Hens Runhaar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Hens Runhaar

Contemporary logistics management has become more transport-intensive due, for example, to the ce... more Contemporary logistics management has become more transport-intensive due, for example, to the centralisation of production and strategies aimed at reducing stocks. Transport costs are increasingly traded off against other logistical costs and seem to have lost importance in strategic decision making. At the same time, transport policy aims at regulating freight transport demand by raising its costs, for example, via taxation. In addition, investment in infrastructure lags behind growth in transport, potentially resulting in increased congestion. In view of logistical trends, what will be the impact of an increase in transport costs? Book and newspaper supply chains were examined as case studies

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, 2012

Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on the Environment was published... more Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on the Environment was published by the Council of the European Communities in 1985 and by July 1988 at the latest, all EU Member States were required to have implemented it. A quarter century of EIA in the EU is a fitting moment to reflect on what EIA has achieved. This is why in this issue various authors look at how EIA legislation and practice have contributed to the original objective of the Directive, namely; to contribute by means of a better environment to the ...

Journal of Business Ethics, 2009

CSR has become an important element in the business strategy of a growing number of companies wor... more CSR has become an important element in the business strategy of a growing number of companies worldwide. A large number of initiatives have been developed that aim to support companies in developing, implementing, and communicating about CSR. The Global Compact (GC), initiated by the United Nations, stands out. Since its launch in 2000, it has grown to about 2900 companies and 3800 members in total. The GC combines several mechanisms to support CSR strategies: normative principles, networks for learning and co-operation, and communication and transparency about CSR activities. However, up to now only a few empirical evaluations of the contribution of the GC to CSR strategies have been conducted that however have not differentiated between different types of companies (regarding type of industry or regarding the maturity of CSR). This paper aims to partly fill this knowledge gap by a case study examination of three frontrunner companies in the telecommunications industry. The results show that the GC is only one of the many initiatives that these companies employ in shaping, implementing, and reporting about their CSR strategies, and that its role is at most modest. There are two important reasons. One is that many of the CSR issues that these companies deal with are industry specific and are hence addressed in specific networks. The second reason is that the GC principles are perceived as minimum requirements that do not provide many incentives to the three case study companies to perform better. A differentiation of norms for GC members is expected to enhance the contribution of the GC to CSR strategy employment, not only for frontrunner companies but as well for other categories of companies.

Human Resource Development International, 2012

Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2009

ABSTRACT Over the last couple of years there is an ongoing debate in the environmental assessment... more ABSTRACT Over the last couple of years there is an ongoing debate in the environmental assessment literature about the contribution of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to public decision-making and how this can be understood and enhanced by better incorporating insights from policy analysis, planning theory and political sciences. By explicitly framing SEA as an element in a process where stakeholders with diverging interests struggle, acceptability of SEA processes and results by stakeholders has become an important element in SEA evaluation. In addition, the importance of other context variables, such as the institutional organisation, and the need for SEA to adapt to this context, is stressed.Thus far, publications in this area have been dealing with the operationalisation of SEA's ‘contribution’, typologies of roles that SEA can or should play in different policy settings and on factors that stimulate or impede SEA to play these roles. In this paper an alternative approach is suggested that starts from the deliberative processes around a particular policy issue or decision supported by SEA. Of particular interest are ‘discourses’: the frames through which groups of actors give meaning to aspects of the policy issues and decisions that are supported by SEA. Discourses do not only reflect conflicts of interests and power play, but also the ways in which actors perceive and understand aspects of the world. Decision-making is conceptualised as a “system of competing discourse coalitions and their struggles to ‘control shared meanings’ and to gain acceptance of their framing of a policy issue” [Durning D. A review of Fischer and Forrester (1993) The argumentative turn in policy analysis and planning. Policy Sci 1995;28(1):102–8]. SEA is one of the events in this process that may impact upon dominant discourses. Discourse analysis allows for an understanding of arguments that are considered legitimate for (not) incorporating particular elements of SEA. In addition it opens the door to relatively new strategies for SEA professionals to enhance their contribution to decision-making.

An empirical analysis of diversification strategies of European utility companies. Eindhoven, ECIS, 2000

The paper examines the link between processes of technological convergence and corporate diversif... more The paper examines the link between processes of technological convergence and corporate diversification of European utility companies. In discussing the diversification of utility companies into telecommunication, the paper focuses on experiences of 170 European companies in the gas, energy, transport, water and cable television sectors. In taking a resource-based view, the paper proposes that the recent diversification moves of utility companies are related to their strive to utilize resources more efficiently, to ...

Regional Environmental Change, 2012

Climate change is associated with various risks, such as flooding and heat stress. So far, most r... more Climate change is associated with various risks, such as flooding and heat stress. So far, most research has concentrated on the identification and quantification of these risks as well as the development of adaptation measures. Yet much less is known about how planners actually perceive and deal with climate change, and why. This paper focuses on the governance of two

Klimaatverandering kan verschillende risico's met zich meebrengen, zoals toename van hittestr... more Klimaatverandering kan verschillende risico's met zich meebrengen, zoals toename van hittestress en wateroverlast.

Waterschappen, provincies, waterbedrijven en andere partijen werken vaak samen aan ruimtelijke pl... more Waterschappen, provincies, waterbedrijven en andere partijen werken vaak samen aan ruimtelijke plannen voor de inrichting van het landelijk gebied. De optimalisering van de waterhuishouding voor landbouw en natuur speelt in zulke plannen meestal een cruciale rol. De vraag is echter of daarbij voldoende rekening wordt gehouden met de mogelijke gevolgen van de veranderingen in het klimaat. Deze worden vooral onderzocht

Transport Policy, 2005

Trends in contemporary logistics management have led to an increased transport-intensity of produ... more Trends in contemporary logistics management have led to an increased transport-intensity of production and distribution activities. Transport costs are increasingly traded off against other logistical costs and seem to have lost importance in strategic decision-making. At the same time, in Europe, transport policy aims at regulating freight transport demand by manipulating its costs, for instance, via taxation. In addition, investment

Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2012

Actors in the field of international development co-operation supporting the development of EIA l... more Actors in the field of international development co-operation supporting the development of EIA legislation in developing countries often do not achieve the results envisaged. The performance of EIA in these countries often remains weak. One reason, we assume, is that often those actors support the establishment of overly ambitious EIA legislation that cannot achieve its objectives in the light of

Regional Environmental Change, 2014

Journal of Water and Climate Change, 2014

Environmental Politics, 2014

ABSTRACT We develop conceptual understanding of political commitment in two approaches to organis... more ABSTRACT We develop conceptual understanding of political commitment in two approaches to organising municipal responses to climate adaptation. The dedicated approach, based on direct political commitment to climate adaptation, implies political agenda setting, resource allocation, and clear policy objectives which are expected to facilitate rapid implementation due to political pressure and new structures. The mainstreaming approach is based on indirect political commitment: climate adaptation ‘piggybacks’ on the established commitment of policy domains in which it is integrated, and institutional entrepreneurs and framing are considered necessary to establish policy synergies and to mobilise actors and resources. An implication is that implementation may be erratic, as entrepreneurs have to pioneer within existing structures. The cases of two Dutch cities – Amsterdam and Rotterdam – help to illustrate and refine our propositions on the nature and implications of political commitment.