership consisting of communication, resources and focus on competition.
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This study assesses the evolutionary leadership theory and the natural leadership instrument of Van Vugt and Ahuja (2011) in the context of youth elite football. The Evolutionary Leadership Theory is a comprehensive new way of looking at leadership that suggests environmental pressures influence the choice of who becomes the leader. The results revealed that the concept of natural leadership, as measured using the six natural leaders questionnaire, cannot be applied to the context of youth football. The preliminary data showed that natural leadership in youth sport requires a more basic framework of leadership consisting of communication, resources and focus on competition.
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Sustainable commercial fishing, species conservation, and bycatch are contentious topics. Great emphasis has been placed on the sustainable sourcing of particular species that we buy at the store and order in restaurants, but how can we trust that the fish on our plates, from a system-wide perspective, have been appropriately sourced? Even in what are commonly considered to be the best-managed fisheries in the world (i.e., Alaskan fisheries), thousands of tons of fish are wasted each year in the interest of providing certain species in certain ways to certain people, at certain prices. Are the management practices and regulations that we think are helping actually having the desired outcomes in terms of the effective use of natural resources?This book presents a framework that can enhance our understanding, research, and regulation of frontline organizing processes in commercial fisheries, which may be generalized to other resource extraction industries. It enables readers to better grasp and respond to the need to develop practices and regulations that involve effective use of all natural resources, rather than just a chosen few. The book is especially important to researchers and practitioners active in the fishing industry, and natural resource managers and regulators interested in understanding and improving their management systems. It is also highly relevant to organization and management researchers interested in coupled human and natural systems, ecological sensemaking, the role of quantum mechanics in organizational phenomena, sociomateriality, and sustainability.The book uses the real-world case of an Alaskan fishing fleet to explore how the commercial fishing industry (which includes businesses, management agencies, regulatory bodies, and markets, among others) entangles itself with natural phenomena in order to extract resources from them. After gaining a better understanding of these processes can we see how they can be improved, especially through changes to regulatory management systems, in order to foster not only more sustainable, but also less wasteful (these two goals are not necessarily interdependent in today's regulatory management systems), natural resource extraction and use. Such an understanding requires exploring how regulations, natural phenomena, human sensemaking processes, and market forces entangle at sea to materialize the fish that make their way to our plates - as well as those that, importantly, do not.
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In the Netherlands, the Agri-Food and Water Top Sectors aim at climate neutral food systems that close loops in the food value chains from farm to fork, based on efficiency of natural resource management, optimum use of food, a reduced use of natural resources and less environmental pressure, and optimum use of residue streams. It is also in their ambitions to promote and market Dutch circular solutions in foreign countries, such as emergent economies. The transition to a circular economy in the food chain in emergent economies requires a radical transformation, in which an integrated approach is required. In this regard, Indonesia strives for green development representing an advantageous market opportunity for Dutch SME’s offering circular innovations on the food value chain. The consortium in this project would like to explore the opportunities for applying integrated approaches contributing to the transition to a circular economy in the food chain of emerging countries, in this case Indonesia, that could open market opportunities in the agri-food sector. The integrated approach includes innovations on effective use of natural resources (e.g., soil and water), innovations on ‘reshaping’ local organization and governance, and innovations on food/streams value chains.
In the Netherlands, the theme of transitioning to circular food systems is high on the national agenda. The PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has stressed that commuting to circular food chains requires a radical transformation of the food chain where (a) natural resources must be effectively used and managed (soil, water, biodiversity, minerals), (b) there must be an optimum use of food by reducing (food) waste . . ., (c) less environmental pressure, and (d) an optimum use of residue streams. The PBL also recognizes that there should be room for tailored solutions and that it is important to establish a benchmark, to be aware of impacts in the production chain and the added value of products. In the line of circular food systems, an integrated nature-inclusive circular farming approach is needed in order to develop a feasible resource-efficient and sustainable business models that brings shared value into the food chain while invigorating the rural areas including those where agricultural vacancy is occurring. Agroforestry is an example of an integrated nature-inclusive circular farming. It is a multifunctional system that diversifies and adapts the production while reducing the carbon footprint and minimizing the management efforts and input costs; where trees, crops and/or livestock open business opportunities in the food value chains as well as in the waste stream chains. To exploit the opportunities that agroforestry as an integrated resource-efficient farming system adds to the advancement towards (a) valuable circular short food chains, (b) nature-based entrepreneurship (nature-inclusive agriculture), and (c) and additionally, the re-use of abandoned agricultural spaces in the Overijssel province, this project mobilizes the private sector, provincial decision makers, financers and knowledge institutes into developing insights over the feasible implementation of agroforestry systems that can bring economic profit while enhancing and maintaining ecosystem services.
Circularity represents an innovative approach to sustainability, aiming to transition from linear systems to cyclical ones by minimizing waste and optimizing resource utilization. Key to this concept is the repurposing of waste into valuable resources, which not only reduces environmental impact but also fosters innovation and produces further value. By utilizing their own waste, organizations can not only decrease their ecological footprint but also promote the development of materials with enhanced circularity thus mitigating environmental harm. Embracing circular practices provides a tangible pathway towards harmonizing human activities with the natural world, nurturing a regenerative global ecosystem. In a concerted effort to tackle biomass waste generated from JvEsch's operations, a strategic partnership with MNEXT is forged. This collaboration endeavours not only to replace unsustainable materials but also to enhance operational efficiency. Central to this initiative is a one-year research feasibility project which focuses on upcycling JvEsch’s biomass waste into valuable products for use in their business model. By examining JvEsch's waste streams, opportunities for the production of alternative materials were being explored. Among these materials, mycelium biocomposites (MBCs) emerge as a promising option for waste reduction and material innovation. The primary objective of this project is to explore the viability of manufacturing and utilizing MBC plant pots using JvEsch's waste. Unlike conventional pots, these innovative alternatives eliminate the need for removal before planting. Through replacing traditional plastic pots commonly used in the industry, the investigation aims to practically demonstrate the transformative potential of circularity in waste management and material production within an organization.
