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1 – 10 of over 4000Hoang Nguyen, Thanh Lan Mai, Thi Thu Thuy Pham and Do Binh
This study intends to investigate drivers and consequences of supply chain coordination (SCC) towards green to highlight some convincing evidence for an emerging country's…
Abstract
Purpose
This study intends to investigate drivers and consequences of supply chain coordination (SCC) towards green to highlight some convincing evidence for an emerging country's exporters to promote sustainable coffee development.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered from surveying 189 managers of coffee exporters in Vietnam and then applied PLS-SEM for analysis.
Findings
This study demonstrates that top management sensitivity, along with institutional forces of regulation, market and competition, strongly stimulate exporters' supply chain coordination towards green. Additionally, that coordination boosts the export financial and market performance.
Research limitations/implications
The findings may not be generalizable because the current study only included data from Vietnamese coffee exporters.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the current literature by looking from the perspective of coffee exporters – leading players in supply chains for export. The research findings represent the first solid argument for Vietnam coffee exporters to encourage SCC towards green and reveal several implications for managers and policymakers to support sustainable development in an emerging country.
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Patanjal Kumar, Dheeraj Sharma and Peeyush Pandey
An apparel supply chain primarily consists of geographically distant suppliers, manufacturers and retailers. The coordination among the members of the supply chain becomes…
Abstract
Purpose
An apparel supply chain primarily consists of geographically distant suppliers, manufacturers and retailers. The coordination among the members of the supply chain becomes difficult when we consider the triple bottom line of sustainability in it. Moreover, the complexity increases with the change in dominance power of the respective members. However, the task of managing the channel further becomes complicated after incorporating sustainability and dominance power simultaneously into the supply chain. To fill this gap, this paper focuses on designing of mechanism and demonstration of three-echelon model to coordinate sustainable supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the noncooperative game theoretic method has been applied for the exploration of models. The various structures of the centralized and decentralized supply chain are considered on the basis of a player's dominance power. The model uses simultaneous and sequential move games to analyze optimal profit of supply chain agents, total channel profit, green innovation level and corporate social innovation level.
Findings
Analytical results show that simultaneous game performs better than the sequential game. The consumer sensitivity toward green and social innovations increases total channel profit. We also proposed a linear two-part tariff contract model. The proposed model enhances the sustainability level and leads to perfect channel coordination. Using a numerical example, we present the effectiveness of multiple game structures under centralized and decentralized settings. The results reveal that channel efficiency is the highest in the two-part tariff contract followed by a simultaneous move game structure and lower in the cases of sequential move game.
Research limitations/implications
In this research, model setting are deterministic and there is no any information asymmetry. Therefore researchers are encouraged to study multiechelon sustainable supply chain coordination models under stochastic and information asymmetry settings.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for the development of sustainable supply chain coordination model to tackle the problems of dominance power, sustainability issues and lower channel efficiency of supply chain.
Originality/value
This study proposes game-theory-based three-echelon sustainable supply chain for the channel coordination.
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Surajit Bag, Sunil Luthra, V.G. Venkatesh and Gunjan Yadav
Humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) by their very nature require urgent reaction to unforeseeable needs, making it difficult to properly plan for the support of actual demands. As…
Abstract
Purpose
Humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) by their very nature require urgent reaction to unforeseeable needs, making it difficult to properly plan for the support of actual demands. As such, integrating sustainability into traditional HSC practices continues to present a challenge to governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other humanitarian-related agencies. This study focuses on identifying and categorizing the leading enablers to green humanitarian supply chains (GHSCs) and proposes a model for improving the responsiveness based upon a fuzzy total interpretive structural modelling approach.
Design/methodology/approach
Total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) uses group decision-making to identify contextual relationships among each pair of enablers and elucidates the nature of each underlying relationship. The fuzzy TISM shows the level of strength (very high influence, high influence, low influence and very low influence) of each enabler in relation to other enablers, which can help to inform management decision-making.
Findings
GHSC management requires strategic planning of inventory and logistics management. The importance of collaborative relationship building with HSC partners for developing capability and the effective use of available resources are keys to success. These improved relationships also help to promote postponement and similar speculation-based logistics strategies, as well as advanced purchasing and pre-positioning strategies. Finally, the speed and quality of response is found to be the top enabler in GHSC management.
Research limitations/implications
One noted shortcoming of the chosen research method is its reliance on subjective expert judgement. However, collecting judgements is at the basis of many research methods, and the research team took utmost care throughout the research process to allay biases. Future empirical research can further examine the relationships suggested herein. Managers can use the model developed in this research to consider impactful ways to design and execute sustainable HSCs.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is a novel attempt to identify enablers to GHSC management. Secondly, the research team has used an advanced methodology (fuzzy TISM) to develop the contextual inter-relationships among the enablers which has not been used earlier in this direction before and thus advances the GHSC literature.
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Bjørn Jæger, Mesay Moges Menebo and Arvind Upadhyay
The increasing rate of environmental concern and awareness by society has attracted attention from researchers and organisations to consider how to proceed towards green supply…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing rate of environmental concern and awareness by society has attracted attention from researchers and organisations to consider how to proceed towards green supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to identify operational bottlenecks in the multi-tier supply chain to guide organisations towards where to concentrate their efforts to address their supply chain environmental challenges.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a literature review identifying green supply chain challenges of multi-tier supply chains. Following the literature review is a case study of the Ethiopian health supply chain with 11 interviews, 11 international and 6 national surveys and data from public health information systems. An analysis based on multi-tier supply chain modelling is used to identify environmental supply chain bottlenecks.
Findings
This research found that the supply chain actors face severe challenges towards enhanced green supply chain performance mainly because of poor inventory management (IN), inefficient tracking and tracing (TR) and fake or sub-standard products in the supply chain, especially counterfeit medicines (CO). Specific environmental bottlenecks within each of the challenge areas IN, TR and CO where identified serving as recommendations for where supply chain actors should focus their work towards greener supply chains.
Research limitations/implications
The data come from participants in a single country, Ethiopia; although the supply chain challenges are common for developing countries in general.
Practical implications
This research presents a modelling approach to identify supply chain activities considered as environmental bottlenecks in multi-tier supply chains. The environmental bottlenecks pinpoint supply chain activities to focus on for a transition towards green supply chains for manufacturers, public and private health organisations, hospitals and health care units.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature on GSCM by developing a multi-tier modelling approach for identifying environmental supply chain bottlenecks. The applicability of the model is demonstrated by the identification of environmental bottlenecks in a healthcare supply chain supporting decisions on what challenges a green supply chain strategy should address. It serves as a basis for future research on where to implement GSCM practices in supply chains (SCs).
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Sara Perotti, Marta Zorzini, Enrico Cagno and Guido J.L. Micheli
The pressure on logistics companies to embrace green processes has increased significantly in the last few years. Within the broad concept of green supply chain management, a…
Abstract
Purpose
The pressure on logistics companies to embrace green processes has increased significantly in the last few years. Within the broad concept of green supply chain management, a review of the existing literature has highlighted a need to understand how green supply chain practices (GSCP) can contribute to improving company performance from an environmental point of view, as well as economic and operational. This paper aims to investigate the GSCP adopted by third party logistics (3PLs) in Italy in terms of specific practices implemented and level of adoption of each practice, and to explore how this adoption can affect the company performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Multi‐case study research involving 15 3PLs operating in Italy, with data collected through face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews with senior representatives from each company.
Findings
Even if findings reveal an overall increasing interest towards environmental issues, the current level of adoption of GSCP is still limited amongst the 3PLs investigated as well as their benefits in terms of company performance. Some players have shown a more proactive attitude and started benefiting substantially from the adoption of GSCP, mainly in terms of environmental and economic performance.
Research limitations/implications
The research focuses on 3PLs operating in Italy – findings may differ in other countries and sectors.
Practical implications
Findings can be used to support company decisions to either modify the GSCP already in place to achieve a set target or identify the most suitable GSCP to implement.
Originality/value
This study contributes to a better understanding of the links between GSCP and company performance. It also provides insights into the GSCP currently in place amongst 3PLs operating in Italy, identifying the type of supply chain to which companies belong (or intend to belong in the future) as a relevant factor.
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Contemporary literature reveals that, to date, the poultry livestock sector has not received sufficient research attention. This particular industry suffers from unstructured…
Abstract
Contemporary literature reveals that, to date, the poultry livestock sector has not received sufficient research attention. This particular industry suffers from unstructured supply chain practices, lack of awareness of the implications of the sustainability concept and failure to recycle poultry wastes. The current research thus attempts to develop an integrated supply chain model in the context of poultry industry in Bangladesh. The study considers both sustainability and supply chain issues in order to incorporate them in the poultry supply chain. By placing the forward and reverse supply chains in a single framework, existing problems can be resolved to gain economic, social and environmental benefits, which will be more sustainable than the present practices.
The theoretical underpinning of this research is ‘sustainability’ and the ‘supply chain processes’ in order to examine possible improvements in the poultry production process along with waste management. The research adopts the positivist paradigm and ‘design science’ methods with the support of system dynamics (SD) and the case study methods. Initially, a mental model is developed followed by the causal loop diagram based on in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observation techniques. The causal model helps to understand the linkages between the associated variables for each issue. Finally, the causal loop diagram is transformed into a stock and flow (quantitative) model, which is a prerequisite for SD-based simulation modelling. A decision support system (DSS) is then developed to analyse the complex decision-making process along the supply chains.
The findings reveal that integration of the supply chain can bring economic, social and environmental sustainability along with a structured production process. It is also observed that the poultry industry can apply the model outcomes in the real-life practices with minor adjustments. This present research has both theoretical and practical implications. The proposed model’s unique characteristics in mitigating the existing problems are supported by the sustainability and supply chain theories. As for practical implications, the poultry industry in Bangladesh can follow the proposed supply chain structure (as par the research model) and test various policies via simulation prior to its application. Positive outcomes of the simulation study may provide enough confidence to implement the desired changes within the industry and their supply chain networks.
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Massimo Biotto, Alberto F. De Toni and Fabio Nonino
The purpose of this paper is to widen the knowledge base on supply chain learning by exploring and explaining how an enterprise can compete and win in the international market by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to widen the knowledge base on supply chain learning by exploring and explaining how an enterprise can compete and win in the international market by integrating quality management practices along its supply chain and, above all, by becoming the coordinator in a supply chain learning (SCL) network.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an exploratory case study on a group operating in the coffee market that is universally recognised for the high quality of its products: illycaffè.
Findings
This paper illustrates and explains how the illycaffè Group implements, competes and wins in the international market because of its exemplary business strategies, its focus on the competitive priority of quality, and consistent and integrated supply chain management practices that are sustained by an innovative approach: the diffusion of knowledge, know‐how and a culture of excellence in coffee quality along the entire value chain. The authors find that the diffusion of a culture of quality orients supply chain learning towards the continuous improvement of product and service quality, and above all, improves results by encouraging an emergent behaviour across different actors that creates a shared culture.
Research limitations/implications
The exploratory nature and use of a single case study are the major limitations of this research. Nevertheless, this study may serve as a significant starting point for future research and analysis related to supply chain learning strategies.
Originality/value
The illycaffè case study contributes to the literature on quality management and on supply chain management suggesting how an enterprise can improve product and service quality using a sustainable SCL strategy based on knowledge/know‐how diffusion and a shared culture along the entire supply chain.
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Qinghua Zhu, Xiaoying Li and Senlin Zhao
The purpose of this paper is to explore the coordination mechanism of cost sharing for green food production and marketing between a food producer and a supplier who both…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the coordination mechanism of cost sharing for green food production and marketing between a food producer and a supplier who both contribute to the sales of green food.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper first develops demand functions for both a food supplier and a producer, considering their influence on green degree of food and associated consumers’ acceptances. Then, cost-sharing contracts-based game models are proposed. At last, regarding to optimal supply chain profits and green performance, the proposed contracts and the non-coordination situation are compared and tested by a real case.
Findings
When green cost is only shared by one side, the cost-sharing contracts cannot optimally coordinate the food supply chain, but it can improve profits for both the supplier and producer. When consumers’ sensitivity to the green degree of food increases, a mutual cost-sharing contract will bring more profits for both the supplier and producer than those under the non-coordination mode in a decentralized supply chain situation. A real case verifies the conclusions.
Research limitations/implications
The models are in complete information, and the market demand is assumed to be linear to sales price. Mutual cost sharing is only for material processing and food production, which can be extended to include sharing for sales cost. Coordination ideas on the proposed contracts development and solutions for optimal decisions can be applied in the other industries.
Practical implications
The study shows that coordination between a supplier and a producer is needed to improve the food supply chain’s green performance.
Originality/value
This paper first extends the existing profit functions by considering the green efforts of both a supplier and a producer as well as their effects on green degree of products and consumers’ acceptances to the green degree.
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Jens K. Roehrich, Stefan U. Hoejmose and Victoria Overland
The purpose of this paper is to apply self-determination theory (SDT) to green supply chain management (GSCM) and explore how green supplier selection (GSS) drives GSCM…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply self-determination theory (SDT) to green supply chain management (GSCM) and explore how green supplier selection (GSS) drives GSCM performance and how realisation of improved GSCM performance is contingent upon SDT mechanisms of autonomy, competence and relatedness.
Design/methodology/approach
This study draws on 18 semi-structured interviews and secondary data from a Germany-based first-tier aircraft interior manufacturer and its six key suppliers. The focal company was selected because it is recognised as having achieved high GSCM standards in the aerospace industry.
Findings
The study draws out the importance of GSS, distinguishing between new and legacy suppliers, and offers significant insights into how suppliers’ motivation and downstream GSCM criteria can be internalised in second-tier suppliers to drive GSCM performance.
Practical implications
GSS should be considered not only for new suppliers but also at an ongoing basis for legacy suppliers. Focal companies must realise the importance of motivating supply chain partners to realise GSCM practices and need to first build-up autonomy before focussing on competence and relatedness sub-dimensions.
Originality/value
The authors make a significant contribution to the GSCM literature by conducting a study of first-tier-second-tier relationships, thus moving beyond the buyer-supplier relationships investigated in extant studies. The results theoretically and empirically draw out key factors in GSS and supplier motivation in engaging with GSCM practices, thus driving GSCM performance.
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Raffaella Cagliano, Federico F. A. Caniato and Christopher G. Worley
This chapter compares and discusses the 10 sustainability-oriented food supply chain innovations described in the previous chapters. Our purpose is to address and reflect on the…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter compares and discusses the 10 sustainability-oriented food supply chain innovations described in the previous chapters. Our purpose is to address and reflect on the questions and challenges introduced in the first chapter.
Methodology/approach
The cases are first analyzed in terms of the extent to which the innovations were motivated and impacted the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. The various sustainable food supply chain practices adopted are compared. The third section explores the innovation strategies used in the cases, including the type of strategy, the breadth and level of innovativeness of the strategy, the governance approach, and the extent of capability development required. The final section presents our conclusions.
Findings
The results suggest that to become truly sustainable, companies need to adopt a broad set of practices that address all three dimensions of sustainability, and develop strategies to make the sustainability-oriented innovation economically viable. The more radical and systemic the innovation, the more difficult it is to generate these outcomes.
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