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1 – 10 of 109Mukesh Kondala, Sai Sudhakar Nudurupati and Raja Phani Pappu
The circular economy (CE) represents an industry-wide transition from linear to circular processes. There has been a proliferation of literature on CE in the last decade. However…
Abstract
Purpose
The circular economy (CE) represents an industry-wide transition from linear to circular processes. There has been a proliferation of literature on CE in the last decade. However, the existing studies on the adaption of CE in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are scarce. This study aims to develop a research agenda and the way forward for future researchers focusing on the adoption of CE.
Design/methodology/approach
This article analyses the CE concepts through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Coding and content analysis are performed to generate emergent themes with the help of “Atlas.ti” software.
Findings
The authors uncovered the contemporary significance of adopting CE and the state-of-the-art literature on CE. The study's findings fall into four broad themes: Technical know-how, resource and process optimization, reverse practices and technology and innovation. Ten thought-provoking questions were identified in the four themes that researchers can explore further in embracing CE to achieve sustainability in SMEs.
Practical implications
The study has highlighted the importance of CE adoption and CE's benefits to stakeholders across all three dimensions, i.e. social, economic and ecological. Practitioners can use the agenda in four themes to strengthen the practitioners' existing practices in SMEs to promote CE.
Originality/value
The study's uniqueness is the supply of current knowledge from diverse literature and practical consequences for SMEs. This study opens new lines of inquiry to adopt CE in SMEs, streamlining the existing literature into four themes to focus future research.
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Vijaypal Poonia, Rakhee Kulshrestha, Kuldip Singh Sangwan and Shivankur Sharma
This paper aims at developing a multi-objective mathematical model of circular economy that integrates key concept of leasing as a strategy in addition to reuse, refurbishing…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at developing a multi-objective mathematical model of circular economy that integrates key concept of leasing as a strategy in addition to reuse, refurbishing, primary recycling, secondary recycling and disposal.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes multi-objective fuzzy mixed integer linear programming mathematical model considering multi-product, multi-echelon and multi-capacitated concepts of the circular economy. The three objectives of the proposed model, namely, economic, environmental and social are solved simultaneously using constraint approach to obtain balanced trade-off between the objective functions. The model is validated by solving a case study from the literature. The proposed model is made pragmatic for industrial application by considering multi-external suppliers multi-customer zones, multi-disassembly centers, multi-collection centers and multi-refurbishing centers and accounting for purchasing, processing, transportation, set-up costs and capacity constraints at the same time.
Findings
The results show that the leasing of the products improves the economic function in addition to the known environmental improvements. The proposed model also shows that the circular economy can generate the jobs for the unskilled people at different locations.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model can be further improved by considering the non-linearity due to economy of scale at various centers and in transportation. The model can be further extended to make it multi-period model.
Practical implications
The proposed model of circular economy can be used by the organizations as a policy tool to decide the optimum number of collection centers, disassembly centers, refurbishing centers, recycling centers and disposal centers and their optimum locations and allocations. The organizations can also trade-off among economic, environmental and social benefits of their proposed decisions in circular economy.
Originality/value
The originality of the proposed mathematical model is consideration of leasing as a strategy to have better control over the supply chain for circularity; considering the training of unskilled people for backward supply chain jobs and accounting for primary recycling and secondary recycling separately for economical computation.
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Deepak Datta Nirmal, K. Nageswara Reddy and Sujeet Kumar Singh
The main purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review and critical insights of the application of fuzzy methods in modeling, assessing and understanding the various…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review and critical insights of the application of fuzzy methods in modeling, assessing and understanding the various aspects of green and sustainable supply chains (SSCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The present study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis of 252 research articles. This study employs various tools such as VOSviewer version 1.6.10, Publish or Perish, Mendeley and Excel that aid in descriptive analysis, bibliometric analysis and network visualization. These tools have been used for performing citation analysis, top authors' analysis, co-occurrence of keywords, cluster and content analysis.
Findings
The authors have divided the literature into seven application areas and discussed detailed insights. This study has observed that research in the social sustainability area, including various issues like health and safety, labor rights, discrimination, etc. is scarce. Integration of the Industry 4.0 technologies like blockchain, big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) with the sustainable and green supply chain (GSC) is a promising field for future research.
Originality/value
The authors' contribution primarily lies in providing the integrated framework which shows the changing trends in the use of fuzzy methods in the sustainability area classifying and consolidating green and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) literature in seven major areas where fuzzy methods are predominantly applied. These areas have been obtained after the analysis of clusters and content analysis of the literature presenting key insights from the past and developing the conceptual framework for future research studies.
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Emilia Kääriä and Ahm Shamsuzzoha
This study is focused to support an ongoing development project of the case company's current state and the challenges of the order-to-cash (O2C) process. The O2C process is the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study is focused to support an ongoing development project of the case company's current state and the challenges of the order-to-cash (O2C) process. The O2C process is the most visible process to the customer, and therefore, its punctual and fluent order management is vital. It is observed that the high degree of manual work in the O2C process causes mistakes, delays and rework in the process. The purpose of this article is therefore to analyze the case company's current state of the O2C process as well as to identify the areas of development in this process by deploying the means of Lean Six Sigma tools such as value stream mapping (VSM).
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted as a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Based on both the quantitative and qualitative data, a workshop on VSM was organized to analyze the current state of the O2C process of a case company, engaged in the energy and environment sector in Finland.
Findings
The results found that excessive manual work was highly connected to inadequate or incorrect data in pricing and invoicing activities, which resulted in canceled invoices. Canceled invoices are visible to the customer and have a negative impact on the customer experience. This study found that by improving the performance of the O2C process activities and improving communication among the internal and external stakeholders, the whole O2C process can perform more effectively and provide better customer value.
Originality/value
The O2C process is the most visible process to the customer and therefore its punctual and fluent order management is vital. To ensure that the O2C process is operating as desired, suitable process performance metrics need to be aligned and followed. The results gathered from the case company's data, questionnaire interviews, and the VSM workshop are all highlighted in this study. The main practical and managerial implications were to understand the real-time O2C process performance, which is necessary to ensure strong performance and enhance continuous improvement of the O2C process that leads to operational excellence and commercial competitiveness of the studied case company.
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Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji and Elda Nduka Okolo-Obasi
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies' (MOC) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies' (MOC) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on promoting gender-equitable agricultural value chains in the Niger Delta region.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a quasi-experimental design that used survey research technique, aimed at gathering information from a representative sample of the population, as it is essentially cross-sectional, describing and interpreting the current situation. A total of 760 rural women (380 from the treatment group and another 380 from the control group) were sampled across the Niger Delta region.
Findings
The results from the use of a combination of a logit model and propensity score matching indicate a significant relationship between GMoU model and gender-equitable agricultural value chains in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.
Research limitations/implications
This study implies that CSR of MOCs is a critical factor in the need to integrating gender into agricultural value chains, achieving the goal of increasing agricultural growth and expanding the stable food supply.
Originality/value
This research contributes to gender debate in agricultural value chains from a CSR perspective in developing countries and rationale for demands for social projects by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern.
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Little is known about the determinants of supply chain finance (SCF) adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. This study aims to address…
Abstract
Purpose
Little is known about the determinants of supply chain finance (SCF) adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. This study aims to address this relevant research gap and hence, draws on the resource-based view and transaction cost economies to empirically investigate five factors that make SCF adoption practicable among SMEs in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach involves a sample of 257 SME managers/owners and modelling via structural equations modelling.
Findings
All five factors (innovative capability, information sharing, inter- and intra-firm collaboration, external financing and trade process digitization) were found to impact positively and significantly on SCF adoption. The findings provide SME managers/owners with a research model which guides them on how to settle the SCF process.
Research limitations/implications
This paper used a cross-sectional survey, which makes it impossible to access changes over time. In addition, the use of quantitative method limits respondents from expressing their feelings fully. Using a mixed or qualitative methodology will provide avenues for future research.
Practical implications
This paper offers a completive advantage for Ghanaian SMEs to strengthen their relationships while collaborating with each other. The findings suggest that by adopting SCF solutions, SMEs can optimize their liquidity and working capital. The factors underpinning SCF adoption are of incredible attractiveness for SME managers/owners to discover the relevant practice of SCF solutions. SMEs should adopt SCF strategies for improving their capability to respond promptly to transactions.
Originality/value
This paper is among the few papers that have examined these five factors in a developing economy context. The study also provides new understanding of the factors that influence SCF adoption in the context of a developing economy.
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Arsalan Zahid Piprani, Syed Abdul Rehman Khan and Zhang Yu
Growing emphasis on long-term viability prompts researchers and industry professionals to collaborate on innovative approaches for sustainability and survival. Industry 4.0 (I4.0…
Abstract
Purpose
Growing emphasis on long-term viability prompts researchers and industry professionals to collaborate on innovative approaches for sustainability and survival. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technology's importance drives active adoption by firms amidst evolving business dynamics. This research examines the influence of I4.0 technologies on lean, agile resilient and green practices and their impact on supply chain performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data from Pakistani manufacturing enterprises were analyzed using SMART PLS to explore the relationship between I4.0 technology, supply chain practices and supply chain performance.
Findings
I4.0 technologies significantly impact all practices, while agile and resilient supply chain approaches partially mediate the relationship with supply chain performance.
Practical implications
Insights from this research guide policymakers and business experts in implementing and managing lean, agile, resilient and green practices. Integrating these principles with digital technology solutions enhances supply chain performance.
Originality/value
This study advances understanding of the interplay between I4.0 technologies, practices and supply chain performance, providing a basis for further research and practical implications.
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Bradley J. Olson, Satyanarayana Parayitam, Matteo Cristofaro, Yongjian Bao and Wenlong Yuan
This paper elucidates the role of anger in error management (EM) and organizational learning behaviors. The study explores how anger can catalyze learning, emphasizing its…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper elucidates the role of anger in error management (EM) and organizational learning behaviors. The study explores how anger can catalyze learning, emphasizing its strategic implications.
Design/methodology/approach
A double-layered moderated-mediated model was developed and tested using data from 744 Chinese CEOs. The psychometric properties of the survey instrument were rigorously examined through structural equation modeling, and hypotheses were tested using Hayes's PROCESS macros.
Findings
The findings reveal that anger is a precursor for recognizing the value of significant errors, leading to a positive association with learning behavior among top management team members. Additionally, the study uncovers a triple interaction effect of anger, EM culture and supply chain disruptions on the value of learning from errors. Extensive experience and positive grieving strengthen the relationship between recognizing value from errors and learning behavior.
Originality/value
This study uniquely integrates affect-cognitive theory and organizational learning theory, examining anger in EM and learning. The authors provide empirical evidence that anger can drive error value recognition and learning. The authors incorporate a more fine-grained approach to leadership when including executive anger as a trigger to learning behavior. Factors like experience and positive grieving are explored, deepening the understanding of emotions in learning. The authors consider both negative and positive emotions to contribute to the complexity of organizational learning.
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Zulaiha Hamidu, Kassimu Issau, Francis O. Boachie-Mensah and Emmanuel Asafo-Adjei
The authors examine the effect of supply chain resilience (SCR) on supply chain performance (SCP) while considering the moderating effect of supply chain network complexity (SCNC…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors examine the effect of supply chain resilience (SCR) on supply chain performance (SCP) while considering the moderating effect of supply chain network complexity (SCNC) on the nexus between SCR and SCP of manufacturing firms.
Design/methodoqlogy/approach
The quantitative research approach and explanatory research design were utilised for this study. A sample of 345 manufacturing firms in the Accra metropolis was drawn. The partial least square structural equation modelling was employed.
Findings
Findings from the study revealed that SCR has a significant positive effect on SCP. However, SCNC had a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between SCR and SCP.
Practical implications
The authors advocate that manufacturing firms are prone to stronger impact from complex networks that mitigate the already existing positive relationship between SCR and SCP and is dependent on the context in which the study is executed, and the extent to which resilience strategies are robust. Thus, the SCNC has an adverse impact on how well partners interact and how well the supply chain functions.
Originality/value
This is the first study that quantitatively investigates the SCR impact on SCP in the presence of SCNC of manufacturing firms in the context of a developing economy. The study redefines SCNC from earlier studies.
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Owais Khan and Andreas Hinterhuber
The role of procurement managers is crucial for diffusing sustainability throughout the supply chain. Whether or not they are willing to pay for sustainability is an important and…
Abstract
Purpose
The role of procurement managers is crucial for diffusing sustainability throughout the supply chain. Whether or not they are willing to pay for sustainability is an important and not yet fully understood question. The authors examine antecedents and consequences of their willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop a multi-level framework to examine the WTP for sustainability in a B2B context. The authors test this multi-level framework with 372 procurement managers from multiple sectors and countries using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
The authors find that individual values of procurement managers and institutional pressures directly, while ethical organizational culture indirectly influence WTP for sustainability. Functional and cognitive competencies of procurement managers improve the sustainability of procurement, but not WTP for sustainability. Importantly, WTP for sustainability directly influences the performance of the procurement function which in turn is positively associated with increased organizational performance.
Originality/value
The study, examining the interplay between individual, organizational and contextual factors, provides empirical evidence on the pivotal role of procurement managers in diffusing sustainability throughout the supply chain. The findings of the study, on the one hand, contribute to the literature on operations management and sustainability, and on the other hand, guide policy and managerial actions.
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