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1 – 10 of 18Emel Aktas, Hafize Sahin, Zeynep Topaloglu, Akunna Oledinma, Abul Kalam Samsul Huda, Zahir Irani, Amir M. Sharif, Tamara van’t Wout and Mehran Kamrava
Food waste occurs in every stage of the supply chain, but the value-added lost to waste is the highest when consumers waste food. The purpose of this paper is to understand the…
Abstract
Purpose
Food waste occurs in every stage of the supply chain, but the value-added lost to waste is the highest when consumers waste food. The purpose of this paper is to understand the food waste behaviour of consumers to support policies for minimising food waste.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical lens, the authors design a questionnaire that incorporates contextual factors to explain food waste behaviour. The authors test two models: base (four constructs of TPB) and extended (four constructs of TPB plus six contextual factors). The authors build partial least squares structural equation models to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The data confirm significant relationships between food waste and contextual factors such as motives, financial attitudes, planning routines, food surplus, social relationships and Ramadan.
Research limitations/implications
The data comes from an agriculturally resource-constrained country: Qatar.
Practical implications
Food waste originating from various causes means more food should flow through the supply chains to reach consumers’ homes. Contextual factors identified in this work increase the explanatory power of the base model by 75 per cent.
Social implications
Changing eating habits during certain periods of the year and food surplus have a strong impact on food waste behaviour.
Originality/value
A country is considered to be food secure if it can provide its citizens with stable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. The findings and conclusions inform and impact upon the development of food waste and food security policies.
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Samuel Roscoe, Heather Skipworth, Emel Aktas and Farooq Habib
This paper examines how firms of different sizes formulate and implement strategies to achieve fit with an external environment disrupted by a geopolitical event. The context of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines how firms of different sizes formulate and implement strategies to achieve fit with an external environment disrupted by a geopolitical event. The context of the study is the pharmaceutical industry and how it managed the supply chain uncertainty created by the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union, or Brexit.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected longitudinally from the pro-Brexit vote on 23 June 2016, until the UK’s departure from the EU on 31 January 2020. Twenty-seven interviews were conducted in the pharmaceutical sector, including nineteen interviews with senior managers at eight case companies and eight interviews with experts working for trade associations and standards institutes. The interview findings were triangulated with Brexit policy and strategy documentation.
Findings
When formulating strategy, multi-national enterprises (MNEs) used worst case assumptions, while large firms, and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) gathered knowledge as part of a “wait-and-see” strategy, allowing them to reduce perceptions of heightened supply chain uncertainty. Firms then implemented reactive and/or proactive strategies to mitigate supply chain risks.
Originality/value
The study elaborates on strategic contingency theory by identifying two important conditions for achieving strategic fit: first, companies deploy intangible resources, such as management time, to gather information and reduce perceptions of heightened supply chain uncertainty. Second, companies deploy tangible resources (supply chain redundancies, new supply chain assets) to lessen the negative outcomes of supply chain risks. Managers are provided with an empirical framework for mitigating supply chain uncertainty and risk originating from geopolitical disruptions.
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Carl Kühl, Michael Bourlakis, Emel Aktas and Heather Skipworth
The purpose of this paper is to test the link between servitisation and circular economy by synthesising the effect of product-service systems (PSS) on supply chain circularity…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the link between servitisation and circular economy by synthesising the effect of product-service systems (PSS) on supply chain circularity (SCC).
Design/methodology/approach
Following a systematic literature review methodology, the study identified 67 studies and synthesised them using content analysis.
Findings
A conceptual model is developed illustrating how PSS business models impact SCC through increased product longevity, closure of resource loops and resource efficiency. It also identifies six contextual factors affecting the implementation of SCC including: economic attractiveness of SCC; firm sustainability strategy; policy and societal environment; product category; supply chain relationships; and technology.
Research limitations/implications
The conceptual model proposes that SCC increases with servitisation. It also proposes that the main circularity effect stems from increased product longevity, followed by closed resource loops and finally resource efficiency. The model is deduced from the literature by using secondary data.
Practical implications
The review provides practitioners with a framework to increase SCC through PSS business models. It also gives insight into the various contextual factors that may affect how a manufacturer’s servitisation strategy contributes to SCC.
Originality/value
This review contributes to the understanding of the relationship between servitisation and SCC by synthesising the different effects that exist. Moreover, it creates new knowledge by identifying a range of contextual factors affecting the relationship between PSS and SCC.
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Laharish Guntuka, Prabhjot S. Mukandwal, Emel Aktas and Vamsi Sai Krishna Paluvadi
We conduct a multidisciplinary systematic literature review on climate neutrality in the supply chain. While carbon neutrality has gained prominence, our study argues that…
Abstract
Purpose
We conduct a multidisciplinary systematic literature review on climate neutrality in the supply chain. While carbon neutrality has gained prominence, our study argues that achieving carbon neutrality alone is not enough to address climate change effectively, as non-CO2 greenhouse gases (GHG) are potent contributors to global warming.
Design/methodology/approach
We used multiple databases, including EBSCO, ProQuest, Science Direct, Emerald and Google Scholar, to identify articles related to climate neutrality in the context of non-CO2 gases. A total of 71 articles in environmental science, climate change, energy systems, agriculture and logistics are reviewed to provide insights into the climate neutrality of supply chains.
Findings
We find that, in addition to CO2, other GHG such as methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and fluorinated gases also significantly contribute to climate change. Our literature review identified several key pillars for achieving net-zero GHG emissions, including end-use efficiency and electrification, clean electricity supply, clean fuel supply, “GHG capture, storage and utilization,” enhanced land sinks, reduced non-CO2 emissions and improved feed and manure management.
Originality/value
We contribute to the literature on climate neutrality of supply chains by emphasizing the significance of non-CO2 GHG along with CO2 and highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to climate neutrality in addressing climate change. This study advances the understanding of climate neutrality of supply chains and contributes to the discourse on effective climate change mitigation strategies. It provides clear future research directions.
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Shiyi Wang, Abhijeet Ghadge and Emel Aktas
Digital transformation using Industry 4.0 technologies can address various challenges in food supply chains (FSCs). However, the integration of emerging technologies to achieve…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital transformation using Industry 4.0 technologies can address various challenges in food supply chains (FSCs). However, the integration of emerging technologies to achieve digital transformation in FSCs is unclear. This study aims to establish how the digital transformation of FSCs can be achieved by adopting key technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoTs), cloud computing (CC) and big data analytics (BDA).
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) resulted in 57 articles from 2008 to 2022. Following descriptive and thematic analysis, a conceptual framework based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) logic is established, along with avenues for future research.
Findings
The combination of DOI theory and CIMO logic provides the theoretical foundation for linking the general innovation process to the digital transformation process. A novel conceptual framework for achieving digital transformation in FSCs is developed from the initiation to implementation phases. Objectives and principles for digitally transforming FSCs are identified for the initiation phase. A four-layer technology implementation architecture is developed for the implementation phase, facilitating multiple applications for FSC digital transformation.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the development of theory on digital transformation in FSCs and offers managerial guidelines for accelerating the growth of the food industry using key Industry 4.0 emerging technologies. The proposed framework brings clarity into the “neglected” intermediate stage of data management between data collection and analysis. The study highlights the need for a balanced integration of IoT, CC and BDA as key Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve digital transformation successfully.
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Soroosh Saghiri, Emel Aktas and Maryam Mohammadipour
Perishable inventory management for the grocery sector has become more challenging with extended omnichannel activities and emerging consumer expectations. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Perishable inventory management for the grocery sector has become more challenging with extended omnichannel activities and emerging consumer expectations. This paper aims to identify and formalize key performance measures of omnichannel perishable inventory management (OCPI) and explore the influence of operational and market-related factors on these measures.
Design/methodology/approach
The inductive approach of this research synthesizes three performance measures (product waste, lost sales and freshness) and four influencing factors (channel effect, demand variability, product perishability and shelf life visibility) for OCPI, through industry investigation, expert interviews and a systematic literature review. Treating OCPI as a complex adaptive system and considering its transaction costs, this paper formalizes the OCPI performance measures and their influencing factors in two statements and four propositions, which are then tested through numerical analysis with simulation.
Findings
Product waste, lost sales and freshness are identified as distinctive OCPI performance measures, which are influenced by product perishability, shelf life visibility, demand variability and channel effects. The OCPI sensitivity to those influencing factors is diverse, whereas those factors are found to moderate each other's effects.
Practical implications
To manage perishables more effectively, with less waste and lost sales for the business and fresher products for the consumer, omnichannel firms need to consider store and online channel requirements and strive to reduce demand variability, extend product shelf life and facilitate item-level shelf life visibility. While flexible logistics capacity and dynamic pricing can mitigate demand variability, the product shelf life extension needs modifications in product design, production, or storage conditions. OCPI executives can also increase the product shelf life visibility through advanced stock monitoring/tracking technologies (e.g. smart tags or more comprehensive barcodes), particularly for the online channel which demands fresher products.
Originality/value
This paper provides a novel theoretical view on perishables in omnichannel systems. It specifies the OCPI performance, beyond typical inventory policies for cost minimization, while discussing its sensitivity to operations and market factors.
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Carl Kühl, Heather Dawn Skipworth, Michael Bourlakis and Emel Aktas
This paper aims to examine the relationships between macro-, meso- and micro-level contextual factors that enable or inhibit the contribution of product service systems (PSS) to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relationships between macro-, meso- and micro-level contextual factors that enable or inhibit the contribution of product service systems (PSS) to circularity. It is informed by the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and the multi-level perspective as theoretical lenses.
Design/methodology/approach
A theory elaboration approach is used through three in-depth case studies of UK and German manufacturers. Case studies provide use- and result-oriented PSS for personal computers, power tools and wind turbines. Multiple sources of evidence, including 20 semi-structured interviews, company documents and quantitative data, are triangulated to improve the validity of the results.
Findings
Empirical evidence for relationships between macro-, meso- and micro-level contextual factors show significant barriers to the extending and cycling of resource loops, primarily through maintenance, repairs and refurbishment. A firm’s environmental awareness has a determining role in the contribution of PSS to circularity. The evidence from two use-oriented PSS reveals different circularity maturity levels.
Originality/value
This research makes three key contributions. Firstly, it elaborates on NRBV by showing that a firm’s environmental awareness determines product stewardship. The type of product stewardship practices depends on the enabling and inhibiting effects of macro- and meso-level factors. Secondly, it shows that use-oriented PSS have different circularity profiles and proposes three circularity maturity levels. Finally, it provides an empirically validated framework of macro-, meso- and micro-level enablers and barriers and how they interact to enable or inhibit circularity in PSS.
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Ruoqi Geng, Afshin Mansouri, Emel Aktas and Dorothy A. Yen
Drawing on institutional complexity, this study aims to explore the interaction effect of formal and informal institutional forces on the adoption of green supplier collaboration…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on institutional complexity, this study aims to explore the interaction effect of formal and informal institutional forces on the adoption of green supplier collaboration (GSC) practices by Chinese manufacturing firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper hypothesises that the effect of the formal institutional forces on GSC in China is influenced by an informal institutional variable, guanxi, which is the interpersonal relationship between employees of the supplier and the manufacturer. To test the conceptual framework, hierarchical moderated regression analyses are conducted using multi-respondent data from 408 randomly sampled manufacturing companies in China.
Findings
Guanxi has a double-edged sword effect on the adoption of GSC practices. Specifically, guanxi reduces the negative impact of the perceived costs and the complexity of regulations on the adoption of GSC practices, but it also weakens the positive effect of suppliers’ advice and community pressures on the adoption of GSC practices.
Research limitations/implications
Results contribute to supply chain management literature by offering novel theoretical and empirical insights on the Chinese institutional environment governed by both formal and informal institutional variables.
Practical implications
Considering guanxi’s double-edged sword effect on the adoption of GSC, manufacturing companies are advised to carefully leverage their guanxi to maintain an institutional and contingent view of the environmental consequences in China.
Originality/value
This study empirically examines the effect of formal and informal institutional environments on the adoption of GSC practices in emerging economies.
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Samuel Roscoe, Emel Aktas, Kenneth J. Petersen, Heather Dawn Skipworth, Robert B. Handfield and Farooq Habib
Why do managers redesign global supply chains in a particular manner when faced with compounding geopolitical disruptions? In answering this research question, this study…
Abstract
Purpose
Why do managers redesign global supply chains in a particular manner when faced with compounding geopolitical disruptions? In answering this research question, this study identifies a constrained system of reasoning (decision-making logic) employed by managers when they redesign their supply chains in situations of heightened uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted 40 elite interviews with senior supply chain executives in 28 companies across nine industries from November 2019 to June 2020, when the UK was preparing to leave the European Union, the US–China trade war was escalating, and Covid-19 was spreading rapidly around the globe.
Findings
When redesigning global supply chains, the authors find that managerial decision-making logic is constrained by three distinct environmental ecosystem conditions: (1) the perceived intensity of institutional pressures; (2) the relative mobility of suppliers and supply chain assets; and (3) the perceived severity of the potential disruption risk. Intense government pressure and persistent geopolitical risk tend to impact firms in the same industry, resulting in similar approaches to decision-making regarding supply chain design. However, where suppliers are relatively immobile and supply chain assets are relatively fixed, a dominant logic is consistently present.
Originality/value
Building on an institutional logics perspective, this study finds that managerial decision-making under heightened uncertainty is not solely guided by institutional pressures but also by perceptions of the severity of risk related to potential supply chain disruption and the immobility of supply chain assets. These findings support the theoretical development of a novel construct that the authors term ‘supply chain logics’. Finally, this study provides a decision-making framework for Senior Executives competing in an increasingly complex and unstable business environment.
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