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Abstract
The importance of stakeholders in the development of a sustainable urban freight sector has been highlighted in recent research. Not all stakeholders have a direct link to the supply chain, but they may still play a role in creating sustainable urban freight initiatives. This study explores the initiatives that norm-setting indirect stakeholders in urban freight, referred to as ‘influencers’, establish to support a more sustainable urban freight sector, and how those initiatives may impact the business models of carriers. The study uses data gathered for ongoing research into the roles of indirect stakeholders in the development of sustainable urban freight initiatives. The results indicate that influencers can put pressure on receivers regarding logistical issues and shape the physical environment in which deliveries are conducted. Influencers use three primary strategies to support sustainable urban freight: vehicle-focused measures, consolidation linked to physical infrastructure, and consolidation through behavioural changes. These initiatives impact the relationship between receivers and carriers and may push carriers to adopt more sustainable practices as well as take decisions that impact their business models. The results highlight the often-overlooked power of influencers in relation to the development of actor behaviour in the urban freight supply chain and show the potential for both conflict and change arising from the use of this power.
Highlights
Stakeholders that are not directly involved in the supply chain but whose actions have a bearing on several characteristics of the local transport system have recently been highlighted in urban freight research, e.g. Reference [1]
Considering the power of these norm-setting indirect stakeholders [1] in relation to the actors more central to the supply chain, we suggest that they could be labelled as influencers
For each category of influencers, we describe the main activities promoted and supported by the influencing organisations
Summary
Stakeholders that are not directly involved in the supply chain but whose actions have a bearing on several characteristics of the local transport system have recently been highlighted in urban freight research, e.g. Reference [1]. Other concrete examples of stakeholders are property owners that design and control access to freight-related infrastructure or public procurement associations that put restrictions on the type of vehicles eligible for certain delivery assignments and stipulate rules for regulating the time of deliveries [5] Such third-party organisations both influence the types of services available within certain areas and shape the physical aspects of the urban milieu, such as the location and size of loading facilities. Considering the power of these norm-setting indirect stakeholders [1] in relation to the actors more central to the supply chain, we suggest that they could be labelled as influencers These organisations tend to engage with issues linked to sustainability (e.g., local pollution or congestion) and are often strongly motivated to enforce standards of behaviour that by changing the attitudes of receivers may put financial pressure on the firms providing transport services (i.e., carriers) [5]. The role of these organisations in relation to the business side of transport services is still poorly understood
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