Weekly Research Seminar Series - Can the Pursuit of Quality Help the Planet?

We are pleased to invite you to our Weekly Research Seminar Series on Thursday, 28th October at 3pm. In this week seminar, Federico Triolo will be presenting his research on “Can the Pursuit of Quality Help the Planet? An Institutional Perspective of the Material Quality of Products and Market Practices that Support Environmental Sustainability”.   

Weekly Research Seminar Series

We are pleased to invite you to our Weekly Research Seminar. It will be held online on28 October from 3pm via Microsoft team platform. Weekly Research Seminar Series was launched in 2008 and has featured 300 presentations to date. The seminars provide a forum for researchers to share their work. Presenters include faculty from Middlesex University Dubai and other universities in the United Arab Emirates, as well as researchers from other global institutions.    

“Can the Pursuit of Quality Help the Planet? An Institutional Perspective of the Material Quality of Products and Market Practices that Support Environmental Sustainability”    

Federico Triolo 

Abstract        

Although sustainability research has mushroomed over the last 30 years (Campbell, Inman, Kirmani, Price 2020), it has been unsuccessful in explaining why consumers do not consume sustainably (McDonagh and Prothero, 2014). This study contributes to the understanding of sustainability issues by highlighting how institutional entrepreneurs, actors with a particular interest in a market, focused on the material qualities of coffee, can push a market toward more practices of environmental sustainability. Drawing from institutional theory, a powerful explanatory lens for both individual and organizational action (Dacin et al., 2002), and by taking a macro level approach to understanding sustainability issues, the purpose of this study is to examine how institutional entrepreneurs and their focus on coffee material qualities, can lead a market toward environmental practices of sustainability. Sustainability practices are activities toward the scope of sustainability (Shove and Spurling, 2013). The context for this study is the contemporary Australian coffee market: a third wave movement that refers to coffee enthusiasts who value quality and flavor of a product (Hartmann, 2011). Within this movement, institutional entrepreneurs include café owners, roasters, baristas and consumers. This research claims that a focus on the material quality of coffee can lead a market towards more practices of environmental sustainability. This seems to happen in three ways: direct trade, shade-grown coffee and organic coffee.   

Presenter Bio  

Federico undertook a Ph.D. in Marketing at the Royal Melbourne Institute Technology (RMIT) University, Australia. Prior to this, Federico has gained international experience. He obtained a Master of Marketing, Globalization and Culture at the University of Southern Denmark (DK) and won an International Scholarship for an International Program Exchange Semester at Sungkyunkwan University (SK). He also completed a Bachelor of Business and Administration at the University of Bergamo (IT), where he was awarded a European scholarship for a European Program Exchange Semester at the University of Cyprus (CY). Federico has also worked as founder or account manager in the banking and digital marketing industry in Italy, Spain, and Australia. Throughout his academic, professional, and international experiences, Federico has developed a strong research interest in marketing, consumer culture, icons, sustainability concerns, and he supports the transition toward an equal society.