There is a growing body of research on the theory and practice of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). However, relatively little research has been conducted on the extent to which corporations have integrated sustainability principles into the management of their supply chain and the evaluation of supplier performance. The purpose of this article is to explore the extent to which corporate sustainability principles are integrated into supply chain management (SCM) in corporations. Canada is used as a case study in this article. The study included a content analysis of one hundred Canadian corporate sustainable development reports and in-depth interviews with 18 Canadian experts on SSCM. The article highlights the wide array of ways in which Canadian corporations address SSCM issues. Amongst other topics, issues associated with supply chain governance, standards for SSCM, collaboration with suppliers, performance measurement, and accountability within the supply chain are explored. The findings reveal that there are many challenges in integrating sustainability into SCM. These challenges shed light on possible future directions for research in SSCM. This article underlines the need for research that reflects the interconnected nature of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability, particularly as it relates to measuring supplier performance on sustainability initiatives.

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A Review of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices in Canada

Do supply chain IT alignment and supply chain interfirm system integration impact upon brand equity and firm performance

Developing e-commerce marketing capabilities and efficiencies for enhanced performance in business-to-business export ventures

Critical, evidence-based evaluation of the effectiveness of information and communication technology should be one important component of eHealth [1]. In clinical medicine, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the \"gold-standard\" to assess the effectiveness of a treatment: next to systematic reviews, a well-conducted randomized trial can provide the strongest evidence for (or against) the effectiveness of an intervention. In a RCT, eligible patients are typically randomly assigned to receive either the new intervention or a control, for example, standard care or a placebo. Patients are then followed over a period of time and outcomes in both arms are measured and compared. Can we evaluate the effectiveness of a single health website in a similar way?

Issues in evaluating health websites in an Internet-based randomized controlled trial.

Consumer acceptance of the internet as a channel of distribution in Taiwan—a channel function perspective

This paper investigates boundary decisions that determine governance structures, particularly intermediaries and external contractors, for executing the primary functions of procurement, sales, and information technology support functions in the value chain model. Utilizing data from 113 firms doing business on the Internet, the findings indicate that firm resources have a significant impact on decisions to outsource or internalize electronic value chain functions. Specifically, firms with a greater reliance on sales intermediaries were found to deploy fewer technical e-commerce resources than firms less dependent on sales intermediaries. Moreover, the number of intermediary procurement functions was positively related to investment in web-based human resources. The results also suggest that firms experiencing lower levels of transaction frequency utilize more types of Internet sales methods. ********** With the advent of Internet-based electronic commerce, firms are searching for new business models to achieve organizational effectiveness. New technologies often do not lead to improved performance because managers lack a framework for deciding the optimal business model given their particular internal and external circumstances (Fisher, 1997; Janssen & Sol, 2000). Thus, research is needed that focuses on resources and capabilities and their impact on governance decisions for firms pursuing Internet-based commerce (Williamson, 1999; Barney, 1999). This study applies well-established paradigms from strategic management, marketing, and organizational economic literature to examine strategic and structural issues related to electronic commerce. Critical to the strategic objective of maximizing firm performance is the appropriate choice of corporate governance mechanisms for interorganizational relationships within the value chain. In light of new information technology, firms need to reassess boundary decisions that determine governance structures. In particular, a focus is needed on the primary functions of procurement, sales, and information technology support functions in the value chain. Although research suggests that the divergent resource requirements of this newly evolved information systems technology necessitate different governance structures, optimal boundary choices have not been empirically investigated (McWilliam & Gray, 1995; Tsang, 2000). In response to this void, this study examines how firm resources and exchange attributes impact interorganizational governance structures for specific value chain functions. First a discussion of the literature related to channel functions and governance structures is provided, followed by hypotheses regarding the effects of various exchange attributes on governance structures. Next, the methods used to test the hypotheses are presented and the results are provided. Lastly, a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications is offered. Literature Review Channel Functions There are four basic types of companies that use the Internet in the core of their business: (1) e-commerce companies that sell goods over the Internet; (2) content aggregators who gather and display content from multiple sources; (3) market makers that act as intermediaries or conduct electronic markets; and (4) service providers who furnish Internet based services (Afuah & Tucci, 2000). This study focuses on market makers that act as intermediaries within the primary activities of procurement (supply) and sales (demand). Channel functions related to procurement include purchasing through multi-party, interactive, or dynamic pricing online markets. Selling channel services by intermediaries include selling through hubs, online auctions, use of competitive bidding, or the management of dynamic pricing systems. We also investigate information technology support services for website design and commerce support. …

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Determinants of governance structure for the electronic value chain: Resource dependency and transaction costs perspectives.

Very little is known about the influences of corporate strategy and regulation on the risk of regulated firms. The current study addresses this gap by examining the relationship among the level of diversification, the regulatory environment, and risk levels of regulated electric utility companies. Results suggest that both the regulatory environment and level of diversification impact firm risk. Specifically, the regulatory environment in which a firm operates moderates the relationship between diversification and risk. Electric utilities operating in the least favorable regulatory environments benefited the most from diversification in terms of risk reduction, while electric utilities in the most favorable regulatory environments experienced increases in risk from diversification. These findings extend previous studies by showing how both the regulatory environment and corporate strategy impact the risk of regulated utilities.

Howard S. Rasheed

Papers

Determinants of governance structure for the electronic value chain: Resource dependency and transaction costs perspectives.

The effect of corporate strategy and regulation on the risk of electric utilities