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The objective of this paper is to describe a corporate implementation and application of a “sustainable business cycle”.

The study is based on a single case study of a regional producer of dairy products in Sweden. The data were collected from non‐structured interviews with managers and available corporate documentation.

The company's “sustainable business cycle” may be divided into nine stages beginning with the arable land through to the dairy and transportation of products to market, where the final two stages involve external retailers and consumers, all of which is important to fulfilment of the earlier seven internal stages.

The findings stress the importance of connecting and reconnecting not just to immediate environmental concerns of business, but also to planet Earth, which is under non‐sustainable pressure and evidently faces an unpleasant destiny.

The case highlights advantages and challenges facing a small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) tasked with implementing a sustainable business cycle for a commodity product in a highly competitive market, dominated by powerful retailers.

Changing consumer behaviours and purchasing patterns, as well as state interventions imposed at top political levels worldwide, will gradually increase the necessity to create sustainable business cycles.

The main contribution of this article is to present a rare detailed case study of a sustainable, organic milk supply chain. It highlights the areas where sustainability is effective. It also illustrates the challenge for an SME trying to extend the reach and to create awareness of added value to the consumer. Hopefully some lessons will be learned and emphasized in this case study.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of buyers' attitudes towards the partial consensus surrounding the benefits of buyer‐supplier cooperation – the relational exchange perspective.

The extent to which buyers display an awareness of, and willingness to respond positively to, supplier needs, wants and preferences – termed supplier empathy – and how this influences their attitude towards buyer‐supplier cooperation and support of relational exchange is empirically assessed. In addition, factors that may influence levels of supplier empathy and the effect of supplier empathy on the incidence of supplier problems are examined. Finally, the extent to which social acceptability bias may mask attitudes in areas where consensus exists is considered. An empirical study utilising survey data from members of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply in the UK was completed. A total of 421 useable responses were received and analysed to evaluate hypotheses. The design also included efforts to identify the presence, and minimise the effects, of social acceptability bias.

The analysis indicates that the partial consensus surrounding the relational exchange approach is not shared by all practitioners. In addition, it is found that the level of supplier empathy exhibited by respondents is significantly influenced by supplier‐dependence aversion, innovation focus, extent of co‐design activity, existence of explicit partnership/cooperation objectives, and support for long‐term trading relationships.

The paper presents evidence that despite a significant but partial cooperation consensus in the academic literature, many large company practitioners appear unconvinced of the benefits of cooperation. Most analyses of buyer attitudes and behaviours are conducted by marketing researchers seeking to assist organisations‐as‐suppliers. This research is intended to help companies improve their performance as buyers. The paper also includes a rare attempt to identify and deal with the effects of social acceptability bias in the operations and supply management field.

The purpose of this study is to test a Triple Bottom Line (TBL)-construct as well as to describe the TBL-reasons for implementing sustainable business practices in companies and their business networks. This study explores how linking these seemingly disparate pillars of sustainability may be facilitated through a TBL construct. The notion of sustainable business practices has been evolving and is increasingly understood to encompass considerations of economic viability, as well as environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

The research is quantitative in nature, exploring and analysing how companies in different Norwegian industries implement and manage sustainable business practices based on TBL. The survey results are reported here.

The relevance of TBL to different aspects of sustainable business practices is outlined. The study generally supports the view that a heightened propensity for sustainable business practices ensures that organisations are better equipped for meeting the challenge of integrating TBL in companies and their business networks.

The study tested a construct of TBL in the context of sustainable business practices. It may be incorporated in further research in relation to other constructs. Suggestions for further research are proposed.

Useful for practitioners to get insights into TBL-reasons for implementing business-sustainable practices in companies and their business networks. It may also be valuable to assess the general status of business-sustainable practices in a company and their business networks.

Linking two traditionally separate and encapsulated areas of research, namely, the area of business sustainable practices and the area of TBL. The current study has contributed to a TBL-construct in relation to other constructs in measurement and structural models. It has also contributed to provide insights of priority into the main reasons to implement the elements of TBL within companies and their business networks.

Globalisation and technology effects appear to have spurred smaller firms around the world to embrace e‐business practices. However, there is considerable variability in adoption and usage from country to country. Drawing on existing research on e‐business and conventional business and marketing in the smaller firm, this paper formulates a conceptual framework of reasons behind adoption and non‐adoption in the smaller firm. Macro dimensions, industry sector and firm‐level factors are analysed, together with owner/manager motivations and attitudes towards e‐business adoption. A conceptual framework is constructed and research propositions are then developed in order to focus attention on sets of internal and external factors which impact on smaller firm e‐business usage. Recommendations for future theory development are presented, together with implications for industry bodies involved in supporting the SME sector.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to determine the extent to which companies’™ efforts of sustainable business practices consider stakeholders within their organisations, business networks, the marketplace and society, and to develop and test a stakeholder construct in the context of companies’™ business sustainability efforts within their business networks, the marketplace and society by identifying underlying dimensions and items.

A mixed-method approach was used. First, qualitative research involving a case study approach was followed so as to describe how companies in different industries in Norway implement and manage sustainable business practices. This was followed by a quantitative research phase to empirically measure and test a stakeholder construct in the context of business sustainability efforts, which is reported here.

The results report both an initial factor solution as well as a refined factor solution. The factor analyses confirmed five stakeholder dimensions related to business sustainability in a cross-industry sample of organisations, their business networks, marketplace and society. These include: the focal company, downstream stakeholders, societal stakeholders, market stakeholders and upstream stakeholders. The results indicate satisfactory convergent, discriminant and nomological validity, as well as reliability of each dimension.

The study provides a stakeholder construct in the context of business sustainability efforts in focal companies and their business networks, the marketplace and society, based upon five common dimensions. The multi-dimensional framework may be used in both qualitative and quantitative research in future. It may also be used to assess stakeholders’™ business sustainability efforts.

The multi-dimensional framework is useful for practitioners to obtain an indication of stakeholders’™ business sustainability efforts in relation to focal companies and their business networks, the marketplace and society.

The study provides a general stakeholder construct in the context of business sustainability efforts in business networks, the marketplace and society. The proposed framework can be incorporated in further studies and could be used to assess the general status of stakeholders’™ sustainability efforts in their networks, the marketplace and society.

The overall aim of this research was to undertake an exploratory investigation to gain insights into attitudes and perceptions of supplier development and local sourcing programmes in the UK grocery retail sector.

Since this research is exploratory in nature, a qualitative approach to data collection was undertaken using semi‐structured in‐depth interviews.

Retailers do seem to be undertaking supplier development as defined in the literature but the data collected highlights some of the difficulties experienced by all suppliers in supporting grocery retailer category management and branding strategies. From this, local sourcing also implies the involvement of the micro‐enterprise producer. This has the potential for greater levels of power and trust imbalance.

The main research limitation was the small sample size. However, the research was exploratory and the sample was essentially convenience based. This resulted in over‐representation by the larger SME producer. The findings can be enhanced with further qualitative research focusing on the micro‐enterprise supplier.

The paper offers an insight into the debate on SME supplier development and local sourcing by providing empirical evidence of the current shape and scope of the various initiatives in the UK grocery sector.

The purpose of this paper is to set out guidelines to de‐mystify the publication process and increase opportunities for successful publication.

An introspective method is employed based upon the author's experience as a reviewer and editor.

Findings highlight some of the challenges facing researchers when writing research papers, pitfalls on the path to publication and possible remedial actions.

Information gained may go some way to improve writing and increase the possibly of publication in international journals.

This paper is based on personal experience. The more information available to researchers regarding requirements for successful publication as well as greater transparency of the review process will improve writing quality and ultimately progress debate within academic disciplines.