scholarly journals An empirical study of green supplier collaboration in the Chinese manufacturing sector: the double-edged sword effect of guanxi

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-373
Author(s):  
Ruoqi Geng ◽  
Afshin Mansouri ◽  
Emel Aktas ◽  
Dorothy A. Yen
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Interpersonal Relationship ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Institutional Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Supplier Collaboration

Purpose Drawing on institutional complexity, this study aims to explore the interaction effect of formal and informal institutional forces on the adoption of green supplier collaboration (GSC) practices by Chinese manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach The paper hypothesises that the effect of the formal institutional forces on GSC in China is influenced by an informal institutional variable, guanxi, which is the interpersonal relationship between employees of the supplier and the manufacturer. To test the conceptual framework, hierarchical moderated regression analyses are conducted using multi-respondent data from 408 randomly sampled manufacturing companies in China. Findings Guanxi has a double-edged sword effect on the adoption of GSC practices. Specifically, guanxi reduces the negative impact of the perceived costs and the complexity of regulations on the adoption of GSC practices, but it also weakens the positive effect of suppliers’ advice and community pressures on the adoption of GSC practices. Research limitations/implications Results contribute to supply chain management literature by offering novel theoretical and empirical insights on the Chinese institutional environment governed by both formal and informal institutional variables. Practical implications Considering guanxi’s double-edged sword effect on the adoption of GSC, manufacturing companies are advised to carefully leverage their guanxi to maintain an institutional and contingent view of the environmental consequences in China. Originality/value This study empirically examines the effect of formal and informal institutional environments on the adoption of GSC practices in emerging economies.

Sustainable circular supplier selection and evaluation in the manufacturing sector using Pythagorean fuzzy EDAS approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Liu ◽  
Pratibha Rani ◽  
Khushboo Pachori
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Supplier Selection ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Uncertain Information ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supplier Selection ◽  
Selection Of

PurposeDue to stern management policies and increased community attentiveness, sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) performs a vast component in endeavor operation and production management. Sustainable circular supplier selection (SCSS) and evaluation presented the environmental and social concerns in the fields of circular economy and sustainable supplier selection. Choosing the optimal SCSS is vital for organizations to persuade SSCM, as specified in various researches. Based on the subjectivity of human behavior, the selection of ideal SCSS often involves uncertain information, and the Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) have a huge capability to tackle strong vagueness, uncertainty and inaccuracy in the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) procedure. Here, a framework is developed to assess and establish suitable suppliers in the SSCM and the circular economy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper introduced an extended framework using the evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) with PFSs and implemented it to solve the SCSS in the manufacturing sector. Firstly, the PFSs to handle the uncertain information of decision experts (DEs) is employed. Secondly, a novel divergence measure and parametric score function for calculating the criteria weights are proposed. Thirdly, an extended decision-making approach, known as PF-EDAS, is introduced.FindingsThe outcomes and comparative discussion show that the developed method is efficient and capable of facilitating the DEs to choose desirable SCSS. Therefore, the proposed framework can be used by organizations to assess and establish suitable suppliers in the SCSS process in the circular economy.Originality/valueSelecting the optimal sustainable circular supplier (SCS) in the manufacturing sector is important for organizations to persuade SSCM, as specified in various research. However, corresponding to the subjectivity of human behavior, the selection of the best SCS often involves uncertain information, and the PFSs have a huge capability to tackle strong vagueness, uncertainty and inaccuracy in the MCDM procedure. Hence, manufacturing companies' administrators can implement the developed method to assess and establish suitable suppliers in the SCSS process in the circular economy.

scholarly journals Sustainable procurement practices in the supplier selection process: an exploratory study in the context of Brazilian manufacturing companies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Moysés Barbanti ◽  
Rosley Anholon ◽  
Izabela Simon Rampasso ◽  
Vitor William Batista Martins ◽  
Osvaldo Luiz Gonçalves Quelhas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supplier Selection ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Correlation Method ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Criteria Importance

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the adoption of sustainable procurement practices adopted by Brazilian manufacturing companies in supplier selection; additionally, it is aimed to understand which of these practices enable a better differentiation of the analysed companies. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was performed to compose the theoretical base of this research. In addition, a detailed study of ISO 20400 standard was conducted. The guidelines of ISO 20400 were used as a base to structure a questionnaire used in a survey with professionals working in procurement sphere of manufacturing companies in Brazil. The data were analysed via frequency and CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) method. Findings A moderate dispersion in the adoption level of sustainable procurement practices in supplier selection process of the manufacturing companies was observed; in practices associated with social aspects, the dispersion is greater. A negative issue to be highlighted is that almost 20% of analysed companies did not even considered in their supplier selection process if their candidates accomplish philanthropic activities, generate jobs in local community and fulfill the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of United Nations (UN). Those two last practices are the ones with the best capacity to differ the companies in the sample. Originality/value There are few studies that focuses on understanding the adoption of sustainable procurement practices in manufacturing companies' supplier selection process. The main contribution of this study to the literature is to evidence that social requirements in supplier selection process are considered in a clear and well-structured form only by few Brazilian manufacturing companies. Despite the sample size, companies analysed in this research are prominent organisations in manufacturing sector. Thus, if this situation occurs in these companies, a more critical scenario will be evidenced in other organisations. This study has implication for practice and academy. For companies' managers, information present here can be used to debate the theme in the organisational context and the nine practices and scale can be used to perform a critical analysis of company's practices. For researchers, the information present here can be used as starting point for futures studies.

The skill needs of the manufacturing industry: can higher education keep up?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oran Doherty ◽  
Simon Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Experiential Training ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper explores the implications for higher education of the rapid development in technology used by the manufacturing sector. Higher education programmes change or new courses are introduced in attempts to match labour market demands. However, the pace of change in the manufacturing industry challenges the authors to reconceive how programmes and modules can and should be designed and delivered.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on interviews with 26 senior management representatives from manufacturing companies in Ireland. The 26 senior managers and their companies represent the wide diversity of Ireland's manufacturing sector. All the interviews were face to face, complimented by a short questionnaire. Follow-up interviews focussed on the emergent findings were carried out to aid the writing of recommendations for the best practice in programme design and delivery.FindingsWhat emerges from this study is that the manufacturing industry needs skills at three distinct levels. The authors define and classify the skill requirements at entry, competent and expert level. The authors place an emphasis on upskilling as an aid to movement between the three levels. In addition, and significantly, the desired time frame for delivery of these skills and/or upskilling is very short.Originality/valueAccelerated reskilling programmes with faster, shorter bursts of work-based learning (WBL) and experiential training are required. With a growing demand for those at competent and expert level, it is necessary to promote WBL to facilitate the upskilling of those employed in manufacturing roles, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

An evaluation into the limitations and emerging trends of Six Sigma: an empirical study

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Michael Sony ◽  
Mary Dempsey ◽  
Attracta Brennan ◽  
Thomas Farrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fundamental Limitations ◽  
Emerging Trends

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the limitations and emerging trends of Six Sigma through an empirical study. Six Sigma is one of the most powerful business process improvement strategies used by numerous World Class corporations for over three decades. A handful of existing publications address some limitations and potential trends of Six Sigma, yet there are no empirical studies investigating the fundamental limitations and emerging trends of Six Sigma. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed an online survey instrument based on the existing literature addressing the above. In this study, 61 Six Sigma Master Black Belts and Black Belts from large manufacturing companies and 25 academics who are familiar with the Six Sigma topic participated and contributed to the research. Findings The study reports the top 5 limitations and emerging trends of Six Sigma from the viewpoints of both academics and experts from large manufacturing companies. These are: integration of Six Sigma with Big Data, use of Six Sigma in small medium and micro enterprises, over emphasis of Six Sigma on variability reduction, poor implementation of Six Sigma and its negative impact on employee satisfaction and non-exploitation of integration of Six Sigma with Industry 4.0. Practical implications In order to sustain Six Sigma initiatives, it is imperative that limitations and fundamental gaps are understood, and strategies developed to address them. The authors argue that leading academic scholars have a vital role to play in working with industry practitioners to overcome the limitations and emerging trends addressed above. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study looking into the limitations, research gaps and emerging trends of Six Sigma.

Financial development and agricultural performance in Nigeria: what role do institutions play?

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isiaka Akande Raifu ◽  
Alarudeen Aminu
Keyword(s):  
Financial Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Annual Data ◽  
Institutional Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agricultural Performance

Purpose The centrality of agricultural sector to the economy, particularly in developing countries, has drawn the attention of researchers to critically examine different factors determining the performance of the sector. Given that massive investment is required to ensure maximum productivity in the sector, one of the factors identified is the issue of financing. However, financing agricultural sector in a poor institutional environment can be depressing. In the light of this, the purpose of this paper is to examine the nexus between financial development and agricultural performance in Nigeria with a view to investigating the role of institutions. Design/methodology/approach The study employed annual data spanning the period from 1981 to 2016. Three indicators of financial development and five institutional variables were used. Besides, for robust analysis, the study also computed an aggregate measure of financial development and institutions using principal component method. Autoregressive distributed lag method of estimation was used to examine the short-run and long-run effects of financial development on agricultural performance in Nigeria. Findings The findings showed that financial development has a positive impact on agricultural performance in Nigeria. However, this positive impact is being undermined by institutional variables. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only study that examines the mediating role of institutional factors such as the rule of law, control of corruption, etc., in the financial development–agricultural performance nexus in Nigeria.

Implementing a Lean Six Sigma standardized toolset in a manufacturing company: a case study

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos A. Panayiotou ◽  
Konstantinos E. Stergiou ◽  
Vassilis Chronopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Company

PurposeThe first purpose of this paper is the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a manufacturing company operating in South East Europe in order to understand the importance of critical success factors (CSFs) in LSS adoption and to find out the benefits that the company gained. The second purpose is to propose a standardized toolset based on DMAIC phases, for the application of LSS in small scale projects, in order to facilitate LSS adoption by more manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approachThis case study is based on the interlacement of the Yin's method about case studies and the DMAIC method for the improved deployment of LSS.FindingsThe analysis of this case study shows that the company attained to benefit financially, operationally and organizationally from the implementation of LSS. The already existing mentality of CI inside the company helped the project procedure and the application of changes and improvements fulfilling LSS adoption CSFs.Practical implicationsThe paper constructs a toolset and studies the role of CSFs in order to achieve the desirable benefits in a manufacturing environment, constituting a guide for future LSS initiatives.Originality/valueAs stated by literature reviews, even though there are several papers concerning LSS implementation in the manufacturing sector, there is a need for more case studies papers, such as this one, in order to enrich the literature. In this paper, it is also the first time that a specific toolset for small scale projects is proposed based on to DMAIC which can be implemented in further LSS projects.

Crossing the threshold from founder management to professional management in Russian firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Shirokova ◽  
Gina Vega ◽  
Dmitri Knatko
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
Ceo Succession ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Management ◽  
Organisational Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bring together a strategic choice perspective and an institutional perspective in order to address the key research questions: how do Russian founder-CEOs perceive the institutional environment when succession issues are taken into consideration?; how do the perceived characteristics of different formal and informal institutions affect the founder-CEO’s decision to delegate authority to a professional CEO?; and what are the main barriers to founder-CEO succession in threshold firms in emerging markets such as Russia? Design/methodology/approach – Using a data set of 500 entrepreneurial companies from fast growing industries in Russia, the paper defines and studies threshold firms and analyses how various perceived characteristics of the institutional environment in emerging markets influence the likelihood of transition from founder management to professional management. Findings – Institutional factors such as poor security of property rights and dependence of the business on relationships with government officials have a negative impact on the likelihood of founder-CEO succession in threshold firms in emerging markets. At the same time, the perception of contract law as insecure increases the likelihood of transition from founder management to professional management. Originality/value – Most research on initial succession deals with internal organisational factors and does not consider external environments and their influence on founder-CEO departure and willingness to exit from company management. This study is unique in its focus on the external environment and institutional factors and their impact on management transitions in threshold firms in emerging economies.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Barriers to Reverse Logistics (RL) Implementation: A Hybrid Model Based on IF-DEMATEL-EDAS

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10876
Author(s):  
Chukwuebuka M. U-Dominic ◽  
Ifeyinwa Juliet Orji ◽  
Modestus Okwu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Hazardous Materials ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
Study Results

Recently, manufacturing companies aspire to implement reverse logistics in response to stakeholders’ requirements to reduce negative environmental consequences, improve organizational sustainable performance and ultimately increase competitive advantage. However, implementing reverse logistics can be impeded by a criteria framework, and necessitates the careful analysis of how such criteria interact with each other in the presence of uncertainty. Thus, in this study, we propose an integrated multi- criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology that leverages the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) under Intuitionistic Fuzzy (IF) environment and Evaluation Based on Distance to Average Solution (EDAS). Within the proposed methodology, firstly, the IF-DEMATEL is applied to obtain the interrelationships between the criteria/barriers and then, the EDAS method is applied to prioritize the criteria based on the appraisal scores evaluation. An application case within the Nigerian manufacturing sector was utilized to illustrate the viability of the proposed methodology. The study results indicate that the highly prioritized barriers to implementing reverse logistics within the Nigerian manufacturing sector include low product quality, risk of storing hazardous materials and low technical expertise. Consequently, this study makes a profound contribution to the theory and practice of reverse logistics by presenting an integrated MCDM methodology that can effectively address the criticality of barriers in the way of reverse logistics progression in a complex and uncertain scenario.

Green value stream mapping approach to improving productivity and environmental performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 608-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Muñoz-Villamizar ◽  
Javier Santos ◽  
Julio J. Garcia-Sabater ◽  
Alvaro Lleo ◽  
Paloma Grau
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Value Stream Mapping ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Value Stream ◽  
Lean And Green ◽  
Thinking Tools

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce a new methodology called overall greenness performance for value stream mapping (OGP-VSM). Using value-added concepts, this approach has the potential to integrate, measure, control and improve productive and environmental performance in accordance with a company’s context.Design/methodology/approachThe OGP-VSM approach was developed by reviewing and integrating the environmental aspects of existing lean thinking tools and approaches.FindingsThis research revealed the lack of practical integration between productive and environmental performance. Using OGP-VSM, managers can see that environmental practices have a direct impact on productivity. OGP-VSM allows a balance to be found between lean and green practices in order to achieve the simultaneous improvement of productivity and environmental performance.Practical implicationsThe proposed approach is applied to a case study in an automotive company in Spain and lays the groundwork for moving toward functional environmental sustainability in manufacturers.Originality/valueCompanies are increasingly implementing environmentally focused practices. Pursuing environmentally friendly (green) performance poses several challenges, but it also affords opportunities to create new methodologies for generating a competitive advantage for manufacturing companies. There are a limited number of approaches to drawing together the elements and attributes that are essential for a holistic, practical and long-lasting improvement of environmental performance in the manufacturing sector.

The effects of entrepreneurial orientation on the performance of the Malaysian manufacturing sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wee Loong Lee ◽  
Aik Lee Chong ◽  
Ramayah T.
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competitive Aggressiveness ◽  
Composition Factors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of entrepreneur orientation (EO) on firm performance of the Malaysian manufacturing sector.Design/methodology/approachData for the study were collected through a survey of 321 companies registered with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. Responses were analyzed using PLS-SEM to assess the relationships between transformational leadership and firm performance.FindingsThe findings show that amongst Malaysian manufacturers, transformational leadership has a strong direct effect on firm performance.Practical implicationsThese findings provide useful insights for organizations, particularly in the Malaysian manufacturing sector, seeking to be competitive and responsive to environmental changes by successfully introducing EO.Originality/valueEO has been studied in detail in the recent literature. Many new researchers have explored various composition factors of EO, and how this will have an effect on firm performance. However, there are few research studies in the area of transformational leadership amongst Malaysian manufacturing companies. This research makes an important contribution to the existing literature by empirically examining the relationship between EO and firm performance, particularly in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. Conclusion emphasizes that mechanisms to encourage and foster EO mainly autonomy, competitive aggressiveness and proactiveness are likely to result in the achievement of superior firm performance.

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