Layer analysis of CO2 sources in the US economic supply chains: an input output LCA study

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (10) ◽  
pp. 2171-2193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gokhan Egilmez ◽  
N. Muhammad Aslaam Mohamed Abdul Ghani ◽  
Ridvan Gedik
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Supply Chain Structure

Purpose Carbon footprint assessment requires a holistic approach, where all possible lifecycle stages of products from raw material extraction to the end of life are considered. The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical sustainability assessment framework to assess the carbon footprint of US economic supply chains from two perspectives: supply chain layers (tiers) and carbon footprint sources. Design/methodology/approach The methodology consists of two phases. In the first phase, the data were collected from EORA input output and environmental impact assessment database. In the second phase, 48 input-output-based lifecycle assessment models were developed (seven CO2 sources and total CO2 impact, and six supply chain tiers). In the third phase, the results are analyzed by using data visualization, data analytics, and statistical approaches in order to identify the heavy carbon emitter industries and their percentage shares in the supply chains by each layer and the CO2 source. Findings Vast majority of carbon footprint was found to be attributed to the power generation, petroleum refineries, used and secondhand goods, natural gas distribution, scrap, and truck transportation. These industries dominated the entire supply chain structure and found to be the top drivers in all six layers. Practical implications This study decomposes the sources of the total carbon footprint of US economic supply chains into six layers and assesses the percentage contribution of each sector in each layer. Thus, it paves the way for quantifying the carbon footprint of each layer in today’s complex supply chain structure and highlights the importance of handling CO2 source in each layer separately while maintaining a holistic focus on the overall carbon footprint impacts in the big picture. In practice, one size fits all type of policy making may not be as effective as it could be expected. Originality/value This paper provides a two-dimensional viewpoint for tracing/analyzing carbon footprint across a national economy. In the first dimension, the national economic system is divided into six layers. In the second dimension, carbon footprint analysis is performed considering specific CO2 sources, including energy production, solvent, cement and minerals, agricultural burning, natural decay, and waste. Thus, this paper contributes to the state-of-art sustainability assessment by providing a comprehensive overview of CO2 sources in the US economic supply chains.

scholarly journals Carbon footprint stock analysis of US manufacturing: a time series input-output LCA

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 853-872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gokhan Egilmez ◽  
Khurrum Bhutta ◽  
Bulent Erenay ◽  
Yong Shin Park ◽  
Ridvan Gedik
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Manufacturing Sectors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an input-output life cycle assessment model to estimate the carbon footprint of US manufacturing sectors. To achieve this, the paper sets out the following objectives: develop a time series carbon footprint estimation model for US manufacturing sectors; analyze the annual and cumulative carbon footprint; analyze and identify the most carbon emitting and carbon intensive manufacturing industries in the last four decades; and analyze the supply chains of US manufacturing industries to help identify the most critical carbon emitting industries. Design/methodology/approach Initially, the economic input-output tables of US economy and carbon footprint multipliers were collected from EORA database (Lenzen et al., 2012). Then, economic input-output life cycle assessment models were developed to quantify the carbon footprint extents of the US manufacturing sectors between 1970 and 2011. The carbon footprint is assessed in metric tons of CO2-equivalent, whereas the economic outputs were measured in million dollar economic activity. Findings The salient finding of this paper is that the carbon footprint stock has been increasing substantially over the last four decades. The steep growth in economic output unfortunately over-shadowed the potential benefits that were obtained from lower CO2 intensities. Analysis of specific industry results indicate that the top five manufacturing sectors based on total carbon footprint share are “petroleum refineries,” “Animal (except poultry) slaughtering, rendering, and processing,” “Other basic organic chemical manufacturing,” “Motor vehicle parts manufacturing,” and “Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing.” Originality/value This paper proposes a state-of-art time series input-output-based carbon footprint assessment for the US manufacturing industries considering direct (onsite) and indirect (supply chain) impacts. In addition, the paper provides carbon intensity and carbon stock variables that are assessed over time for each of the US manufacturing industries from a supply chain footprint perspective.

The “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions in supply chains

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 1002-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Swierczek
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Risk ◽  
Supply Chain Structure ◽  
Snowball Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between interorganizational integration with respect to its intensity and span, as well as the propagation and amplification of disruptions alongside a supply chain. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for an exploratory study using a survey of companies. In order to extract the constructs manifesting the span and intensity of integration between companies in supply chains, the principal component analysis was employed. The obtained factor scores were then used as classification criteria in the cluster analysis. It enabled to include similar organizations in terms of intensity and span of supply chain integration. In order to validate the obtained results, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted and regression models were developed. Findings The findings of the study show that there is a relationship between the intensity and span of supply chain integration and the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions. The obtained findings show that the span of supply chain integration is negatively associated with the strength of the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions. In addition, the results suggest that more intense supply chain integration contributes to the “snowball effect” in material flows in the forward and backward transmission of disruptions. Research limitations/implications Although the current study investigates the intensity and span of integration within the basic, extended and ultimate supply chain structure, it still lacks the broader analysis of the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions. The study investigates this phenomenon only within the basic supply chain structure, constituted by the primary members. Another challenge is to examine if the effects of external risk factors (e.g. natural disasters) may also be transferred to other links in the supply chain structure, and what are the similarities and differences (if any) between the mechanism of propagation and amplification of disruptions elicited by internal and external risk factors. Another future direction of study is to define other ways of identification and measurement of the “snowball effect” in order to make cross-industrial and international comparisons of disruptions amplified in the transmission more standardized and objective. In the current study, the phenomenon of the “snowball effect” is anchored in the subjective opinions of managers who may view the problem from different angles. Consequently, the study is limited to individual perceptions of the strength of disruptions affecting the solicited company, its customers and suppliers. Practical implications In practical terms, the findings provide crucial information for the framework of supply chain risk management and therefore enable its more efficient and effective implementation. The better the managers understand the nature of the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions, the easier it is for them to allocate resources and apply necessary managerial tools to mitigate the negative consequences of risk more effectively. The deliverables of the study also confirm that the interorganizational exchange of information accompanying the supply chain integration enables to mitigate the strength of the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions. Another important implication is the broadening of practical expertise concerning the use of integration not only as a means of obtaining and sustaining supply chain effectiveness and efficiency, but also as the way to mitigate the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions. Therefore, nowadays the supply chain managers are facing another challenging task – namely, how to balance supply chain integration in terms of span and intensity to ensure profits from integration and mitigate the negative risk consequences transmitted among the links in supply chains. Originality/value The paper elaborates on the underestimated issue of the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions and its drivers. In particular, the paper attempts at filling the gap in empirical studies concerning the relationships between the “snowball effect” in the transmission of disruptions and supply chain integration.

The relationship between internal supply chain structure and operational performance: survey results from Japanese manufacturers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikihisa Nakano ◽  
Kazuki Matsuyama
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Properties ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Supply Chain Structure ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the roles of a supply chain management (SCM) department. To achieve that, this study empirically examines the relationship between internal supply chain structure and operational performance, using survey data collected from 108 Japanese manufacturers. Design/methodology/approach Based on a literature review of not only organizational theory but also other fields such as marketing, logistics management, operations management and SCM, this study focused on two structural properties, formalization and centralization and divided operational performance to firm-centric efficiency and customer-centric responsiveness. To examine the analytical model using these dimensions, this study conducted a structural equation modeling. Findings The correlation between centralization of operational tasks and centralization of strategic tasks, the impacts of centralization of both tasks on formalization and the effect of formalization on responsiveness performance were demonstrated. In addition, the reasons for formalization not positively influencing efficiency performance were explored through follow-up interviews. Practical implications Manufacturers need to formalize, as much as possible, a wide range of SCM tasks to realize operational excellence. To establish such formalized working methods, it is effective to centralize the authorities of both operational and strategic tasks in a particular department. In addition, inefficiency due to strict logistics service levels is a problem that all players involved in the supply chain of various industries should work together to solve. Originality/value The theoretical contribution of this study is that the authors established an empirical process that redefined the constructs of formalization and centralization, developed these measures and examined the impacts of these structural properties on operational performance.

Information Sharing Strategies in Business-to-Business E-Hubs

2012 ◽  
pp. 72-93
Author(s):  
Yifeng Zhang ◽  
Siddhartha Bhattacharyya
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Supply Chain Structure ◽  
Hub Model ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Practical Implications

Studies show that supply chain structure is a key factor affecting information sharing. Business-to-business (B2B) e-hubs have fundamentally changed many companies’ supply chain structure, from a one-to-many to a many-to-many configuration. Traditional supply chains typically center around one company, which interacts with multiple suppliers or customers, forming a one-to-many structure. B2B e-hubs, on the contrary, usually connect many buyers and sellers together, without being dominated by a single company, thus forming a many-to-many configuration. Information sharing in traditional supply chains has been studied extensively, but little attention has been paid to the same in B2B e-hubs. In this study, the authors identified and examined five information sharing strategies in B2B e-hubs. Agent performances under different information sharing strategies were measured and analyzed using an agent-based e-hub model and practical implications were discussed.

Demand-supply balancing in manufacturing operations

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Coker ◽  
Petri Helo
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Operations ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Supply Chain Structure

Purpose – Demand-supply balancing (DSB) strategies and approaches are becoming increasingly important for manufacturing and operations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze practices of manufacturing companies and how they balance demand/supply in operations. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire-based interview has been conducted at 20 largest companies having manufacturing/operations in Finland. Findings – Supply chain structure, flexibility, demand management, capacity management, inventory management and revenue management are perceived as key practices for DSB. Research limitations/implications – The results show importance of supply chain-related parameters such as supply chain flexibility and inventory management in addition to production planning and control. The study is delimited to Finland companies but it gives an idea how decision making in operations generally can be perceived. Practical implications – DSB actions should be connected to operations strategy and long-term planning of the company. Originality/value – DSB is a strategic-level operations question which has an impact on several functions of supply chain.

The Sino-Brazilian beef supply chain: mapping and risk detection

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Knoll ◽  
Cristiane Soares Simon Marques ◽  
Jiacheng Liu ◽  
Funing Zhong ◽  
Antônio Domingos Padula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Platform ◽  
Traceability System ◽  
Supply Chain Structure

Purpose The flow of the Sino-Brazilian frozen beef trade has intensified. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to characterize the supply chain structure, and identify its major fragilities. Design/methodology/approach Supply chain mapping was conducted based on the existing literature and primary data collection. Key stakeholders were detected and questioned through semi-structured interviews, which were later interpreted with content analysis. Findings The results reveal a low degree of chain coordination from the Brazilian farm to the Chinese consumer, arising from an immature traceability mechanism, a limited flow of reliable information between the segments, and low trust between the stakeholders. Research limitations/implications The infancy of the beef trade, the paucity of literature on the topic, and restricted accessibility to key governmental and official materials imposes limits on the available information. Language and cultural barriers might have also impacted the interviewees’ responses. However, the participation of Brazilian and Chinese academics in both the interview analysis and chain mapping mitigates these shortcomings. Practical implications The Brazilian public and private sectors need to establish a reliable traceability system and information platform. This, together with investments in marketing and branding, would facilitate differential responses among traders and consumers, and, hence, improve supply chain sustainability. Originality/value By adopting an inter-country approach and directly sourcing views from specific key figures in the supply chain this study offers some unique insights and contributes to the literature on the emergence of a multi-polar global food trade.

scholarly journals A roadmap for sustainability assessment in the food supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica León Bravo ◽  
Antonella Moretto ◽  
Federico Caniato
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Stakeholder Pressures

PurposeTo develop a roadmap of sustainability practices and assessment mechanisms to advance in the sustainable supply chain (SSC) performance assessment in the food supply chain. The analysis is grounded on the contingency and stakeholder theories.Design/methodology/approachThe study follows a multiple case study approach analyzing the sustainability practices implementation and assessment across different supply chain stages in the food industry in Italy. The set of cases comprises 12 companies in the fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV), and seven companies in the “Balsamic Vinegar of Modena” (BVM) supply chains.FindingsThe sustainability practices and assessment in each company in both supply chains according to their objectives are identified. Different stakeholder pressures for sustainability implementation and assessment are analyzed. The contingency factors that foster sustainability assessment are outlined as well. Finally, the study develops a roadmap with five levels of progress considering the groups of practices implemented and the type of assessment applied.Practical implicationsThe roadmap is a decision-making tool for planning and monitoring progress on SSC performance along five possible levels of progress. While identifying the assessment mechanisms implemented for different kind of sustainability practices, companies can develop a strategy according to their aims and capabilities and stakeholder's expectations.Originality/valueThe novelties in this study are threefold. First, the roadmap with five levels of progress. Second, investigating two different food supply chains that allowed for a broader view regarding sustainability practices and assessment. Third, the adoption of stakeholder and contingency theories in SSC studies.

scholarly journals Supply chain learning of sustainability in multi-tier supply chains

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 1061-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Gong ◽  
Fu Jia ◽  
Steve Brown ◽  
Lenny Koh
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Resource Dependence Theory ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Resources ◽  
Resource Orchestration ◽  
Project Lifecycle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how multinational corporations (MNCs) orchestrate internal and external resources to help their multi-tier supply chains learn sustainability-related knowledge. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory multiple case study approach was adopted and three MNCs’ sustainable initiatives in China were examined. The data were primarily collected through 43 semi-structured interviews with managers of focal companies and their multi-tier suppliers. Findings The authors found that in order to facilitate their supply chains to learn sustainability, MNCs tend to orchestrate in breadth by internally setting up new functional departments and externally working with third parties, and orchestrate in depth working directly with their extreme upstream suppliers adopting varied governance mechanisms on lower-tier suppliers along the project lifecycle. The resource orchestration in breadth and depth and along the project lifecycle results in changes of supply chain structure. Practical implications The proposed conceptual model provides an overall framework for companies to design and implement their multi-tier sustainable initiatives. Companies could learn from the suggested learning stages and the best practices of case companies. Originality/value The authors extend and enrich resource orchestration perspective (ROP), which is internally focused, to a supply chain level, and answer a theoretical question of how MNCs orchestrate their internal and external resources to help their supply chains to learn sustainability. The extension of ROP refutes the resource dependence theory, which adopts a passive approach of relying on external suppliers and proposes that MNCs should proactively work with internal and external stakeholders to learn sustainability.

Supply Chain Structure and Competitor Relationship

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wu ◽  
Yang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Shock Propagation ◽  
Supply Chain Network ◽  
Empirical Methods ◽  
Competition Intensity ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Supply Chain Structure

This chapter discusses recent relevant empirical research using the supply chain structure observed in the actual data, including shock propagation in the supply chain network, social capital, and supply chains, and cross-border supply chains. It also introduces some commonly used empirical methods and databases, and provides the corresponding financial theoretical basis for the conclusions of these studies. Finally, the chapter suggests a new angle to fully utilize the supply chain structure to identify the competitor relationship and the competition intensity. The chapter indicates that higher supply chain overlap increases the correlation of the competitors’ economic performance, suggesting that sharing supply chains reduce competition. This conclusion is helpful for entrepreneurs to better manage firm competitions.

scholarly journals Impact of supply chain on the competitiveness of the automotive industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-225
Author(s):  
Carlos Sakuramoto ◽  
Luiz Carlos Di Serio ◽  
Alexandre de Vicente Bittar
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Transaction Costs ◽  
Automotive Industry ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Chain Model ◽  
Horizontal Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structural Problems

Purpose There is a great reliance on fiscal incentives to sustain the automotive industry competitiveness due to several structural problems, among them the inefficiency of the supply chain. This paper aims to compare the supply chain structure of traditional automotive industry with the supply chains from South Korea and China. Based on strategic decision and transaction cost theory, this comparison seeks to exploit the factors that led to the inefficiency of automotive supply chains. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a qualitative approach and applied a multi-method research. They conducted semi-structured interviews with six executives from automakers representing the selected countries, carried individual meetings during one workshop and used secondary data from several sources. Findings Concepts identified in the research such as reliability, supply chain governance and automaker competencies led the authors to propose that the traditional automakers have higher transaction costs when compared to the new automakers due to the horizontal structure of their supply chain. While new competitors have vertical upstream supply chains, which indicates better profitability, traditional automotive industry is horizontal, depends on fewer Tier 1 suppliers and is disconnected from Tier 2, impacting negatively in the transaction costs and supply chain management. Practical implications This study suggests that automotive executives rethink the current upstream supply chain model by identifying the competencies required for their current and future competitiveness and implementing a vertical integration of these competencies. Originality/value This research exploited the inefficiency of supply chain as one of the explanations for the low competitiveness of the national automotive industry.

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