Lucia Rincon-Ballesteros, Gustavo Lannelongue and Javier González-Benito
A food safety management system (FSMS) is a dynamic resource with the potential to generate competitive advantages, whose implementation may be certified according to…
Abstract
Purpose
A food safety management system (FSMS) is a dynamic resource with the potential to generate competitive advantages, whose implementation may be certified according to internationally recognised standards such as the Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS). This research sets out to discover why companies implement these systems and the influence each one of them exerts.
Design/methodology/approach
Data have been gathered via a questionnaire administered in Spanish-speaking countries on both sides of the Atlantic, compiling a sample of 574 companies certified to BRCGS. The hypotheses formulated were verified by structural equation modelling.
Findings
The analysis reveals a four-dimensional motivational structure (ethics, efficiency, commercial and legitimacy) and three dimensions for the implementation of the FSMS (food safety management, analysis of hazards and control points and best practices). Motivations of an ethical and commercial nature have a positive effect on the degree of effective implementation, while those based on the search for legitimacy reveal a negative relationship.
Originality/value
While most of the studies on the implementation of management systems are based on a dichotomous measurement of this process (companies with a management system compared to those without one, or companies certified according to a standard compared to those that are not), this study uses a continuous variable of the degree of effective implementation of the system's different dimensions or components. Little has so far been reported about why companies implement an FSMS, and here we not only identify their reasons but also assess those dimensions with the greatest impact.
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Javier Gonzalez-Benito and Gustavo Lannelongue
Prior research into the manufacturing function's contribution to business performance demonstrates two seemingly incompatible approaches: strategic alignment or the identification…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research into the manufacturing function's contribution to business performance demonstrates two seemingly incompatible approaches: strategic alignment or the identification of best practices. In the former, practices are useful only if they are consistent with the strategy to be implemented; in the latter, better performance derives from certain practices, regardless of the strategic context. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework to integrate these approaches according to two types of manufacturing alignment, external and internal, such that organizational performance depends on their interaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The framework was tested over the information provided on a questionnaire by 148 Spanish companies in three industrial sectors: industrial and commercial machinery, electronic and other electrical equipment, and transportation equipment.
Findings
The level of internal alignment depends on the manufacturing practices; some facilitate alignment under any competitive circumstances, whereas others only do so for specific competitive priorities.
Originality/value
This study reinforces the idea that alignment between manufacturing capabilities and business strategy is fundamental, but it also recognizes some best practices that facilitate alignment in any circumstances. Therefore, it demonstrates that both, the approach based on strategic alignment and that based on the existence of best practices, can be combined to fully explain the potential of the manufacturing function.
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Javier González-Benito, Gustavo Lannelongue, Luis Miguel Ferreira and Carmen Gonzalez-Zapatero
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the environmental management of purchases and firm performance. The authors examine the moderating role played by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the environmental management of purchases and firm performance. The authors examine the moderating role played by two variables: the establishment of long-term relationships with suppliers and the strategic integration of the purchasing function.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conduct an empirical study on a sample of 100 Portuguese firms.
Findings
Evidence reveals that green purchasing management improves the performance of the purchasing function, although the impact is greater when the organisation forges lasting alliances with its suppliers.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the study of the consequences of introducing environmental practices into the purchasing function, especially with regards to the formation of a panel of sustainable suppliers. Specifically, this research provides evidence to show that the implementation of those practices has positive impacts on the operating performance of the purchasing function and that the said effect is greater when a firm establishes long-term relationships with its suppliers.