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The wine industry is the one that is tightly linked to sustainability as its processes both impact and are impacted by the environment, society and companies’ financial well-being. However, data show that this may not be recognized in practice. Thus, this research paper aims to examine what has changed with respect to sustainability practices over the past 10–15 years in this industry.

A development-based multi-method approach was used to examine the purpose. In Phase 1, a grounded theory study conducted between 2009 and 2015 from wine businesses in 12 different global regions brought to light a potential disconnect between theory and practice in the importance of sustainability. In Phase 2, a comprehensive literature review and analysis of updated online content from the Phase 1 companies was conducted to paint a picture of the progression of sustainability focus and its implementation in company processes.

Using legitimacy theory as a foundation, it was found that the choice to pursue sustainability in this industry generally begins with a focus on environmental practices followed by financial sustainability and more recently social sustainability. Producers are also starting to emphasize overall sustainability often encompassing all three dimensions. The industry has also progressed through “levels of sophistication” in the different major supply chain processes (supply, production and distribution) over the years with their environmental efforts.

A framework of sustainability growth in the industry through a matrix of process sophistication is developed from the data. The results offer implications for theory, practice and industry policy and informs the future trajectory of sustainability within global business.

The purpose of this paper is to address how wine businesses build sustainability – the ability to survive and be successful over the long-term – in a complex market environment.

To understand how managers in a wine supply chain (i.e. from grower to consumer) are trying to sustain business within a hyper-competitive industry, the authors used a standard grounded theory, constant comparative research method using formal depth interviews along with additional data sources from wine businesses in nine global wine regions in the USA, Australia, Italy and New Zealand.

A framework emerged from the data to improve business sustainability and counteract the complexity in the wine market by developing resilience through innovating and experimenting, obtaining resources/developing capabilities and relying on supply chain connections.

This conceptual framework contributes to the existing theory on institutional transitions and resilience in business, and extends and broadens it by proposing that resilience is needed to combat entropy in the wine industry for businesses in this industry to survive and thrive.

Managers can learn from and apply the examples mentioned in this study and follow the framework presented to implement the strategies to build resilience to increase their chances of sustainability.

This study is one of the first empirical studies to the authors’ knowledge that identifies the impact of entropy in the wine industry and examines resilience as a means to combat an entropic market and obtain business sustainability.

Utilizing a top-down approach of middle-range theorizing (MRT), the purpose of this paper is to integrate relational exchange with institutional theory to examine how companies manage supply chain relationships to achieve desired supply chain outcomes in industries characterized by varying degrees of regulatory mandates that restrict the choice of supply chain partners. The authors identify this supply chain relationship dynamic as constrained choice.

A moderated mediation model is tested using survey data from producers in the US wine industry to investigate the effects of regulatory pressure on the ability of wine producers to achieve operational coordination when responding to relational behaviors through either trust or calculative commitment.

Results find that relational behaviors can improve operational coordination through two distinct paths: trust or calculative commitment. With the moderating effect of regulatory pressure, relational behaviors more effectively facilitate operational coordination through trust. Alternately, regulatory pressure attenuates the mediated relationship through calculative commitment.

The research introduces constrained choice dynamics into the supply chain relationship literature via MRT. Integrating generative mechanisms from relational exchange and institutional theories provides theoretical depth and context-specific knowledge about relationships that operate in constrained choice situations.

Managers impacted by constrained choice should recognize that mechanisms typically resulting in positive relationship outcomes may respond differently in the presence of regulatory constraints. With greater regulatory pressure, efforts to enhance operational coordination are more effective using relational mechanisms to build trust. When trust is diminished, calculative commitment can be effective in achieving operational coordination, although extensive regulations make it more difficult.

Previous research traditionally assumes that managers are free to select suitable trading partners that ensure mutually beneficial relationships. The research develops a middle-range theory examining the constrained choice dynamic in relationships that are impacted to varying degrees by regulatory institutions.

Prior research has primarily examined interorganizational relationships from the supplier or customer side or using dyadic pairs. The study aims to offer a comparison of carrier and shipper relationship views using a hybrid research method examining the relationship from both points of view by sampling both populations independently with identical surveys.

Mail surveys were used to collect data from the two samples. Invariance tests were conducted, and the model was analyzed using structural equation modeling (AMOS 5.0).

Invariance tests of the measurement instrument and comparisons of specific results show that, in the context of shippers and carriers, relationships – specifically trust and commitment and the contribution of dependence to relationship strength – are perceived differently.

Empirically supporting significant differences in theoretical relationship constructs between the two participants in an interorganizational relationship is important for understanding and advancing knowledge on supply chain relationships.

Successful supply chain management can only be achieved when firms successfully develop and manage relationships with other firms in their supply chain; therefore, it is important to recognize and understand any differences in these relationships so that they will be better equipped to manage them. Knowing that the other firm perceives differences in levels of trust and commitment and the contribution of dependence to relationship strength can provide indications of behaviors that are important to a firm in reaching their relationship goals.

The paper applies a method to compare supplier and customer relationship views that has not been used in supply chain management literature to uncover and support relationship differences between carriers and shippers.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how to implement mixed methods research in supply chain management.

A review of past journal analyses on research methods used in supply chain management‐related disciplines is conducted to demonstrate the low incidence of mixed methods research in supply chain management. Drawing from literature on multiple and mixed methods research, the paper provides guidelines for designing and reporting such studies.

Knowledge development in logistics and supply chain management relies primarily on single‐method quantitative research designs, while mixed methods approaches are rarely used. Thus, there is a significant opportunity to advance the discipline through the rigorous application of mixed methods research.

Supply chain management phenomena are complex and dynamic. Thus, the application of mixed methods research would serve the advancement of the discipline as these approaches provide richer understanding and more robust explanations of such phenomena.

If supply chain research is to keep up with the dynamic business environment, research methods must be applied with the capability to fully explain supply chain phenomena. The application of a single‐method research approach is not always adequate for this task.

This paper is the first to draw on research from various disciplines to investigate the use of mixed methods in logistics and supply chain management research. It examines its prevalence in the discipline, provides examples of its application from the supply chain management literature, prescribes how to implement mixed methods research, and describes the benefits and limitations of such designs.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the direct and interaction effects of managers' tactics to deal with time pressure on behaviors and relational norms across transactional and collaborative buyer‐supplier relationships.

This research utilizes a novel scenario‐based experimental design. The lack of behavioral experimentation in logistics research is noticeable given the vital role that human judgment and decision making play in managing contemporary supply chains.

When supplier personnel exhibit signs of coping with time pressure, individual boundary spanners in buying organizations are less willing to engage in key collaborative behaviors and relational norms. These adverse effects are intensified in closer buyer‐supplier relationships.

Although internal validity is maximized in this type of research, such gains are achieved through the development of artificial business scenarios that lack external validity.

Although it should not be as much of a concern in working with transactional customers, supplier personnel involved in collaborative relationships should be cognizant of the potential negative impact of coping with time pressure and allot sufficient resources to manage critical partnerships.

This research contributes to better understanding the clash between maintaining collaborative relationships while simultaneously coping with time pressure.

The purpose of this paper is to present a test of scales that measure brand equity and its two dimensions – brand image and brand awareness – in the context of logistics services. The scales are tested with both logistics service providers and customers.

Measurement items are adapted from existing scales found in the marketing literature. Academic colleagues and logistics practitioners reviewed the items for face validity and readability. The scales are evaluated for reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity using data collected in a mail survey of logistics service providers and customers.

Findings suggest that brand awareness, brand image, and brand equity scales are valid and reliable in the context of logistics services.

While there is a substantial research stream that examines branding of consumer goods and an increasing literature on industrial and service brands, little is known about branding in the context of logistics services. This paper extends existing measurement of brand equity and its dimensions to a new setting, namely logistics services.

This paper provides valuable insight into the measurement of brand awareness, brand image, and brand equity in the logistics services context and offers a foundation for future logistics branding research. The paper provides evidence for the validity of constructs used in the customer‐based brand equity framework, which is traditionally used in consumer contexts, in the context of logistics services.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in supply chains, particularly in those that function in highly competitive industries. The purpose of this paper is to understand more deeply the role sustainability plays within supply chains based on a qualitative study conducted in the New Zealand wine industry.

This research followed a grounded theory methodology which used in‐depth interviews with managers from wineries, retailers, and restaurants; observations of operations; and interpretation of field documents/artifacts.

The findings show that managers within the New Zealand wine supply chains are trying to find ways to leverage sustainability‐related competencies for competitive advantage in what is now a highly competitive industry. Within this context, the emergent theme of searching for advantage through sustainability involves: pursuing and leveraging sustainability; telling a story that involves sustainability; managing supply chain relationships around sustainability; and experimenting with sustainability initiatives.

The research is limited to the context and participants of the study. As a qualitative inquiry, findings are exploratory. The research implications, however, involve deeper studies into how wine industry firms in other nations and regions of the world are treating sustainability and searching for competitive advantages. Further validation of the models that emerge can be accomplished through future research, which would draw on aggregate data.

The approach and context within which sustainability is explored is unique. By seeking deep insights from managers on the cutting edge of sustainability initiatives, we are able to get close to strategic thinking and explore the impact on distribution relationships.

The failure to manage the firm's brand successfully with trading partners is a potentially fatal obstacle to success in today's hypercompetitive global economy. Strong brands serve as an important point of differentiation for firms, assisting customers in their evaluation and choice processes. Considerable research exists on the branding of consumer goods, and the literature on business-to-business (B2B) brands and service brands is increasing. However, research on branding in the context of B2B services is relatively sparse. This paper integrates research in B2B brands and service brands to explore B2B service brands. The paper reports a multiple methods study of brands and brand management in the logistics services industry as a specific case of B2B service branding. The study addresses two research questions that are relevant for B2B service brands. First, how are brands perceived when the customer is an organization rather than an individual? Second, how do brands differentiate intangible offers that customers often consider as commodities? The first study reports data collected in an exploratory investigation comprised of depth interviews with representatives of logistics services firms and customers. The study supports the extendibility of Keller's brand equity framework into the B2B services context. The second study tests the framework using data collected in a mail survey of logistics service providers and customers. Results suggest that brands do differentiate the offerings of logistics service providers and that brand equity exists for this commodity-like B2B service. However, findings reveal differences in perceptions between service providers and customers. Specifically, brand image is a stronger influence on customers' perceptions of service providers' brand equity, whereas brand awareness is a stronger driver of the service providers' perceptions of their own brand equity. The paper discusses implications of these differences for managing B2B services.