Zahra Seyedghorban, Dayna Simpson and Margaret Jekanyika Matanda
The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamics of trust creation in an early buyer–supplier relationship phase at the interpersonal level. The authors use a brand-based…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamics of trust creation in an early buyer–supplier relationship phase at the interpersonal level. The authors use a brand-based communication approach to investigate the trust–risk–commitment link.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data from 204 senior managers in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Australia were collected and analyzed.
Findings
Results indicate that ability, credibility, benevolence and persona of supplier brand representatives (SBRs) relate significantly to a buyers’ trust in SBR, leading to diminished perceived risk, and increased relationship commitment between the parties. These findings support the importance of using individual representatives who are able to broadcast their supplier’s brand values, and increase trust in exploratory buyer–supplier relationships.
Research limitations/implications
This research focused on SMEs in Australia, investigating exploratory phase of the interpersonal relationships. Future research can investigate large firms interacting in different relationship phases in the light of brand-based communication.
Practical implications
The study describes several strategies for both buying and supplying firms to use, to best use brand-based communication as a means to build trust in the early phases of buyer–supplier relationships.
Originality/value
Prior research has focused on interorganizational trust and established or mature buyer–supplier relationships. This study investigates the initial phase of buyer–supplier relationships, and at the interpersonal exchange level. It also incorporates a role for brand-based communication in the buyer–supplier relationship which has received limited attention in the literature.
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Dayna Simpson and Robert Sroufe
An ongoing challenge for managers is to define and benefit from their firm's environmental management practices. Firms that seek stakeholder recognition of their practices, or…
Abstract
Purpose
An ongoing challenge for managers is to define and benefit from their firm's environmental management practices. Firms that seek stakeholder recognition of their practices, or face stakeholder pressure for evidence of improvement, increasingly use management standards such as ISO14001. Such standards, however, may encourage firms to use more reportable rather than embedded environmental management practices. Why some firms use environmental management standards to improve practices relative to firms that use them to deflect attention, is an important research question. As paper proposes, stakeholder pressure on firms for improved practices can interact with firms’ expectations of related rewards to influence environmental management outcomes. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The intention was to identify significant differences in stakeholder focus and each firm's environmental management practices, between ISO14001 certified and non-certified firms. The paper explored the propositions with a sample of US manufacturers. The paper used a PLS modeling approach.
Findings
The paper identified links between firms with a greater regulative stakeholder focus, to greater use of reportable practices (pollution reduction). Firms with a greater normative stakeholder focus were linked to greater use of embedded practices (policies and pollution prevention).
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to assess differences that distinguish between both stakeholder type and choice of environmental management practices. Further, the paper grouped firms’ practices according to their emphasis on either rewards of stakeholder recognition or internal operational benefit. As other studies have identified, firms do not necessarily adopt environmental management standards for their goals of practice improvement. The study contributes to use of stakeholder theories to understand firm level adoption of and benefit from environmental management practices.
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Dayna Simpson, Damien Power and Daniel Samson
This study seeks to explore the moderating impact of relationship conditions existing between a customer and its suppliers on the uptake and effectiveness of the customer's…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to explore the moderating impact of relationship conditions existing between a customer and its suppliers on the uptake and effectiveness of the customer's environmental performance requirements (otherwise known as “green‐supply”).
Design/methodology/approach
The study assesses the extent to which a supplier's environmental performance is influenced by its customer's environmental performance requirements when specific relationship conditions (investment, contracting and monitoring routines) are taken into account. Data were collected through a survey of first and second tier component manufacturers in the Australian automotive industry and analysed using linear regression and MMR.
Findings
Suppliers were found to be more responsive to their customers' environmental performance requirements where increasing levels of relationship‐specific investment occurred. As the level of investment in the customer‐supplier relationship increased, suppliers become less likely to believe that they would be penalized for non‐compliance with the customer's environmental performance requirements.
Research limitations/implications
Survey data were collected in 2004 and are limited to the Australian automotive industry. The sample size available for the regression analysis also precluded the use of more comprehensive analytic techniques.
Practical implications
The research offers new insight into the issue of how firms might improve the environmental performance of suppliers and the sustainability of their supply chain.
Originality/value
Virtually no research exists on the actual effectiveness of green supply requirements when placed in context with the realities of inter‐organizational dynamics. The findings suggest that traditional operations theory on inter‐organizational performance improvement is just as relevant to the use of environmental performance requirements.
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Dayna F. Simpson and Damien J. Power
To investigate the relationship between a supplier and firm's level of environmental management activity and the structure of the customer‐supplier manufacturing relationship.
Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the relationship between a supplier and firm's level of environmental management activity and the structure of the customer‐supplier manufacturing relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a conceptual framework and looks at the literature in order to investigate this relationship. Three main concepts (supply relationship, lean manufacturing, and environmental management practices) and their relationship to one another are described and the discussion concludes with major hypotheses for further research in this area.
Findings
A major literature review reveals that efforts to improve or influence a supplier's environmental management practice raises critical issues of transaction costs and efficacy of approach for the buyer. The review allowed development of a model for approaching issues of supplier environmental performance through lean supply.
Originality/value
The environmental performance of suppliers to the supply function can prove to be a costly endeavour if not managed correctly. The framework presented in this paper may be of use in this respect.
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Alka Ashwini Nand, Raveen Menon, Ananya Bhattacharya and Ran Bhamra
This paper aims to investigate the current state of research on sustainability-related manufacturing trade-offs (i.e. giving preference and priority to one dimension over others…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the current state of research on sustainability-related manufacturing trade-offs (i.e. giving preference and priority to one dimension over others) that affect suppliers in developed and less developed countries (LDCs). There is growing pressure on suppliers to adopt sustainable practices into their global supply chains. Successfully implementing all three dimensions of the triple bottom line (TBL) imperative can provide organizations with an added capability and potentially result in competitive advantage and a focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the long run. However, designing supply chains for achieving the TBL requires suppliers to recognize and overcome numerous trade-offs.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review comprising 71 papers published between 2004 and 2020 was undertaken using a content analysis approach to identify trade-offs affecting suppliers.
Findings
This study firstly identified eight sustainability-related trade-offs affecting suppliers from a TBL perspective in both developed and LDCs, consequently, allowing for a detailed discussion on trade-off factors and conditions unique to both developed and LDCs. Together, these findings enable this study to present initiatives and investment-related decisions for supply chains from a TBL perspective.
Originality/value
In spite of the plethora of studies on sustainable supply chains, there is little research on trade-offs, specifically those affecting sustainability of suppliers operating in LDCs. This paper addresses this critical gap and advances the literature on sustainability-related supply chain trade-offs.
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The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge system of lean supply chain management (LSCM), i.e. by using main path analysis, and the authors extract the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge system of lean supply chain management (LSCM), i.e. by using main path analysis, and the authors extract the main development track of LSCM. It is advantageous for relevant scholars to deepen their understanding of this academic field from a bibliometrics view to grasp the future directions better.
Design/methodology/approach
Structuring a citation network with the processed data set containing 866 papers and relevant information collected from Web of Science (WoS). Conducting review analyses aiming at the main paths that are extracted from the above citation network.
Findings
There are two different evolution paths in LSCM field, i.e. improving corporate sustainability performance through combining lean and green practices, and seeking the balance between lean and agility to structure leagile supply chain for specific industries. LSCM research studies mainly focus on five aspects: (1) establishment and development of LSCM theory; (2) structuration of lean supply chain; (3) research studies of the relationship between LSCM and corporate performance; (4) supply chain evaluation system; and (5) review and vista of LSCM field. The intersection of two knowledge evolute routes would be Industry 4.0, which is an integrated theory system combining lean, agility, green and other supply chain thinking.
Research limitations/implications
The data set collected from WoS cannot contain all the research studies about LSCM is the main research limitation. Sustainability, as represented by environmental performance, will continue to be a major pursuit of this field. Integrating LSCM in Industry 4.0 will be the next hotspot in LSCM field.
Practical implications
Providing the main research contents and common methods of LSCM field. It is conducive to deepening the understanding of relevant practitioners and scholars to LSCM field from a dynamic perspective.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first time to reveal the knowledge diffuse trajectories of LSCM under different view with main path analysis. This study is unique that it provides a new view to understand the field of LSCM.
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Adamina Ivcovici, Ian McLoughlin, Alka Nand and Ananya Bhattacharya
Communities of Practice (CoPs) are increasingly being created to facilitate knowledge mobilization in organizations. This paper aims to elucidate an underexplored aspect of…
Abstract
Purpose
Communities of Practice (CoPs) are increasingly being created to facilitate knowledge mobilization in organizations. This paper aims to elucidate an underexplored aspect of participation in mandated CoPs – identity reconciliation. Specifically, the authors explore how actors reconcile their existing identities with becoming members of new knowledge mobilization CoPs.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a longitudinal qualitative case study over a 12-month period to explore identity reconciliation practices during the formation of the “ED CoP” – mandated by policymakers to mobilize knowledge between process improvement advisors and clinicians from various hospitals. Observation and interviews allowed us to uncover “front stage” and “backstage” practices of identity reconciliation.
Findings
The findings reveal two key unexpected modes of identity reconciliation – “distancing” and “peripheral lurking”. These modes resulted in different trajectories of participation of two of the key participant groups – “veteran” improvement advisors and “veteran” clinicians.
Practical implications
Different modes of identity reconciliation of different participants impact the formation of CoPs and how knowledge mobilization occurs within them. This paper offers a sensitizing lens for practitioners creating CoPs which enhances awareness of hidden identity practices, and recommendations to enable practitioners to effectively facilitate CoP formation.
Originality/value
This study suggests that identity reconciliation is an integral aspect of CoP formation, and essential for knowledge mobilization within CoPs. Whereas studies on CoPs in the knowledge management literature have mostly assumed that collaboration produces beneficial knowledge mobilization outcomes, the findings build a more nuanced picture of the processes involved in producing these outcomes.
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Raghu Kumar BR, Ashish Agarwal and Milind Kumar Sharma
The purpose of this paper is to identify important factors which contribute to the evolution of Green Supply Chain (GSC) initiatives framework as a result of sustained lean…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify important factors which contribute to the evolution of Green Supply Chain (GSC) initiatives framework as a result of sustained lean strategies predominantly but not confined to aviation sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is exploratory in nature and studies lean management implementation environment with focus on developing a framework for a GSC established through a path of identifying waste minimization techniques which automatically contribute to green initiatives in supply chain design invariably qualifying an ordinary supply chain as GSC. The approach is of identifying the framework parameters for both carbon footprint analysis and lean management. The focus of study is cross-sectional, within and outside aviation industry based on the information collected through survey methodology.
Findings
The paper identifies the key factors that are responsible to make a “green” supply chain and presents a framework to establish the same through rigorous evaluation while not losing sight of lean management requirements so that operational management perspective is not lost.
Research limitations/implications
The target of the study is the aviation industry and its supportive upstream and downstream beneficiaries. The study has implications for managers in all types of industrial environment, especially in aviation, in the era of globalized lean supply chain establishment which helps them to convert their present lean management initiatives to GSC.
Practical implications
Inputs obtained are from both literary and industrial research in a live environment and hence impacts lean management outlook and its benefits to industries.
Social implications
This paper has vast impact on the social well being with the focus on techno – environmental green initiatives factor identification through simple implemented and available procedures with no additional cost implication.
Originality/value
This paper presents unique inputs regarding conversion of lean implementation scenario in aviation and other industries to a GSC model, with suitable incorporation of recognized factors which are outcome of complicated internal processes. It also tries to establish factors relevant for any organization in assessing lean initiatives.