Aymen Sajjad

Bio: Aymen Sajjad is an academic researcher from Massey University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Sustainability & Supply chain. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 22 publications receiving 292 citations.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Motivators and Barriers

Abstract: Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is increasingly becoming a topical issue for business research and practice. However, there is a dearth internationally of empirical research that has investigated the factors propelling companies to integrate or inhibiting them from integrating sustainability principles in their supply chain management (SCM). Therefore, this study examines the motivators for and barriers to SSCM adoption in the New Zealand business context and aims to contribute to an improved understanding of the motivators of and barriers to SSCM implementation. To this end, an exploratory case study was conducted and senior managers of four large New Zealand based companies were interviewed. The results reveal that sustainability values of top management, a desire to reduce risk and stakeholder management are salient motivators for SSCM adoption. Conversely, a lack of supplier awareness, negative perceptions and inadequate government support are identified as barriers to SSCM implementation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Managerial perspectives on drivers for and barriers to sustainable supply chain management implementation: Evidence from New Zealand

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that drive or prevent companies' implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices. To this end, we interviewed 29 senior managers from 23 New Zealand‐based companies. The key reported drivers were customer expectation, top management commitment, moral and ethical values of managers, reputation management, and economic and operational benefits. Conversely, cost concerns, strategic and structural restraints, supplier and customer issues, and a lack of effective regulations were cited as critical obstacles to SSCM implementation. Thus, the evidence from our findings provides support for both instrumental and normative logics for SSCM implementation. The findings further indicate that, in general, instrumental and normative logics are congruent; however, varied tensions arise when managers seek to simultaneously address competing yet desirable SSCM aspects. Accordingly, we argue that it is imperative to understand, work through, and manage such tensions as balancing divergent sustainability aspects holds considerable potential for successful SSCM implementation.

Measuring corporate social responsibility: A critical review of survey instruments

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to identify and review survey instruments used to evaluate stakeholders' perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this article, the Thomson Reuters Web of Science database was used to search for relevant articles. A systematic review of published studies from 1990 to 2017 identified apposite survey instruments employed to measure the stakeholders' perceptions of CSR. Articles were analyzed for descriptive information and psychometric validity. A total of 43 survey instruments were found that measured stakeholders' CSR perception. Of those, 20 articles included all psychometric properties. In addition, the analysis suggested economic, legal, ethical, discretionary/philanthropic, social, and environmental responsibilities as common dimensions. This study contributes to CSR literature by providing several suggestions regarding the development of survey instruments to measure the stakeholders' perceptions of CSR.

Revisiting the relationship between corporate social responsibility and organizational performance: The mediating role of team outcomes

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of team outcomes on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and organizational performance. The study utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the direct and mediation effect based on 225 employees from the cement sector. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to identify the causal recipes leading to higher organizational performance. The results revealed a significant direct effect of CSR on performance, whereas team performance mediated the relationship; the mediating role of team identity and team efficacy was partially significant. fsQCA showed that a varied combination of CSR and team outcomes can lead to improved organizational performance. Our results contribute to the earlier studies that have predominantly examined the direct relationship between CSR and organizational performance by demonstrating that team outcomes mediate the relationship between CSR and organizational performance.

Mindfulness and Social Sustainability: An Integrative Review

Abstract: The purpose of this review paper is to present a holistic conceptualization by synthesizing mindfulness and social sustainability literature and introducing an integrative mindfulness-social sustainability framework. To this end, we conducted an extensive review of the mindfulness and social sustainability literature. The findings revealed that there is a paucity of research that has examined the relationship between mindfulness and social sustainability. While some recent studies have begun to explore the role of mindfulness in ecological sustainability, the link between mindfulness and social sustainability has remained under-researched. This paper introduces an integrative mindfulness-social sustainability framework that explicates how mindfulness practice can be employed in the workplace context to achieve social sustainability outcomes. In this regard, we first discuss how mindfulness is related to social sustainability at the individual (e.g., employee health and well-being) and organizational (e.g., ethical behavior, employee performance, workplace spirituality) levels. Next, we examine how individual and organizational social sustainability might relate to some wider societal sustainability outcomes (e.g., social justice, collective social capital). We argue that this is one of the few early theoretical papers that has investigated the potential connections between two important, albeit fragmented disciplines—mindfulness and social sustainability. This paper suggests potential courses of action to address social sustainability challenges by integrating mindfulness and social sustainability.

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

Abstract: What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management

Abstract: Globalisation of supply chains makes their management and control more difficult. Blockchain technology, as a distributed digital ledger technology which ensures transparency, traceability, and sec...

A natural resource-based view of the firm

Abstract: Historically, management theory has ignored the constraints imposed by the biophysical (natural) environment. Building upon resource-based theory, this article attempts to fill this void by proposing a natural-resource-based view of the firm—a theory of competitive advantage based upon the firm's relationship to the natural environment. It is composed of three interconnected strategies: pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development. Propositions are advanced for each of these strategies regarding key resource requirements and their contributions to sustained competitive advantage.