Sustainable Supply Chain Strategies Research Articles

Can sustainable supply chain strategies of company enhance for mitigation of risk damages and long-term resilience? An empirical analysis for the context of COVID-19 pandemic

This study aims to investigate the effects of sustainable supply chain management strategies of the companies on mitigation of risk damages and long-term resilience through the evaluation of stock abnormal returns of companies listed on the stock markets based on the evidence from the context of COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical analysis was conducted for 63 companies listed on Vietnamese stock market, where plays as an example for emerging stock markets. The data were collected from the quarterly official financial statements of 63 companies between January 2020 and March 2023. Various regression models, including Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects Model, Random Effects Model, and Generalized Least Squares were explored. Found results indicated that the implementing sustainable supply chain management strategies might help to mitigate the negative impact on stock price volatility during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has not been the critical tool to improve the companies’ resilience ability in post pandemic yet. JEL Codes: F65, F63, G11, G34, G38Codes of Sustainable Development Goals: SDG17, SDG12, SDG02

A novel hybrid sustainable healthcare supply chain model for patient safety: A case study of Cambodia

This research focuses on elucidating the attributes of a Sustainable Healthcare Supply Chain (SHSC) that play a pivotal role in enhancing patient safety, particularly in developing nations. Patient safety in healthcare supply chains is paramount, particularly in the face of inherent risks and vulnerabilities associated with disruptions and uncertainties. A hybrid selection model, integrating factor analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), is introduced to rank these attributes. Twenty-two SHSC attributes are categorized into four facets: social, environmental, economic, and technological. A survey conducted across five Cambodian provinces gathered 361 valid responses from healthcare professionals, forming the basis for a structural SHSC model. This model is subsequently implemented in a Phnom Penh tertiary hospital. The findings underscore the imperative of incorporating patient safety considerations into healthcare supply chains. The hybrid selection model helps healthcare leaders figure out what factors are most important for patient safety and rank them. This gives them information they need to come up with effective strategies and long-lasting projects. The study's outcomes provide actionable insights for healthcare stakeholders. The multi-analytical approach of the model offers a comprehensive perspective to address supply chain challenges, reduce extraneous costs, and minimize environmental footprints. In essence, the effective implementation of sustainable healthcare supply chain strategies not only enhances care quality and fortifies patient safety but also aligns with the broader objectives of healthcare entities.

Sustainable Supply Chain Strategies in E-Commerce: Case Studies of Amazon and Cainiao

Sustainability has become a core issue of increasing concern to e-commerce companies. However, admit that this areas promotion and implementation is still in a relatively early stage of development. This study focuses on the e-commerce and supply chain giants in China and the United States, namely Amazon in the United States and Cainiao, a logistics subsidiary of Chinas Alibaba Group. During the investigation, the detailed green supply chain management strategies of e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Cainiao, including their innovative measures in energy use, logistics efficiency, packaging materials, carbon emission control, etc. These strategies aim to reduce adverse environmental impacts while improving operational efficiency and achieving sustainability goals. In addition, it also provides an in-depth understanding of the increase in carbon emissions of cross-border e-commerce companies within a specific time range, as well as the progress made in reducing their carbon footprint. This research aims to provide strong guidance and support for future emerging e-commerce companies, helping them progress in sustainable supply chains more successfully while contributing to realizing global sustainable development goals.

Bibliometric survey of futuristic technologies for sustainable supply chain visibility

The use of technology is extremely important for the promotion of transparency in organizations, as it allows them to efficiently analyze internal and external data. This facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the various participants and risks involved in the supply chain. Furthermore, specific technologies are essential in the implementation of sustainable supply chain strategies. These solutions have the potential to reduce waste, enhance transparency throughout the supply chain, and optimize energy consumption throughout the entirety of the supply chain. To grasp the gaps in the specific area of study, a literature review may serve as a means. A systematic evaluation and bibliometric analysis of emerging technologies related to the sustainability of supply chain visibility is set out in this paper. The analysis looks at a total of 127 Scopus articles from 2005 to 2022. The authors of the paper examined patterns in journals, authorship, and keywords to analyze the research findings. The coauthorship network and author keywords are displayed graphically as a result of using VOSviewer. The findings show that this research field has been on the rise since 2017 and will continue to do so through 2020. From 2017 to 2020, the International Journal of Production Economics & Production and Operations Management were two leading journals in this field. The study tries to provide an overview of the development and application of technology to sustainable supply chain visibility, which will aid scholars and researchers in filling the gaps in the literature.

The effect of retailer CSR and consumer environmental responsibility on green consumption behaviors: mediation of environmental concern and customer trust

PurposeGrowing environmental issues worldwide need the engagement of all stakeholders to compliance with the decisions of global leaders made at COP21 and COP26. In this regard, the present study looks at the influence of retailer social responsibility and consumer environmental responsibility by reinforcing consumer’s green consumption behaviors. Similarly, the proposed study incorporates the mediating role of customer trust and environmental concern to understand whether retailer corporate social responsibility and consumer environmental responsibility strengthen green consumption behavior.Design/methodology/approachMultiple hypotheses have been developed in light of the theoretical analysis of the available literature. The information was gathered through a survey method. A web-based portal was used to administer the survey, and 340 useable responses were processed by SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0 for experiential analysis. First, the validity and reliability were evaluated. The authors then tested potential relationships using structural equation modeling.FindingsSurvey data analyzed using the SEM approach reveal that consumer environmental responsibility and retailer CSR does not drive green consumption behavior directly. However, green concern and consumer trust mediates the relation of consumer environmental responsibility and retailer CSR towards green consumption behavior. Another mediating path was also tested through environmental responsibility and green concern among retailer's CSR and green consumption behavior. The outcomes of this path are also significant.Practical implicationsThe study holds promising implications for green consumption behaviors. The following can be achieved by implementing more sustainable supply chain strategies, such as lowering carbon footprint, purchasing eco-friendly goods and supporting environmental causes through retailers and consumers as well.Originality/valueThis study investigated the joint contribution of retailer CSR and environmental responsibility to green consumption for the first time. The work strengthens the body of knowledge in the field of managerial decision-making and creates new directions for scholarly investigation.

Circular Economy Initiatives in Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions

The concept of a circular economy (CE) entails developing a closed-loop system that strives to reduce waste, which adversely impacts the environment, while also minimising the use of resources (both natural and technical). The authors perform a thorough literature assessment of relevant papers using bibliometric and network analysis methodologies to identify the major components involved in a CE and solve the issues associated with implementing CE practices in the supply chain (SC). One of the objectives of this study is to determine current trends in SC based on the CE from 2013 to 2022. 101 articles are selected for in-depth analysis based on a bibliometric and network analysis approach. The review sheds light on the most important success factors of CE practices in SC across a variety of industries, as well as current and upcoming research trends. This review identifies research gaps and highlights additional theoretical approaches to the critical success factors of CE practices in the SC. The findings of this research will enable organisations to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with CE practices and develop more efficient and sustainable SC strategies.

Analyzing the Moderating Role of Employee Involvement in the Relationship between Sustainable Supply Chain Practices and Sustainable Performance

This study examines the complicated relationships between sustainable supply chain practices, resilience, employee involvement, top management support, and sustainable textile performance in Pakistan. Purposive sampling selected 283 supply chain specialists for data collecting. This study investigated sustainable supply chain management dynamics in a given sector and area. The study's main value is confirming Sustainable Supply Chain Management's fundamentals. This study proves that sustainable supply chain methods improve performance. The Pakistani textile sector recognizes the growing importance of sustainability in supply chain operations to maintain competitiveness and address social challenges, following global trends. Additionally, supply chain resilience is a key intermediary variable in this study. Sustainable supply chain practices improve an organization’s resilience to disruptions and adaptability to changing environmental conditions, as shown in this statement. Supply chain resilience as a mediator improves sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) theory. It underlines that sustainability requires understanding mechanisms as well as consequences. Employee involvement moderates the debate, as shown in this study. This study found that engaged employees boost the favorable effects of sustainable supply chain strategies on overall sustainable performance. This supports the current trend of employee-led sustainability efforts, where motivated and engaged people drive organizational sustainability. The study found no indication that top management support moderates. This suggests that leadership's impact is contextual, requiring context-specific sustainable supply chain management strategies. This study challenges conventional wisdom and advocates for further research into top management support in sustainable supply chains. The study's practical findings are crucial for Pakistan's textile and related industries. The paper emphasizes the need of prioritizing sustainable supply chain practices, developing resilience, engaging employees at all levels in sustainability projects, and providing leadership support in the right context. The above practical principles reflect the changing sustainability landscape and provide a strategy for firms seeking economic success and environmental and social responsibility. A study in Pakistan's textile industry adds empirical evidence to Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) theory. This emphasizes the importance of industry-specific details and corporate cultures in sustainability initiatives. In conclusion, these results spur a greener future in textiles and global supply chain management.

Sustainable supply chain, digital transformation, and blockchain technology adoption in the tourism sector

This paper seeks to examine the influence of sustainable supply chain strategy (SSCS) on sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) by considering the mediating role of blockchain technology (BCT) adoption and the moderating role of Digital Transformation (DT) and sustainable supply chain practices (SSCP). Drawing upon the resource-based view theory, we empirically tested our model using a sample of 331 hotel and resort managers, and a quantitative approach was used. The results revealed that BCT adoption mediates the relationship between SSCS and SCA. They further explain that DT significantly moderates the relationship between the SSCS and BCT adoption, whereas SSCP significantly moderates the relationship between the BCT adoption and SCA. All research objectives are successfully obtained. As a result, firms must not only adopt sustainable strategies, but also adopt advanced technologies and transformative practices in order to maintain a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic market landscape. The findings of this study hold significant implications for both theory and practice, providing strategic insights for organizations seeking to improve their competitive positioning by embracing sustainable strategies and technologies.

Measuring sustainability of suppliers: Strategies for competing institutional logics

While the growing literature has examined the strategies of buyers to ensure the sustainability of suppliers, the underlying theoretical dynamics and measurement of such strategies have been overlooked. Drawing on institutional logics perspective, this study develops and tests a measurement model of sustainable supply chain strategies. The study identifies three theoretically-driven strategies as performance-oriented strategy for commercial logic, risk avoidance-oriented strategy for public logic, and collaboration-oriented strategy for social-welfare logic. Then, a measurement construct is developed through the review of extant literature and corporate practices as well as using the findings of a semi-structured interview with 21 managers in nine suppliers. The construct is tested based on a survey data drawn from a sample of 131 suppliers of Western companies in Turkey. The analysis confirms a three-dimensional measurement model. Considering the importance of knowing how to strategically approach a supplier to ensure its sustainability, both scholars and managers can use this model to investigate the implications of formulation and implementation of diverse sustainability strategies at supply chain context.

Sustainable Supply Chain Strategy and Sustainable Competitive Advantage: A Mediated and Moderated Model.

In the global business environment, sustainability has become a competitive priority of most enterprises. Sustainability as a differentiation approach enables organizations to compete in today's environment. However, despite the increasing adaptability to sustainability practices, pharmaceutical supply chain management is still facing challenges in preserving the global environment. The study contemplates the impact of sustainable supply chain strategy and sustainable competitive advantage while considering the mediating role of sustainable supply chain practice and moderating role of sustainability inhibitors. The data was collected from the 180 employees working in the pharmaceutical companies of Pakistan. The study applied a quantitative approach for testing a theoretical model, using discriminant validity analysis, assessment of measurement model, composite reliability & validity analysis to assess the dimensions and model's reliability and validity. The study results show a positive relationship between sustainable supply chain strategy and sustainable competitive advantage. Sustainable supply chain practice mediates the relationship between sustainable supply chain strategy and sustainable competitive advantage, while sustainability inhibitors strengthen the relationship between sustainable supply chain strategy and sustainable supply chain practice. This study will help managers develop impactful sustainable supply chain management practices that will lead to sustainable performance.

Digitalisation and sustainable supply chain strategy: an instrument for improving efficiencies in the public healthcare sector

Digitalisation and sustainable supply chain strategy: an instrument for improving efficiencies in the public healthcare sector

Comparative analysis of sustainability factors in supply chain links. Evidence of empirical research

Sustainability factors play a very important role in shaping supply chain strategies. Their implementation and compliance is also important from the customers' perspective. This study attempts to present and analyze the actions taken in the field of implementing sustainable development factors and elements in supply chains, taking into account the perspectives of the various links. The results of the comparative analysis show the differences that occur in the implementation and application of sustainable development elements in various links of the chains. On the basis of selected questions from the survey questionnaire, the authors created a ranking in which they compared the indicated chain links in terms of the use of sustainable development elements, reflected by the indicated indicators. The results clearly show the differences, which means that the same indicators for different links have a different meaning and play a different role. This means that it is necessary to analyze and observe the individual links very carefully so that the understanding of sustainability is clear, and the more elements are implemented, the faster and easier it will be to have a holistic approach to implementing a sustainable supply chain strategy.

Analysis of core risk factors and potential policy options for sustainable supply chain: an MCDM analysis of Saudi Arabia's manufacturing industry.

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has been a tough challenge for developing economies like Saudi Arabia. Implementation of SSCM practices in the manufacturing industry has been prone to multiple risk factors that need to be identified, evaluated, and prioritized especially considering the dynamics of the manufacturing industry in a developing economy. Moreover, it is also imperative to trace out feasible and sustainable strategies to overcome the risks to SSCM practices adoption. This study serves this purpose and identifies, evaluates, prioritizes the risk factors, sub-factors, and strategies to overcome these risk factors in the implementation of SSCM practices in the manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia. An integrated multi-criteria decision analysis approach by combining fuzzy AHP and fuzzy WASPAS methods is employed for the analyses. The fuzzy AHP analysis results show that economic risks are dominant risks followed by the managerial policy risks and environmental risks in implementing SSCM. Industrial emissions are the leading risk factors in the overall ranking of the sustainable supply chain sub-risk factors followed by market dynamics, management policy failures, financial constraints, and credit uncertainty. While evaluating the sustainable supply chain strategies using fuzzy WASPAS, it is concluded that commitment and support of top, middle, and lower level management is the most pivotal strategy to deal with the risks to SSCM in Saudi Arabia followed by establishing environmental policies and goals to adopt SSCM, and provision of the financial resources and subsidies.

Seizing the Potential of Transport Pooling in Urban Logistics - The Case of Thriasio Logistics Centre in Greece

One of the main topics with increasing interest in freight transport and logistics is developing efficient and sustainable supply chain strategies that best cover customer demands and expectations as well as identify considerable cost savings and emission reductions. This study focuses on the evaluation of the potential of a logistics centre for consolidating and delivering goods at urban level, based on economic, social and environmental aspects, by performing both GIS simulation and SWOT analysis, while considering key criteria of transport management, infrastructure and fleet attributes as well as logistics and market features in the Attica region of Greece. The case refers to the largest Logistics Centre of Greece, located at Thriasio, offering door-to door services to the main industrial areas of the region. The approach followed, consists of two core elements: (1) a specific model of a last-mile delivery network in GIS environment, towards simulating and solving the vehicle routing problem (VRP) as well as b) a strategic assessment of the foreseen logistics activities through the SWOT business tool. For a transport operator with 5 vehicles, an operational distance-related cost of €1.8-1.9 per pallet was estimated. Results also show the lower environmental impact of larger vehicles due to transport pooling.

Sustainable Supply Chains: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers

As a result of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, numerous countries have become highly interested in sustainability. Manufacturers have been triggered to develop sustainable supply chain strategies in consideration of their value-added processes and stakeholders. This study was conducted, in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Taiwanese manufacturing industry, in order to examine the relationship between sustainability and business performance from the perspective of the supply chain aspects of business cooperation, operation integration, and enterprise commitment. A total of 290 companies were surveyed and structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the figures from the samples. The results reveal that the implementation of sustainable practices in the context of enterprise commitments, supply chain cooperation, and operation integration has a positive impact on sustainability and business performance. Furthermore, in high-value manufacturing, supply chain cooperation significantly affects sustainable business performance through internal operation integration. These results may serve as a reference for the realization of supply chain sustainability in small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Modelling flexible decisions about sustainable supplier selection in multitier sustainable supply chain management

Supplier selection is crucial decision for buying companies to develop sustainable supply chain strategy. Not only first-tier suppliers but also lower-tier suppliers would influence the buyer’s sustainability performance. Thus, buying companies need to consider extending their sustainable supply chain plan to multitier suppliers, and develop multitier sustainable supply chain management (MT-SSCM). Sustainable supplier selection (SSS), as an important SSCM practice, can effectively enhance the sustainable competitiveness of supply chains. However, there are few theoretical studies on SSS under MT-SSCM, which affects the decision-making efficiency of organisations. In general, there are three multitier supply chain (MTSC) structures: open MTSC, closed MTSC and transitional MTSC structures. Because some traditional decision models cannot deal with a variety of structures at the same time, this study proposes a hybrid model that integrates fuzzy set theory, stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis and a Bayesian network to evaluate the critical SSS criteria in three MTSC structures. Finally, a case of a Chinese buying company is used to verify the flexibility and applicability of the proposed model, and some suggestions are provided for the practitioners to select sustainable suppliers in different MTSC structures.

Digitalisation and sustainable supply chain strategy: an instrument for improving efficiencies in the public healthcare sector

Digitalisation and sustainable supply chain strategy: an instrument for improving efficiencies in the public healthcare sector

Development of a strategic framework for sustainable supply chain management

<abstract> <p>It is widely agreed that properly establishing a sustainable supply chain strategy to yield competitive advantages is essential for business enterprises, and a number of research papers on sustainable supply chains have been produced over the last two decades. However, many past studies on sustainable supply chain strategies emphasized either classification schemes or various coordination mechanisms, and few of them have focused on an integrated framework for sustainable supply chains. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a strategic framework for the sustainable supply chain management. The study is based on the abductive reasoning process through literature review to establish a strategic framework which is ranked through grey relational analysis (GRA). The weighted data of various strategies collected from the elite interview prove to be comprehensive and evaluable, so it can create values for supply chain members in practice. The results further suggest that each sustainable supply chain in different fields can select the best combination of strategies through GRA to constantly facilitate performance of sustainability. The main contribution is the submission of a strategic framework which makes up the insufficiency of past research papers lacking an integrated strategic framework. At the same time, the proposed strategic framework has also been illustrated through a case study.</p> </abstract>

A Novel Interval Value Extension of Picture Fuzzy Sets Into Group Decision Making: An Approach to Support Supply Chain Sustainability in Catastrophic Disruptions

In critical times when disasters and unpredicted events collapse human judgments, formation and structure of social infrastructure gets to be rather important. Acute risk of catastrophic events such as a rare disaster, a coronavirus pandemic, trigger a global scale setback which has a substantial impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Catastrophic events halt economic landscape, collapse commodity prices, and silence production engines which interact in complex ways. During this phase of volatility and opacity, roles of sustainable supply chain, productions and circular economy get more important than ever. Such disruptions are therefore to be addressed by identifying sustainable supply chain strategies. This paper intends to establish underlying patterns of disruptive factors in the supply chain to evaluate strategies in formation and structuring of sustainable supply chain by applying it to real world example in Turkish Kitchen Equipment Manufacturer (KEM). Selection of sustainable supply chain strategy is a complex Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) issue involving various parameters that may be contradictory at the same time. Analytical-Hierarchy-Process (AHP) and VlseKriterijumska-Optimizacija-I-Kompromisno-Resenje (VIKOR) methods can be used to solve such problems. In order to strengthen these methods in terms of their lacking capability of coping with uncertainty and incomplete information, they are extended with Interval-Valued Picture-Fuzzy Set (IVPFS) to better simulate human judgment. MCDM processes can be enhanced with Group-Decision-Making (GDM) to combine individual Decision Makers’ (DMs) opinions into group judgments. Found outcome reveal that supply chains to respond catastrophic disruptions, businesses should primarily diversify supply chain from a geographic perspective, and should diversify disruptive forces in motion from a physical perspective. Originality of article is based on integrated AHP and VIKOR approaches in IVPFS based GDM algorithm as a first in the literature and presentation of its application for supply chain sustainability in catastrophic disruptions as a decision support tool.

When Sustainability Becomes an Order Winner: Linking Supply Uncertainty and Sustainable Supply Chain Strategies

This study investigates how to implement a sustainable supply chain strategy by choosing a set of sustainable practices while considering the strategic priority assigned to sustainability within a company’s competitive strategy (i.e., an order winner (OW), market qualifier (MQ) or desirable attribute (DA)). Therefore, two research questions arise: RQ1. What are the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices adopted by companies under the different levels of priority assigned to sustainability (i.e., OW, MQ and DA)? and RQ2. How does supply uncertainty influence the choices regarding the SSCM practices to adopt or vice versa? We addressed these questions through a two-step methodology that includes 10 exploratory case studies in different industries and four explanatory cases in the furniture industry. Six research propositions are developed, and we show how some sustainable practices are common to all companies in the sample, while others are only applicable when sustainability is an MQ or an OW. Moreover, in contrast to the suggestion in the literature, we observed that companies with sustainability as an OW implement sustainability practices despite increasing exposure to supply uncertainty. However, when sustainability is a DA or an MQ, companies might implement sustainable practices with the aim of reducing supply uncertainty rather than for sustainability goals. The cases show that investment in these practices can trigger a transition towards a situation in which sustainability is an OW.