Social sustainability in the supply chain: analysis of enablers

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 1016-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Mani ◽  
Rajat Agrawal ◽  
Vinay Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Ethical Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Supply Chain Analysis

Purpose – This study aims to identify various enablers and the inter-relationships among them in adopting social sustainability measures in the supply chain. Social sustainability in the supply chain has received growing attention in the recent years, due to growing awareness on equity, health and safety, education, child and bonded labor and ethical practices in corporates. Design/methodology/approach – Various enablers and their contextual relationships were identified. The enablers were classified based on dependence and driving power (DP) with the help of MICMAC analysis. In addition to this, a structural model of the enablers to the social sustainability problem has been put forward using the interpretive structural modeling technique. Findings – In this study, 14 relevant enablers were identified from literature review and subsequent discussions with experts from academia and the industry. Competitive pressure leads at the bottom of the digraph with high DP, followed by customers ' requirements, financial liquidity and social concern. Social sustainability awareness was found to be at the last level with less DP. Research limitations/implications – Enablers were developed based on literature survey and expert opinions. Hence, the model is not statistically validated. This model also does not quantify the adverse effect of each of the variables on social sustainability practices in the supply chain. Practical implications – The development of a hierarchy not only helps the supply chain managers to understand the enablers better, based on their importance, but also helps in decision making in the supply chain, which in turn enables the corporations to be competitive. Social implications – Findings of this article will help the corporations to be more socially sustainable by understanding the various enablers and their contextual relationships in the supply chain. Originality/value – The structured social sustainability model helps supply chain managers and experts to understand interdependence of the enablers. This also helps in identifying different enablers with different degree of importance, which will be very much useful in adopting social sustainability measures in the supply chain.

Sustainable logistics barriers of fruits and vegetables

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 2589-2610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Raut ◽  
Bhaskar B. Gardas
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Sustainable Transportation ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Logistics

PurposeThe reduction of food wastage at every stage of a fresh produce supply chain helps in achieving balance among all three dimensions (social, ecological and economic) of the sustainability and helps in stimulating the growth and development in the agricultural domain. The purpose of this paper is to address the causal factors of post-harvesting losses (PHLs) occurring in the transportation phase.Design/methodology/approachThrough exhaustive literature survey and expert opinions, 12 crucial barriers to sustainable transportation of fruits and vegetables (F&V) are identified. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, is employed for developing a structural model of the identified barriers.FindingsThe results of the analysis highlighted that two factors, namely, the non-availability of refrigerated vehicles, and excessive loading on the vehicles, are the most significant barriers to sustainable transportation which are found to have the highest driving power.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the present research are applicable to the F&V supply chains only. The established interrelation among the identified factors depends on the judgments given by the experts which could be biased. The developed ISM model is intended to guide the policy and decision makers for formulating the policies for the performance improvement of the fresh produce value chain.Originality/valueIt is the first research of its kind focusing on the model development of critical factors causing PHLs in the transportation phase of the agricultural fresh produce supply chain using MCDM process.

Agility and lean practices as antecedents of supply chain social sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1589-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishnu Nath ◽  
Rajat Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Lean Practices ◽  
Sustainability Practices

PurposeThe present study aims to empirically investigate whether supply chain agility and lean management practices are antecedents of supply chain social sustainability.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 311 supply chain practitioners from the Indian manufacturing sector. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test the validity and reliability of the measures used, and a structural model was analyzed to test the hypotheses of the current study.FindingsThe results indicate that agility and lean practices are significant antecedents of social sustainability orientation as well as social sustainability performance. The results also suggest that agility has a significant indirect effect on operational performance via social sustainability orientation, basic social sustainability practices as well as agility is indirectly affecting social sustainability performance via social sustainability orientation and basic social sustainability practices.Practical implicationsThe results of the present study have implications for managers that want to make their supply chain more socially sustainable.Originality/valueThe study is unique in the sense that it empirically links agility and lean practices with social sustainability orientation, social substantiality performance and operational performance in supply chains.

Big data analytics based enablers of supply chain capabilities and firm competitiveness: a fuzzy-TISM approach

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Bamel ◽  
Umesh Bamel
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
People Skills ◽  
Interpretive Structural Model

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the big data analytics (BDAs) based enablers of supply chain capabilities (SCCs) and competitiveness of firms. This paper also models the interaction among identified enablers and thus projects the relationship strength of these enablers with SCC and a firm's competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachIn order to achieve the research objectives of this paper, we employed fuzzy total interpretive structural modeling (TISM), an integrated approach of an interpretive structural model and TISM.FindingsResults suggest that BDA-based enablers namely, IT infrastructure for BDA; leadership commitment; people skills for use of BDA and financial support for BDA significantly enable SCC and enhance firm competitiveness.Practical implicationsResults of the present study have implications for researchers and practitioners; the results will enable them to design policies around identified enablers of BDA initiatives.Originality/valueThe present paper is one of a few early efforts that address the role of BDA in augmenting SCC and subsequently a firm's competitiveness from a resource-dynamic capability perspective.

Modeling resilient factors of the supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajeet Kumar Yadav ◽  
Cherian Samuel
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Management Culture ◽  
Dependence Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to study the concept, characteristics and factors of the resilient supply chain (RSC) and develop a hierarchical structural model and classify the factors based on their interrelationships. Design/methodology/approach This paper has used a mixed-approach of literature review and expert opinion to identify the factors of RSC. For the development of the structural model and clustering of the factors, this paper has used the total interpretive structural modeling approach with Matrice d’Impacts Croises-Multiplication Applique and Classment and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory analysis. Findings In total, this study has identified 17 factors that enable the 3R capability of the RSC. The result shows that the factors have a close dependence relationship with supply chain (SC) risk management culture as the most influencing factor. Further, this study classifies the factors into enablers and strategies. Research limitations/implications This research work is the theoretical contribution to the RSC concept and helps the experts to develop and improve the resilient ability in the SC. This research is based entirely on subjective expert feedback; thus, the results are sensitive to the expert’s judgment. Practical implications This research will help the decision-makers in allocating the resources and policies to develop or improve the SC capabilities. Originality/value This research work is the first kind of research in the field of the RSC that considers the 3R concept to identify and model the resilient factors of the SC. Along with the theoretical concept, this research provides empirical evidence for the importance ranking of the factors.

Modeling reconfigurability in supply chains using total interpretive structural modeling

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallab Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Modeling ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Micmac Analysis ◽  
Expert Opinions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify, analyze, and categorize the major enablers of reconfigurability that can facilitate structural changes within a supply chain in a global scenario. The paper also addresses five reconfigurability dimensions in the perspective of supply chains and the major enablers to attain them. The paper further aims to understand the mutual interactions among these enablers through the identification of hierarchical relationships among them. Design/methodology/approach A framework that holistically considers all the major enablers of reconfigurability has been developed. The hierarchical interrelationships between major enablers have been presented and interpreted using a novel qualitative modeling technique, i.e., total interpretive structural modeling (TISM), which is an extension of ISM. SPSS 22.0 is employed to carry out a one-tailed one-sample t-test further to test the hypotheses for validating the results of TISM. Impact matrix cross-reference multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC) analysis has been employed to identify the driving and dependence powers of these reconfigurability enablers. Findings In this paper, 15 enablers for reconfigurability paradigm have been identified through literature review and expert opinions. The authors established interrelationships and interdependencies among these enablers and categorized them as enablers of each dimension. New product development and customer satisfaction come at the highest level of priority. The levels of these enablers were obtained using TISM. The authors compared the results with the clusters derived from MICMAC analysis, and the results are found to be well within the acceptable range. Research limitations/implications The study has implications for both practitioners and academia. The work provides a comprehensive list of enablers that are relevant to reconfigure supply chains in today’s volatile global market. This research will also help decision makers to strategically focus on the top-level enablers and their concerned dimensions. The research is based on an automobile company case study and can be extended to products with volatile and changing demands. Originality/value The proposed model for reconfigurability enablers using TISM is a new effort altogether in the area of supply chain management. The novelty of this research lies in its identification of specific enablers to reconfigure a supply chain through different dimensions.

Modeling the implementation barriers of cloud computing adoption

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 2760-2782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Raut ◽  
Pragati Priyadarshinee ◽  
Manoj Jha ◽  
Bhaskar B. Gardas ◽  
Sachin Kamble
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Cloud Computing Adoption ◽  
First Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and model critical barriers to cloud computing adoption (CCA) in Indian MSMEs by the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, through a literature survey and expert opinions, 14 critical barriers were identified, and the ISM tool was used to establish interrelationship among the identified barriers and to determine the key barriers having high driving power.FindingsAfter analyzing the barriers, it was found that three barriers, namely, lack of confidentiality (B8), lack of top management support (B3) and lack of sharing and collaboration (B2) were most significant.Research limitations/implicationsThe developed model is based on the expert opinions, which may be biased, influencing the final output of the structural model. The research implications of the developed model are to help managers of the organization in the understanding significance of the barriers and to prioritize or eliminate the same for the effective CCA.Originality/valueThis study is for the first time an attempt that has been made to apply the ISM methodology to explore the interdependencies among the critical barriers for Indian MSMEs. This paper will guide the managers at various levels of an organization for effective implementation of the cloud computing practices.

Academia a new knowledge supplier to the industry! Uncovering barriers in the process

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 715-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankur Kashyap ◽  
Rajat Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Expert Elicitation ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Component

Purpose In the era of Industry 4.0, knowledge component plays a vital role in manufacturing. For tacking the new complexities of the business, a concept of knowledge supply chain (KSC) is being proposed, which takes into account of knowledge component. Higher education institutes (HEIs) which are primary creator of knowledge are important foundations of such supply chain and act as the “knowledge supplier.” The purpose of this paper is to focus on why the HEIs are failed to become knowledge supplier in developing country like India. Design/methodology/approach This research paper adopts a resource-based theory to explore the concept and identify barriers which obstructs the progress of HEIs to become prominent knowledge supplier to industry. To tackle the research problem, an integrated hybrid approach of interpretive structural modeling–analytic hierarchy process is used. Expert elicitation was engaged to find out the prominence of each barrier and the interrelations among them. Findings Based on literature review, eight critical barriers were recognized. The findings put forward a four layer structural model. Based on this model, various remedial actions are also suggested to eliminate the barriers or lessen their negative effects on KSC. Practical implications This study finds its practical implication in higher education reforms as the identified barriers could enhance the decision-making quality regarding academia–industry interaction. Social implications Using the results of the study, HEIs could improve their social sustainability as they have different stakeholders covering wider sections of society and one being industry. Originality/value Most of the existing studies talk about short-term interactions like technology transfer. This study takes into account the barriers which are acting as roadblocks in long-term knowledge supplying role of HEIs.

Barriers to adoption of reverse logistics: a case of construction, real estate, infrastructure and project (CRIP) sectors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudhir Ambekar ◽  
Dipayan Roy ◽  
Amit Hiray ◽  
Anand Prakash ◽  
Vishal Singh Patyal
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
Technology System ◽  
Inadequate Information ◽  
Scarcity Of Resources

PurposeThis study attempts to identify and analyse the barriers to implementing a reverse logistics (RL) system in Indian Construction, Real estate, Infrastructure and Project (CRIP) sectors and present a structured model to identify interdependencies among them.Design/methodology/approachThe barriers to implementing RL in CRIP sectors in India were identified using a Delphi study. The interdependencies were identified using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Further, using the Matriced' Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis, the barriers were classified on the basis of their driving power and interdependencies.FindingsThe study has identified ten barriers that can hamper the application of an RL system in CRIP sectors. The finding of the ISM model shows that macro level barriers such as lack of awareness of reverse logistics, insufficient government policies and unavailability of standard codes stimulate each other and also drive all other barriers. The organization-specific barriers operating at the strategic/tactical level, namely, company's rigid mechanism, lack of awareness of economic profits, inadequate company’s organizational policies and lack of training, reluctance from stakeholders, scarcity of resources and finance from company are found at the intermediate level of hierarchy and they can be influenced by the barriers at the lower level and influence the barriers on the and higher levels. The operational level barrier namely “Inadequate Information Technology system” is at the top of the hierarchy and can be driven by all the barriers at the lower level.Research limitations/implicationsThe present findings are based on the opinions of experts only from Indian CRIP sectors so the results may require to be validated in other contexts.Practical implicationsThe structural model presenting the interdependencies will be a guide for the CRIP supply chain professionals in understanding and ranking the barriers they may face while implementing the RL system.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the existing literature by providing a set of barriers and their interdependencies faced during the implementation of an RL system implementation in CRIP sectors. It is one of the first studies which identifies barriers applicable to the CRIP firms in India and models their inter-dependencies. Additionally Consequently, these firms can make a move forward towards a circular economy by overcoming these interlinked barriers.

Analysis of interaction among the barriers to 5S implementation using interpretive structural modeling approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1834-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Attri ◽  
Bhupender Singh ◽  
Sunil Mehra
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Structural Modeling ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
Manufacturing Organizations ◽  
Top Management Commitment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain and analyze the interactions among different barriers of 5S implementation in manufacturing organizations. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, 15 barriers affecting the implementation of 5S in manufacturing organizations have been identified from literature analysis and discussion with academic and industrial experts. Afterwards, identified barriers were validated by using nation-wide questionnaire-based survey. Then, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach has been utilized to find out the interaction among the identified barriers in order to develop hierarchy-based model. Findings The research identifies several key barriers which have high driving power and weak dependence power. In this concern, these barriers entail extreme care and handling for successful implementation of 5S. Financial constraints, lack of top management commitment, and no proper vision and mission are found to be the key barriers. Research limitations/implications The developed ISM model is based on experts’ opinion. This developed hierarchy-based model requires further validation by using structural equation modeling approach or by performing detailed case studies. Originality/value In this paper, ISM-based structural model has been recommended for Indian manufacturing organizations, which is a novel exertion in the area of 5S implementation.

The effect of supplier development initiatives on purchasing performance: a structural model

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristóbal Sánchez‐Rodríguez ◽  
David Hemsworth ◽  
Ángel R. Martínez‐Lorente
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Supplier Development ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Levels

PurposeSupply chain management is an increasingly important organizational concern, and proper management of supplier relationships constitutes one essential element of supply chain success. However, there is little empirical research that has tested the effect of supplier development on performance. The main objective is to analyze the effect of supplier development practices with different levels of implementation complexity on the firm's purchasing performance.Design/methodology/approachThree supplier development constructs were defined: basic supplier development, moderate supplier development, and advanced supplier development. Three structural models were hypothesized and tested using structural equation modeling through field research on a sample of 306 manufacturing companies in Spain.FindingsIdentified important interrelationships among the various supplier development practices, basic, moderate, and advanced. Also indicated that the implementation of supplier development practices significantly contributes to the prediction of purchasing performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of a single key informant could be seen as a potential limitation of the study. The study was a cross‐sectional and descriptive sample of the manufacturing industry at a given point in time. A more stringent test of the relationships between the different levels of supplier development and performance requires a longitudinal study, or field experiment.Practical implicationsThis study focused on supplier development practices and revealed how involving suppliers in supplier development activities is important and may help buyers to increase their purchasing performance. The findings from the structural analysis should provide practicing managers with insights on how these practices and their benefits are related in terms of purchasing performance, thus affecting their ability to make better sourcing decisions.Originality/valueFills an important gap in the purchasing literature with respect to the area of supplier development. While there is much written about supplier development based on conceptual and case study research, this study is unique in that it is the first attempt to empirically model the relationships between different levels of supplier development and their impact on purchasing performance using a comprehensive set of practices.

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