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Article
Publication date: 15 September 2022

Bardia Naghshineh and Helena Carvalho

This study aims to explore how certain adoption barriers of additive manufacturing (AM) technology may lead to supply chain (SC) vulnerabilities, which in turn would deteriorate…

545

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore how certain adoption barriers of additive manufacturing (AM) technology may lead to supply chain (SC) vulnerabilities, which in turn would deteriorate supply chain resilience (SCR).

Design/methodology/approach

A case study of a leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that uses AM technology to directly produce end-use metal parts for different industries was performed. Primary data were collected using the in-depth interview method, which was complemented by secondary data from internal and publicly available sources. The findings were compared with the existing literature to triangulate the results.

Findings

The findings indicate that certain AM adoption barriers make the SC vulnerable to reliance on specialty sources, supplier capacity, production capacity, utilization of restricted materials, importance of product purity, raw material availability, unpredictability in customer demand, reliability of equipment, unforeseen technology failures, reliance on information flow, industrial espionage, and utilities availability.

Research limitations/implications

The SCR outcomes of the identified SC vulnerabilities and their interrelated AM adoption barriers are proposed in this study.

Practical implications

Drawing on the case study findings and the existing literature, several practices are put forward in a framework that supply chain management (SCM) may use to mitigate the identified SC vulnerabilities caused by the AM adoption barriers.

Originality/value

This is the first study to empirically examine and identify the SC vulnerabilities that are caused by the adoption barriers of AM technology.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 33 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

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Article
Publication date: 7 April 2021

Elisabete Correia, Susana Garrido and Helena Carvalho

The study aims to improve the understanding of the online sustainability disclosure phenomena considering the quantity and nature of the content of the information related to…

649

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to improve the understanding of the online sustainability disclosure phenomena considering the quantity and nature of the content of the information related to sustainability disclosed in the corporate website of companies, providing evidence about the website sustainability disclosure of different size companies and characterizing the website sustainability disclosure of the Portuguese mold companies.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis methodology was used to the corporate websites of 83 companies in the sample. A direct approach was followed where the researcher is asked to read and classify the text in a previously defined category, but where the possibility of identifying new categories from the collected data is not excluded.

Findings

The information on sustainability disclosed by the mold companies is limited, whether in quantity or concerning the type of information. The information disclosed about environmental and social aspects is scarcer, being the focus more on aspects related to the economic dimension of sustainability, particularly in the areas related to products and services and customers.

Research limitations/implications

The research design can be broadened to include other sustainability dissemination tools and other research methodologies, such as case studies, to provide a deeper understanding of the concerns and initiatives/practices of sustainability of mold companies.

Practical implications

This study contributes to the knowledge of sustainability dissemination practices in SMEs, an area of research that needs to be more explored and, in an industrial sector (molds) that have not received much attention in this area.

Originality/value

Based on the premise of the importance of corporate sustainability communication, the study focuses on the Internet as an information dissemination tool. It provides indications on the theme and information type that can be used to report the company's sustainability.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 6 April 2023

Elisabete Correia, Susana Garrido and Helena Carvalho

This paper proposes a framework for the implementation of sustainability practices by individual companies and corresponding supply chains (SCs), considering the various SC tiers…

452

Abstract

Purpose

This paper proposes a framework for the implementation of sustainability practices by individual companies and corresponding supply chains (SCs), considering the various SC tiers, the three dimensions of sustainability and the following critical areas: Governance, Product and Process, Customers and Suppliers Management, and Stakeholder focus.

Design/methodology/approach

Using several case studies of small- and medium-size companies, a qualitative methodology is used to develop the proposed framework.

Findings

The analysis of these case studies makes it possible to identify the sustainability practices that are the most important for practitioners, thereby reducing the number of sustainability practices specified in the literature and giving some insights regarding which should be used in addressing critical areas. A set of guidelines and actions is also suggested for managers to continue the path of sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

Further studies in other cultural and national realities and industrial contexts are desirable to assess the proposed framework's suitability and the results obtained.

Practical implications

The results of this study show that the practices implemented are highly dependent on the resources that the company can mobilize and, on the choices, and commitment to sustainability on the part of top management.

Originality/value

The authors propose a framework to help individual companies and corresponding SCs to implement sustainability practices considering the various dimensions of sustainability, critical areas and SC's various partners.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 35 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

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Article
Publication date: 17 March 2022

Rui Vinhas da Silva, Alexandra Ferreira-Lopes, Helena Carvalho and José Duarte

The net outward investment position (NOIP) indicator is insufficient for the purposes of understanding firms’ internationalization decision-making behaviour. The indicator does…

223

Abstract

Purpose

The net outward investment position (NOIP) indicator is insufficient for the purposes of understanding firms’ internationalization decision-making behaviour. The indicator does not allow for the withdrawal of insights into the structure of an economy and is a weak predictor of the degree of foreign direct investment. The purpose of this paper is to argue that a typology of firms aggregated according to intrinsic characteristics of those firms is a better predictor of the degree of internationalization of an economy than the NOIP.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a database of 2,133 firms located in Portugal with international operations, made available by AICEP, a government agency. This paper uses multiple correspondence and cluster analyses to build a typology of firms and obtains evidence of common characteristics of the constituent groups.

Findings

This paper identifies a typology of firms characterized by five types differentiated by firm age, length of internationalization process, sector of economic activity, legal status and psychological/cultural proximity. These variables suggest an evolutionary, iterative, self-learning approach to internationalization, which can be better explained by the combined use of the investment development path (IDP) framework, the Uppsala Evolutionary School and Vernon’s product life cycle theory. Additionally, this paper finds that the most striking differences between developed and developing host countries are in terms of the economic sector, legal status of the firm and belonging (or not) to an economic group.

Originality/value

This paper establishes a link between the IDP framework, the Uppsala Evolutionary School and Vernon’s product life cycle theory, using a categorization of firms made according to selected characteristics to understand the internationalization of firms.

Details

Review of International Business and Strategy, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-6014

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 September 2022

Aristides I. Ferreira, Timo Braun, Helena Carvalho, António C.M. Abrantes and Jörg Sydow

Many start-ups do not survive the first few years of business. Previous studies suggest that networks play a role in start-ups' success, but this positive effect has limits. The…

1975

Abstract

Purpose

Many start-ups do not survive the first few years of business. Previous studies suggest that networks play a role in start-ups' success, but this positive effect has limits. The purpose of this paper is to answer the call for a better understanding of the dark side of networks and the variables that condition variables' effect on the likelihood of start-ups' survival.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal research design includes 139 start-ups (102 from Germany and 37 from Portugal) and a total of 252 participants. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM)was applied to estimate all the coefficients, to test the mediation (H1), the moderation (H2) and the moderated mediation (H3) while considering the economic situation of the start-up (sales growth), start-ups' networking behavior, creativity orientation and ultimately the likelihood of survival.

Findings

Based on an empirical study from two different countries, the results show that effective networking is contingent on the start-up's economic situation and creative potential. Specifically, the results point to situations in which early sales growth may lead to external networking, which, in contexts of low creativity-oriented start-ups, can compromise the start-ups' success.

Originality/value

Based on the findings, the authors compare scenarios in which networking increases the chances for start-up survival with situations where networking can have adverse effects. This study highlights the importance of considering specific start-up parameters, such as start-ups' economic situation and level of creativity orientation, in the business venturing literature.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 28 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 December 2022

Inês A. Ferreira, J.P. Oliveira, Joachim Antonissen and Helena Carvalho

This paper aims to identify the impacts of wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology on the green supply chain management (GSCM) performance. Also, it intends to…

4100

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the impacts of wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology on the green supply chain management (GSCM) performance. Also, it intends to identify the most essential WAAM capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study related to a metallurgical company using WAAM technology to repair metallic components was developed. A research framework to identify WAAM production capabilities and the different GSCM performance criteria was proposed based on the current state of the art. Primary qualitative data provided evidence for developing seven propositions relating WAAM capabilities to GSCM performance.

Findings

The paper provides empirical evidence relating to how WAAM production capabilities impact the different performance criteria of the GSCM performance. The results show that “relative advantage” and “supply-side benefits” are critical capabilities developed through WAAM. Furthermore, most of the capabilities regarding “relative advantage” and “supply-side benefits” promote a higher GSCM performance.

Research limitations/implications

This research was carried out using a single case study research design and using qualitative data. Thus, future works are encouraged to test the propositions empirically using quantitative methodologies.

Practical implications

The case study findings support that most WAAM production capabilities promote a higher GSCM performance. Managers could use this research to understand the capabilities developed by this fusion-based additive manufacturing (AM), become aware of the implications of new technology adoption on the supply chain environmental externalities, and develop new business models based on the WAAM capabilities.

Originality/value

This research contributes to expanding the state-of-the art related to WAAM technology by evidencing the relationship between adopting this fusion-based AM technology and green supply chain practices. Also, it provides a set of seven propositions that could be used to theorise the impacts of WAAM adoption on the GSCM performance.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 21 October 2020

Elisabete Correia, Susana Garrido Azevedo and Helena Carvalho

In recent years, there has been a growing importance of sustainability communication and the role of the Internet in contemporary corporate communication that has allowed the…

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing importance of sustainability communication and the role of the Internet in contemporary corporate communication that has allowed the diversification of information dissemination tools. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the quantity and nature of the content of the information related to sustainability disclosed through the corporate website of Portuguese metal mould companies. The results obtained based on the content analysis seem to indicate that the number of metal mould companies that discloses sustainability information is quite low. Those who disclose information are in a very limited way whether in quantity or in relation to the type of information disclosed. Considering the various dimensions of sustainability, the information disclosed about environmental and social aspects is scarce. The focus is on aspects related to the economic dimension, particularly in the areas related to products and services and customers.

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Book part
Publication date: 23 March 2017

Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti

We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…

Abstract

We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.

Details

Advances in Environmental Accounting & Management: Social and Environmental Accounting in Brazil
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-376-4

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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Susana Garrido Azevedo, Helena Carvalho and V. Cruz-Machado

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a lean, agile, resilient, and green (LARG) index as a benchmarking tool to assess the leanness, agility, resilience and the greenness of…

2735

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a lean, agile, resilient, and green (LARG) index as a benchmarking tool to assess the leanness, agility, resilience and the greenness of the automotive companies and corresponding supply chain (SC).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed index incorporates LARG supply chain management paradigms and corresponding practices being both weighted according to their importance for the automotive SC sustainability. The Delphi technique is used to obtain the weights for each SC paradigm and a linear aggregated method is proposed. A case study approach related to the automotive SC is chosen to illustrate the LARG index application.

Findings

The case study results confirmed the usefulness and ease of application of LARG index in a real world SC. The application of the suggested index to a set of companies, and consequently to their SC, makes possible to identify: the better and worst performer company in each paradigm, the LARG practices with higher levels of application among the companies, the LARG index for each company and also for the corresponding SC. This becomes an important benchmarking tool since comparative analysis regarding the LARG behaviours are possible to perform with the suggested index.

Research limitations/implications

More LARG practices could be considered to improve the robustness of the index. Future studies should be conducted across more companies for improving the effectiveness of the approach, and more members should be included in the panel of Delphi technique for enhancing the validity of the suggested approach.

Practical implications

SC companies will be able to assess their performance in terms of leanness, agility, resilience and greenness. A study like this could encourage all automotive companies to benchmark their organizations as regards their competitors, the best in class, and also the industry average.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by introducing a new index for measuring the leanness, agility, resilience and greenness of companies and SCs. This index can be used by managers as a benchmarking tool to identify their LARG behaviour and compare it with their SC partners and seek for improvement.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 23 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

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Article
Publication date: 12 April 2013

Susana Azevedo, Helena Carvalho and V. Cruz‐Machado

The main purpose of this paper is to identify and rank a set of performance measures using the approach of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to support the evaluation of…

1979

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to identify and rank a set of performance measures using the approach of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to support the evaluation of automotive supply chain performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper develops a framework to analyze the interactions among a suggested set of performance measures using the ISM approach. To identify the contextual relationships among the suggested measures, five experts from the automotive industry were consulted.

Findings

Using the ISM approach the performance measures were clustered according to their driving power and dependence power. Inventory level and lead time are the two performance measures at the bottom level of the hierarchy, implying higher driving power. Operational costs, business wastage, environmental costs, delivery time and customer satisfaction are identified as autonomous measures. This means that they are relatively disconnected from the other suggested performance measures. It is also observed that the cash‐to‐cash cycle is a weak driver but strongly dependent on the other performance measures.

Practical implications

The proposed approach gives managers a better understanding of the performance measures that have most influence on others (driving performance measures) and those measures which are most influenced by others (dependent performance measures). This kind of information is strategic for managers who can use it to identify which performance measures they should concentrate on, and how they can manage the trade‐offs between measures.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the deployment of ISM as a management decision support tool in the identification and ranking of a set of performance measures to make part of a system for the measurement of supply chain performance.

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