https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11474 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:46:28 GMT 2026-04-04T11:46:28Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101535 Title: Climate change and protected areas : responses from U.S. national parks Abstract: This study investigates the responses to climate change from the National Park Service at the organizational level and park level based on the Service's Climate Change Response Strategy and individual case studies. The extent to which the strategy integrates suggestions for adaptation and mitigation from the conservation literature is determined. Further, case studies are utilized to examine how seven parks are responding. Lastly, individual park progress (the product of the ratio of implemented actions versus planned actions) is evaluated, and three basic suggestions for adaptation are given based on these findings. The National Park Service's Climate Change Response Strategy integrated 30% of the adaptation and mitigation recommendations from the conservation literature. Great Smoky Mountains National Park has begun implementing 75.96% of its goals; all others implemented less than 50%. Park progress is not dependent on time as a Climate Friendly Parks Program member. Based on current trends, Great Smoky Mountains National Park may be the only park to implement all goals by its target date. Individual park progress is important. However, it must not overshadow the substantial efforts that these parks have made compared to the remaining 80% of national parks. These parks have clearly demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and climate change mitigation. Unfortunately, they represent only a small fraction (20%) of existing U.S. national parks. Only Olympic National Park mentions adaptation as a goal. The remaining parks' action plans focus strictly on mitigation. There is currently no avenue for parks to design adaptation strategies. While it is very clear how these parks plan to mitigate climate change, climate change adaptation plans remain unexplored. I hope this work can highlight the strengths and shortcomings of the National Park Service's responses to climate change so that positive growth can continue and necessary changes (namely a Service-wide framework for adapting individual parks) can be actualized. Description: M.Sc. (SERM) Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101535 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101202 Title: Windows hybrid tablets IMC plan Abstract: The Microsoft Malta Office was set up in 2003 as a Sales, Marketing and Services Management office. Although the Maltese subsidiary does not sell tablets and PCs directly to consumers, the company in collaboration with its local partners creates marketing activities to promote Windows hardware (Edward Portelli, personal communication, 24 April, 2014). The Maltese tablet market has experienced an exponential growth. In fact, the sales of devices went up from 6, 700 in 2012 to 18,480 in 2013. Moreover, this research reveals that a favourable positive macro-economic environment could boost the sales of tablet sales even further. On the one hand, some laws, such as the Eco-Contribution and WEEE could increase costs sustained by companies (A. Ghio, personal communication, July 11, 2014). On the other hand, the increase of disposable income for Maltese households, the One tablet per child project and the drop in the price of devices should have a positive impact on the sector (European Commission, 2014 a; Passport, 2012). The Windows hybrids are the focus of this IMC plan. These devices offer high performance (Passport, 2012). Their key strength is the content creation as they are designed to replace laptops and netbooks (Passport, 2012). Moreover, they can be used for media consumption, therefore, they also compete with media tablets (Passport, 2012). Hybrids should appeal to corporate road warriors and to students who need a device with high performance and a keyboard to carry out complex tasks (Passport, 2012). However, the focus groups sessions that were organised for this research project revealed that the Maltese corporate road warriors do not consider hybrids as a replacement for their laptops. Whereas the focus group meetings with university students revealed that they preferred hybrids to laptops to carry out complex tasks like editing documents, while on the go. Therefore, they were selected as the target market of this IMC plan. In the next stage of the research, a questionnaire was used to obtain relevant information about the target market in order to create efficient and tailored marketing activities. Apparently, university students gathered their product information about tablets mainly through on-line sources. They researched about products on the internet and read online reviews. This was usually followed by word of mouth (WOM). It transpires that WOM had a key role in the "pre-purchase search" (Schiffman, Kanuk, Hansen, 2012 page 70). This study also highlighted that the purchasing decision was mainly influenced by the performance, connectivity and operating system of tablet PCs. The price of tablets was the fourth most important product attribute for the survey respondents. The majority of students would spend between € 251 and € 500 on a tablet. However, a large number of respondents affirmed to be ready to spend more than € 500 to purchase 2-in-1 tablets. Interestingly, they would spend more than €500 if it was possible for them to partially pay the device through the Maltese government's student grant. It was also worth noticing that students used their tablet mainly for surfing the internet, checking e-mail, accessing to social media and communicating. Whilst, listening to music, taking notes and doing research were other frequent activities carried out with a tablet. Finally, this research pointed out that the five main Windows tablets makers2 were top of mind for only 11.35% of students. This research reported that 4.26% of respondents owned Windows Tablet PCs. The situation analysis has indicated that one of the key objectives of Microsoft Malta was to increase the brand awareness of Windows tablets by 30% in Malta. Moreover, during this year, 25% of the university students will be made aware of Microsoft hybrids' attributes and benefits. ("comprehension"). Furthermore, 20% of them should desire to purchase a hybrid ("conviction"). Finally, the IMC plan aims to increase the sales of Windows hybrids by at least 8 % in a year. Viral videos, Facebook competitions, public relations, sales promotions, banners ads and endorsements by local celebrities will be used in order to achieve the aforementioned objectives. Description: M.A.INT.MARKETING COMM. Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101202 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101164 Title: The role of environmental marketing in consumer recycling behaviour Abstract: This study analyses the influence of two types of green advertisement on the population's recycling attitude and behaviour. The first type of adverts used in this dissertation is referred as rational type of advertising, it is designed to provide information to the public and spread knowledge about recycling. The second type, referred as emotional advertising in this dissertation, plays with negative emotions and shocking messages to engage people in recycling. This research was accomplished thought quantitative data collection and analysis using a theoretical framework based on the Azjen's theory of planned behaviour (1991). For the research, a total of 120 participants, randomly chosen within the Normandy province, divided in three samples of 40 people each were surveyed. Given the same questionnaire, the first sample was not exposed to any advert before its completion; it is referred as control group. The second sample was exposed to four print adverts of the emotional type, and the last sample was exposed to a list of four print adverts of the rational type. The results were analysed separately and revealed that the respondents react differently according to the type of recycling advertisement they are exposed to prior completing their questionnaire, and that the two-sample exposed to recycling adverts were more willing to recycle. Conversely, rational recycling adverts are raising the population's attitude towards recycling adverts but do not seem to motivate them to recycle. On the other hand, emotional adverts seem to be less appreciated, but more valuated by people and show impressive proof of recycling behavioural changes in the population. Description: M.A.INT.MARKETING COMM. Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101164 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/6527 Title: Global regime of liability for nuclear damage Abstract: The idea of writing this work stemmed from the necessity to search for a way out of the current situation in the world connected with the climate change and leading to a catastrophic increase in volumes of CO2 in the atmosphere. Nuclear energy can become one of the key methods of restraining the global warming on the planet. However, “ecological compatibility” in the process of planned operation of nuclear power plants can turn into an ecological disaster in case of a sudden accident. The desire to analyse the current situation in the sphere of liability for nuclear damage, to identify strong and weak elements of established and developing legal relationships at international, European and national levels, and also the degree of the international community's capability to create a global regime of liability for nuclear damage formed the mainspring of writing this work. The basic conclusion of the thesis is the acknowledgement of readiness of countries to work towards creation of the global regime of liability. This is confirmed by the preoccupation which manifests itself in appearance of new effective solutions in the field of uses of peaceful nuclear energy at physical level thanks to the invention of safe reactors, in creation of functional structures for the financial component of liability for nuclear damage and in revision of legislation in an attempt to unify the current system of liability. It should be admitted that the most effective step in this direction will become accession of all countries to one convention regulating liability for nuclear damage instead of ratification of separate conventions and protocols to them. Description: LL.M.ENERGY ENV.CLIMATE Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/6527 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z