Green Supply Chain Management Initiatives Research Articles

The role of cultural factors in green supply chain management practices: a conceptual framework and an empirical investigation

Purpose The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate on the impact of organizational culture and national culture on green supply chain management (GSCM) adoption by empirically testing the developed framework, and ultimately pave the way toward potential areas for future research. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from a sample of Moroccan manufacturing firms, 130 responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS 25 and Smart PLS v 3.3.3 software. The paper used a convenience sample, as it is required by the quantitative method, which legitimate making generalization under certain conditions. Findings The research results indicated that the national culture does not influence the GSCM implementation. The results contradict a number of prior works. As for the second direct effect measured postulated that organizational culture has a direct and significant impact on the GSCM. The results indicate that adhocracy culture, clan culture and hierarchical culture have a positive impact on the implementation of GSCM initiatives. To assess the impact of ownership type on GSCM, we underlined the difference between local and foreign firms. In fact, as argued, the foreign firms are more implementing GSCM initiatives than local firms do. Based on the arguments advanced on prior literature, the firm size does, as expected, exert significant control over the adoption of GSCM initiatives. Research limitations/implications The paper here is a starting point to understand how environmental sustainability and culture are interlinked; further research might contribute to this topic by empirically testing the model in similar or different contexts, using different cultural frameworks. Practical implications The practical implications for the paper are related to the necessity of adopting adequate organizational culture to build responsible behaviors for GSCM adoption by Moroccan firms. Recognizing the powerful role of organizational culture as a crucial factor responsible for GSCM’s success beyond the well-defined corporate strategies, including market presence and technological advantages, etc. Social implications This paper contributes to the establishment of codependent links between sociology and management fields as it helps to update the social theories present in the operations management area. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, few works have pursued to review and bridge cultural theories with the GSCM implementation.

Green Supply Chain Management Initiatives: A Perspective of Pakistani Automobile Industry

The rising interest in ecofriendly sustainability and green issues is obvious among investigators and professionals in the supply chain field. This study emphasis on examining and empirically evaluating the implementation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices in the Pakistani automobile industry. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to validate these green practices and performance outcomes. The survey gathered 25 complete replies from Pakistani automobile organizations, forming the basis for practical analysis. The independent variables for this present study were: Green Product Development and Design Practices, Green Purchasing Practices, Green Production Practices and use of Cleaner Technologies, Green Management Practices, Green Logistics Practices, Green Marketing Practices; while the dependent variable was Environmental Performance Outcome. Descriptive statistics were considered to assess the current status of GSCM practices. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was also conducted to understand the impact of existing GSCM practices on anticipated organizational performance outcomes. The study's findings indicate that environmental performance exhibit improvement with the adoption of GSCM practices.

Practices and performance outcomes of green supply chain management initiatives in the garment industry

PurposeThe garments/textiles industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. However, efforts to understand and curtail its adverse environmental impacts have not been commensurate, and previous works have largely been fragmented and disjointed. This study aims to coduct a comprehensive and systematic green supply chain management (GSCM) investigation on this industry, where a multidimensional framework involving green supply chain practices and performance is developed, validated and applied.Design/methodology/approachA framework consisting of 12 constructs (8 on practices and 4 on performance) and their underlying measures were developed through an extensive literature review. A survey methodology was used to obtain responses from 403 garment-manufacturing firms in Bangladesh, one of the leading garment producers in the world. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used first to validate the first- and second-order constructs and then test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsInternal environmental management and cooperation with stakeholders were identified as necessary precursors for implementing the second-order green supply chain practices comprising green design, green purchasing, green manufacturing, green transportation, green facilities and end-of-life management. The implementation of green supply chain practices was found to have a (direct) positive impact on environmental, economic and operational performance and an indirect positive impact on organizational performance. Similarly, both economic and operational performance was found to impact organizational performance positively. Surprisingly, a negative relationship (albeit low) was observed between environmental and organizational performance. Also, garment-manufacturing firms were found to have been unable to translate their IEM capabilities into strategic and long-term cooperation with stakeholders.Research limitations/implicationsThe study fills a gap in the literature about applying/implementing GSCM in the garment industry. Future studies in the garment industry and elsewhere could utilize the framework to understand further the synergistic impact of green supply chain practices on performance.Practical implicationsThe findings provide practitioners, policymakers and organizations associated with the garment industry with critical insights on the various opportunities and challenges in adopting GSCM. Also, the positive impact of green supply chain practices on performance could provide the impetus for manufacturing firms to adopt GSCM.Originality/valueA comprehensive GSCM investigation on the garment industry has not been previously attempted and constitutes the novelty of this work. Also, Bangladesh is the second-largest garment exporter worldwide, making this study contribution even more valuable.

Green supply chain management practices and its impact on organizational performance: evidence from Indian manufacturers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of five dimensions of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices (i.e. internal environmental management, green purchasing, cooperation with customers, eco-design, and investment recovery) on three dimensions of organizational performance (i.e. environmental, economic and operational performance).Design/methodology/approachData were collected based on a cross-sectional survey of managers of 160 manufacturing firms in India. Structural equation modelling was used to test the influence of GSCM practices on each of the organizational performance outcomes.FindingsExcept for internal environmental management and green purchasing, all other GSCM dimensions are found to significantly impact at least one of the performance dimensions, either directly or indirectly. The results highlight that investment recovery practice is a key predictor of environmental performance, whereas eco-design is a key predictor of operational performance. The structural equation modeling result also suggests that GSCM do not directly affect economic performance, but can improve it indirectly.Research limitations/implicationsSince data was collected from managers of manufacturing firms on the basis of their subjective evaluations, future research studies should employ objective performance indicators for analysis. Also, the study did not consider some dimensions of GSCM practices, which can be included in future studies.Practical implicationsManufacturing firms should implement GSCM practices not just because of the pressure from regulatory bodies but also to elevate their environmental, operational and economic performance. The proposed model in this paper suggests practitioners which GSCM factors are driving these performance changes and supports the building of a roadmap for GSCM implementation in their organization.Originality/valueManufacturing firms from four different operating sectors, namely automotive, electrical and electronics, process and machinery sectors are the respondents. The originality of the paper lies in testing the influence of GSCM practices on organizational performance in a novel context, where most GSCM initiatives fail for one reason or another. Furthermore, the assessment of the interaction between five constructs of GSCM practices and three constructs of organizational performance in the Indian manufacturing context offers unique conceptual contribution to the researches in the GSCM field.

The Role of Seaports in Green Supply Chain Management: Initiatives, Attitudes, and Perspectives in Rotterdam, Antwerp, North Sea Port, and Zeebrugge

Green supply chain management (GSCM) can be defined as the integration of environmental concerns into the inter-organizational practices of supply chain management (SCM). This paper analyzes the role of seaports in the greening of supply chains in two ways. First, the fields of action to pursue GSCM objectives in ports are identified and grouped. The proposed typology includes five groups of actions, i.e., green shipping; green port development and operations; green inland logistics; seaports and the circular economy; and, actions in the field of knowledge development and information sharing. In the empirical part of the paper, this typology is used to analyze green actions and initiatives developed by market players and port authorities in the Rhine–Scheldt Delta, the leading European port region in cargo throughput terms. This structured overview of green actions and initiatives shows that these ports are hotbeds for GSCM initiatives, but progress in some areas remains slows. The second part of the analysis focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of port-related actors towards the greening of port-related supply chains. A large-scale survey conducted in the Belgian and Dutch logistics and port industry reveals that greening has been put massively on the agenda by the firms between 2010 and now. The results give a clear view on the diverse drivers and impediments towards the greening of supply chains. In addition, one can still see a gap between words and actions. The survey further points to the role of governments as catalysts or soft enforcers for change, and calls for continuity and coherence in government policy. This paper is the first study providing a comprehensive analysis on initiatives, approaches, and perspectives of port-related actors in a specific multi-port region.

Analyzing the impact of environmental collaboration among supply chain stakeholders on a firm’s sustainable performance

In the era of industrialization, environmentalists are more concerned with the environment and so are continuously interested in investigating organizational factors that can facilitate the transition towards sustainability. This research systematically investigates the impact of the supply chain partner’s collaborative approach towards green practices on a firm’s sustainability performance. Stakeholder and coordination theories are used to underpin the study. A structural equation modeling technique is adopted to analyze data collected from 126 green supply chain professionals working at various manufacturing firms operating in Pakistan using a survey questionnaire. The results indicate significant and positive impacts of institution pressure and customer monitoring on the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices by organizations. This study also explains that organizational GSCM practices, external GSCM practices and performance measures have positive and significant relationships. These findings reveal that it is important for managers to address external GSCM pressures by adopting green practices and being a focal firm should undertake GSCM initiatives in collaboration with their suppliers and customers to achieve a holistic impact which ultimately leads to betterment in overall sustainability performance.

An integrated GRA-DEMATEL-ANP framework for evaluation of barriers to implementation of green supply chain management in manufacturing industries

Nowadays, green systems and technology have received much attention due to the increased concerns about environmental issues. However, companies have faced various barriers in its implementation. Thus, proper identification and evaluation of these barriers is necessary to achieve effective results. In this paper, an integrated framework based on grey relational analysis (GRA), DEMATEL and analytic network process (ANP) methods is proposed to identify and evaluate the barriers to green supply chain management (GSCM) implementation in manufacturing industries. Drawing upon an extensive literature review, a reference framework of the GSCM barriers is developed consisting of two main groups, namely internal and external barriers. GRA is used to deal with ambiguity in experts' assessments. Also, the interactions and cause-effect relationships among the GSCM barriers are evaluated using DEMATEL. The relative importance of the barriers is then identified by integrating results of DEMATEL and ANP. The proposed framework is implemented in a case study of an auto manufacturing company. The results show that, by taking interrelationships of the barriers into consideration, the factors related to customer and market and business partners as well as social and managerial factors are the most important barriers to effective implementation of GSCM initiatives in the case company.

An integrated GRA-DEMATEL-ANP framework for evaluation of barriers to implementation of green supply chain management in manufacturing industries

Nowadays, green systems and technology have received much attention due to the increased concerns about environmental issues. However, companies have faced various barriers in its implementation. Thus, proper identification and evaluation of these barriers is necessary to achieve effective results. In this paper, an integrated framework based on grey relational analysis (GRA), DEMATEL and analytic network process (ANP) methods is proposed to identify and evaluate the barriers to green supply chain management (GSCM) implementation in manufacturing industries. Drawing upon an extensive literature review, a reference framework of the GSCM barriers is developed consisting of two main groups, namely internal and external barriers. GRA is used to deal with ambiguity in experts' assessments. Also, the interactions and cause-effect relationships among the GSCM barriers are evaluated using DEMATEL. The relative importance of the barriers is then identified by integrating results of DEMATEL and ANP. The proposed framework is implemented in a case study of an auto manufacturing company. The results show that, by taking interrelationships of the barriers into consideration, the factors related to customer and market and business partners as well as social and managerial factors are the most important barriers to effective implementation of GSCM initiatives in the case company.

Drivers For Green Supply Chain Management In Food & Grocery Retail – A Study

As the world becomes increasingly concerned with green and sustainability issues, Industries, organizations and governments are gradually moving towards more sustainable business practices - and India is no exception. Indian Industries are also becoming environmental conscious and many Industries are working towards the environment friendly part of business. Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has emerged as a key concept and approach for the organizations to become environmentally sustainable. The purpose of this paper is to study and explores the factors that drive the food and grocery retail to implement Green Supply Chain Management Initiatives. The study suggested eight factors which are majorly motivating or influencing these Industries to implement the Green Supply Chain Management initiatives. The eight factors on Green Supply Chain Management Drivers/ Pressures are labeled as Vertical Channel Partners, Environmental Regulations, Society, Expected Business Benefits, Top Management Support & Corporate Values, Competitors’ Practices, Organizational Factors and International Environmental Agreements. The results of this paper provide a list of key drivers to the managers and the policy-makers so that they can use it as guidelines for setting up apposite norms and policies for the firms to take on Green Supply Chain Management.

Green supply chain management initiatives and operational competitive performance

PurposeManufacturing organizations have begun to implement green supply chain management (GSCM) practices in response to customer demand for products and services that are environmentally sustainable and that are created through environmentally sustainable practices and in response to governmental environmental regulations. Despite rising concerns about green management, there seem to be few studies investigating GSCM and its impacts on the operational competitive capabilities from a developing economy. The purpose of this paper is to understand the extent of GSCM practices’ implementation in Ghana and how such practices impact firms’ operational competitive capabilities.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to study the relationship between GSCM practices and firm operational competitive performance in terms of cost, quality, flexibility, and delivery time using a survey of informants.FindingsUsing data from Ghana, the work demonstrates that GSCM practices such as environmental management systems (EMSs) and green purchasing (GP) practices will have a positive relationship with firm’s operational competitive performance in terms of cost, quality, and flexibility, but seems to have no positive relationship with delivery time. Further moderation analysis indicates that the paths from environmental management practices to reduced cost and flexibility were significant, indicating that the effect of environmental management practices on operational efficiency differs among services, manufacturing, construction and mining. The paths from Green purchase to improved quality, delivery time, flexibility, and reduced cost were insignificant.Research limitations/implicationsThe results indicate the relevance and the implications of GSCM practices such as implementing comprehensive EMSs and GP on operational competitive performance on firms from a developing country such as Ghana. Specifically, the results indicate that when organizations invest in GSCM practices, they are likely to achieve cost reductions, improved quality, and flexibility. The relationship between GSCM practices is moderated by various industrial sectors.Practical implicationsThe research shows how GSCM practices such as EMSs implementation and GP practices can enhance firm’s operational competitive performance.Originality/valueThe work illustrates and provides some insights and build on the literature in the area of green supply chain and firms’ operational competitiveness from a developing country’s environment.

Reverse logistics in Malaysia: The Contingent role of institutional pressure

Reverse logistics is a primary component of green supply chain management initiatives and is often analysed from a broad perspective. Rooted in the resource-based view of the firm, this empirical study decomposes reverse logistics into five commonly adopted disposition options (repair, recondition, remanufacture, recycle, and disposal) to examine the effects of using each option on measures of environmental performance, profitability, and sales growth. Considering institutional theory, this study also investigates the moderating role of both regulatory and ownership pressure on the relationship between each reverse logistics disposition option and levels of performance. Using survey data collected from managers at 89 ISO14001 certified electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing firms, regression models test a series of hypothesized relationships. Results suggest that under the presence of institutional pressure, use of disposition options results in increased levels of performance in some cases. The recovery of valuable components during product recondition and remanufacture activities contributes to enhanced environmental and economic benefits. Conversely, product recycling and disposal activities are not necessarily performance-inducing initiatives in the face of regulatory pressures The findings of this study can be used to inform business decisions regarding the adoption and use of reverse logistics strategies. Legislative frameworks regarding extended producer responsibility are recommended in order to motivate the implementation of reverse logistics product disposition activities.

An exploratory survey of green supply chain management in Chinese manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the pressures and drivers that have been experienced by Chinese manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in terms of green supply chain management (GSCM). Design/methodology/approach – The research framework and hypotheses are examined by a questionnaire survey through e-mails conducted in China in 2011. The empirical analysis is based on the data from 202 SME manufacturers in China. Validity and reliability of the items employed in the research is assessed through Cronbach’s α test. Hypotheses for the identification of GSCM pressures and drivers to SMEs as well as the differences that exist among different industrial sectors are tested by adopting descriptive statistics analysis and analysis of variance test. Findings – This study finds that Chinese manufacturing SMEs have been under pressures from a variety of sources, including regulations, customers, suppliers and public awareness in terms of GSCM. Besides, internal drivers are also an important encouragement for SMEs to consider GSCM. Moreover, Chinese manufacturing SMEs from different industrial sectors show some differences in experiencing pressures or being motivated by drivers. Research limitations/implications – The main limitations to this paper are the relatively small sample of SMEs and the potentially overlooked variables. Practical implications – Chinese manufacturing SMEs and their larger customers, as well as governments, are likely to obtain some implications from this study if they are willing to consider any GSCM initiatives throughout the supply chain. Originality/value – The paper clearly explores the GSCM pressures and drivers faced by the Chinese manufacturing SMEs where the results may differ from the findings through the studies on large enterprises or SMEs in other national context.

A Strategic Approach to Develop Green Supply Chains

Green supply chain management (GSCM) is a subject of growing interest amongst academics and practitioners. Several studies have been conducted in the past to evaluate GSCM initiatives and investigate their strategic benefits in terms of environmental performance, financial payoffs, and competitiveness. However, the factors that should be considered to make these GSCM initiatives strategically beneficial have rarely been discussed. To develop this field further, based on the institutional theory and natural-resource-based view (NRBV), we have developed a conceptual model for strategically prioritizing GSCM initiatives. The conceptual model proposed uses a combined application of the analytical network process (ANP) and structural equation modelling (SEM). It is recommended that future research opportunities expand on the proposed conceptual model.

Application of fuzzy VIKOR for evaluation of green supply chain management practices

Environmentally sustainable activities have received an increasing interest among the firms to improve their practices in the supply chain. Although environmental regulations force firms consider these issues, but, green issues are new, evolving every day, and requires a continuous study in the field to gain a complete understanding of the problems. In this study, we illustrate the case of a laptop manufacturer in Malaysia that pursues to evaluate green supply chain management (GSCM) indicators among its practitioners. This paper develops a quantitative evaluation model to measure the uncertainty of GSCM activities and applies an approach based on Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method which is an extension of intuitionistic fuzzy environment aiming to solve the green multi-criteria decision making (GMCDM) problem. The triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs) were used to handle imprecise numerical quantities. Then, a hierarchical multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) model was proposed based on fuzzy sets theory and VIKOR method to deal with the problem. The results show the alternative ranks of the four evaluated companies which was based on their performance in GSCM initiatives. The results also indicated that the main criteria of the research ranked as follows respectively: eco-design, green production, green purchasing, green recycling, green transportation and green warehousing. Finally, a comparative analysis of results by fuzzy VIKOR is presented. Additionally the scope for future studies is provided at the end of the paper.

Do green supply chain management initiatives impact stock prices of firms?

Although firms have been taking green supply chain management (GSCM) initiatives, it is not known whether they create value for firms. We analyze 104 announcements related to GSCM using an event study, and determine what causes statistically significant gain in stock prices for these firms. Manufacturing firms, firms with high R&D expenses, and early adopters show a strong increase in stock prices on the day of the announcement. At the same time, small firms, firms not well-known for taking green initiatives, as well as firms that are low in growth potential considerably surprise the market when they make such announcements.

Drivers and barriers to environmental supply chain management practices: Lessons from the public and private sectors

This study explores the factors that drive or hinder organisations to implement green supply chain management initiatives. A literature review identifies the main categories of internal and external drivers of green supply chain management practices, including organisational factors, regulation, customers, competitors and society, but there is little indication of suppliers as drivers for green supply chain management. Internal barriers include cost and lack of legitimacy, whereas external barriers include regulation, poor supplier commitment and industry specific barriers. An explorative study is conducted based on interviews from seven different private and public sector organisations. Encouragingly, across the organisations, more drivers than barriers to environmental supply chain management are identified. Organisations seem to be more influenced by external rather than internal drivers. The barriers to environmental supply chain management experienced by organisations tend to be both internal and external.

Initiatives and outcomes of green supply chain management implementation by Chinese manufacturers

This paper aims to explore the green supply chain management (GSCM) initiatives (implementation) of various manufacturing industrial sectors in China and examine the links between GSCM initiatives and performance outcomes. We conducted a survey to collect data from four typical manufacturing industrial sectors in China, namely, power generating, chemical/petroleum, electrical/electronic and automobile, and received 171 valid organizational responses for data analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results are consistent with our prediction that the different manufacturing industry types display different levels of GSCM implementation and outcomes. We specifically found that the electrical/electronic industry has relatively higher levels of GSCM implementation and achieves better performance outcomes than the other three manufacturer types. Implications of the results are discussed and suggestions for further research on the implementation of GSCM are offered.