Understanding Nike\u27s “Considered Index” Green Initiative Using the Technology-Organization-Environment Framework

This study explains the implementation of an environmental management information system that supports the sustainability goals of Nike using the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework of Tornatzky and Fleischer. Literature review is applied to a single firm in using the TOE framework, with particular emphasis on the technological context of the framework. The use of Nike’s firm level decision support systems is highlighted in this study. Suggestions are made about improving Nike\u27s Material Sustainability Index (MSI), its key sustainability tool, which is at the heart of the firm\u27s group decision support system tool

Quality management in the 21st century enterprises: research pathway towards industry 4.0

Quality management is an evergreen research theme in the contemporary world. Given the dominance of technological and turbulent environment with unprecedented customer expectations, the aim of this special issue to explore the developments in quality management in the era of Industry 4.0. In particular, our focus is to unravel the advancements in quality and their implications in terms of economics, decision models, business models, human and technological perspectives. This call for papers for the special issue of IJPE ended up in attracting ten high-quality studies covering the above perspectives. In addition, the special issue recommends potential unattended future research pathways such as the importance of human issues in quality management as per industry revolution and the alignment between technological revolution over time and involvement of human aspects in quality management

Inovação e gestão da cadeia de abastecimento: estratégias, capacidades e o efeito do alinhamento sobre o desempenho das empresas

Innovation and supply chain management are two topics of great importance in the academic world and present great potential to generate sustainable competitive advantage for firms. If, on one hand, innovation allow the creation of new products and services and the improvement of business processes, helping to achieve new markets, an adequate management of the supply chain is fundamental for the improvement of the services provided to clients and for the achievement of better operational and financial performance. The relationship between innovation and supply chain management has gained importance in the last years and has been addressed in two different approaches: the importance of collaboration among supply chain partners to innovation; and the relationship between the two processes or areas within firms, which is the least explored and is the target of the present research. As a way to contribute to the development of knowledge regarding the relationship between innovation and supply chain management, the main objective of this thesis is, using the concept of fit as a basis, examine how supply chain strategies affect the relationship between innovation capabilities and business performance. The study is developed under a positivist paradigm and under the lens of the Resource-based View (RBV). To test the research hypotheses, formulated from the developed theoretical model, a survey was conduct on firms from Portugal and Brazil, with a total of 329 responses, and data were analysed by means of statistical methods, especially cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression, hierarchical regression and structural equation modelling. Results show differences in the antecedents of the adoption of the different supply chain strategies; confirm the impact of innovation capabilities on business performance; and indicates the moderator effect of supply chain strategies on the relationship between innovation capabilities and business performance. The study contributes in a variety of ways to theory, especially by means of the creation of a theory regarding the impact of supply chain strategies on the relationship between innovation capabilities and business performance and on the antecedents and consequences of the adoption of different supply chain strategies. The results also contribute to practice, providing references to decision making regarding the choice of the right capacities and strategies to be developed and adopted by firms according to internal and external requirements.Inovação e gestão da cadeia de abastecimento são temas de grande importância e que apresentam elevado potencial para geração de diferencial competitivo sustentável para as empresas. Se, por um lado, a inovação permite a criação de novos produtos ou serviços e o alcance de novos mercados, uma gestão adequada da cadeia de abastecimento revela-se fundamental para a entrega dos produtos e serviços prestados aos clientes e para a obtenção de melhores resultados operacionais e financeiros pelas empresas. A relação entre inovação e gestão da cadeia de abastecimento, que ganhou muita importância nos meios acadêmico e empresarial nos últimos anos, tem sido estudada com dois diferentes enfoques: a relação das empresas com os seus parceiros de cadeia de abastecimento com vista à inovação; e a relação entre os dois processos ou áreas dentro das empresas, sendo este último o menos explorado e o alvo da presente investigação. De forma a contribuir para o desenvolvimento do conhecimento relativamente à relação entre inovação e gestão das cadeias de abastecimento, esta investigação tem como principal objetivo, usando como base o conceito de fit, estudar como as estratégias de gestão das cadeias de abastecimento afetam a relação entre as capacidades de inovação e o desempenho dos negócios das empresas. O estudo segue um paradigma positivista e utiliza a visão baseada em recursos (RBV) como principal teoria de base. Para testar as hipóteses da investigação, formuladas a partir do modelo teórico desenvolvido, um questionário foi aplicado a empresas de Portugal e do Brasil, tendo sido obtidas 329 respostas, e os dados foram analisados com recurso a métodos estatísticos, com destaque para a aplicação de análise de clusters, análise de variância (ANOVA), regressão linear, regressão hierárquica e análise de equações estruturais. As análises realizadas demonstram as diferenças na aplicação e nos resultados relativamente à adoção das estratégias de gestão da cadeia de abastecimento; confirmam o impacto das capacidades de inovação sobre o desempenho das empresas; e comprovam o efeito moderador das estratégias de gestão das cadeias de abastecimento sobre esta relação. O estudo apresenta contribuições para o meio académico, por meio da criação de uma modelo teórico sobre o impacto das estratégias de gestão das cadeias de abastecimento na relação entre as capacidades de inovação e o desempenho das empresas; e para a prática, fornecendo referências para a tomada de decisão relativamente à definição de estratégias e capacidades a desenvolver.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia e Gestão Industria

Re-reengineering the dream: agility as competitive adaptability

Organizational adaptation and transformative change management in technology-based organizations is explored in the context of collaborative alliances. A Re-reengineering approach is outlined in which a new Competitive Adaptability Five-Influences Analysis approach under conditions of collaborative alliance, is described as an alternative to Porter’s Five-Forces Competitive Rivalry Analysis model. Whilst continuous change in technology and the associated effects of technology shock (Dedola & Neri, 2006; Christiano, Eichenbaum & Vigfusson, 2003) are not new constructs, the reality of the industrial age was and is a continuing reduction in timeline for relevance and lifetime for a specific technology and the related skills and expertise base required for its effective implementation. This, combined with increasing pressures for innovation (Tidd & Bessant, 2013) and at times severe impacts from both local and global economic environments (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2011) raises serious challenges for contemporary management teams seeking to strategically position a company and its technology base advantageously, relative to its suppliers, competitors and customers, as well as in predictive readiness for future technological change and opportunistic adaptation. In effect, the life-cycle of a technology has become typically one of disruptive change and rapid adjustment, followed by a plateau as a particular technology or process captures and holds its position against minor challenges, eventually to be displaced by yet another alternative (Bower & Christensen, 1995)

Supply chain integration strategies in fast evolving industries

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to define the "fast evolving industry" (FEI) and its supply chain management (SCM) challenges. The authors review and structure the literature regarding integration strategies and implementation methods to develop a strategic decision-making framework for SCM in the FEI. Design/methodology/approach - The authors conduct a review of SCM literature, including supply chain strategy, supply chain integration (SCI), agile and responsive supply chain and SCM for innovative and fast-changing industries. The authors develop a conceptual model and a decision-making framework and use four mini cases to provide support for the model and framework. Findings - The FEI, characterised by a high level of innovation and differentiation, short products/services lifecycle and high variety, is yet to be fully defined. Inherent uncertainty in FEI supply systems makes SCM in these industries a complex but strategic task for their managers. The framework and the model offered in this study, which employ a core competency concept and provide risk management strategies, offer a strategic tool for managers and scholars in the field to optimise their integration strategies and to operationalise integration decisions. Originality/value - Little research has been published on transferable and cross-industrial SCM in FEIs. This paper defines the FEI and its resource-related concerns and then offers a conceptual model and a strategic decision-making framework for SCI in FEIs

Integrating Backcasting and Eco-design for the Circular Economy: The BECE Framework

The circular economy (CE) is essential for decoupling economic growth from resource consumption and environmental impacts. However, effective implementation requires a systemic change across supply chains, involving both technological and nontechnological innovations. Frameworks are beginning to emerge to foster CE thinking in organizations. However, literature review carried out as part of this research has revealed gaps in their ability to fulfil CE requirements. Furthermore, few frameworks provide support on how CE requirements may be implemented. To address these issues, this article presents a new framework, BECE (backcasting and eco-design for the circular economy), to ensure that businesses can implement CE requirements more readily. BECE empowers organizations to tackle the CE holistically by embedding the concept into corporate decision making and by bringing operational and systems thinking together, thus increasing the likelihood of successful implementation. The potential of the BECE framework was tested through a pilot workshop focusing on the development of a CE business model through redesign of products and supply chains. Using vacuum cleaners as an illustrative case study, several product design and supply-chain alternatives were identified, including the development of scenarios and action plans for their implementation at the business level. Although the case study focuses on a particular product, the BECE framework is generic and applicable across different products and business sectors

Lean, green practices and process innovation: a model for green supply chain performance

This paper investigates the relationship between lean, process innovation, green practices and green supply chain management performance. Data were gathered by surveying 374 firms in the manufacturing supply chain industry. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the collected data. The study results show general support for the theoretical research framework. Findings reveal that there is a synergetic effect between process innovations, green and lean practices playing a crucial role towards the improvement of green supply chain performance. This paper presents an innovative approach since it studies simultaneously the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic), the lean, the innovation process and green paradigms which are considered strategic for supply chain competitiveness. Investigation of the relationships between the four strategies is a contribution that the authors hope will become a forward step in the promotion of sustainability as a third dimension of the manufacturing supply chain, along with the efficiency and responsiveness dimensions

Sustainability-oriented innovation: a systematic review

types: ArticlePre-print draft of article submitted to International Journal of Management ReviewsIn this article we systematically review the literature relating to Sustainability-Oriented Innovation (SOI), and present a model to help understand different types and phases of SOI in companies. SOI involves making intentional changes to organizational mind-sets and values, as well as the products, processes or practices that produce environmental and/or social benefits in addition to economic value. The model distinguishes between contexts of Operational Optimization, Organizational Transformation, and Systems Building, and is populated with a range of innovation practices illustrating what firms do to become more sustainable. The model is developed from a review of 127 articles from the academic and practitioner literature and focuses on the period between the two Earth Summits (1992-2012). The systematic review forms the foundation of this paper, but we supplement and populate the model with instances of SOI activity drawn from more recent practitioner literature to provide richer insights into contemporary pioneering SOI practice."This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Sustainability-oriented Innovation: A Systematic Review, International Journal of Management Reviews, 2015, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijmr.12068/abstract. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.