Barriers to green supply chain management: An emerging economy context

Abstract

Green supply chain management is attracting increasing attention as a way to decrease the adverse environmental effects of industries worldwide. However, considering the context of an emerging economy like Bangladesh, green supply chain management is still in its inception and has not been widely embraced in the textile industry, and therefore barriers hindering its adoption in emerging economy context demand a comprehensive investigation. This research reviews the viewpoints and hurdles in adopting green supply chain management practices in the context of the Bangladeshi textile industry. A questionnaire survey of Bangladeshi textile practitioners of operations and supply chain management division, having a sample size of thirty, was undertaken to identify the barriers, and a hierarchical cluster analysis technique was used in the detailed analysis of this data. Opinions were sought from experts on the significance of the resulting clusters, considering the relative importance of the barriers. Fifteen barriers to the adoption of green supply chain management were identified in the review of the literature, with these barriers then analyzed by using the data collected from Bangladeshi textile industry practitioners. The research indicates that the most important barrier is that there is low demand from customers and financial constraint resulting from short term little financial benefit to businesses, with lack of government regulations also a commonly faced barrier in adopting green supply chain initiatives. This study will provide valuables insights to practitioners and relevant policy makers about the barriers prevailing in the emerging economies towards the adoption of green supply chain management practices, which, in turn, can guide to undertake appropriate steps for alleviating those barriers.