Ecological modernisation of Chinese export manufacturing via green logistics management and its regional implications

Abstract

We investigate how various ecological modernisation forces in terms of environmental regulations, customer pressure, and economic pressure are associated with the implementation of green logistics management (GLM) by Chinese export manufacturers to manage the logistics life cycle of their products. Based on survey data from 128 Chinese export manufacturers, we find that customer pressure is a significant factor affecting the extent of their GLM implementation, which in turn is positively associated with their environmental, financial, and operational performance. Contrary to our expectation and previous findings on environmental management in developed countries, both environmental regulations and economic pressure are not significant drivers for Chinese export manufacturers to pursue GLM.