Do motives matter? Examining the relationships between motives, SSCM practices and TBL performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr M. Kitsis ◽  
Injazz J. Chen

Purpose Drawing on multi-theoretical lenses and a combination of supply chain and business ethics literature, this study aims to investigate the role of motives in driving sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices and sustainable performance. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 205 supply chain companies in the USA, the authors apply structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis to empirically test the proposed model and seven hypothesized relationships. Findings Results of the study underscore the critical role of moral motives, while highlighting that all three types of motives (instrumental, relational and moral) are robust in driving SSCM practices and achieving improvement in all three dimensions of sustainable performance–economic, environmental and social. Research limitations/implications This research can help supply chain scholars develop a more robust subfield of motivation-based SSCM research to gain a deeper understanding of how motives may differentially predict sustainable supply chain practices and performance. Practical implications The results of this study demonstrate the critical links between moral motivation and the triple bottom line (TBL) performance and suggest that managers pay more attention to moral motives in their decision-making. Originality/value This study bridges gaps in the extant literature by incorporating motivation-based antecedents, expanding the scope of SSCM practices, including the social dimension of sustainability and investigating the mediating effects of SSCM practices on the links between motives and the TBL performance.

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Beske ◽  
Stefan Seuring

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to identify key categories of Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and related practices that are required to fulfill the demands of sustainability and, therefore, contributing to sustainability performance. As part of this, the authors will identify different approaches in practice implementation in SSCM and supply chain management (SCM). SSCM has become a topic of great interest and is linked to the assumption that a more sustainable performance for businesses would be achieved on its implementation. Such performance has to be achieved with respect to all three dimensions of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual in nature. The authors draw from literature on SSCM and examine frameworks and critical accounts on the topic. This allows identifying key aspects of SSCM and pointing out differences and overlaps with SCM. Findings – The authors identify five key categories which are of high importance for the sustainable management of supply chains: orientation toward SCM and sustainability, continuity, collaboration, risk management and proactivity. In a second step, the authors describe distinctive practices which allow organizations to follow the goals formulated in the five key categories. Finally, they highlight issues preventing companies that follow a rather “conventional” approach to SCM to reach the level where it can be called SSCM, i.e. how to reach sustainability performance in SCM. Research limitations/implications – The work presented is conceptual in nature. It would be required to operationalize respective categories and, therefore, test them in empirical research. Practical implications – The categories and practices identified within the framework can be used for guiding managers toward the implementation of SSCM. This is the case when management takes performance implication into account without solely considering rather simplistic indicators. At the same time, differentiating a company based on the implementation of sustainability practices has become more difficult, due to the proliferation of sustainability in a wider field. Social implications – Social aspects are integrated into the framework on the same level as environmental and economic aspects, emphasizing the triple bottom line orientation. Originality/value – While all practices applied in SSCM have originally been identified and described by researchers for the case of “conventional” SCM, their particular interrelation and joint implementation makes up SSCM and ensures a contribution to sustainability performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shampy Kamboj ◽  
Shruti Rana

PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to study the role of supply chain performance (SCP) as a mediator between big data-driven supply chain (BDDSC) and firm sustainable performance. In addition, the role of firm age as a moderator between BDDSC and SCP as well as between SCP and firm sustainable performance has also been explored.Design/methodology/approachThe 200 managers of medium or senior level positions in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) located at Delhi-NCR have been contacted. Further, collected data have been confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In this paper, structure equation modeling (SEM) has been employed to empirically check the proposed hypotheses and their relationships.FindingsThe findings confirmed that SCP mediates the link between BDDSC and firm sustainable performance. Additionally, firm age moderates the association between BDDSC and SCP as well as between SCP and firm sustainable performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe role of SCP and firm age between BDDSC and sustainable performance have been examined in the context of MSMEs in Delhi-NCR and thereby limit the generalization of results to other industries and country contexts.Originality/valueThe present study adds to the existing literature via recognizing the blackbox using SCP and firm age to comprehend BDDSC and firm sustainable performance relationship.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Miemczyk ◽  
Davide Luzzini

PurposeCompanies are increasingly challenged by sustainability-related supply chain risks. Research has developed linking supply chain sustainability priorities, practices and triple bottom line performance; however, risk is rarely included in these models. The purpose of this paper is to understand the link between sustainable supply chain strategies, practices and performance, and to test the importance of risk management practices in this relationship focusing on the product category level.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a survey of supply managers in four countries with 305 responses, with a focus on upstream supply chain strategies at the product category level.FindingsThe environmental and social sustainability strategies lead to sustainable supply sustainable performance, through focused practices in either area, but the effect on operational and cost performance is not significant. Social supply chain strategies positively impact environmental and cost performance when mediated by risk assessment practices.Originality/valueThis paper shows a more nuanced view of the impact of supply chain practices on the strategy–performance link. It is one of the first papers to empirically test the role of risk practices in sustainable supply chain management and emphasize the importance of alignment across the main dimensions of sustainability to achieve positive sustainable performance outcomes, but not necessarily cost and operational performance. Unlike other studies, social sustainability priorities may positively impact environmental and social performance and is linked to cost advantage when implemented with risk assessment practices.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin-Chun Hsu ◽  
Keah-Choon Tan ◽  
Suhaiza Hanim Mohamad Zailani

Purpose – Global outsourcing shifts manufacturing jobs to emerging countries, which provides new opportunities for improving their economic development. The authors develop and test a theoretical model to predict first, how sustainable supply chain initiatives might influence reverse logistics outcomes and second, the impact of eco-reputation and eco-innovation orientation strategies on the deployment of sustainable supply chain initiatives. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed new model of antecedents and outcomes of sustainable supply chain initiatives underwent a rigorous empirical test through structural equation modeling with samples from an emerging market. Findings – The results show that firms that implement sustainable supply chain initiatives can realize positive reverse logistics outcomes; the study also provides new insights into eco-innovation and eco-reputation strategic orientations as theoretically important antecedents of sustainable supply chain initiatives. Research limitations/implications – Though the authors identify three components of sustainable supply chain initiatives, other components could exist, and ongoing research should investigate them. Practical implications – The findings have important implications for managers in emerging markets seeking to initiate ecologically friendly business practices. The authors offer strong evidence of the benefits obtained from reverse logistics in sustainable supply chain initiatives. Policy makers and firms attempting to nurture sustainable supply chain initiatives should not overlook the important role of eco-reputation and eco-innovation strategic orientations, which the results identify as important enablers. Originality/value – This study offers evidence of the critical role of eco-reputation and eco-innovation strategic orientations in deploying sustainable supply chain initiative programs, as well as of their mutual effects. This study also offers empirical evidence that implementing sustainable supply chain initiatives leads to reverse logistics, creating value, and a new source of competitive advantages.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1434-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal Kumar ◽  
Mohit Goswami

Purpose Sustainable supply chain (SSC) provides one opportunity to achieve competitive advantage. To achieve SSC through triple bottom line (TBL) – economic, environment and social – is extensively discussed. Most literature in dealing with environmental issues undermine social dimension even though its potential to bring outstanding results by earning customers loyalty and commitment is immense. Local orientation and different context motivate firms to prioritize sustainability dimensions differently. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize SSC performance as three dimensional second-order formative construct which is caused by three first-order reflective constructs. Further, the authors examined effect of sustainable performance on barriers to sustainability through collaboration. Design/methodology/approach The model is validated by data collected from industries in India using both partial least squares and covariance based structural equation modeling. The authors find the model is valid for both manufacturing and service sectors. Findings In Indian context, social dimension is most and environmental dimension is least important differentiating it from developed economy. The authors find sustainable performance subsequently mitigates barriers and risks to sustainability, thereby reducing its impact over time. Originality/value This study conceptualizes SSC performance as three dimensional second-order formative construct which is caused by three first-order reflective constructs. Given criticisms to TBL for being western-centric, this study unearths insightful phenomena having implications for both developing and developed world. Further, the authors find sustainable performance reduces effects of barriers to collaboration necessary to achieve SSC. This study contributes to both theory and practice by modeling sustainability performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 622-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinfei Chen ◽  
Injazz J. Chen

Purpose As supply chain sustainability has become more urgent than ever before, this study aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of how supplying firms’ sustainability motives influence their compliance and commitment, as well as sustainable performance, as they respond to buyers’ sustainable supplier management programs. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the intriguing links among sustainability motives, compliance/commitment and sustainable performance of supplying firms, this paper draws on multidisciplinary literature and collects empirical data from 281 supplying firms in China to test the proposed model and hypotheses using structural equation modeling. Findings Instrumental and moral motives make comparable contributions to compliance; moral motives exert stronger influence on firms’ commitment to sustainable practices. In addition, although compliance has a greater impact on economic and environmental performance, commitment is far more robust in improving environmental and social performance. Research limitations/implications Unlike most research on motives that has been theoretical, this study represents one of the few empirical analyses of how motives may affect sustainable performance. Examining the challenges from the perspectives of supplying firms, it also adds to the SSCM literature by making clear how compliance and commitment may differentially predict sustainable performance. Practical implications Although instrumental and moral motives can be complementary in advancing sustainable practices, it is imperative for firms to integrate moral considerations into sustainability decision-making and move beyond compliance, if they are to contribute meaningfully to a better society and cleaner environment. Originality/value This is the first large-scale empirical investigation on the links among motives, compliance, commitment and sustainable performance from the perspectives of suppliers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Acioli ◽  
Annibal Scavarda ◽  
Augusto Reis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is 1) to investigate the effects on the crucial Industry 4.0 technological innovations that interact between the real and virtual worlds and that are applied in the sustainable supply chain process; 2) to contribute to the identification of the opportunities, the challenges and the gaps that will support the new research study developments and 3) to analyze the impact of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators of the sustainable supply chain performance in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).Design/methodology/approachThis research is performed through a bibliographic review in the electronic databases of the Emerald Insight, the Scopus and the Web of Science, considering the main scientific publications on the subject.FindingsThe bibliographic search results in 526 articles, followed by two sequential filters for deleting the duplicate articles (resulting in 487 articles) and for selecting the most relevant articles (resulting in 150 articles).Practical implicationsThis article identifies the opportunities and the challenges focused on the emerging Industry 4.0 theme. The opportunities can contribute to the sustainable performance of the supply chains and their territories. The Industry 4.0 can also generate challenges like the social inequalities related to the position of the man in the labor market by replacing the human workforce with the machines. Therefore, the man-machine relationship in the Industry 4.0 era is analyzed as a gap in the literature. Therefore, as a way to fill this gap, the authors of this article suggest the exploration of the research focused on the Society 5.0. Also known as “super-smart society,” this recent theme appeared in Japan in April 2016. According to Fukuda (2020), in addition to the focus on the technological development, the Society 5.0 also aims at the quality of life and the social challenge resolutions.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the analysis of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators in the sustainable supply chain performance. It addresses the impacts of the Industry 4.0 technologies applied to the supply chains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it analyzes the research gaps and limitations found in the literature. The result of this study can add value and stimulate new research studies related to the application of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators in the supply chain sustainable performance. It can encourage the studies related to the COVID-19 impacts on the sustainable supply chains, and it can promote the research development on the relationship among the man, the machine and the labor in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai-Chong Thong ◽  
Wai-Peng Wong

Malaysia has recently started to adopt sustainable business best practices to benefit companies, environment and stakeholders. Therefore, this study demonstrates pathways to sustainable supply chain triple bottom line performance derived from linkages of institutional pressures (IP) and organizational identity (OI) to environment and social sustainable practices. It shows that the superordinate goal of sustainable supply chain management is met in spite of unyielding external pressures and desirable OI driving the unequivocal environmental and responsible social practices of firms. A survey approach was adopted to gather the data required for this study. A total of 118 completed questionnaires were received from respondents, who were managers and senior executives in supply chain management (SCM) in Malaysia. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) version 3.0. Our findings showed that all hypothesized relationships are significant except both process- and market-based social practices could not directly impact economic performance. This is in sharp contrast to environmental practices. However, the significant linkage between social practices and social performance is a pathway for the former to economic performance. Therefore, the economic benefits derived from social practices are salvaged through its performance outcomes. The novel and useful impact of institutional pressures on sustainable supply chain practices are also unearthed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 513-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirish Jeble ◽  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
Stephen J. Childe ◽  
Thanos Papadopoulos ◽  
David Roubaud ◽  
...  

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model to explain the impact of big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) on sustainable business development goal of the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have developed the theoretical model using resource-based view logic and contingency theory. The model was further tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) following Peng and Lai (2012) arguments. The authors gathered 205 responses using survey-based instrument for PLS-SEM.FindingsThe statistical results suggest that out of four research hypotheses, the authors found support for three hypotheses (H1-H3) and the authors did not find support forH4. Although the authors did not find support forH4(moderating role of supply base complexity (SBC)), however, in future the relationship between BDPA, SBC and sustainable supply chain performance measures remain interesting research questions for further studies.Originality/valueThis study makes some original contribution to the operations and supply chain management literature. The authors provide theory-driven and empirically proven results which extend previous studies which have focused on single performance measures (i.e. economic or environmental). Hence, by studying the impact of BDPA on three performance measures the authors have attempted to answer some of the unresolved questions. The authors also offer numerous guidance to the practitioners and policy makers, based on empirical results.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaqin Yuan ◽  
Linlin Liu ◽  
Liu Liu

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the relationship between information integration, supply chain capabilities and credit quality of small and middle enterprises (SMEs) in supply chain finance (SCF).Design/methodology/approachGrounded in the resource-based view (RBV) and signaling theory, this study proposes a theoretical model. Then, structural equation modeling and interview analysis are employed to test the theoretical model.FindingsThe results show that both two aspects of information integration, namely, information technology and information sharing, have positive effects on the SMEs’ credit quality in SCF, and these effects are mediated by supply chain capabilities.Originality/valueFirst, the paper contributes to SCF literature by simultaneously examining the role of two dimensions of information integration (information technology and information sharing) in enhancing SMEs’ credit quality. Second, this paper enriches the existing theoretical research on SCF by integrating the SMEs perspective and SCF service provider perspective. Moreover, this paper explores the indirect effects of information integration on SMEs’ credit quality by incorporating supply chain capabilities as a mediating factor.


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