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Article
Publication date: 21 March 2024

Aina Pont and Alexandra Simon

The study aspires to enhance comprehension of the intricate interplay between supply chain management (SCM) and resilience in family businesses, thereby offering valuable insights…

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Abstract

Purpose

The study aspires to enhance comprehension of the intricate interplay between supply chain management (SCM) and resilience in family businesses, thereby offering valuable insights to managers and policymakers endeavouring to foster resilience in uncertain environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Commencing from the premise that family businesses (FBs) prioritize the preservation of socio-emotional wealth (SEW) when formulating strategic decisions, this study endeavours to advance understanding of supply chain practices adopted by FBs and their direct impact on resilience during crisis situations or economically challenging periods. Through an exploratory case study of nine FBs, the present research reveals four pivotal strategies in SCM that contribute to their resilience: (i) reorganization of inventory management; (ii) cultivating close relationships with suppliers; (iii) emphasizing product quality and customer retention; and (iv) implementing cost reduction measures to bolster resilience. The aim of the study is to provide an in-depth understanding of the intricate interplay between SCM and resilience in FBs, thereby offering valuable insights to managers and policymakers endeavouring to foster resilience in uncertain environments.

Findings

Our approach offers a theoretical framework for SCM aligned with prior research on the interplay between characteristics of family businesses and resilience strategies. Furthermore, this paper illustrates how factors such as the emphasis on high-quality products and services by family businesses contribute to achieving non-economic objectives that owners adopt to reconcile family and business needs, creating intrinsic added value for the company. It reveals various challenges in SCM, including inventory organization changes, supplier closures and the significance of customer retention. Family businesses are implementing product and technology enhancements and leveraging digitization to enhance supply chain processes.

Originality/value

This paper contributes significantly to the field of FBs by highlighting the crucial role of SCM in enhancing business resilience during crises. It empirically examines how the SEW characteristics of FBs influence the reconfiguration of their supply chains to enhance resilience, presenting a theoretical model for this context. Our theoretical framework employs an SEW perspective to elucidate how FBs respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting their SCM processes to safeguard their social and emotional legitimacy, organizational visibility and reputation. These adaptations gain particular relevance during crises or turbulent conditions, potentially leading to alterations in how FBs formulate their supply chain strategies and manage supply chain-related processes.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 12 February 2025

Abstract

Details

Green Wealth: Navigating towards a Sustainable Future
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83662-218-5

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 18 November 2024

Abstract

Details

Economic Development and Resilience by EU Member States
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-998-1

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Article
Publication date: 25 December 2024

Kedir Assefa Tessema and Sue Reilly

This study examines how executive directors of family business centers deploy sensemaking to create psychologically safe environments while engaging members in peer group…

13

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines how executive directors of family business centers deploy sensemaking to create psychologically safe environments while engaging members in peer group activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with five executive directors from four different family business centers in the USA. The study also draws on document analysis.

Findings

The findings reveal that these directors navigate a complex and uncertain environment where the need for member engagement and the need for a safe environment sometimes contradict each other. Their sensemaking draws on both cognitive and social processes to accomplish meaning-making, often involving a cyclical process of noticing, discernment and enactment. This effort is, at times, constrained by the directors’ inability to gather cues due to their commitment to maintaining confidentiality and privacy within peer groups, limiting their ability to directly observe discussions. Despite this constraint, sensemaking enhances the directors’ capability to foster safe and engaging environments, though the challenge of balancing members’ needs for confidentiality with a safe and productive engagement environment remains a continuous reality.

Practical implications

This study highlights the crucial role of sensemaking leadership in family business networks, requiring directors to balance individual and group needs. Leadership development should focus on enhancing this sensemaking ability. Family business centers must be designed with flexibility and adaptability to accommodate evolving needs. This involves attentive observation, balanced programs, psychological safety and continuous learning. These findings extend to any peer group requiring high trust, emphasizing the leader’s role in creating a safe and engaging environment that balances individual needs with collective goals.

Originality/value

This study makes several original contributions to the literature. First, it extends existing knowledge on sensemaking by exploring its application in a previously under-researched context: how executive directors navigate complexity and uncertainty within family business networks. Second, it examines how sensemaking informs the ongoing challenge of balancing peer groups’ need for a safe engagement environment with the need for productive engagement, an area that has not been explicitly addressed in prior research. By shedding light on these under-explored aspects of sensemaking, this study offers valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners involved in family business networks and peer group management.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

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Abstract

Details

Future Feminisms
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-414-6

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Book part
Publication date: 12 February 2025

Alexandra-Codruţa Bîzoi and Cristian-Gabriel Bîzoi

Purpose: This paper investigates how Europe’s fast fashion industry’s sustainability efforts correlate with socio-economic well-being, focusing on the Human Development Index…

Abstract

Purpose: This paper investigates how Europe’s fast fashion industry’s sustainability efforts correlate with socio-economic well-being, focusing on the Human Development Index (HDI), Sustainable Development Goals, and textile waste.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Applying Principal Component, Regression, and Spatial Analysis, the study examines cross-European data to identify relationships between development indices and textile waste.

Findings: There is a strong link between adherence to Sustainable Development Goals and higher living standards, but the impact of textile waste on well-being is minimal.

Research Limitations/Implications: Limitations refer to excluding other socio-economic factors and a narrow metric focus, which may obscure the broader effects of textile waste.

Practical Implications: Results advocate for sustainable waste management policies, which were crucial during the European energy crisis, to foster eco-friendly practices in the fashion industry.

Social Implications: The study emphasises the need for a circular economy shift in fast fashion, which is vital for environmental sustainability and societal health.

Originality/Value: This research enriches the sustainability narrative by correlating it with socio-economic health in European contexts, providing a unique industry perspective.

Plain Language Summary: Exploring the connection between sustainability in Europe’s fashion industry and quality of life, our study finds that eco-friendly policies match higher living standards. However, fashion waste’s direct effect could be much better. Amidst an energy crisis (Kent, 2022), our insights press for greener practices in fashion, underscoring the necessity for a circular economy to support environmental and social well-being.

Details

Green Wealth: Navigating towards a Sustainable Future
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83662-218-5

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 12 February 2025

Alexandra-Codruţa Bîzoi and Cristian-Gabriel Bîzoi

Purpose: This study critically explores the phenomenon of corporate greenwashing within global supply chains, aiming to dissect the ethical dilemmas corporations face when their…

Abstract

Purpose: This study critically explores the phenomenon of corporate greenwashing within global supply chains, aiming to dissect the ethical dilemmas corporations face when their environmental claims do not match their practices. It seeks to understand how corporations navigate the tension between appearing environmentally responsible and implementing sustainable practices.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a qualitative analysis framework, the study analyses notable instances of corporate greenwashing case studies. It applies ethical theories such as Utilitarianism, Deontological Ethics, Corporate Responsibility (CR), Global Economic Inequality, stakeholder and shareholder theories, short-term gains versus long-term sustainability, Ethical sourcing, and Economic Realism to evaluate the decisions and behaviours of corporations. This approach allows for a comprehensive examination of greenwashing practices’ motives, strategies, and outcomes.

Findings: The research uncovers that greenwashing is often a result of the complex interplay between market pressures for environmental responsibility and the challenges of genuinely implementing sustainable practices. Corporations frequently use greenwashing to meet consumer expectations without substantially changing their operations.

Research Limitations/Implications: The study acknowledges limitations, primarily due to the selection of case studies and the subjective interpretation of ethical theories. Future research could expand the range of case studies and explore additional ethical frameworks for a more nuanced understanding of greenwashing.

Practical Implications: The findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory frameworks and transparent reporting standards to discourage greenwashing. It suggests that corporations adopt a more integrated approach to sustainability, aligning their environmental claims with actual practices.

Social Implications: By shedding light on the discrepancy between corporate environmental claims and actions, the study calls for greater corporate accountability. It emphasises the role of informed consumer advocacy in demanding transparency and genuine sustainability efforts from corporations.

Originality/Value: This paper contributes to the business ethics literature by providing a detailed analysis of greenwashing within global supply chains through ethical theories. It offers a novel perspective on the ethical considerations involved in corporate environmental claims, enhancing our understanding of corporate sustainability challenges.

Plain Language Summary: This research analyses companies that make themselves seem more environmentally friendly than they are – a practice known as greenwashing. By examining real-life examples and using ethical principles, the study reveals why companies do this and how it can mislead consumers. It suggests that to stop greenwashing, there should be stricter rules and more transparent reporting about companies’ environmental actions. The research also encourages people to demand truthfulness from companies about their environmental efforts, highlighting the importance of genuine sustainability over mere appearances.

Details

Green Wealth: Navigating towards a Sustainable Future
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83662-218-5

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 18 November 2024

Marilen-Gabriel Pirtea, Graţiela Georgiana Noja, Nicoleta-Claudia Moldovan, Irina-Maria Grecu and Alexandra-Mădălina Ţăran

Purpose: This study aims to examine the inferences of climate change risks on the natural environment within the European Union (EU) and to explore how environmental governance…

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the inferences of climate change risks on the natural environment within the European Union (EU) and to explore how environmental governance initiatives that prioritise sustainability and are globally agreed upon can help mitigate these adverse effects of climate change. This study conducted an in-depth systematic review and comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature identifying the theoretical underpinnings of climate change risks and global environmental governance.

Need for study: Climate swaps pose significant risks to the environment, sustainability, and socioeconomic systems at the EU and global levels. Nowadays, every industry, company, and region worldwide is exposed to varying degrees of climate risk, which is only expected to increase as climate change accelerates.

Methodology: An extensive collection of articles, books, and book chapters available through Web of Science and Scopus was analysed, gathering key ideas, theories, directions for future research, authors, research organisations/institutes, nations, and co-citation histories. The research methodology involved was extracting information from 1,586 documents on Scopus and 1,024 papers on Web of Science and processing the data in VOSviewer. The following keywords were used for basic searches and further extraction: ‘climate’, ‘politics’, ‘risk’, ‘global’, ‘environment’, and ‘governance’.

Findings: Governance/management becomes even more important when studying climate change risks along with resilience, adaptation, vulnerability, uncertainty, and sustainability/sustainable development among EU member states.

Practical implications: This study emphasises climate change’s most significant environmental effects and risks at the EU and global levels and highlights the importance of addressing these risks through effective environmental governance initiatives.

Details

Economic Development and Resilience by EU Member States
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-998-1

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 12 February 2025

Grațiela-Georgiana Noja, Petru Ştefea, Andrea Gînguţă, Alexandra-Mădălina Ţăran, Irina-Maria Grecu and Andrei Cristian Spulbăr

Purpose/Objective: This study aims to investigate the inferences of technological innovations introduced by companies, emphasised by firm investments in innovative products, the…

Abstract

Purpose/Objective: This study aims to investigate the inferences of technological innovations introduced by companies, emphasised by firm investments in innovative products, the use of information technologies (ITs), and the number of innovative products in achieving economic and environmental sustainability.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Simple regression models with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors processed through the Pooled OLS method, and cluster analysis performed through the Ward method inset on hierarchical clustering. A newly compiled dataset with information extracted from the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2023 was employed in the analysis, covering the time lapse from 2016 to 2023 and integrating 28 European countries.

Findings: A statistically significant relationship between firm investments, technological innovations, and companies’ environmental and sustainability credentials. Clusters associated with the impact of innovative technologies on environmental and economic sustainability were identified. The results showed four different clusters, including countries that present similarities among the variables or distinctive tendencies from the countries belonging to other clusters.

Significance/Implications/Conclusions: New insights for firms, managers, entrepreneurs, and local or foreign investors and emphasise the need for innovation and technological investments within companies to improve their business activities and support more effective and sustainable development.

Limitations: The reduced availability of data and regarding the sample of representative indicators.

Future Research: Future research avenues might explore the importance of collaboration among technologists, financiers, policymakers, and environmentalists to harness technology’s full potential and navigate the complexities of integrating it with sustainable practices.

Details

Green Wealth: Navigating towards a Sustainable Future
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83662-218-5

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 5 November 2024

Valérie Mérindol and Alexandra Le Chaffotec

Showing that the contribution of innovation spaces to the development of collaborative innovation projects remains ambiguous for both independent innovation spaces and those run…

39

Abstract

Purpose

Showing that the contribution of innovation spaces to the development of collaborative innovation projects remains ambiguous for both independent innovation spaces and those run by large organizations, this research proposes to highlight the essential role of boundary spanners to make such projects emerge from innovation spaces.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a multicase study of four innovation spaces in French healthcare ecosystems. Distinguishing between independent innovation spaces and innovation spaces run by large organizations, this research provides an in-depth analysis of the emergence of collaborative innovation thanks to the presence of boundary spanners.

Findings

Through a qualitative study, this research shows that managers of innovation spaces are the keystone to understanding how new collaborative practices are experimented in innovation spaces. It also shows that boundary spanners can be a team rather than a single individual. They endorse network builder, mediator, and entrepreneur roles and their actions go beyond the innovation spaces boundaries. They mobilize the innovation space dimension to enhance collaborations that are resilient over time and take also place outside innovation space. The boundary spanners’ role exists as much in independent innovation spaces as in innovation spaces managed by large organizations, but in somewhat different ways.

Originality/value

This article clarifies how innovation space support collaborative innovation by explaining the contribution of individuals who act as boundary spanners in this process. The contributions are threefold. First, the managers of the IS endorse the role of boundary spanner, but they do not act alone. Other actors contribute as boundary spanners for the emergence and/or the experimentation of new collaborative practices. Second, they mobilize IS to encourage collaborative projects among people coming from different organizations, but the modalities vary between independent IS and those run by large organization. However, both contribute to the development of new resilient capabilities thanks to the action of boundary spanners. Third, the network-building function of the boundary spanners goes beyond the development of connections within the physical space of the innovation space.

Details

Management Decision, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

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