Greening the supply chain is increasingly a concern for many business enterprises and a challenge for logistics management in the 21st century. Of particular concern is how to arouse organizational environmental awareness and put environmental activities into practice in the logistics activities of their supply chains. This paper investigates the correlation of two major factors, organizational learning and management support, with the extent of adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices in Chinese manufacturing firms, where their inbound and outbound logistics activities are potential polluters to the environment. Organizational and operational learning was derived from the firm's experience with programs such as total quality management and environmental management systems. Management support included support for GSCM ideas and practices from top and middle-level management and cooperation across organizational functions. We find significant positive relationships between organizational learning mechanisms, organizational support and the adoption of GSCM practices, after controlling for a number of other influences including regulations, marketing, supplier, cost pressures, industry levels of the relevant practice and organizational size. Implications of our findings on logistics management are discussed.

Firm-level correlates of emergent green supply chain management practices in the Chinese context

This paper examines supply chain design strategies for a specific type of perishable product—fresh produce—using melons and sweet corn as examples. Melons and other types of produce reach their peak value at the time of harvest; product value deteriorates exponentially post-harvest until the product is cooled to dampen the deterioration. Using the product's marginal value of time (MVT), the rate at which the product loses value over time in the supply chain, we show that the appropriate model to minimize lost value in the supply chain is a hybrid of a responsive model from post-harvest to cooling, followed by an efficient model in the remainder of the chain. We also show that these two segments of the supply chain are only loosely linked, implying that little coordination is required across the chain to achieve value maximization. The models we develop also provide insights into the use of a product's MVT to develop supply chain strategies for other perishable products.

Supply Chain Strategies for Perishable Products: The Case of Fresh Produce

Purpose – Sustainability and environmental issues are among the most pressing concerns for modern humanity, governments and environmentally conscious business organizations. Green supply chain management has been acknowledged as a key factor to promote organizational sustainability. Green supply chain management is evolving into an important approach for organizations in emerging economies to manage their environmental responsibility. Yet, despite their importance for easing environmental degradation and providing economic benefits, study of the drivers that influence green supply chain initiatives in an emerging economy is still an under‐researched area. Using survey data collected from ISO 14001 certified organizations from Malaysia, the purpose of this paper is to propose that the drivers that motivate firms to adopt green supply chain management can be measured by a second‐order construct related to the implementation of the firm's green supply chain initiatives.Design/methodology/approach – Structura...

Supply chain drivers that foster the development of green initiatives in an emerging economy

The effects of trust and coercive power on supplier integration

Current construction engineering management suffers numerous challenges in terms of the trust, information sharing, and process automation. Blockchain which is a decentralised transaction and data management technology, has attracted increasing interests from both academic and industrial aspects since 2008. However, most of the existing research and practices are focused on the blockchain itself (i.e. technical challenges and limitations) or its applications in the finance service sector (i.e. Bitcoin). This paper aims to investigate the potential of applying blockchain technology in the construction sector. Three types of blockchain-enabled applications are proposed to improve the current processes of contract management, supply chain management, and equipment leasing, respectively. Challenges of blockchain implementation are also discussed in this paper.

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The outlook of blockchain technology for construction engineering management

Over the last decade, supply-chain-management concepts have sparked a boom in internal cross-business coordination. But although definitions have broadened and shifted, many executives believe that the field is mainly about installing IT systems for streamlined processes. Wrong, say two researchers from Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. Their data on companies that lead in supply-chain management illuminate six ways it spurs more-creative thinking on growing a business. 

The researchers predict that current trends toward restructured supply networks and improved coordination will continue, with more supplier integration and a proliferation of product customization, business complexity and uniquely defined customer relationships. But supply-chain management also will affect industry structure in new ways. 

Companies in the middle of the supply chain ? contract manufacturers, logistics-service providers and distributors ? will redefine themselves. Also, rebranding and repositioning will occur. Companies across the chain will vie for control of the customer relationship and will find that when value propositions derive from supply-chain capabilities, new cobranding and copositioning strategies are critical. When executives look back after another decade, they'll understand that supply-chain management, having shifted business focus in its first 10 years, created an opportunity for the second 10 years to redefine the competitive landscape.

The Supply-Chain Management Effect

Donors have expressed disappointment in the performance of humanitarian organizations in responding to recent unprecedented disasters. Efforts to restore confidence have focused in part on improving transparency, accountability and capability through implementation of supply chain management information systems. This paper explores issues of trust, control and confidence in partner cooperation within the context of humanitarian supply chains. We focus on trust-building and control mechanisms linked to information technology in three areas: item specification and sourcing, material flow management and distribution to beneficiaries. Using a case study methodology, we examine existing theory and suggest extensions to accommodate the humanitarian sector.

Laura Rock Kopczak

Papers

The Supply-Chain Management Effect

Rebuilding confidence: trust, control and information technology in humanitarian supply chains