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The compounding impacts of climate change has mobilised unstinting endeavours of researchers, ecologists and corporate leaders to explore new ways for the logistics industry to manage environmental problems, improve social outcomes and gain competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediation roles of inbound green logistics practices and outbound green logistics practices between eco-market orientation, green value competitiveness and social sustainability.

By employing explanatory research design, with questionnaire-based survey, data for the study was collected from Ghanaian logistics firms. The data is analysed using the partial least square structural equation modelling.

The results indicate that eco-market orientation has a significant positive impact on green value competitiveness. However, eco-market orientation was found to have an insignificant impact on social sustainability. The results further confirmed the notion that eco-market orientation substantially strengthens the implementation of inbound green logistics practices and outbound green logistics practices. Specifically, the mediation analysis confirmed that inbound green logistics practices and outbound green logistics practices serve as indirect mechanisms through which eco-market orientation significantly influences green value competitiveness and social sustainability.

Compared to previous literature, this is a pioneer study that develops an explanatory research framework under the lenses of the natural resource-based theory, stakeholder theory and resource advantage theory in illuminating how inbound green logistics practices and outbound green logistics practices act as mediation mechanisms between eco-market orientation and green value competitiveness and eco-market orientation and social sustainability.

This study aims to examine whether the types of eco-market orientation (eco-proactive market orientation and eco-responsive market orientation) result in green knowledge acquisition and positive organizational outcomes (green customer satisfaction [GCS], green brand image [GBI] and green value-based competitiveness [GVC]). The study further aims to explore the mediation role of green business practices in the relationship between the types of eco-market orientation and organizational outcomes.

Questionnaire was used to garner data from managers from Ghanaian hospitality firms. The hypothesized relationships were tested using partial least square structural equation modeling.

The result confirms the notion that although both eco-proactive market orientation and eco-responsive market orientation contribute significantly to enhancing the acquisition of green knowledge, eco-responsive market orientation has a strong effect on green knowledge acquisition. Also, the outcome of the mediation analysis proves that green business practices (GBPs) play an important indirect role in the relationship between eco-market orientation (eco-proactive market orientation and eco-responsive market orientation), GCS, GBI and GVC.

Anchored on the resource advantage theory and natural resource-based view theory, this study offers a fresh contribution to marketing and environmental management literature by developing a unified research model that explores the mediation roles of GBPs between the types of eco-market orientation (eco-proactive market orientation and eco-responsive market orientation), GCS, GBI and GVC.

This study aims to investigate the intervening role of lean management (LM) in the direct relationships between green market orientation, green value-based innovation, green reputation and enterprise social performance.

Data for the study is carefully garnered from 217 managers in Ghanaian small- and medium-sized enterprises. The methodological technique used to validate all hypothesized relationships is partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The empirical results of the study suggest that although green market orientation has a positive impact on green value-based innovation, the effect is not significant. However, the results confirm that green market orientation has a significant positive impact on green reputation and enterprise social performance. The results further suggest that LM has a significant positive impact on green value-based innovation, green reputation and enterprise social performance. The mediation analysis provides empirical evidence to suggest that LM fully mediates the relationship between green market orientation and green value-based innovation. Lastly, the results of the mediation analysis suggest that LM plays a complementary partial mediation role between green market orientation, green reputation and enterprise social performance.

Despite the flourishing research on green market orientation in marketing management and environmental literature, no study has been carried out to explore the intervening role of LM in the relationships between green market orientation, green value-based innovation, green reputation and enterprise social performance. Thus, considering LM as a missing link between green market orientation, green value-based innovation, green reputation and enterprise social performance is a noteworthy research gap which this study fills.

This study explores the interplay between lean management and circular production systems and their implications on zero-waste performance, green value competitiveness and social reputation.

Questionnaire-based survey methodology is used to obtain empirical data from Ghanaian manufacturing SMEs. A multivariate statistical technique, specifically partial least square structural equation modelling is chosen to test the hypothesized relationships.

The empirical results confirm that lean management is a vital element in moving SMEs towards the implementation of circular production systems. The results also confirm that lean management and circular production systems combine effectively to bring about significant improvement in zero-waste performance, reinforce green value competitiveness and boost social reputation. The results further confirm the mediation role of circular production system between lean management, zero-waste performance, green value competitiveness and social reputation.

Anchored on the tenets of the natural resource-based view theory, resource orchestration theory and stakeholder theory, this study proposes an integrated research model that builds new insights into the relationship between lean management, circular production system, zero-waste performance, green value competitiveness and social reputation. The proposed model directs the actions of SME managers in emerging countries to comprehensively evaluate their production processes to equalize the possible compatibility of lean management and circular production systems to meet their zero-waste performance targets, gain green value competitiveness and stimulate social reputation.

The main goal of this paper is better understand the risk/return trade-off of investing in socially responsible investment funds (SRIF) and green investment funds (GIF).

To achieve our aim a green investment fund portfolio, a socially responsible investment portfolio and a conventional fund (CF) portfolio from the United States of America (USA) were selected to compare the efficiency of these three different portfolios, by using Value-Based Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology.

The results point out that SRIF and GIF are more efficient than CF. For five years, the CFs have not outperformed the GIF.

The results suggest that there is a growing awareness on the part of investors that sustainable companies are the companies that will allow a better quality of life and a more sustainable environment. It seems that somehow managers and investors are aware that the market will compensate them for thinking about a cleaner and more equitable world.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the underlying corporate social responsibility (CSR) factors which trigger consumers’ scrutiny of corporate behavior in the purchasing experience. There is more focus on how the direct effects of CSR can predict consumer behavior than the expression of value-based purchasing habits, especially in relation to how the multidimensionality of consumers’ expectations of CSR indirectly informs such behavior.

Mall-intercept survey interviews were conducted with 411 shoppers across five shopping malls in South Africa. Data were based on the emotional, social and functional values consumers derive from the purchasing experience vis-à-vis economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic expectations of CSR and analyzed using the path analysis technique of structural equation modeling.

It was found that the relationship between consumers’ sense of value and purchasing behavior is mediated by perceived fulfillment of legal expectations of CSR (a primary redressing tool). Conversely, the fulfillment of ethical and economic CSR expectations (secondary redressing tools) serves as moderators of the relationship.

The benefit of approaching corporate communication from a value-based perspective is a proactive risk mitigation strategy. Consumers’ sense of value in the purchasing experience is triggered by companies’ adherence to institutionalized law on corporate behavior and reinforced by compliance to code of ethics and financial viability.

This study offers insights for understanding how consumers redress corporate misconduct during crisis through the buying experience and explains how such understanding can be used to better predict and manage crisis communication.

The findings of this study suggest that CSR and corporate communication practices should be informed by the taken-for-granted assumptions which underpin espoused consumer values, where negligence of unspoken patterns of CSR-based consumer behavior could signal a crisis risk.

This study offers a model which demonstrates for the first time that consumers implicitly utilize CSR to redress corporate misconduct in the purchasing experience.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is viewed as a differentiating strategy that wins over stakeholders’ confidence. Due to the potential strategic and positive effects on businesses, the study of CSR and its relationship to competitiveness has gained relevance. While studies have examined the impact of CSR activities on firm competitiveness, the findings so far remain contradictory. Further research on the underlying processes/mechanisms that explain how CSR contributes to competitiveness remains scarce. Accordingly, this study aims to look into the link between CSR and competitiveness with a focus on Asian business and management studies.

By using a bibliometric approach, this paper aims to provide a review of the state-of-the-art research on the linkage between CSR and competitiveness in Asian context. The sample for this research included all 538 studies from the period of 2001–2023 in the Scopus database. A bibliometric study included both co-occurrence and co-citation analysis.

The study’s findings made significant contributions by identifying seven distinct clusters of co-occurrences. Using co-citation, three journals-based co-citation clusters and another three authors-based co-citation clusters are identified. The findings show how processes/mechanisms such as – accountability, multi-stakeholder dialogue/engagement, resource generation, emphasizing sustainable development goals and emerging markets, redefining strategy, cultivating value/vision and CSR leadership – are increasing in importance.

Overall, the authors argue that CSR-led competitiveness is indeed one of the key drivers for improved sustainability performance of a firm.

Based on findings, a conceptual framework has been proposed highlighting different processes and mechanisms that influence the CSR-led competitiveness – outcomes relationship.

Value‐based management focuses the efforts of individuals and managers on the creation of value. Starts with an analysis of the literature on general management and materials management and then extends that analysis to the concept of the value system. Identifies particular management variables which are key to efforts in creating value, e.g. organization structure and hierarchy, centralization, information systems, external relationships, job responsibilities and formalization, performance measurement system, and education and training. Groups these into two broad areas: organization design; and human resource management practices. Collectively these variables form the framework for value‐based management. Describes the nature of these variables in both a traditional, function‐based organization and the more contemporary value‐based organization. Applies the value‐based framework to procurement, identifying those actions needed by managers in the transition of the efforts of procurement individuals towards the creation of value.

Green product innovation is a global industrial concern. This research examines the possible impact of green product innovation on firms' competitive advantage in industrial enterprises operating in qualified industrial zones (QIZs).

This research follows a descriptive analytical methodology, testing two hypotheses formulated based on the reviewed literature among chemical industrial plants of the three Jordanian QIZs (Amman, Zarqa and Irbid) in Jordan. Following a preliminary scoping study of all 219 Jordanian chemical manufacturers, a quantitative five-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to firms applying green product activities.

In total, 20 firms were found to be utilizing green product innovation, representing only 9.13% of the overall population. The hypothesis testing results indicated that green product innovation has a statistically significant positive impact on competitive advantage. The results also showed that the factor “firm resources” has a statistically significant positive moderation effect on the relationship between green product innovation and competitive advantage.

The vast majority of Jordanian chemical manufacturers were not implementing green innovation or practices; further study is needed to identify barriers. Findings are limited to managers of chemical industrial plants in Jordan, excluding the demand side (e.g. plant customers who purchase final products), which leaves a different research angle to be explored.

This is a pioneering study of green product innovation implications for firm competitive advantage in manufacturing enterprises, especially in QIZs of Jordan (which offer tax exemptions to foreign and local investors and sell products to regional and international markets).

Companies along the forestry‐wood value chain from four European countries were surveyed in order to examine social responsibility in values and environmental emphasis in their marketing planning. Most of the Finnish, Swedish, German and UK companies emphasise environmental issues in their values, marketing strategies, structures and functions. The companies were classified into three groups according to their responsibility values based on the concepts of redirecting customers towards sustainability and the role of governmental balancing of markets. “Proactive green marketers” (companies emphasising pursuing sustainability and believing in free market system) emphasise environmental issues in their marketing planning clearly more than traditional “consumption marketers”, and more than “reactive green marketers” (companies emphasising pursuing sustainability under governmental balancing). We interpret that proactive marketers are the most genuine group in implementing environmental marketing voluntarily and seeking competitive advantage through environmental friendliness. Thus, the example of these progressive companies should be the direction towards sustainable development in business and society. The results also give evidence that green values, environmental marketing strategies, structures and functions are logically connected to each other as hypothesised according to the model of environmental marketing used to guide this study.