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Green Buildings and Organizational Changes in Italian Case Studies

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  • Vito Albino
  • Umberto Berardi

Abstract

International policies indicate the building sector as one of the most promising for sustainable development. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it has the greatest and cheapest potential for delivering significant greenhouse gas emission reduction. However, early experiences of sustainable construction have shown that both a social and a technical transition are required. Consequently, the changes in organizational aspects of firms involved in construction represent an urgent research theme. This paper investigates how inter‐firm relationships are changing as the sector moves towards green building. The organizational model between firms is described at the integration level with suppliers, the integration level between the general contractor and the design team, the degree of specialization of involved firms and their sustainability certifications. These features have been analyzed in case studies collecting data through interviews. This paper compares organizational aspects in traditional and green buildings. Results suggest that green buildings are associated with inter‐firm relationships of comakership with suppliers and with the design team, and with firms with a portfolio focused on sustainable projects. Finally, among the case studies, sustainability related certifications are scarcely related to the greenness level of the building. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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  • Vito Albino & Umberto Berardi, 2012. "Green Buildings and Organizational Changes in Italian Case Studies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(6), pages 387-400, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:21:y:2012:i:6:p:387-400
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1728
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    6. Syed Awais Ahmad Tipu, 2022. "Organizational change for environmental, social, and financial sustainability: A systematic literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(6), pages 1697-1742, August.
    7. Wenxin Shen & Wenzhe Tang & Atthaset Siripanan & Zhen Lei & Colin F. Duffield & Felix Kin Peng Hui, 2018. "Understanding the Green Technical Capabilities and Barriers to Green Buildings in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-17, October.
    8. Berardi, Umberto, 2013. "Stakeholders’ influence on the adoption of energy-saving technologies in Italian homes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 520-530.
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    10. E. Adinyira & T. E. Kwofie & F. Quarcoo, 2018. "Stakeholder requirements for building energy efficiency in mass housing delivery: the House of Quality approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1115-1131, June.
    11. Serdar Durdyev & Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Derek Thurnell & Audrius Banaitis & Ali Ihtiyar, 2018. "Sustainable Construction Industry in Cambodia: Awareness, Drivers and Barriers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
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