This document summarizes a study on the perspectives of practitioners regarding sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Fifteen SMEs across supplier, manufacturer, and reverse logistics roles were interviewed. The interviews revealed that most practitioners believe SSCM requires well-structured and efficient supply chain integration. The study enhances understanding of efficient SSCM requirements for SMEs in developing countries and sustainable manufacturing.
FACTORS AFFECTING GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICES IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN INDIAIAEME Publication
Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has emerged as new management
strategy for automobile organizations to become more environmental friendly, cost
effective and competitive. The study focuses on green supply chain management
practices in Automotive Industry in India. Globally business environment is very
volatile in nature and is featured by uncertainties. Due to rising environmental issues,
awareness on environmental pollution issues combined with industrial development
should be addressed by supply chain management. Therefore Green Supply Chain
Management (GSCM) is an emerging agenda for the industrial organization to
improve their performance on different dimensions such as economic and
environment. GSCM has a parallel development to push green products in context to
the ever growing environmental concerns among the organizations .The objective of
the paper is to explore the factors affecting the Green supply Chain Management in
Automotive Industry in India
FACTORS AFFECTING GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICES IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN INDIAIAEME Publication
Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has emerged as new management
strategy for automobile organizations to become more environmental friendly, cost
effective and competitive. The study focuses on green supply chain management
practices in Automotive Industry in India. Globally business environment is very
volatile in nature and is featured by uncertainties. Due to rising environmental issues,
awareness on environmental pollution issues combined with industrial development
should be addressed by supply chain management. Therefore Green Supply Chain
Management (GSCM) is an emerging agenda for the industrial organization to
improve their performance on different dimensions such as economic and
environment. GSCM has a parallel development to push green products in context to
the ever growing environmental concerns among the organizations .The objective of
the paper is to explore the factors affecting the Green supply Chain Management in
Automotive Industry in India
Dr. Miles Weaver, PhD thesis entitled 'A simulation conceptual modelling methodology for supply chain application'
Awarded from Aston Business School, Aston University.
The present paper developed an integrated closed-loop supply chain model by considering social responsibility. The novelty of this research is considering social responsibility in the model. In order to achieve this goal, a three-objective mathematical model was presented with the following aims: 1) Minimizing the costs, 2) Maximizing social responsibility or social benefits of the model, and 3) Minimizing the adverse environmental effects. The mathematical method which is applied proves the validity of the model.
Product recovery decisions within the context of Extended Producer Responsibi...Ian McCarthy
Environmental and economic evidence is increasingly supporting the need for better analytical tools for evaluating the recovery of consumer products. In response, we present a novel mathematical model for determining what we call the Optimal Recovery Plan (ORP) for any given product. The ORP is based on an evaluation and optimization of the economics of remanufacturing consumer products versus demanufacturing in the context of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, a driving force behind the adoption remanufacturing initiatives by firms. We provide an illustrative application of the model and then discuss its implications for scholars and practitioners concerned with sustainable business development.
Intersections: Beyond the Operations FunctionFGV Brazil
The identification of key success factors in sustainable cold chain management: Insights from the Indian food industry
Authors:
Shashi ., Rajwinder Singh, Amir Shabani
Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management
Vol 9, No 2 (2016)
FGV's Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE)
Abstract
Supply chain sustainability has emerged as an indispensable research agenda for the government, industry as well as non-profit orientation bodies. As a developing country, cold supply chain management in India is still in infancy. The demand pattern of food products has been dramatically changing since last few years. Nowadays, the customers are more conscious to use products for better health and highly expecting for food safety, toxic free and eco-friendly delivery of food products. However, sustainable cold supply chain has not yet received good heed throughout the world. Hence, in this paper an attempt has been made to address these important issues. A conceptual model was proposed in the consultation of practitioners and literature support to address the important issues in cold supply chain management for food companies. Therefore, in order to identify the key success factors for sustainable cold chain management, in this study a conceptual model developed. The proposed framework is then validated by an empirical research in the Indian food industry. This research has several alarming findings. Explicitly, in India i) environmental issues and social responsibility are not as important as other economical supplier selection criteria, ii) among 19 food supplier selection criteria, the rank of social responsibility is 18, iii) low carbon emission is less important value addition trait as compare to other sustainable cold chain value addition (which means in India the buyers focus more on their individual and prompt received benefits rather than long lasting advantages), iv) the use of life cycle analysis, renewable energy sources and passive cold chain are the least important implemented sustainable cold chain practices (although this might be because of utilization complexities), v) the joint development of product is implemented at the lowest extent judging against other dynamic capacity factors, vii) government usually backed the firms to adopt and implementing sustainability in their operations, but training courses that will guide how to achieve sustainability are less as their requirement, and viii) business sustainability builds the trust among the government, suppliers, firm and all stakeholders that build strong cold chain relationships.
Assessments of environment and safety in small and micro-enterprise: Furnitur...Premier Publishers
The dynamic role of micro and small enterprises in developing countries as engines through which the growth objectives of developing countries can be achieved has long been recognized. Furniture Factory has its own impact and issue on the society and environment. Wood furniture manufacturing process uses many chemicals and natural resources. It generates considerable amounts of waste materials as well. The operations activities include drying, sawing, waxing, sanding, and finishing, all of which may release pollutants into the air and may contribute to health concerns in the operation and in the community. In most developing countries, small and micro industry faces constraints both at start up phases and after their establishment. The objective of this study has been developed to discover how to Improve work environment and worker safety and to comply with the standards. Moreover, to further minimize impacts on human health and the environment.
Environmental Cost Disclosure and Corporate Performance of Quoted Foods and B...YogeshIJTSRD
This study determined the effect of Environmental Cost Disclosure and Performance of Quoted foods and beverages firms in Nigeria. Ex post facto research design and content analysis was adapted for the study. Sample size of nine 9 Foods and Beverage firms were used from twelve 12 Foods and Beverage firms. Data for the study were collected from the audited accounts of the sampled Food and Beverage firms in Nigeria from 2010 to 2019. Formulated hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression analysis with the aid of E view 9.0. Environmental restoration cost and environmental pollution control cost has no significant effect on firm’s return on assets. Therefore, recommended that the implementation of greener technique, that is, environmental restoration enhanced mark up to protect the environment and increased firms’ return on assets. Egbunike, Patrick A. | Odumodu, Mary Theresa C. "Environmental Cost Disclosure and Corporate Performance of Quoted Foods and Beverages Firms in Nigeria" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd44971.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/organizational-behaviour/44971/environmental-cost-disclosure-and-corporate-performance-of-quoted-foods-and-beverages-firms-in-nigeria/egbunike-patrick-a
Sustainable supply chain and companyperformanceA global .docxdeanmtaylor1545
Sustainable supply chain and company
performance
A global examination
Eduardo Ortas and José M. Moneva
Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain, and
Igor Álvarez
Department of Accounting and Finance, Basque Country University, San Sebastian, Spain
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the link between a sustainable supply chain and companies’ financial performance (FP) and provide
empirical evidence about the relationship between these two constructs. This link is an important, but still unclear, subject.
Design/methodology/approach – Multivariate measures of sustainable supply chain performance and companies’ FP are used for Granger
causality tests on a large, diverse sample of 3,900 companies in a time frame of eight years (2004-2011).
Findings – Results indicate general bidirectional causality between sustainable supply chain performance and companies’ margins and revenue.
However, the link between firms’ profitability and sustainable supply chain performance is unidirectional. In addition, the recent financial crisis
altered this link between the studied constructs. Finally, a wide diversity in relationship patterns between sustainable supply chain performance and
companies’ FP emerges when the full sample is divided into different geographical regions and economic sectors as specified by the Global Industry
Classification Standard system.
Practical implications – This research makes recommendations for improving several processes, such as stakeholder evaluation of the sustainable
supply chain performance of companies worldwide and manager testing of environmental policy outcomes.
Originality/value – Building on the mostly qualitative literature on sustainable supply chain performance and companies’ FP, this research provides
quantitative evidence of the gaps between these constructs. This research contributes to the discussions of supply chain management, environmental
practices and the drivers of companies’ environmental and financial success.
Keywords Corporate responsibility, Sustainability, Corporate social responsibility, Business administration, Environmental management,
Environmental performance, Company performance, Sustainable supply chain management, Green supply chains, Sustainable supply chain
performance, Granger causation
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Supply chain management (SCM) is an important
environmental and social subject relating to corporate
sustainability (Ashby et al., 2012). Companies’ interest in
SCM has increased in recent decades because of growing
global competition, outsourcing of companies’ non-core
activities and the shortening of product life cycles
(Skjøtt-Larsen et al., 2007). More importantly, companies’
close, long-term relationships with suppliers and other
strategic partners have become a key factor in competitiveness
(Christopher, 2005; Andersen and SkjOEtt-Larsen, 2009). At
the same time, companies have become more deeply
committed.
Lean thinking literature review and suggestions for future researchWorld-Academic Journal
The research provides a literature overview from a timespan of more than 60 years with articles historically and thematically organized about the application of “Lean thinking” (LT) concept and the main research findings through different industries. Lean thinking is an important but yet still under researched aspect of strategic management. By collecting research records from ISI web of knowledge naming directly the lean thinking issue; 34 Web of science records, 10 Medline records and 2 Chinese citation database records were found. Results show that the main focus areas on lean thinking researches are mainly applied in health care industry (with the 48% of the collected records) followed by manufacturing industry (17%), construction (10%), product development (7%), training and education (7%) and supply chain (2%). Other industries (9%) are also starting to apply lean thinking philosophy according to the particularities of their domain. We find research gaps and provide directions for further investigation.
Food supply chain management:
systems, implementations, and
future research
Ray Zhong and Xun Xu
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, and
Lihui Wang
Department of Production Engineering,
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the food supply chain management (FSCM) in terms of
systems and implementations so that observations and lessons from this research could be useful for
academia and industrial practitioners in the future.
Design/methodology/approach – A systematical and hierarchical framework is proposed in this paper to
review the literature. Categorizations and classifications are identified to organize this paper.
Findings – This paper reviews total 192 articles related to the data-driven systems for FSCM. Currently,
there is a dramatic increase of research papers related to this topic. Looking at the general interests on FSCM,
research on this topic can be expected to increase in the future.
Research limitations/implications – This paper only selected limited number of papers which are
published in leading journals or with high citations. For simplicity without generality, key findings and
observations are significant from this research.
Practical implications – Some ideas from this paper could be expanded into other possible domains so that
involved parties are able to be inspired for enriching the FSCM. Future implementations are useful for
practitioners to conduct IT-based solutions for FSCM.
Social implications – As the increasing of digital devices in FSCM, large number of data will be used for
decision-makings. Data-driven systems for FSCM will be the future for a more sustainable food supply chain.
Originality/value – This is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive review on FSCM from the view of
data-driven IT systems.
Keywords Case studies, Food supply chain management, Review, Data-driven systems,
Implementations, IT systems
Paper type Literature review
1. Introduction
Food industry plays an important role in providing basics and necessities for supporting
various human activities and behaviors (Cooper and Ellram, 1993). Once harvested or
produced, the food should be stored, delivered, and retailed so that they could reach to the
final customers by due date. It was reported that about one-third of the produced food has
been abandoned or wasted yearly (approximately 1.3 billion tons) (Manning et al., 2006).
Two-third of the wasted food (about 1 billion tons) is occurred in supply chain like
harvesting, shipping and storage (Fritz and Schiefer, 2008). Take fruit and vegetables for
example, such perishable food was wasted by 492 million tons worldwide in 2011 due to the
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 117 No. 9, 2017
pp. 2085-2114
Emerald Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-09-2016-0391
Received 22 September 2016
Revised 11 November 2016
Accepted 25 December 2016
The curre.
Does implementing social supplierdevelopment practices pay oDustiBuckner14
Does implementing social supplier
development practices pay off?
Cristina Sancha, Cristina Gimenez, Vicenta Sierra and Ali Kazeminia
ESADE Business School, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First is to investigate the impact of social supplier development practices on the suppliers’ social
performance. Second is to analyze if the implementation of supplier development practices by Western buying firms pays off in terms of operational
and economic results.
Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are tested in a sample of 120 Spanish manufacturing firms using Path Analysis.
Findings – The results suggest that while supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance and the buying firm’s
operational performance, they do not pay off in terms of economic performance.
Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance while
improving the operational performance of the buying firm. The study has two main limitations. First, because cross-sectional data are used, possible
recursive relationships could not be accounted for. Second, the study is limited to the Spanish scope and, as such, results need to be interpreted
in that context.
Practical implications – The results of this study provide insights to managers with respect to the implementation of supplier development
practices to make their suppliers more socially responsible. Furthermore, managers are shown the implications of implementing such practices in
terms of operational and economic outcomes.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature on the effectiveness of sustainable supplier development practices by including
the suppliers’ performance, which has been generally neglected. Objective measures for economic performance are also included.
Keywords Buying firm’s performance, Social supplier development practices, Suppliers’ performance
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Nowadays, supply chains are becoming increasingly global.
One example of this trend is that firms buy from suppliers
located all over the world. In this context, it is important to
highlight the key role that the suppliers’ performance plays on
the long-term success of buying firms (Carter, 2005; Krause
et al., 2000). For example, the quality level of the products
served by suppliers as well as the on-time delivery of these
products impact the operational performance of the buying
firm. This key role of suppliers can also be translated to the
sustainability arena. The increasing level of outsourcing to
developing countries has emphasized the focus on
sustainability (Andersen and Skjoett-Larsen, 2009). The
concept of sustainability has been traditionally operationalized
using the concept of the triple bottom line (TBL), which
encompasses the combination of economic, environmental
and social performances and reli ...
JOSCM | Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management - Volume 9 number 2 - July/December 2016
In this issue of Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management we present to you five papers that cover different areas of our field. Shashi et al. (2016) explore the key success factors to manage sustainable cold supply chains. Still in the SCM field, Handayati et al. (2016) use agent-based simulation to understand contracting issues. Martins et al. (2016), in their turn, analyze intermodal terminals in Brazil and point interesting ways of improving them, considering shippers’ points of view. Devangan (2016) also explores logistic issues by look for ways to optimize the allocation of warehouses, taking into account production and distribution aspects. Finally, Rajashekharaiah (2016) recoups a recurrent and important theme in the operations management field – the use of six sigma techniques to improve process capability.
For more information on this issue, visit the FGV Library System: http://bit.ly/2livcwo
The Modeling of Reverse Logistics: Am Empirical Research of the Processes and...QUESTJOURNAL
ABSTRACT: The usual management policies of traditional waste cannot be applied in the case of e-waste, since these wastes contain more toxic substances than conventional waste, endangering both the environment and public health, while at the same time they contain valuable materials that can be reused or at least recycled. Mobile phones contain many harmful chemicals, which have a long life and increased levels of toxicity, and are associated to cancer and disorders related to reproductive, neurological and developmental capacity of human beings. Through this paper an empirical research in telecommunication sector in Greece will be presented. The theoretical background as well as the gap will be analyzed at first place and then the results of the research will be discussed
Dr. Miles Weaver, PhD thesis entitled 'A simulation conceptual modelling methodology for supply chain application'
Awarded from Aston Business School, Aston University.
The present paper developed an integrated closed-loop supply chain model by considering social responsibility. The novelty of this research is considering social responsibility in the model. In order to achieve this goal, a three-objective mathematical model was presented with the following aims: 1) Minimizing the costs, 2) Maximizing social responsibility or social benefits of the model, and 3) Minimizing the adverse environmental effects. The mathematical method which is applied proves the validity of the model.
Product recovery decisions within the context of Extended Producer Responsibi...Ian McCarthy
Environmental and economic evidence is increasingly supporting the need for better analytical tools for evaluating the recovery of consumer products. In response, we present a novel mathematical model for determining what we call the Optimal Recovery Plan (ORP) for any given product. The ORP is based on an evaluation and optimization of the economics of remanufacturing consumer products versus demanufacturing in the context of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, a driving force behind the adoption remanufacturing initiatives by firms. We provide an illustrative application of the model and then discuss its implications for scholars and practitioners concerned with sustainable business development.
Intersections: Beyond the Operations FunctionFGV Brazil
The identification of key success factors in sustainable cold chain management: Insights from the Indian food industry
Authors:
Shashi ., Rajwinder Singh, Amir Shabani
Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management
Vol 9, No 2 (2016)
FGV's Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE)
Abstract
Supply chain sustainability has emerged as an indispensable research agenda for the government, industry as well as non-profit orientation bodies. As a developing country, cold supply chain management in India is still in infancy. The demand pattern of food products has been dramatically changing since last few years. Nowadays, the customers are more conscious to use products for better health and highly expecting for food safety, toxic free and eco-friendly delivery of food products. However, sustainable cold supply chain has not yet received good heed throughout the world. Hence, in this paper an attempt has been made to address these important issues. A conceptual model was proposed in the consultation of practitioners and literature support to address the important issues in cold supply chain management for food companies. Therefore, in order to identify the key success factors for sustainable cold chain management, in this study a conceptual model developed. The proposed framework is then validated by an empirical research in the Indian food industry. This research has several alarming findings. Explicitly, in India i) environmental issues and social responsibility are not as important as other economical supplier selection criteria, ii) among 19 food supplier selection criteria, the rank of social responsibility is 18, iii) low carbon emission is less important value addition trait as compare to other sustainable cold chain value addition (which means in India the buyers focus more on their individual and prompt received benefits rather than long lasting advantages), iv) the use of life cycle analysis, renewable energy sources and passive cold chain are the least important implemented sustainable cold chain practices (although this might be because of utilization complexities), v) the joint development of product is implemented at the lowest extent judging against other dynamic capacity factors, vii) government usually backed the firms to adopt and implementing sustainability in their operations, but training courses that will guide how to achieve sustainability are less as their requirement, and viii) business sustainability builds the trust among the government, suppliers, firm and all stakeholders that build strong cold chain relationships.
Assessments of environment and safety in small and micro-enterprise: Furnitur...Premier Publishers
The dynamic role of micro and small enterprises in developing countries as engines through which the growth objectives of developing countries can be achieved has long been recognized. Furniture Factory has its own impact and issue on the society and environment. Wood furniture manufacturing process uses many chemicals and natural resources. It generates considerable amounts of waste materials as well. The operations activities include drying, sawing, waxing, sanding, and finishing, all of which may release pollutants into the air and may contribute to health concerns in the operation and in the community. In most developing countries, small and micro industry faces constraints both at start up phases and after their establishment. The objective of this study has been developed to discover how to Improve work environment and worker safety and to comply with the standards. Moreover, to further minimize impacts on human health and the environment.
Environmental Cost Disclosure and Corporate Performance of Quoted Foods and B...YogeshIJTSRD
This study determined the effect of Environmental Cost Disclosure and Performance of Quoted foods and beverages firms in Nigeria. Ex post facto research design and content analysis was adapted for the study. Sample size of nine 9 Foods and Beverage firms were used from twelve 12 Foods and Beverage firms. Data for the study were collected from the audited accounts of the sampled Food and Beverage firms in Nigeria from 2010 to 2019. Formulated hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression analysis with the aid of E view 9.0. Environmental restoration cost and environmental pollution control cost has no significant effect on firm’s return on assets. Therefore, recommended that the implementation of greener technique, that is, environmental restoration enhanced mark up to protect the environment and increased firms’ return on assets. Egbunike, Patrick A. | Odumodu, Mary Theresa C. "Environmental Cost Disclosure and Corporate Performance of Quoted Foods and Beverages Firms in Nigeria" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd44971.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/organizational-behaviour/44971/environmental-cost-disclosure-and-corporate-performance-of-quoted-foods-and-beverages-firms-in-nigeria/egbunike-patrick-a
Sustainable supply chain and companyperformanceA global .docxdeanmtaylor1545
Sustainable supply chain and company
performance
A global examination
Eduardo Ortas and José M. Moneva
Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain, and
Igor Álvarez
Department of Accounting and Finance, Basque Country University, San Sebastian, Spain
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the link between a sustainable supply chain and companies’ financial performance (FP) and provide
empirical evidence about the relationship between these two constructs. This link is an important, but still unclear, subject.
Design/methodology/approach – Multivariate measures of sustainable supply chain performance and companies’ FP are used for Granger
causality tests on a large, diverse sample of 3,900 companies in a time frame of eight years (2004-2011).
Findings – Results indicate general bidirectional causality between sustainable supply chain performance and companies’ margins and revenue.
However, the link between firms’ profitability and sustainable supply chain performance is unidirectional. In addition, the recent financial crisis
altered this link between the studied constructs. Finally, a wide diversity in relationship patterns between sustainable supply chain performance and
companies’ FP emerges when the full sample is divided into different geographical regions and economic sectors as specified by the Global Industry
Classification Standard system.
Practical implications – This research makes recommendations for improving several processes, such as stakeholder evaluation of the sustainable
supply chain performance of companies worldwide and manager testing of environmental policy outcomes.
Originality/value – Building on the mostly qualitative literature on sustainable supply chain performance and companies’ FP, this research provides
quantitative evidence of the gaps between these constructs. This research contributes to the discussions of supply chain management, environmental
practices and the drivers of companies’ environmental and financial success.
Keywords Corporate responsibility, Sustainability, Corporate social responsibility, Business administration, Environmental management,
Environmental performance, Company performance, Sustainable supply chain management, Green supply chains, Sustainable supply chain
performance, Granger causation
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Supply chain management (SCM) is an important
environmental and social subject relating to corporate
sustainability (Ashby et al., 2012). Companies’ interest in
SCM has increased in recent decades because of growing
global competition, outsourcing of companies’ non-core
activities and the shortening of product life cycles
(Skjøtt-Larsen et al., 2007). More importantly, companies’
close, long-term relationships with suppliers and other
strategic partners have become a key factor in competitiveness
(Christopher, 2005; Andersen and SkjOEtt-Larsen, 2009). At
the same time, companies have become more deeply
committed.
Lean thinking literature review and suggestions for future researchWorld-Academic Journal
The research provides a literature overview from a timespan of more than 60 years with articles historically and thematically organized about the application of “Lean thinking” (LT) concept and the main research findings through different industries. Lean thinking is an important but yet still under researched aspect of strategic management. By collecting research records from ISI web of knowledge naming directly the lean thinking issue; 34 Web of science records, 10 Medline records and 2 Chinese citation database records were found. Results show that the main focus areas on lean thinking researches are mainly applied in health care industry (with the 48% of the collected records) followed by manufacturing industry (17%), construction (10%), product development (7%), training and education (7%) and supply chain (2%). Other industries (9%) are also starting to apply lean thinking philosophy according to the particularities of their domain. We find research gaps and provide directions for further investigation.
Food supply chain management:
systems, implementations, and
future research
Ray Zhong and Xun Xu
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, and
Lihui Wang
Department of Production Engineering,
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the food supply chain management (FSCM) in terms of
systems and implementations so that observations and lessons from this research could be useful for
academia and industrial practitioners in the future.
Design/methodology/approach – A systematical and hierarchical framework is proposed in this paper to
review the literature. Categorizations and classifications are identified to organize this paper.
Findings – This paper reviews total 192 articles related to the data-driven systems for FSCM. Currently,
there is a dramatic increase of research papers related to this topic. Looking at the general interests on FSCM,
research on this topic can be expected to increase in the future.
Research limitations/implications – This paper only selected limited number of papers which are
published in leading journals or with high citations. For simplicity without generality, key findings and
observations are significant from this research.
Practical implications – Some ideas from this paper could be expanded into other possible domains so that
involved parties are able to be inspired for enriching the FSCM. Future implementations are useful for
practitioners to conduct IT-based solutions for FSCM.
Social implications – As the increasing of digital devices in FSCM, large number of data will be used for
decision-makings. Data-driven systems for FSCM will be the future for a more sustainable food supply chain.
Originality/value – This is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive review on FSCM from the view of
data-driven IT systems.
Keywords Case studies, Food supply chain management, Review, Data-driven systems,
Implementations, IT systems
Paper type Literature review
1. Introduction
Food industry plays an important role in providing basics and necessities for supporting
various human activities and behaviors (Cooper and Ellram, 1993). Once harvested or
produced, the food should be stored, delivered, and retailed so that they could reach to the
final customers by due date. It was reported that about one-third of the produced food has
been abandoned or wasted yearly (approximately 1.3 billion tons) (Manning et al., 2006).
Two-third of the wasted food (about 1 billion tons) is occurred in supply chain like
harvesting, shipping and storage (Fritz and Schiefer, 2008). Take fruit and vegetables for
example, such perishable food was wasted by 492 million tons worldwide in 2011 due to the
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 117 No. 9, 2017
pp. 2085-2114
Emerald Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-09-2016-0391
Received 22 September 2016
Revised 11 November 2016
Accepted 25 December 2016
The curre.
Does implementing social supplierdevelopment practices pay oDustiBuckner14
Does implementing social supplier
development practices pay off?
Cristina Sancha, Cristina Gimenez, Vicenta Sierra and Ali Kazeminia
ESADE Business School, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First is to investigate the impact of social supplier development practices on the suppliers’ social
performance. Second is to analyze if the implementation of supplier development practices by Western buying firms pays off in terms of operational
and economic results.
Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are tested in a sample of 120 Spanish manufacturing firms using Path Analysis.
Findings – The results suggest that while supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance and the buying firm’s
operational performance, they do not pay off in terms of economic performance.
Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance while
improving the operational performance of the buying firm. The study has two main limitations. First, because cross-sectional data are used, possible
recursive relationships could not be accounted for. Second, the study is limited to the Spanish scope and, as such, results need to be interpreted
in that context.
Practical implications – The results of this study provide insights to managers with respect to the implementation of supplier development
practices to make their suppliers more socially responsible. Furthermore, managers are shown the implications of implementing such practices in
terms of operational and economic outcomes.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature on the effectiveness of sustainable supplier development practices by including
the suppliers’ performance, which has been generally neglected. Objective measures for economic performance are also included.
Keywords Buying firm’s performance, Social supplier development practices, Suppliers’ performance
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Nowadays, supply chains are becoming increasingly global.
One example of this trend is that firms buy from suppliers
located all over the world. In this context, it is important to
highlight the key role that the suppliers’ performance plays on
the long-term success of buying firms (Carter, 2005; Krause
et al., 2000). For example, the quality level of the products
served by suppliers as well as the on-time delivery of these
products impact the operational performance of the buying
firm. This key role of suppliers can also be translated to the
sustainability arena. The increasing level of outsourcing to
developing countries has emphasized the focus on
sustainability (Andersen and Skjoett-Larsen, 2009). The
concept of sustainability has been traditionally operationalized
using the concept of the triple bottom line (TBL), which
encompasses the combination of economic, environmental
and social performances and reli ...
JOSCM | Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management - Volume 9 number 2 - July/December 2016
In this issue of Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management we present to you five papers that cover different areas of our field. Shashi et al. (2016) explore the key success factors to manage sustainable cold supply chains. Still in the SCM field, Handayati et al. (2016) use agent-based simulation to understand contracting issues. Martins et al. (2016), in their turn, analyze intermodal terminals in Brazil and point interesting ways of improving them, considering shippers’ points of view. Devangan (2016) also explores logistic issues by look for ways to optimize the allocation of warehouses, taking into account production and distribution aspects. Finally, Rajashekharaiah (2016) recoups a recurrent and important theme in the operations management field – the use of six sigma techniques to improve process capability.
For more information on this issue, visit the FGV Library System: http://bit.ly/2livcwo
The Modeling of Reverse Logistics: Am Empirical Research of the Processes and...QUESTJOURNAL
ABSTRACT: The usual management policies of traditional waste cannot be applied in the case of e-waste, since these wastes contain more toxic substances than conventional waste, endangering both the environment and public health, while at the same time they contain valuable materials that can be reused or at least recycled. Mobile phones contain many harmful chemicals, which have a long life and increased levels of toxicity, and are associated to cancer and disorders related to reproductive, neurological and developmental capacity of human beings. Through this paper an empirical research in telecommunication sector in Greece will be presented. The theoretical background as well as the gap will be analyzed at first place and then the results of the research will be discussed
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Journal of Operations Management 29 (2011) 577–590
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Operations Management
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / j o m
alancing priorities: Decision-making in sustainable supply chain management
haohui Wu a,∗, Mark Pagell b,1
Oregon State University, College of Business, 200 Bexell Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2603, United States
Schulich School of Business, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
r t i c l e i n f o
rticle history:
eceived 28 June 2008
eceived in revised form
7 September 2010
ccepted 25 October 2010
vailable online 3 November 2010
a b s t r a c t
The need for environmental protection and increasing demands for natural resources are forcing com-
panies to reconsider their business models and restructure their supply chain operations. Scholars and
proactive companies have begun to create more sustainable supply chains. What has not been fully
addressed is how organizations deal with short-term pressures to remain economically viable while
implementing these newly modeled supply chains. In this study, we use theory-building through case
eywords:
reen supply chain management
ecision-making
ustainability
studies to answer the question: how do organizations balance short-term profitability and long-term
environmental sustainability when making supply chain decisions under conditions of uncertainty? We
present five sets of propositions that explain how exemplars in green supply chain management make
decisions and balance short and long term objectives. We also identify four environmental postures
that help explain the decisions organizations make when dealing with strategic trade-offs among the
economic, environmental and social elements of the triple-bottom-line.
. Introduction
Organizations have begun to examine their supply chains in
esponse to numerous interrelated economic and environmental
hallenges such as fluctuations in commodity prices and climate
hange. Critics confront “business as usual” and demand sustain-
ble practices. Many organizations initially resist change, but some
ompanies have recently begun to transform their supply chains in
fforts to become more sustainable.
How difficult this transformation will be is debatable. There is
body of research which suggests that many organizations can
imultaneously achieve business goals and reduce their environ-
ental impacts (e.g. Russo and Fouts, 1997; Christmann, 2000;
elnyk et al., 2003). However, while waste and pollution reduction
re aligned with the traditional goals of operations management,
ot all environmental practices will bring cost savings and some
ill increase costs, especially in the short term. For instance, proac-
ive investment in green technology .
Strengthening Supply Chains for a Sustainable Housing Sector in Nepal : Facto...ijmvsc
EU’s main approach to sustainable housing is promoting green practices/products within the building
construction sectors SCs. EU Switch Asia program financed research conducted in Nepal, 2015, to
understand the organization of SCs, identify factors/barriers affecting SCM and existing relationships, the
reasons to adopt green concepts/approaches and recommend support for SMEs to strengthen the sector’s
management and sustainability. 109 companies, non-probabilistic snowball sampling and semi-closed
questionnaires used in the survey. Conclusions: Companies create SCs to increase customer satisfaction,
maintain long-term sales and retain clients. Size of company influences SCs organisation, SCM and
using/producing green products/services; majority of participants had a person in the company to manage
SC’s and had very good knowledge of SC, SCM and greening issues. SMEs need support with:
information/communication technology, promotion and improvement/development of green
products/services. Government should: increases awareness of green building products/services; develop
financial green incentives and simplify administrative procedures to buy solar products.
ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH VALUE CHAINijmvsc
In the last three decades globalization accompanied with technological developments, changing customer
expectations - both in terms of demand and need, economic interdependencies of the nation’s, growing
environmental consciousness etc. had eventually forced business firms around the globe to be effective and
efficient in every activity they perform and had accordingly gave birth to the various business models.
Initially focus of the business models as well as strategies was somewhat restricted towards the
“Sustainable Competitive Advantage” but as the ambit was enlarged focus shifted towards the
“Sustainable Development”. The paper focuses towards the sustainable development through the lenses of
value chain in a holistic manner by identifying the various parts of value chain, its contribution in
identifying the dimension of sustainable competitive advantage, linkages involved in value chain and
generic strategies, thereby, conceptualizing the value chain model as a strategy for achieving the
sustainability competitive advantage and sustainable development
Epcon is One of the World's leading Manufacturing Companies.EpconLP
Epcon is One of the World's leading Manufacturing Companies. With over 4000 installations worldwide, EPCON has been pioneering new techniques since 1977 that have become industry standards now. Founded in 1977, Epcon has grown from a one-man operation to a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative air pollution control technology and industrial heating equipment.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GREEN WASHING IS!.pdfJulietMogola
Many companies today use green washing to lure the public into thinking they are conserving the environment but in real sense they are doing more harm. There have been such several cases from very big companies here in Kenya and also globally. This ranges from various sectors from manufacturing and goes to consumer products. Educating people on greenwashing will enable people to make better choices based on their analysis and not on what they see on marketing sites.
Presented by The Global Peatlands Assessment: Mapping, Policy, and Action at GLF Peatlands 2024 - The Global Peatlands Assessment: Mapping, Policy, and Action
Willie Nelson Net Worth: A Journey Through Music, Movies, and Business Venturesgreendigital
Willie Nelson is a name that resonates within the world of music and entertainment. Known for his unique voice, and masterful guitar skills. and an extraordinary career spanning several decades. Nelson has become a legend in the country music scene. But, his influence extends far beyond the realm of music. with ventures in acting, writing, activism, and business. This comprehensive article delves into Willie Nelson net worth. exploring the various facets of his career that have contributed to his large fortune.
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Introduction
Willie Nelson net worth is a testament to his enduring influence and success in many fields. Born on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. Nelson's journey from a humble beginning to becoming one of the most iconic figures in American music is nothing short of inspirational. His net worth, which estimated to be around $25 million as of 2024. reflects a career that is as diverse as it is prolific.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Humble Origins
Willie Hugh Nelson was born during the Great Depression. a time of significant economic hardship in the United States. Raised by his grandparents. Nelson found solace and inspiration in music from an early age. His grandmother taught him to play the guitar. setting the stage for what would become an illustrious career.
First Steps in Music
Nelson's initial foray into the music industry was fraught with challenges. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue his dreams, but success did not come . Working as a songwriter, Nelson penned hits for other artists. which helped him gain a foothold in the competitive music scene. His songwriting skills contributed to his early earnings. laying the foundation for his net worth.
Rise to Stardom
Breakthrough Albums
The 1970s marked a turning point in Willie Nelson's career. His albums "Shotgun Willie" (1973), "Red Headed Stranger" (1975). and "Stardust" (1978) received critical acclaim and commercial success. These albums not only solidified his position in the country music genre. but also introduced his music to a broader audience. The success of these albums played a crucial role in boosting Willie Nelson net worth.
Iconic Songs
Willie Nelson net worth is also attributed to his extensive catalog of hit songs. Tracks like "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "On the Road Again," and "Always on My Mind" have become timeless classics. These songs have not only earned Nelson large royalties but have also ensured his continued relevance in the music industry.
Acting and Film Career
Hollywood Ventures
In addition to his music career, Willie Nelson has also made a mark in Hollywood. His distinctive personality and on-screen presence have landed him roles in several films and television shows. Notable appearances include roles in "The Electric Horseman" (1979), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1980), and "Barbarosa" (1982). These acting gigs have added a significant amount to Willie Nelson net worth.
Television Appearances
Nelson's char
Top 8 Strategies for Effective Sustainable Waste Management.pdfJhon Wick
Discover top strategies for effective sustainable waste management, including product removal and product destruction. Learn how to reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, implement waste segregation, and explore innovative technologies for a greener future.
Altered Terrain: Colonial Encroachment and Environmental Changes in Cachar, A...PriyankaKilaniya
The beginning of colonial policy in the area was signaled by the British annexation of the Cachar district in southern Assam in 1832. The region became an alluring investment opportunity for Europeans after British rule over Cachar, especially after the accidental discovery of wild tea in 1855. Within this historical context, this study explores three major stages that characterize the evolution of nature. First, it examines the distribution and growth of tea plantations, examining their size and rate of expansion. The second aspect of the study examines the consequences of land concessions, which led to the initial loss of native forests. Finally, the study investigates the increased strain on forests caused by migrant workers' demands. It also highlights the crucial role that the Forest Department plays in protecting these natural habitats from the invasion of tea planters. This study aims to analyze the intricate relationship between colonialism and the altered landscape of Cachar, Assam, by means of a thorough investigation, shedding light on the environmental, economic, and societal aspects of this historical transformation.
Characterization and the Kinetics of drying at the drying oven and with micro...Open Access Research Paper
The objective of this work is to contribute to valorization de Nephelium lappaceum by the characterization of kinetics of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum. The seeds were dehydrated until a constant mass respectively in a drying oven and a microwawe oven. The temperatures and the powers of drying are respectively: 50, 60 and 70°C and 140, 280 and 420 W. The results show that the curves of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum do not present a phase of constant kinetics. The coefficients of diffusion vary between 2.09.10-8 to 2.98. 10-8m-2/s in the interval of 50°C at 70°C and between 4.83×10-07 at 9.04×10-07 m-8/s for the powers going of 140 W with 420 W the relation between Arrhenius and a value of energy of activation of 16.49 kJ. mol-1 expressed the effect of the temperature on effective diffusivity.
Climate Change All over the World .pptxsairaanwer024
Climate change refers to significant and lasting changes in the average weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It encompasses both global warming driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. While climate change is a natural phenomenon, human activities, particularly since the Industrial Revolution, have accelerated its pace and intensity
"Understanding the Carbon Cycle: Processes, Human Impacts, and Strategies for...MMariSelvam4
The carbon cycle is a critical component of Earth's environmental system, governing the movement and transformation of carbon through various reservoirs, including the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms. This complex cycle involves several key processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon sequestration, each contributing to the regulation of carbon levels on the planet.
Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have significantly altered the natural carbon cycle, leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and driving climate change. Understanding the intricacies of the carbon cycle is essential for assessing the impacts of these changes and developing effective mitigation strategies.
By studying the carbon cycle, scientists can identify carbon sources and sinks, measure carbon fluxes, and predict future trends. This knowledge is crucial for crafting policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing carbon storage, and promoting sustainable practices. The carbon cycle's interplay with climate systems, ecosystems, and human activities underscores its importance in maintaining a stable and healthy planet.
In-depth exploration of the carbon cycle reveals the delicate balance required to sustain life and the urgent need to address anthropogenic influences. Through research, education, and policy, we can work towards restoring equilibrium in the carbon cycle and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Artificial Reefs by Kuddle Life Foundation - May 2024punit537210
Situated in Pondicherry, India, Kuddle Life Foundation is a charitable, non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving the living standards of coastal communities and simultaneously placing a strong emphasis on the protection of marine ecosystems.
One of the key areas we work in is Artificial Reefs. This presentation captures our journey so far and our learnings. We hope you get as excited about marine conservation and artificial reefs as we are.
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Artificial Reefs by Kuddle Life Foundation - May 2024
Green supply chain
1. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal September 2017, Vol.16, No. 9, 2123-2132
http://omicron.ch.tuiasi.ro/EEMJ/
“Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
IN MALAYSIAN SMEs: PERSPECTIVES FROM PRACTITIONERS
Ezutah Udoncy Olugu1
, Kuan Yew Wong2
, Mohamed Shaharoun Awaluddin2
,
Salwa Hanim Abdul-Rashid3
, Raja Ariffin Bin Raja Ghazilla3
1
Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2
Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Malaysia
3
Center for Product Design and Manufacture, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Abstract
This study was aimed at eliciting the perception of practitioners on sustainable supply chain management in small and medium
enterprises (SMEs). A total of 15 companies from the SMEs in Malaysia were selected. 5 of these companies serve as suppliers
to larger firms within and outside Malaysia, another 5 as manufacturers, and the rest as reverse logistics companies (collectors
and recycling plant operating companies). All the companies were selected based on their involvement in sustainable supply
chain management. A structured interview was conducted to uncover their perceptions and challenges in sustainable supply chain
management. Feedback from the conducted interview revealed that most of the practitioners from these companies believe that
sustainable supply chain management requires well-structured and efficient supply chain integration. In essence, this study
enhanced the understanding of the requirements for an efficient sustainable supply chain management in the SMEs of a
developing country and sustainable manufacturing in general.
Keywords: practitioner, SME, supply chain, sustainable supply chain management
Received: June, 2012; Revised final: January, 2014; Accepted: January, 2014
Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed: e-mail: olugu@ucsiuniversity.edu.my; Phone: +603-91018880; Fax: +603-91323663
1. Introduction
According to Goodland (1991) and Linton et
al. (2007), sustainability has become one of the most
contemporary issues in our everyday life in recent
years. It is also an established fact that industrial
production is accompanied by various environmental
and social concerns at various stages of the
production processes (Kemp, 1994; Seuring and
Muller, 2008). Hence, the emergence of sustainable
production as a viable option in combating these
production concerns has been a laudable
development. Since manufacturing companies do not
operate in isolation, sustainability in the
manufacturing sphere has been extended to include
manufacturing supply chains (Beamon, 2005; Matos
and Hall, 2007). Today, many researchers believe
that sustainable production can only be achieved
through a sustainable supply chain (Linton et al.,
2007; Olugu et al., 2010; Pan et al., 2015; Vachon
and Klassen, 2006; Solvang et al., 2006). In addition,
various studies have asserted that the management of
waste arising from end-of-life products should be
integrated into the initial production and sourcing
plan (Dychkoff et al., 2004; Solvang et al., 2006; Zhu
et al., 2008). Thus, it is worthy of note that despite
sustainability being in existence for a long time, its
extension to supply chains has just started gaining the
deserved attention (Chaabane et al., 2012; Linton et
al., 2007). Based on the assertion that sustainable
2. Olugu et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 16 (2017), 9, 2123-2132
2124
development takes into cognizance the interwoven
relationship between the economic, environmental
and social performances of an organization (Beamon,
2005; Beamon, 2008; Chaabane, 2012; Linton et al.,
2007; Seuring and Muller, 2008), an integrated
approach that combines supply chain operations with
these elements of sustainability has been advocated
(Beamon, 2008; Chaabane et al., 2012).
In this study, the perception of practitioners
from the SMEs in developing countries towards
sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has
been investigated. The study used fifteen SMEs from
Malaysia as case studies to understand the perception
of the practitioners towards SSCM in developing
countries. 5 of these SMEs are engaged as suppliers
to larger companies within and outside Malaysia, 5 as
manufacturers and 5 as reverse logistics operators.
The reverse logistics operators include collectors,
shredders and recycling plant operators. These
reverse logistics operators are termed as recyclers in
this study.
This study has 2 major contributions to
knowledge in SSCM. It has been observed in
literature that most studies only looked at
sustainability in SMEs from a generic point of view
(Lepoutre and Heene, 2006; Thompson and Smith,
1991), without considering its application to their
supply chain. Only a few studies have been
conducted on the adoption of SSCM but none has
really used a case study approach to elicit the
perception of practitioners from SMEs on SSCM for
a developing country. The study also serves as a
reference point for managers of larger or more
developed companies on how to achieve an effective
SSCM with the SMEs from developing countries.
The remainder of this study is organized in the
following manner: the following section contains the
definitions and implications of supply chain
sustainability. This section also looks at SMEs in
Malaysia and SSCM. This is followed by a
description of the research methodology adopted in
this study. The third section looks at the results and
discusses their implications in SSCM. This section
also contains recommendations of strategies towards
an efficient SSCM. The study culminates with
conclusions and recommendations for future
research.
1.1. Supply Chain Sustainability
SSCM has been defined as SCM which
incorporates all the three dimensions of sustainability
such as economic, environmental, and social
concerns (Gupta and Palsule-Desai, 2011; Linton et
al., 2007; Seuring et al., 2006). This implies the
involvement of a multi-disciplinary perspective,
encompassing the entire product life-cycle and
organizational management principles with
environmental impact as an imperative, taking into
consideration all the stages across the entire supply
chain for a given product. Furthermore, SCM in this
era of environmental and social consciousness should
be viewed as an operational structure between
suppliers, manufacturers and consumers with major
consideration on the environment (Barbosa-Póvoa,
2009; Beamon, 2008; Olugu et al., 2010, Tsoulfas
and Pappis, 2008).
The importance of sustainability in a supply
chain has been getting a lot of attention owing to the
fact that many customers, stakeholders and
employees are very concerned about social and
environmental responsibilities of companies
(Beamon, 2008; Otslin et al., 2008; Vanalle et al.,
2011). This is supported by the observation of
various studies that some of the major drivers of
sustainability in a supply chain stem from
governmental legislations, pressure from non-
governmental organizations, customers’ concerns,
and stakeholders’ requirements (Beamon, 2008; Gold
et al., 2010; Nawrocka, 2008; Seuring and Muller,
2008; Sharfman et al., 1997). Since many authors
have consented to the fact that manufacturing
competition is now between organizations’ supply
chains (Christopher, 1996; Cox, 1999; Hult et al.,
2007; Morgan and Monczka, 1996; Zhu et al., 2008),
it has become imperative to extend sustainability to
supply chains (Beamon, 1999; Koplin et al., 2007;
Salam, 2009). This will in turn transform supply
chain sustainability into a formidable competitive
strategy in the manufacturing industry.
To buttress the realization of the importance
of environmental sustainability, studies which have
focused on environmental sustainability in supply
chains have exceeded 200 (Seuring and Muller,
2008). Some of these studies have applied various
nomenclatures to depict sustainability in a supply
chain such as green supply chain (Beamon, 1999;
Kim and Min, 2011; Olugu et al., 2011; Zhu et al.,
2007), closed loop supply chain (Beamon, 1999;
Inderfurth, 2004; Spengler et al., 2004; Steven, 2004;
van Hoek, 1999; Zhu and Sarkis, 2006),
environmental supply chain (Beamon, 2005; Krause
et al., 2009; Govindan and Cheng, 2011; Hall,
2000;), ethical supply chain (Roberts, 2003; Beamon,
2005), and integrated supply chain (Mezher and
Ajam, 2006; Preuss, 2001; Vachon and Klassen,
2006; Zhu and Sarkis, 2006). In spite of all these
nomenclatural variations, the common fact with all
the studies remains as addressing environmental and
social concerns through SCM, while maintaining
economic benefits.
1.2. SMEs in Malaysia and SSCM
According to the Small and Medium
Enterprise Corporation of Malaysia, SMEs in the
manufacturing, manufacturing related services and
agro-based industries are enterprises with full-time
employees not exceeding 150 or with annual sales
turnover not exceeding RM25 million (about USD8
million). SMEs account for a greater proportion of
establishments in many countries of the world. SMEs
account for 99% of the total enterprises and 31% of
the industrial production in Germany (Kannan and
3. Sustainable supply chain management in Malaysian SMEs: Perspectives from practitioners
2125
Boie, 2003). SMEs in Malaysia account for about
94% of the companies that make up the
manufacturing sector (Saleh and Ndubuisi, 2006).
About 27% of the total manufacturing output, 26% of
value-added production and 39% of Malaysia’s
workforce are generated by SMEs (Saleh and
Ndubuisi, 2006).
A decade ago, SMEs were faced with a
myriad of challenges such as poor financing, low
productivity, inadequate managerial capabilities and
poor access to management and technology (Wang,
2003). In Malaysia, these challenges included lack of
access to loans, limited adoption of technology, lack
of human resources, competition from multinational
companies and globalization (Moha, 1999; Saleh and
Ndubuisi, 2006). Today, these challenges have been
compounded with the emergence of sustainability in
manufacturing (Enderle, 2004).
It has been observed that there is a dearth of
literature that dealt with SSCM involving SMEs
(Lepoutre and Heene, 2006; Spence et al., 2003;
Vives, 2006). Furthermore, literature that looked at
sustainability in general with respect to SMEs in
developing countries is even more scarce (Ciliberti et
al., 2008). Sustainability practices in SMEs differ
significantly from those in large corporations due to
SMEs’ peculiarities (Alshawi et al., 2011; Ciliberti et
al., 2008; Enderle, 2004; Vives, 2006). Based on
these peculiarities surrounding SMEs, SSCM in
SMEs cannot be looked upon as a miniaturized
version of larger organizations (Alshawi et al., 2011).
Vonderembse et al. (2006) stated that there is a need
to focus supply chain studies on a particular group
such as the SMEs as they have their peculiarities
associated with their operations.
It has been asserted in literature that SMEs’
international expansion is anchored on numerous
agreements with firms from the same or unrelated
industrial sectors, suppliers, customers, competitors
as well as public organizations (Spence et al., 2003;
Spence et al., 2008). Hence, the quest for SSCM in
SMEs has been mainly due to pressure from
stakeholders such as customers and non-
governmental organizations (Ciliberti et al., 2008;
Vives, 2006). It has also been pointed out that some
of the challenges faced by SMEs in SSCM in
developing countries include the lack of mentorship
and skill transfer, communication gaps, and lack of
awareness on opportunities for development
(Ciliberti et al., 2008). This study acts as an
exploratory study to understand the perception of
SMEs on SSCM using the case of an emerging
economy (Perrini, 2006; Roberts et al., 2006).
1.3. Conceptual framework for sustainable supply
chain management in SMEs
Based on the insights and results obtained
from the literature review, a general conceptual
framework can be proposed (refer to Fig. 1). It can be
seen from the conceptual framework that SSCM in
SMEs from the emerging economies is triggered by
certain drivers such as customers’ pressure (Carter
and Dresner, 2001; Ciliberti et al., 2008; Hall, 2001;
Handfield et al., 1997; Green et al., 1996; New et al.,
2002; Klassen and Vachon, 2003; Vives, 2006;
Walker et al., 2008; Zhu and Sarkis, 2006),
legislative and regulatory compliance (Beamon,
1999; Green et al., 1996; Hall, 2001; Walker et al.,
2008; Walton et al., 1998; Zhu and Sarkis, 2006),
competition (Ferguson and Toktay, 2006; New et al.,
2002; Sarkis, 2003; Zhu and Sarkis, 2006), and
public pressure (Beamon, 1999; Hall, 2001; New et
al., 2002). Hence, SMEs need to implement SSCM in
order to continue their manufacturing operations.
However, it is not an easy process because its
implementation is influenced by certain challenges
and problems such as cost of implementation
(Ciliberti et al., 2008; Hervani and Helms, 2005;
Orsato, 2006; Walker et al., 2008; Walker and Jones,
2012; Wycherley, 1999). The lack of understanding
and coaching on the implications of SSCM (Bowen
et al., 2001; Carter and Dresner, 2001; Cooper et al.,
2000; Enderle, 2004), and finally some barriers
which might be industry specific in nature (Zhu and
Sarkis, 2006).
Hence, it is posited that certain strategies can
be adopted to overcome these challenges. By
addressing these challenges, SMEs from developing
countries will be able to improve their sustainable
supply chain performance and achieve the full
benefits of sustainability in general.
SSCM
Challenges
Drivers towards SSCM
Implementation of SSCM
Improvement strategies
More efficient SSCM
Fig. 1. Conceptual framework for
sustainable supply chain management
2. Methodology
The main objective of this study is to elicit the
perception of the SMEs in Malaysia towards SSCM.
This will in turn increase the understanding of the
fundamentals towards the realization of an effective
and efficient SSCM in the SMEs in the context of
developing countries. This study follows a qualitative
approach which utilized direct interview as the
primary source of data collection. The study takes the
form of an embedded design approach in which
several sub-units have been included into the main
analysis (Yin, 1984). At the same time, the
contingency theory which believes that no theory or
method suits all (Scott and Cole, 2000; Thompson,
1967), was applied to understand the perception of
practitioners and stakeholders from SMEs on SSCM.
Thus, this implies the recognition of the fact that the
4. Olugu et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 16 (2017), 9, 2123-2132
2126
operating environment and structure of an
organization directly affect its operations (Flynn et
al., 2010; Vonderembse et al., 2006). Hence, the
result of this methodology will add knowledge in the
area of SSCM performance maximization especially
where SMEs are involved (Castka et al., 2004;
Donaldson, 2001; Perrini, 2006).
The companies were selected based on the
fact that they are considered as leaders in sustainable
practices among SMEs within their industry (Pagell
and Wu, 2009). Automotive, semi-conductor and
food industries were selected for the study because
they are the dominant industries in Malaysia. This is
in line with within and across case analysis
recommended by Pagell (2004) in order to to
examine integration in a single context and
replication in cross cases.
A one-to-one approach was applied in the
interviews and the length of each interview varied as
each circumstance waranted, but was less than 90
minutes for each. These interviews were recorded
and transcribed to obtain the details of the perception
of each practitioner. Further clarifications were
sought during transcription through emails and phone
calls.
The interview was conducted with the various
parties such as suppliers, manufacturers, and
recyclers from various companies within the
manufacturing industry to understand their
perception on sustainability in supply chains. It has
been stated in literature that choosing various
segments such as suppliers, manufacturers and
recyclers will enable potential theoretical issues to be
highlighted (Eisenhardt, 1989; Matos and Hall,
2007). Matos and Hall (2007) further suggested that a
large number of case study should be conducted to
ensure differences in context and approaches have
been catered for and further ensure the potential
robustness of the theory derived from the results. It
was believed that major concerns and contributions
towards an efficient SSCM could be obtained from
these groups especially in the context of an emerging
economy such as Malaysia. Thus, the study would
uncover some grey areas in the manufacturing SSCM
in SMEs. The interview was anchored around their
perception on the current level of supply chain
sustainability, challenges and way forward. From the
interview conducted, it was easier to get a deeper
understanding of the perception of these echelons
within their supply chain.
The interview was conducted with the
managers and owners of 15 different SMEs. The
number of participating companies is considered
sufficient for this study as suggested in literature
(Eisenhardt, 1989; Matos and Hall, 2007; Pagell and
Wu, 2009; Wu and Choi, 2005). These companies are
ISO 14001 certified. ISO 14001 specifies the
requirements of an environmental management
system (EMS) for small to large organizations. The
managers and owners of these companies were
selected based on the fact that they are the people
who are well versed on the operations of their
companies. In some cases, the owners were
managers, which is a common practice in SMEs.
These companies were divided into the main
categories that constitute a sustainable manufacturing
supply chain (Matos and Hall, 2007). These
categories are suppliers, manufacturers, and
recyclers. Five companies from each category
participated in the interview. These companies come
from various supply chains which makes it possible
to obtain comprehensive views for SMEs. The
profiles of the selected companies are presented in
Table 1. The companies have been represented as A,
B, and C, which are suppliers, manufacturers and
recyclers respectively.
The companies selected are leading
manufacturers, suppliers, and reverse logistics
companies from the SME categories which are
believed to have numerous years of experience in
SSCM practices. Two of the selected companies for
each category were from the automotive industry.
Another two companies for each category were
selected from the electronics industry. Lastly, one
company for each category was selected from the
food and beverage industry. The distributors were
intentionally left out as it was assumed that they do
not have much effect on the physical composition of
the products.
Table 1. Profiles of the interviewed companies
Company Business category Industry Customers Staff Strength Interviewee’s position
A1 Supplier Automotive Global 51-150 Supply chain manager
A2 Supplier Automotive Global 51-150 Supply chain manager
A3 Supplier Semi-conductor Regional 1-50 Supply chain manager
A4 Supplier Semi-conductor Global 51-150 Supply chain manager
A5 Supplier Food & beverage Regional 51-150 Owner & manager
B1 Manufacturer Automotive Global 51-150 Production manager
B2 Manufacturer Automotive Global 51-150 Production manager
B3 Manufacturer Semi-conductor Regional 1-50 Production manager
B4 Manufacturer Semi-conductor Regional 1-50 Production manager
B5 Manufacturer Food & beverage Regional 51-150 Production manager
C1 Recycler Automotive Regional 1-50 Owner
C2 Recycler Automotive Regional 1-50 Owner
C3 Recycler Semi-conductor Global 51-150 Manager
C4 Recycler Semi-conductor Regional 1-50 Owner
C5 Recycler Food & beverage Global 51-150 Operation Manager
5. Sustainable supply chain management in Malaysian SMEs: Perspectives from practitioners
2127
Table 2. Samples of the questions administered to interviewees
General profile questions SSCM questions
1. When was the company started? What does SSCM mean to your company?
2. What is your company’s staff strength? How long has your company practiced SSCM initiative(s)?
3. Who are your customers? How would your company define SSCM?
4. Is the company solely locally owned, or
joint ventured (local & foreign)?
What do you think is the difference between SSCM and the traditional SCM
(supply chain management without environmental consideration)?
5. What is the relationship between the owner
and manager?
Is your company practicing any special SSCM initiative?
6. Are your inputs sourced locally or
internationally or both?
What do you think are the potential benefits of SSCM?
7. Is your company ISO 14001 certified? Do you think SSCM can lead to manufacturing sustainability?
8. Do you have any other environmental
system certification?
What are the major challenges towards the realization of SSCM in your firm?
9 What are the plans for expansion? What are the key driving forces of the company towards sustainable practices?
10 How is the competition within the sector? How have your customers influenced your product and process decisions?
The interview questions were structured in
such a manner that the respondents will provide their
view on the impact of SSCM on overall sustainable
manufacturing practices of their company. The
questions that were used to elicit their perception are
presented in Table 2. In addition, the practitioners
were asked to identify the challenges and rooms for
improvement towards achieving an effective and
efficient SSCM practice. The feedback from the
respondents is discussed in the ensuing sections.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Feedback from practitioners
The results of the interview were synthesized
to obtain a common ground which represents the
common perception of each of the echelons. It was
observed that the only difference in the responses
was in the area of the respondents’ understanding of
SSCM. This is not unexpected as SCM implies
different things to different people depending on
where they are coming from (Gunersekaran et al.,
2001; Vonderembse et al., 2006). Some of the
consensual areas are discussed below to show the
perception of these industrialists towards SSCM.
3.1.1. Manufacturers’ feedback
From the manufacturers’ point of view, it was
gathered that changing market demands and
legislations have been the major drivers towards
SSCM. It was further explained that due to the fact
that most developed markets are keener on
sustainable products through legislations and
regulations, it is inevitable for them to follow the
trend. Therefore, manufacturers apply the same
stringent environmental regulations and legislation
being imposed on them in their supplier selection
which in turn creates room for the appointment of
new suppliers at the expense of old suppliers.
Customer demand was another issue that was raised
by the manufacturers. It was observed that the
customers’ needs are becoming increasingly
insatiable, especially where bigger and more
established firms are the customers. These more
established companies are transferring the ever
increasing regulations imposed on their product
category to the components being supplied by these
SMEs. This has made them more difficult to satisfy
their customers without expanding their product base
and modifying their mode of operations. Some
manufacturers claimed that their management has to
go into collaboration with other more advanced
manufacturers in order to cope with certain customer
demands. They went ahead to defend their position as
being the only option to deal with increasing
customer needs and growing market competition.
Lack of sufficient capital was also pointed out as one
of the major constraints towards the actualization of a
formidable SSCM practice.
One major issue pointed out by the
manufacturers was the right approach to SSCM. It
was observed that most of these companies actually
lack the technical understanding of the best approach
to SSCM. This is in line with the observation made
by Ciliberti et al. (2008). It was further gathered that
most of the laid down principles in major handbooks
and regulatory guidelines are not well-grounded to
cover the SMEs. This is supported by the assertion
given by Hamann et al. (2005) that SMEs in the
developing countries are not fully aware of the
standards towards SSCM.
3.1.2. Suppliers’ feedback
From the suppliers’ point of view, SSCM is a
laudable approach towards achieving sustainability in
the manufacturing sector. They equally concurred to
the fact that SSCM was actually born from
legislations and regulations. According to them, since
being environmentally certified has become one of
the basic criteria for supplier selection by
manufacturers, it has become a mandatory option to
join the wagon.
At the same time, one mutual concern raised
by most of the suppliers was time constraint. The
suppliers believed that there is a need to go with the
environmental sustainability trend, but echoed that
ample time should be given to them to establish a
6. Olugu et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 16 (2017), 9, 2123-2132
2128
formidable sustainable supply base. Since some of
these suppliers have their manufacturing plants, they
believed that ample time is required to carry out
modifications to their existing manufacturing
systems. They complained that some of the
requirements that have been imposed on them by the
manufacturers entail new raw materials which imply
total plant modification. Another major concern
highlighted by these suppliers was the resources and
time required for the acquisition, training and
orientation of the employees towards the use of these
new plants.
In addition, the suppliers highlighted the
inadequate capital as another militating factor against
SSCM. Thus, since these suppliers are SMEs within
the manufacturing industry, they are unable to raise
enough capital for plant modification within a short
range of time. This is supported by the observation
from Saleh and Ndubuisi (2006), Moha (1999) and
Wang (2003) that lack of capital is a major problem
in SMEs. Therefore, they keep losing out to big and
well established suppliers in cases where SSCM is a
major criterion in supplier selection. The suppliers
believed that if they have enough capital to expand
and modify their plants, they can equally compete
favorably with the more established suppliers.
Furthermore, it was found from the suppliers
that there has been little or no supply chain
collaboration aimed at taking the suppliers into
consideration in the overall plan of the
manufacturers. The interviews also revealed that
most of the manufacturers do not actually have a
strong self-groomed supplier base. They rather go
through some supplier selection processes from time
to time to establish new suppliers based on new
criteria that suit their production objectives. This
issue has made it difficult for the suppliers which are
mostly SMEs to compete favorably.
3.1.3. Recyclers’ feedback
The recyclers which encompass end-of-life
products collectors, shredders, and recycling plant
operators stated that they deal more with products
which have established markets for the recycled
components and parts. One important aspect of
knowledge gained from the recyclers is that they
operate on a consolidation principle for like materials
irrespective of manufacturers. This also goes to
support the fact that there has not been any supply
chain integration in most of these supply chains. The
major driver for most of the recycled components
and parts are independent buyers of the recycled
products. Thus, if a product does not have a
formidable reverse logistics demand; it will be
difficult to find collectors and recyclers that will
invest their resources in that product or its
components. They also stated that few manufacturers
have been encouraging their collection, recycling and
re-absorption processes through some collaborative
initiatives. Thus, they prefer to deal with those end-
of-life products from those few manufacturers. They
went ahead to point out that those few manufacturers
(which have established processes for collection,
recycling and re-absorption) indirectly promote the
value of their end-of-life products.
3.2. Recommended strategies
From the interviews, the study was able to
synthesize the various opinions together with
established strategies to come up with
recommendations. Some of these recommended
strategies are discussed in the ensuing paragraphs.
3.2.1. Supply chain integration
Supply chain integration is a phenomenon
used to describe the degree to which a manufacturer
strategically collaborates with its supply chain
partners and collaboratively manages intra and inter-
organizational processes, in order to achieve an
effective and efficient flow of products and services,
technology, information, money and decisions, aimed
at maximizing customer values (Flynn et al., 2010;
Pagell, 2004). Therefore, there is a need for total
supply chain integration which is aimed at bringing
about environmental collaboration within the supply
chains. Hence, supply chain integration in the
presence of environmental sustainability acts as a
catalyst towards sustainable manufacturing. This is
sequel to the fact that this kind of collaboration will
involve the forward flow of physical goods and
services between the suppliers, manufacturers,
retailers and customers, and the reverse flow of
recycled materials, information and data from the
customers/retailers, recyclers, collectors to the
manufacturers and suppliers (Cousins and Menguc,
2006; Morgan and Monczka, 1996).
From the interviews, it has been observed that
one of the core missing links to SSCM is the absence
of well-established supply chain integration. Since
many customers and stakeholders in various
manufacturing supply chains are very concerned
about social and environmental responsibilities of
companies and their products (Beamon, 2008; Östlin
et al., 2008; Vanalle et al., 2011), a system that takes
this into account is needed.
It has become an established fact that the
coordination and integration within a supply chain
directly influence the supply chain performance
(Gunasekaran et al., 2001; Vachon and Klassen,
2008; Vickery et al., 2003). Since the effectiveness of
a supply chain measures the extent to which
customers’ expectations are met (Neely et al., 2005),
well established integration of manufacturing supply
chain processes will be associated with higher levels
of supply chain performance (Frohlich and
Westbrook, 2001).
3.2.2. Integrated material efficiency
Material efficiency in industrial production is
defined as the amount of a particular material needed
to produce a particular product (Peck and Chipman,
2007). It was further described as a strategy aimed at
7. Sustainable supply chain management in Malaysian SMEs: Perspectives from practitioners
2129
reducing the primary material demand to fulfill a
certain function without substantially affecting the
level of usability (Allwood et al., 2011; Worrell et
al., 1995). This implies the improvement on material
consumption which allows the products to offer the
same possible functions with a reduced amount of
material inputs. Material efficiency is not a new
practice but it has received less attention from both
practitioners and researchers even though
environmental impacts due to materials are
significant (Salwa et al., 2008). All companies should
address the inefficient use of materials and their
resulting environmental impact as the first step
towards practicing wider strategies such as SSCM. It
was further pointed out that an integrated approach
towards energy and material efficiency is necessary
to attain a more cost-effective and influential
reduction strategy especially for the SMEs.
According to Meyer et al. (2007), many
manufacturing companies are unaware of the
available technical alternatives and their cost
implications due to inadequate material management
initiatives. According to Allwood et al. (2011),
practitioners should aim to provide material services
with less material production. Thus, the SMEs could
adopt some material-efficient manufacturing
processes in order to achieve SSCM.
It was further pointed out that material
inefficiency is present as a result of industrial
production, lack of and/or inadequate recycling
processes, unnecessary heavy designs, fabrication of
products and construction (Jochem, 2004). Worrell et
al. (1995) pointed out that an integrated material
efficiency approach can be achieved through proper
housekeeping which involves the end user’s
improved product usage, material-efficient product
design, material substitution by the manufacturer,
product and material recycling, and quality cascading
involving the use of secondary materials for a
function with lower quality demands. Hence, this
integrated approach towards material efficiency
within the supply chains will enhance SSCM
practices in the SMEs.
Another aspect of integrated material
efficiency is designing for the environment (Design
for “X”) which has been identified as one of the
approaches through which environmental issues and
manufacturing costs related to products could be
tackled (Kuo et al., 2001). Design for “X” covers
designing for the ease of recyclability, designing for
the life cycle of a product and designing for the
environment in general (Kuo et al., 2001; Bartolozzi
et al., 2015). It has been further pointed out in
literature that modular design is a very vital
technique which facilitates life cycle design for the
improvement of maintainability, upgradability,
reusability, and recyclability (Kuo et al., 2001;
Umeda et al., 2008). Therefore, the adoption of
modular design in the development of products by
the SMEs will reduce manufacturing cost and further
aid the change of certain components as the need
warrants.
4. Relationship between proposed conceptual
framework and case studies
From the case studies conducted, it can be
seen that most of the drivers and challenges
highlighted in the literature as presented in Section
1.3 were identified by the respondents. These
feedbacks serve as a validation of the conceptual
framework presented in Figure 1. Hence, it supports
the fact that SSCM in SMEs is a result of certain
drivers and forces, which make SSCM an inevitable
practice for SMEs in developing countries that wish
to continue their collaboration with larger firms in
more developed countries. In spite of all these
drivers, SMEs implementing SSCM are faced with
certain established challenges which must be
overcome for an improved sustainable manufacturing
performance. These challenges that were uncovered
by the case studies are in line with those that have
been established in literature in Section 1.3. Two
suggested strategies that can be undertaken to address
these challenges are supply chain integration and
integrated material efficiency.
5. Conclusions and recommendation
This study investigated the perception of
SMEs on SSCM. Interviews were conducted to elicit
the view of the practitioners on SSCM. The obtained
feedback revealed that there is a strong indication
that practitioners support SSCM as a major strategy
towards sustainable manufacturing and subsequently
sustainable products. The study further obtained
some recommendations from the SMEs and their
stakeholders on the strategies that will ensure a more
effective and efficient SSCM in the SME sector.
The managerial implications of the study is
that the common practice of big corporations
engaging suppliers and component manufacturers
from developing countries where production and
labor costs are considerably lower will require supply
chain integration and integrated material efficiency in
order to cope with sustainable manufacturing
practices in their home country. These could be
achieved through mentoring as pointed out in
literature. This study will further boost managerial
understanding and operations via supply chain
integration to reduce negative impacts on the
environment. This study has further shown that
SMEs in the developing countries should be
externally motivated towards SSCM. Since it has
been asserted that larger companies should influence
smaller companies within the same supply chain
network to meet SSCM practices, this study has
further buttressed the need for larger corporations to
mentor and guide SMEs in SSCM.
Some of the limitations of the study include
the use of a qualitative approach, hence there is a
need for future study that should be more quantitative
in nature, accommodating more respondents and
taking into consideration more objective questions.
8. Olugu et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 16 (2017), 9, 2123-2132
2130
Furthermore, the study only looked at general
issues without going into the supply chain dynamics
of each supply chain. In addition, the study only
looked at the views and perception of practitioners
and suggested some strategies for improvement.
Thus, there is still a need for a framework for the
suggested strategies. Hence, future work should
focus on conducting a study to understand the view
of various echelons in a supply chain of a particular
industry. In addition, a study that will put forward a
framework for supply chain integration and material
efficiency amongst the SMEs is necessary.
Acknowledgements
This study was sponsored by the Institute of Research
Management and Monitoring (IPPP), University of Malaya
under the Research University Grant Project (RP018C-
13AET).
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