The determinants of hotels' marketing managers' green marketing behaviour

Little is known about the factors underlying the pro-environmental behaviour of marketing managers. This paper explores the determinants of green marketing practices in the Red Sea hotel sector in Egypt. The research model assesses green marketing practices against the personal and organisational values of the marketing managers, together with a range of organisational and demographic variables expected to influence hotels' environmental behaviour. From a valid sample of 89 marketing managers responsible for 194 hotels, it was found that organisational contextual variables, and in particular targeting Western tourists, being affiliated to an international hotel chain and the marketers' own demographics, including age, academic subject studied and gender, were the best predictors of more proactive green marketing. Personal environmental values did not explain the pro-environmental behaviour of marketers, and the organisational environmental values that had explained part of their ethical behaviour had resulted from voluntarism rather than utilitarian or conformance-based values. Government policies also appeared to be ineffective determinants. The implications for green marketing practices are also discussed. © 2010 Taylor & Francis

Pomiar wydajności zarządzania zielonymi łańcuchami dostaw

Only what is measured can be managed properly. And the measurement process should serve a continuous improvement of companies and whole supply chains. Data from the performance measurement system should cause an increase of cooperation and help in taking right decisions about changes at the operational level, and on the other hand, are an important information when redefining strategies. This will allow for the development of the supply chain based on knowledge, in which the scope of cooperation is literally unlimited (including green aspects). There are two basic approaches to measuring the performance of supply chains: a comprehensive measurement that measures the results of the entire chain (which can be divided into individual tiers and levels) and partial measurement when we measure only certain aspects. Often, in practice, only measurement of separately operating companies is practiced by companies, not throughout chains. And the problem is even more evident when it comes to measuring performance of green activities in integrated supply chains. The paper presents the possibilities of evaluation of GSCM performance. The major challenges and obstacles are presented and assessed.Tylko to, co jest mierzone, może być właściwie zarządzane. Proces pomiaru powinien służyć ciągłemu doskonaleniu przedsiębiorstw i całych łańcuchów dostaw. Dane z systemu pomiaru powinny powodować wzrost współpracy i pomagać w podejmowaniu decyzji o zmianach na poziomie operacyjnym, a z drugiej strony może to być ważna informacja przy przedefiniowaniu strategii. Pozwala to na rozwój łańcuchów dostaw opartych na wiedzy, gdzie zakres współpracy jest dosłownie nieograniczony (dotyczy to również aspektów ekologicznych). Istnieją dwa podstawowe podejścia do pomiaru wydajności łańcucha dostaw: kompleksowy pomiar, który patrzy na wyniki całego łańcucha (który można rozdzielić na poszczególne szczeble i poziomy), oraz pomiar częściowy, gdy mierzymy tylko niektóre aspekty. Często praktykowany jest tylko pomiar oddzielnie działających firm, a nie całego łańcucha. Problem jest jeszcze bardziej widoczny, jeśli chodzi o pomiar wydajności działań ekologicznych w zintegrowanych łańcuchach dostaw. W artykule opisano możliwości oceny wyników GSCM. Przedstawiono i oceniono główne wyzwania i przeszkody stojące przed pomiarem wyników zielonych łańcuchów dostaw

The intellectual capital - environmental practices, performance and their relationships in the Romanian banking sector

Purpose – This paper reviews the knowledge assets that can be capitalized for successful Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) implementation in the Romanian banking industry. GSCM is defined as the company’s ability to understand and manage the environmental risks along the Supply Chain (SC) (Carter and Rogers,2008). Banks are very much members of the SCs (McKenzie and Wolfe, 2004), called to integrate the environmental management into both operational and core commercial activities and to manage the environmental risk in their supply chain (FORGE Group,2000; International Finance Corporation, 2006; UNEP Finance Initiative, 2009a). Intellectual capital, or the ‘stock’ of knowledge-based equity firms hold, is recognized as a key contributor to their competitiveness (Bontis et al., 1999), which may act as a driver of environmental pro-activeness (Bernauer et al., 2006; Wu et al., 2007), as well as an obstacle in the process to design and implement GSCM (Post and Altman, 1994; Baresel-Bofinger et al., 2007), while organizational learning is seen as the key component in overcoming the organizational obstacles to environmental changes (Post and Altman, 1992; Post and Altman, 1994; Anderson and Wolff, 1996). Design/methodology/approach – This research paper describes the empirical results of a cross-sectional design employed in a sample of 41 banks operating in Romania with the purpose a. to explore the stage of designing and implementing GSCM practices in the Romanian banking sector; b. to determine which GSCM practices tend to be followed the most, c. which are the bank managers’ perceived benefits from implementing GSCM practices, as well as perceived obstacles in GSCM implementation in the banking sector; and d. what is the relationship between the aforementioned variables. For these purposes several statistical analyses were used, including both descriptive and inferential statistics. Originality/value – This is the first study looking for GSCM issues in the Romanian banking industry. The results of this research provide insights into what extent knowledge assets could be capitalized for successful Green Supply Chain Management implementation in the Romanian banking industry. Furthermore, it is increasing the ecological awareness, the theoretical and managerial insights for an effective implementation of GSCM practices in the banking sector. The analysis reveals that GSCM practices (especially practices in the immaterial flow) are strongly and significantly correlated with perceived benefits and pressures. However,this should be addressed in future research because the present study offers only correlational data and cannot establish causation. The study also concludes that bank’s size and foreign/Romanian ownership do not influence at all the level of GSCM practices implementation and related perceptions (pressures, obstacles,benefits) in the Romanian banking sector. Practical implications – The findings of this paper point to the conclusion that the banking sector in Romania is at a somehow advanced stage of ecological adaptation in the physical flow and at an early stage in the immaterial and commercial flows. Based on the literature and study’s findings, regarding the role that the management of intellectual capital and knowledge flow plays, several recommendations are proposed for enhancing the implementation process of GSCM practices in the banking industry in Romania

To Greener Pastures: An Action Research Study on the Environmental Sustainability of Humanitarian Supply Chains

Purpose: While humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) inherently contribute to social sustainability by alleviating the suffering of afflicted communities, their unintended adverse environmental impact has been overlooked hitherto. This paper draws upon contingency theory to synthesize green practices for HSCs, identify the contingency factors that impact on greening HSCs and explore how focal humanitarian organizations (HOs) can cope with such contingency factors. Design/methodology/approach: Deploying an action research methodology, two-and-a-half cycles of collaboration between researchers and a United Nations agency were completed. The first half-cycle developed a deductive greening framework, synthesizing extant green practices from the literature. In the second and third cycles, green practices were adopted/customized/developed reflecting organizational and contextual contingency factors. Action steps were implemented in the HSC for prophylactics, involving an operational mix of disaster relief and development programs. Findings: First, the study presents a greening framework that synthesizes extant green practices in a suitable form for HOs. Second, it identifies the contingency factors associated with greening HSCs regarding funding environment, stakeholders, field of activity and organizational management. Third, it outlines the mechanisms for coping with the contingency factors identified, inter alia, improving the visibility of headquarters over field operations, promoting collaboration and resource sharing with other HOs as well as among different implementing partners in each country, and working with suppliers for greener packaging. The study advances a set of actionable propositions for greening HSCs. Practical implications: Using an action research methodology, the study makes strong practical contributions. Humanitarian practitioners can adopt the greening framework and the lessons learnt from the implementation cycles presented in this study. Originality/value: This is one of the first empirical studies to integrate environmental sustainability and HSCs using an action research methodology

Pro-environmental enterprise support: Developing a framework to unlock the potential of SMEs in sustainability transitions.

Although entrepreneurship is well recognised as a crucial element in fostering economic development and growth, it is yet to be viewed as a significant force in sustainability transitions. Public policy related to the performance and growth of small businesses has, to date, paid little attention to the support mechanisms that help SMEs build capacity towards sustainable development. This paper offers a framework of pro-environmental enterprise support developed through a two-round e-Delphi study, followed by a 2.5-hour virtual focus group involving 21 experts across the spectrum of business support agencies, local authorities, and EU-funded projects delivering pro-environmental enterprise support in England. The findings indicate that support for pro-environmental SME capacity building includes attention to; eco-innovation, environmental strategy, environmental capability development, responsible leadership, sustainable value proposition, greening of supply chains, and clean growth skills. The study also concludes that support programmes and interventions need to be more attuned to the specifics of entrepreneurial learning; the challenges small business face in accessing, capturing, and utilising resources; and that broadening the scope and reach of pro-environmental support programmes needs to be matched by the competences of business support professionals

Implementation of sustainability in global industrial supply chain networks:a system innovation perspective

This paper presents an overview of the recent literature about the implementation of sustainability in global product (supply) chains and industrial networks and addresses a possible research agenda. The notion that improvement of the sustainability aspects related to production and consumption of products (and services) can only be achieved by integrating these aspects in the different phases of the life cycle has widely been recognized. Many different stakeholders stimulate companies more and more to manage sustainability throughout the whole supply chain of their products. This practice is in literature found as the “greening” of supply chain management (GSCM). A lot of research has been published on the question why “greening” takes place and which practices are found. How the process of “greening” takes place related to the different aspects and characteristics off the specific chains is less documented. Literature was found mainly from environmental perspective but in recent years more publications are found from a more social (corporate social responsibility) and business (logistics, operation management) perspective. As the economy develops from an international economy towards a global economy the question rises how this influences the implementation of sustainability in these global supply chains. The World Bank concluded that “the “existing” system of implementation of CSR in global supply chains may be reaching its limits and a new approach is needed. The current practices are based on a series of ad hoc and isolated decisions and therefore collaboration and a systematic approach are lacking. Implementation of sustainability needs understanding the systems used for managing supply chains and networks. Systems developed to deliver products in time, of the right quality and at the lowest price. Different supply chain management theories, methods and concepts are found in literature in relation to sustainability. The awareness that supply chains are in reality not chains but complex networks is increasing and therefore chains and networks theories are combined in so-called netchain theories. The implementation process can be seen as a process of system-innovation and research based on innovation theories might be very useful to make us better understand the complex processes related with the implementation of sustainability in supply chain networks. These developments were the reason to start a PhD research that will describe and analyze the process of implementation of sustainability in global industrial supply chain networks from an innovation perspective. Besides a literature review the research will contain an empirical case study that is focusing on the textile sector. This sector is selected because it is a very good example of a global industrial supply chain network, many sustainability aspects are relevant and a lot of implementation activities related to sustainability are put into action in this sector. A conceptual framework for the research of innovation in chains and networks will be used to analyze the processes from a system innovation perspective. The empirical research will analyze the processes in the textile chain and network from both the Asian and the European side including the interaction between them

The Integrated Product Policy and the Innovation Process: An Overview

The first part of this report presents the main debates concerning a proposal for establishing an Integrated Product Policy (IPP) in Europe. It shows the importance of applying a systemic approach in order to minimize the negative environmental impacts of products throughout their life cycle and how this policy differs from the traditional ways of dealing with this question. It presents a framework in which governments, local authorities, businesses and non-governmental organisations interact to adopt green product policies and to promote a greener demand. The main instruments necessary to put forward such a strategy are introduced and discussed. The second part of the report concentrates on a central issue of the IPP, namely the process of innovation as a key determinant in the greening of markets. This second section intends to (1) identify the specificities of innovation in an environmental context in order to acknowledge the need for a holistic and coordinated policy and (2) to present some limits of the IPP in its conceptual approach. Dans un premier temps, cette étude présente les grandes discussions entourant la mise en place d'une Politique Intégrée de Produits (PIP) en Europe. Elle insiste sur l'importance d'adopter une approche systémique afin de minimiser les impacts environnementaux dommageables des produits, et ce tout au long de leur cycle de vie. L'étude précise par ailleurs le caractère singulier de la PIP dans le traitement qu'elle apporte à la réduction des préjudices environnementaux. Le cadre dans lequel les gouvernements, les autorités locales et les organisations interagissent, afin de mettre en place cette politique encourageant une offre et une demande plus 'vertes', sera alors présenté. La dernière partie de la section s'attache enfin à introduire et à discuter les instruments nécessaires à la construction et à l'implantation de cette stratégie Dans un second temps, cette étude s'intéresse à l'examen d'un aspect fondamental de la PIP, à savoir le processus d'innovation en tant que déterminant majeur dans la transformation des marchés. Il s'agira alors d'identifier les spécificités de l'innovation environnementale afin de révéler l'utilité d'une approche systématique et coordonnée. Enfin, les limites relatives à l'approche conceptuelle de l'innovation dans la PIP sont évoquées et discutées.Integrated Product Policy (IPP), life cycle analysis (LCA), innovation, sustainability, environmental management., Politique Intégrée des Produits (PIP), analyse de cycle de vie (ACV), pérennité, développement durable, innovation, gestion environnementale

Sustainable Supply Chain Management in Food Retailing : Insights into corporate practice of managing supplier relationships

Addressing sustainability concerns in supply chain operations can be a matter of long-term business survival for food retailers. However, regardless of whether it is perceived as a risk or market opportunity, acting across the value chain to address unsustainable production and consumption practices has been a constant challenge. This thesis investigated the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices in food retailing as a strategy to create environmentally and socially responsible food supply chains. These practices include ways of managing supplier relationships and associated institutions (third-party sustainability certification and mechanism of private eco-branding) to promote a sustainably produced product supply. SSCM practices have been investigated among Swedish and West European food retailers known for their active engagement with sustainability initiatives in their supply chains. The overarching research design can be best described as a multiple embedded case study design, with 28 semi-structured interviews serving as a primary source of empirical evidence. The study develops a dynamic and contextual perspective on the SSCM phenomenon, building on insights offered by the New Institutional Economics theory and a broader field of institutional analysis, as well as perspectives offered by a Dynamic Capabilities theory. This moves research in the field of SSCM away from simple inventories of SSCM practices towards more theory-building. More specifically, this study demonstrates that corporate choice of relationship management practices with suppliers and associated institutions, with the aim of influencing and controlling product compliance with environmental and social criteria, depends on: 1) the contextual realities of the broader institutional field, 2) the specificity of the supply chain/transactional context, 3) the interplay between these two contexts, and 4) the design of the existing sustainability certification schemes. This study confirms the role of third-party sustainability certification as a vital market institution for faciliating retailer engagement with SSCM practices. However, it also provides evidence that existing sustainability certifications do not always enable retailers to develop sustainability-based supply chains in a competitive and low-risk manner. Consequently, retailers work to develop novel institutions, such as private eco-branding and retail-driven certification schemes. These schemes have greater impact on the availability of a green product supply than when only existing third-party certification institutions are used. Both private eco-brands and novel certifications provide opportunities for developing dynamic capabilities and thereby a sustained competitive advantage.However, in developing novel institutions, retailers still rely heavily on existing third-party sustainability certifications, utilising auditing procedures and tacit knowledge associated with certification development. Based on these findings it is suggested that multiple certification schemes are not necessarily problematic. They may even be advantageous from a SSCM perspective, in that retailers may be encouraged to engage with greening their product supply