Green Supply Chain Management Literature Research Articles

Green supply chain management practices and environmental performance in the healthcare sector: the mediating role of green innovation

Purpose This study aims to assess the effects of green supply chain management (GSCM) strategies on health-care organizations’ environmental performance (EP). It also assesses that green innovation (GI), including green technology innovation (GTI) and green management innovation (GMI), plays mediating roles in the connection between GSCM and EP. Design/methodology/approach In total, 375 health-care sector employees in the Chattogram division of Bangladesh provided opinions in the questionnaire survey. PLS-SEM was used to verify the data’s validity and reliability and assess the hypotheses. Findings The findings reveal that GSCM practices significantly positively impact GI and EP. Moreover, GTI and GMI mediate the relationship between GSCM and EP in Bangladesh’s health-care sector. Practical implications The current findings could promote environmental sustainability in Bangladesh’s health-care industry by fostering environmental collaboration. Originality/value The detection of the mediation effect of GTI and GMI on GSCM and EP is a unique contribution of this study that enriches the present GSCM and GI literature, particularly in the Bangladeshi health-care sector.

Financial Performance and Green Supply Chain Management in a South African National Electrical Energy Provider

Introduction: The body of literature on green supply chain management (GSCM) in various organisations has increased steadily. However, contextual literature on GSCM is still limited, such as within the electrical energy sector in developing countries such as South Africa. Purpose/objectives: The study examined the relationships between internal GSCM (IGSCM), customer monitoring (CM) and -supplier monitoring (SM), customer-supplier collaboration (CC, SC), and financial performance at Eskom Holdings, the national electrical energy provider in South Africa. Design/ Methodology: The study employed a quantitative approach design on a sample of 350 supply chain professionals drawn from various Eskom depots nationwide. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling based on the SMART partial least squares (PLS) technique. Findings: IGSCM positively impacted customer and supplier monitoring and collaboration, linked to higher financial performance. However, IGSCM negatively impacted financial performance. Practical implications: To managers in the electrical energy sector, the study suggests that implementing IGSCM, SM, CM, CC, and SC activities is key in influencing the level of FP. Similarly, it is important to implement IGSCM activities in tandem with customer and supplier monitoring and collaboration if gains in FP are to be realised. Originality/Value: This study contributes to GSCM literature as it is one of the few studies that explore IGSCM, customer and supplier monitoring, customer-supplier collaboration, and financial performance within a South African national electrical energy provider.

Analyzing the barriers to green supply chain management implementation: a case study of the Vietnamese agriculture sector

PurposeThis research study aims to identify and rank the most substantial barriers to implementing green supply chain management (GSCM) in the Vietnamese agriculture industry.Design/methodology/approachThe Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) techniques have been employed for this work to rank the critical GSCM barriers. The rankings were determined based on the expertise and input of ten experts from Vietnamese agriculture firms who participated as respondents.FindingsThis study has identified seven clusters of barriers, which encompass a total of 19 sub-barriers. Among these obstacles, the categories of financial costs and external stakeholders have emerged as the top priority barriers that require immediate attention and resolution. Meanwhile, the technology and strategic management clusters have a relatively weaker impact on GSCM implementation.Practical implicationsThese findings provide valuable guidelines for the top managers in this sector to consider before systematically deciding on the GSCM implementation problems to improve performance and competitive advantage.Originality/valueThis work focuses on considering GSCM barriers for the Vietnamese agriculture industry; hence, it enriches the GSCM literature by offering perspectives from a transitional market, which results in variations in the barriers, categorization and importance ranking.

Moving from the Traditional Practices to the Green Era

As environmental issues have become of prime importance, green supply chain management (GSCM) has become a proactive approach for industries to improve their environmental performance and develop a competitive advantage. GSCM has been widely implemented by different industrial sectors to minimize the environmental impact of their supply chain activities, such as waste generation and pollution. Nowadays, industries are seeking to convert their traditional supply chain management (TSCM) to (GSCM) due to concerns about environmental sustainability and to improve their overall performance, develop a competitive advantage, and gain a brand image. This paper started with an interest in understanding the factors that lead companies to convert their traditional practices to more environmentally friendly activities. Many theories in the literature were employed to explore the topic of GSCM; three theories have been observed to be the vital theoretical pillars within the GSCM literature namely, institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and resource-based view theory. These theories will be discussed in this paper. The aim of reviewing these theories is to understand the transition process from TSCM into GSCM. Additionally, the transition from TSCM to GSCM is associated with tensions that may arise as companies still prioritize the economic goals over the environmental dimensions. This paper will investigate the potential tensions and conflicts GSCM barriers may cause between various stakeholders. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to explore what the pressures are for companies to implement green supply chain management, what drives or prevents companies from adopting GSCM. To accomplish this task, literature is reviewed, focusing on theories, tensions, drivers, and barriers that are related to the field of GSCM.

Green supply chain management: A theoretical framework and research directions

Practitioners and academicians dedicate significant attention to tackling initiatives and executing mechanisms to address society’s environmental concerns. Further, organizations and researchers recognize that there is a need to implement green supply chain management (GSCM) practices as a part of green strategy. To date, embedding a sustainability dimension into supply chain management remains a challenge for organizations given the lack of systematic knowledge of the key dimensions of GSCM practices, the factors that influence the implementation of GSCM practices, and the benefits that organizations gain through the implementation of such practices. To address this problem, this study reviews 151 research articles published between 1997 and 2021 in the GSCM literature, and offers a theoretical framework that synthesizes and integrates the knowledge acquired from the reviewed literature. This framework includes various dimensions of GSCM practices identified in the past research studies, the antecedents that influence implementation of GSCM practices, and the outcomes of implementation of such practices. Further, this study offers theoretical and practical perspectives to support future research utilizing a research model as a baseline to guide organizations in the understanding of the primary GSCM attributes, their predictors, and benefits.

Green supplier selection with integrated multi-criteria decision making techniques

The concept of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), whose importance has increased in recent years, is considered as a supply chain that prioritizes environmental impacts in all its activities. Nowadays, businesses are considered not only in terms of their economic performance, but also in terms of their environmental performance which makes GSCM important. However, GSCM cannot be conducted without the participation of the suppliers. Due to this fact, correct determination of their suppliers has vital importance in developing a better GSCM performance. While there is a plenty of research in many sectors in GSCM literature, the research in the paint subfield of the chemical sector, which has a great environmental impact, is limited. It is seen that Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques are frequently used in supplier selection studies, however, there are few studies where the results of different approaches are compared and integrated. In this research, green supplier selection is conducted using different MCDM technics, and the results are compared and combined. In the study, green supplier selection was carried out in the paint sub-branch of the chemical industry with the MOORA-Ratio Method, MOORA-Reference Point Approach, GRA and COPRAS methods, each of which is integrated with the ANP Then, the COPELAND method was used to obtain a general ranking. This research contributes to the literature by proposing a unique model in terms of the applied sector and integrating MCDM method results. The model proposed in this study can help the decision makers in order to build a green supplier selection model.

Decoupling Institutional Pressure on Green Supply Chain Management Efforts to Boost Organizational Performance: Moderating Impact of Big Data Analytics Capabilities

This paper aims to empirically examine the impact of institutional pressure on green supply chain management (GSCM) efforts and the moderating role of big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) on organizational performance. This study greatly develops a research model by integrating institutional theory, the natural resource-based view (NRBV), and dynamic capability theory to explore this relationship. This article is based on structured questionnaire data of 347 supply chain personnel. We employed structural equation modeling to verify the research hypotheses. The findings provide empirical support for institutional pressures affecting GSCM efforts and organizational performance. The results also showed that the moderating effect of BDAC positively strengthened the impact of GSCM effort on organizational performance. The findings extend and refine the existing GSCM literature, providing new insights for scholars to explore this view further. Practitioners can turn their attention to incorporating institutional pressures and advanced technologies into organizational decision-making, even in times of crisis such as Covid-19.

Green supply chain innovation: Emergence, adoption, and challenges

Alongside many studies on greening efforts for supply chain activities, there is a research gap in understanding the emergence and adoption of green supply chain innovation (GSCI) in this digital-enabled Industry 4.0 era. This study defines GSCI as innovation practices by manufacturers that apply emergent digital technologies to integrate environmental concerns into supply chain management activities. GSCI is evolving as a new paradigm of green supply chain management (GSCM) to elevate its five underlying implementation dimensions. Manufacturing enterprises can benefit from digital technology applications to enhance efficiency of environmental outcomes of their GSCM activities, including internal environmental management, green purchasing, customer cooperation, inventory recovery, and eco-design. The GSCI concept gains growing attention in research and practice with popular digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data analytics increasingly adopted by manufacturers to improve their GSCM. So far, the literature lacks studies on GSCI to examine the concept, investigate the practices, explain the adoption motivations, consolidate and extend the knowledge on its adoption and diffusion. Based on a comprehensive review of GSCM literature, we explain the innovation for GSCM, and discuss the GSCI concept and practice focusing on digital technology applications with examples, and identify the challenges and opportunities for GSCI adoption and diffusion. We extend knowledge for this emerging GSCM field on digital technology applications.

Competence-Oriented, Data-Driven Approach for Sustainable Development in University-Level Education

Higher education has a number of key roles to play in accelerating progress toward sustainability goals. It has a responsibility to provide and teach curricula that are tailored to labor market needs, to help change people’s attitudes and motivation toward sustainability, and to reduce inequalities between different students. Course leaders and developers of curricula should monitor and assess these needs in order to improve their curricula from time to time. In the present work, we describe a data-driven approach based on text-mining techniques to identify the competences required for a given position based on job advertisements. To demonstrate the usefulness of our suggested method, the supply chain management occupation was selected as the supply chain is a constantly changing domain that is highly affected by green activities and initiatives, and the COVID-19 pandemic strongly influenced this sector, as well. This data-driven process allowed the identification of required soft and hard skills contained in job descriptions. However, it was found that some important concepts of green supply chain management, such as repair and refurbishment, were only marginally mentioned in the job advertisements. Therefore, in addition to labor market expectations, a business process model from relevant green supply chain management literature was developed to complement the required competences. The given new techniques can support the paradigm shift toward sustainable development and help curriculum developers and decision makers assess labor market needs in the area of sustainability skills and competences. The given result can serve as an input of outcome-based training development to design learning objective-based teaching materials.

Drivers of green cooperation between Chinese manufacturers and their customers: An empirical analysis

Although green customer cooperation can help manufacturers increase their overall performance, it is difficult for manufactures to effectively achieve green customer cooperation. This paper discusses how manufacturers can achieve green customer cooperation through the theoretical lens of capability-based view. It suggests that internal green process innovation and learning from their customers can lead to green customer cooperation and such positive relationships are dependent upon senior management's calculative and affective commitment towards the customer firms. Using multi-respondent data collected from 217 Chinese manufacturing firms, the results show that both green process innovation and learning from customers drive green customer cooperation. However, affective commitment counter-intuitively diminishes the positive effect of learning from customers on green customer cooperation, while calculative commitment further strengthens this effect. This paper contributes to green supply chain management literature by conceptually explaining and empirically proving the effects of green process innovation and learning from customers on green customer cooperation and the moderating role of calculative and affective commitments. Based on the research findings, the paper gives practical suggestions to Chinese manufacturers and their customer firms regarding green cooperation and the dynamics of senior management's commitment towards the customer firms.

Adoption of green supply chain management practices through collaboration approach in developing countries – From literature review to conceptual framework

In recent years, environmental regulatory bodies and researchers have raised their concerns about the relationship between foreign corporations and environmental problems in developing countries. Foreign corporations possess the dynamic capabilities to improve the environment of developing countries through adoption of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices and collaborating with governments and domestic firms to further reduce the environmental footprint. In this context, three strands of GSCM literature have been critically analysed for this paper. Firstly, drivers and pressures for the adoption of GSCM were studied and three high priority drivers were selected for the conceptual model namely government regulations, customer demands and supplier performance. Secondly, the GSCM practices and their adoption benefits relevant to the developing countries were reviewed resulting in selection of four promising practices; eco-design, green purchasing, green manufacturing and reverse logistics. After that, the literature was reviewed on application of management theories in GSCM to testify the theoretical implications of the model. Finally, the conceptual model is presented that coincides with the systems, institutional and diffusion of innovation theories and purposes high degree of collaborations among foreign and domestic firms, governments, customers and suppliers. Hence, this study adds to the existing literature on GSCM adoption by identifying the base practices and drivers exclusive to the developing countries. It also purposes a collaboration mechanism in a novel conceptual framework to integrate the foreign and domestic firms under common agenda of improving the environment. In future, the theoretical model will be tested empirically to develop a practical model for industrial zones in developing countries.

Aspirations and environmental performance feedback: a behavioral perspective for green supply chain management

PurposeThis study investigates the relationships between environmental performance feedback and green supply chain management (GSCM). It explores how environmental performance above or below aspirations affects the implementation of GSCM practices (specifically sustainable production [SP] and sustainable sourcing [SS]) through the lens of the behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF), which has received scant attention in the operations management literature.Design/methodology/approachThe study used data from the sixth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS). It employed hierarchical linear regression to test the proposed hypotheses. Moreover, the study tested an alternate model to rule out the possible role of financial performance aspirations in explaining the implementation of SP and SS.FindingsThe results indicate that organizations determine their efforts put into the two GSCM practices according to environmental performance feedback: the greater the aspiration–environmental performance discrepancy, the stronger the efforts put into implementing GSCM practices.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the GSCM literature by revealing the impact of environmental performance aspirations on the implementation of GSCM practices through the lens of the BTOF. It also extends the BTOF by applying it in the GSCM context and indicating that performance feedback is based on environmental performance instead of financial performance in this specific context.

Behavioral and technical perspectives of green supply chain management practices: Empirical evidence from an emerging market

Recently, companies in emerging markets have implemented green supply chain management (GSCM) practices to tackle environmental issues. Drawing upon socio-technical systems theory, this study develops a conceptual model suggesting a sequential effect between two distinct categories of GSCM practices, namely behavioral (human and soft aspects) and technical (tangible and hard aspects) practices, on performance. We employ structural equation modeling method to test hypotheses based on survey responses from 200 Chinese manufacturers. The categorization of behavioral and technical GSCM practices and research findings contribute to the GSCM literature. Statistical results demonstrate the complete mediation effect of technical GSCM practices (e.g., green design, green manufacturing and reverse logistics) on the relationship between behavioral GSCM practices (e.g., relationship with customers and suppliers) and organizational performance. Such results recommend that companies in emerging markets should highlight behavioral GSCM practices first and then implement necessary technical GSCM practices to reap economic, environmental and operational performance.

Role of technological dimensions of green supply chain management practices on firm performance

PurposeThe research study aims to investigate green supply chain management (GSCM) elements as part of a complete system. It aims to understand the special properties of the GSCM system under the moderating effects of product complexity and purchasing structure.Design/methodology/approachA thorough literature review led to the building of the conceptual framework. Six constructs were identified using systems theory. These constructs include green supply chain technological dimensions (particularly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based), green supply chain strategy, green supply chain process, product complexity, purchasing structure, and firm performance. The instrument was scientifically developed for gathering survey responses using complete design test methods. The conceptual model was eventually tested based on survey data collected from 250 automotive components and allied manufacturers in the emerging economy of South Africa.FindingsThe results indicate that GSCM technological dimensions (AI-based) positively influence GSCM strategy. Further, GSCM strategy was found to positively influence the GSCM process. The GSCM processes have significant effects on environmental performance, social performance, and financial performance. The product complexity has a significant moderation effect on the paths GSCM strategy and GSCM process.Originality/valueThe findings from multivariate data analysis provide a better understanding of GSCM system dynamics and are helpful to key decision-makers. This unique model has elevated GSCM theory to a new level. There are limited studies available in the existing GSCM literature using systems theory. This study will offer an advanced/comprehensive understanding to readers in this relatively new concept.

Green logistics performance and sustainability reporting practices of the logistics sector: The moderating effect of corporate governance

Drawing on the signaling theory, this study investigates the association between green logistics performance and sustainability reporting. In addition to this direct link, whether corporate governance moderates this relation or not is tested. The analysis of data collected for 117 countries covers the period from 2007 to 2016. Primarily, the study provides robust evidence that green logistics performance has a significant and positive association with the existence and the number of sustainability reports within the logistics sector. This association is validated for the composite Logistics Performance Index (LPI) as well as all six individual logistics performance indicators. Furthermore, moderation analysis indicated that in weak corporate governance environments characterized by ineffective boards of directors, the logistics performance and sustainability reporting link is stronger. This means that sustainability reporting fills the gap arising from poor corporate governance. This study extends existing green supply chain management literature by testing, for the first time, the association between green logistics practices and sustainability reporting. It is hoped that it helps to align the logistics sector with more eco-friendly practices and alleviate growing concerns of environmental degradation it is assumed to cause. In the end, the study provides implications for sector representatives, supply-chain managers, and developing countries in particular. It suggests guidelines about how to improve each dimension of six LPI to contribute to the sustainable development of the sector. Moreover, as one of the dimensions of this study is sustainability reporting, communication of sustainable supply chain practices to customers and other stakeholders may help supply chain managers augment the competitive posture of companies in the market. The sector can benefit from the Global Reporting Initiative’s individual metrics including materials usage, energy efficiency, recycling, and waste management metrics in developing environmentally friendly supply chains. The findings are particularly relevant for developing countries which are quite low scorers in terms of LPI than developed countries. Engaging in green logistics practices and developing policies accordingly may help them attenuate growing international environmental concerns and overcome trade barriers in international trade. The highlighted dimensions of green logistics performance may foster the circular economy while promoting the overall economic development of the countries.

Does Green Matter? A Study of Perception of Manufacturers and Consumers of a Developing Country about Green Supply Chains

Green Supply Chain Management (GrSCM) has received increased attention from both academia and industry in recent years in the industrial nations. It focuses on reducing the adverse impact of business processes on the environment. These business processes include product design, material sourcing and selection, manufacturing processes, product delivery and end-of-life management of the product. The research studying interactions between environment and businesses in Pakistan has been scarce. This study is conducted to set a platform for GrSCM research in Pakistan as it aims to investigate the perceptions of the manufacturers and consumers regarding their understanding about GrSCM and green products. A qualitative research design including indepth interviews from senior managers of three manufacturing firms and a focus group of customers has been conducted for this purpose. A list of critical factors of GrSCM has been developed based on survey of the literature. The comparison between the GrSCM literature, manufacturer perception about GrSCM and consumer perception about green products lead towards the conclusions regarding; how consumers perceive green products? Do they really demand such products? Do the manufacturers think there is a need for GrSCM? How do they think GrSCM can lead to competitiveness and better economic performance? Basic understanding regarding these issues leads to the future direction for research and practice in this area.

Effects of customer and cost drivers on green supply chain management practices and environmental performance

Abstract Using an international survey, this study examines the drivers and consequences of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices. Building on the GSCM literature, we propose that cost and customer drivers influence internal and external green practices and enhance environmental performance. Based on a study of 246 companies in multiple countries, the results indicate that both cost drivers and customer drivers significantly influence internal and external green practices, which in turn contribute to environmental performance. Moreover, the impacts of cost and customer drivers on internal and external green practices are influenced by firm size: the impacts of cost drivers are greater for large firms than for small firms, while those of customer drivers are lower for large firms than for small firms. Our findings have both theoretical and managerial implications for the GSCM literature and practice.

Driving green supply chain management performance through supplier selection and value internalisation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply self-determination theory (SDT) to green supply chain management (GSCM) and explore how green supplier selection (GSS) drives GSCM performance and how realisation of improved GSCM performance is contingent upon SDT mechanisms of autonomy, competence and relatedness.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on 18 semi-structured interviews and secondary data from a Germany-based first-tier aircraft interior manufacturer and its six key suppliers. The focal company was selected because it is recognised as having achieved high GSCM standards in the aerospace industry.FindingsThe study draws out the importance of GSS, distinguishing between new and legacy suppliers, and offers significant insights into how suppliers’ motivation and downstream GSCM criteria can be internalised in second-tier suppliers to drive GSCM performance.Practical implicationsGSS should be considered not only for new suppliers but also at an ongoing basis for legacy suppliers. Focal companies must realise the importance of motivating supply chain partners to realise GSCM practices and need to first build-up autonomy before focussing on competence and relatedness sub-dimensions.Originality/valueThe authors make a significant contribution to the GSCM literature by conducting a study of first-tier-second-tier relationships, thus moving beyond the buyer-supplier relationships investigated in extant studies. The results theoretically and empirically draw out key factors in GSS and supplier motivation in engaging with GSCM practices, thus driving GSCM performance.

Analysis of green supply chain barriers using integrated ISM-fuzzy MICMAC approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to implement green supply chain and to understand their mutual relationship. Green supply chain management (GSCM) barriers are identified using available GSCM literature and on consultations with experts from industry and academician. Interpretive structural model (ISM) was developed to identify the contextual relationship among these barriers. Design/methodology/approach – A group of experts from industries and academics was consulted and ISM is used to develop the contextual relationship among various GSCMBs for each dimension of GSCM implementation. The results of ISM are used as an input to fuzzy matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis, to identify the driving and dependence power of GSCMBs. Findings – This paper has identified 14 key GSCMBs and developed an integrated model using ISM and the fuzzy MICMAC approach, which helps to identify and classify the important GSCMBs and reveal the direct and indirect effects of each GSCMB on the GSCM implementation. ISM model provides only binary relationship among GSCMBs, while fuzzy MICMAC analysis provides precise analysis related to driving and dependence power of GSCMB, to overcome this limitation, integrated approach is developed. Research limitations/implications – ISM model development and fuzzy MICMAC analysis were obtained through the judgment of academicians and industry experts. It is the only subjective judgment and any biasing by the person who is judging the GSCMBs might influence the final result. Originality/value – This is first kind of study to identify GSCMBs and further, to deploy ISM and fuzzy MICMAC to identify and classify the key GSCMEs that influence GSCM implementation in the organization. The results will be useful for business managers to understand the GSCMBs and overcome these GSCMBs during GSCM implementation in an organization.

Role of green policy on sustainable supply chain management

Purpose– Green supply chain management (GSCM) has become the driver of sustainable strategy. This topic has been gaining increasing attention within both academia and industry for making the industry competitive. With the ever increasing demand for reducing carbon foot prints and greenhouse gas emission, there is a need to study the various parameters and drivers of sustainable development, especially in supply chain management. The need for developing the sustainable model including the drivers of sustainability needs to be designed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Using resource-based theory and value chain analysis; the authors have developed a model for sustainable strategy. The data were collected and analyzed to find the key drivers of sustainability. The data were analyzed with the help of regression and correlation analysis.Findings– After providing a background discussion on GSCM, the authors categorize and review recent GSCM literature under three broad categories, with a special emphasis on investigation of adoption, diffusion, and outcomes of GSCM practices. Within this review framework, the authors also identified GSCM research questions that are worthy of investigation. The study suggests that the main drivers of GSCM include the environmental policy and the green human resource management by providing them training for adopting sustainability practices. Besides this, another key driver is the sustainability criteria in supplier selection which was found to be enhancing the outcomes of sustainability.Research limitations/implications– The model suggests that we need to have management support for implementing the sustainability strategy in the organization.Practical implications– The study guides the managers for implementing sustainable supply chain management practices in the organization.Social implications– The model including the environment policy (adoption), green human resource management (diffusion), green technology (diffusion), and GSCM.Originality/value– Additional organizational theories which are considered valuable for future GSCM research are also identified with a conclusion for this review.