Understanding supplier sustainability performance: The role of dependence and relational capital

With increasing stakeholder pressure to improve sustainability performance, firms focus on understanding how buyer-supplier relationship characteristics play a role in encouraging or jeopardizing supplier sustainability efforts. In this study, we examine how buyer-supplier dependence and relational capital affect the environmental and social performance of suppliers. We adopt an embedded, multiple-case study design, and examine five large buying firms in Turkey and their multiple suppliers at the dyadic level. Our findings suggest that there is a complex interplay between dependence and relational capital, illustrating both complementary and conflicting roles on supplier sustainability performance. We develop propositions to be tested in future studies.Publisher's Versio

A comprehensive assessment of measurement equivalence in operations management

This paper provides a comprehensive framework for treating equivalence both prior to data collection and during subsequent analyses, and assesses the extent to which equivalence is considered in survey research in six leading empirical Operations Management (OM) journals (Decision Sciences, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, International Journal of Production Research, Journal of Operations Management, Management Science and Production and Operations Management). Measurement equivalence of latent variables in survey data is an important condition that should be met in order to meaningfully pool and/or compare data stemming from apparently heterogeneous sub-groups. We assess 465 survey articles from a six-year period from 2006 to 2011 and document these articles in relation to the four main stages of our comprehensive framework: identifying sources of heterogeneity; maximising equivalence prior to data collection; testing measurement equivalence after data collection; and dealing with partial and non-equivalence. We conclude that pooling of data from heterogeneous sub-groups is common practice in OM, but that awareness and testing of equivalence remains limited. Given these findings, we further elaborate the best practices detected in those few OM studies that do address equivalence in some way. We conclude that to improve the quality of OM survey research, authors, editors and reviewers should pay greater attention to equivalence, and we provide a pragmatic checklist of measurement equivalence issues across the four stages

Proactive environmental strategy in a supply chain context: The mediating role of investments

Abstract: There is a growing body of knowledge on the link between environmental management and supply chain management, but there is contradicting evidence on the impact of a proactive environmental strategy on environmental performance. Therefore, this paper investigates the impact of proactive environmental strategy on environmental performance as mediated by environmental investments. We also consider the antecedents of the adoption of proactive environmental strategy. We develop and test hypotheses, using data collected from 96 Turkish manufacturers through an online questionnaire. The model was tested using Partial Least Squares (PLS), a structural equation modelling method. The results show that a proactive environmental strategy leads to higher environmental investments; both internally and externally in collaboration with suppliers. Our findings support our hypothesis that environmental investments acts as a mediating variable between proactive environmental strategy and environmental performance. The results also show that customer pressure and, particularly, organizational commitment positively impact the extent to which firms adopt a proactive environmental strategy

The impact of supply chain disclosure on supplier sustainability: a qualitative analysis in the textile industry

This study aims to investigate the impact of supply chain disclosure on supplier sustainability. After the unfortunate Rana Plaza event in Bangladesh and due to increasing stakeholder pressure, global textile and apparel retailers started to share more information about how they ensure sustainability in their supply chains. One of these practices is publicly sharing supplier lists, which include supplier information such as location, employee size and gender, product type and audit reports. Extant research has focused on understanding the impact of sharing supplier lists on customer buying behavior and buying firm profitability; however, the effect on supplier sustainability has not been investigated yet. This is surprising considering that the ultimate purpose of supply chain disclosure is improving supply chain sustainability. To investigate this research gap, in this study a qualitative approach is adopted, and interviews with Turkish textile firms listed in such lists are conducted. Exploratory analyses illustrate varying effects on supplier sustainability behavior as well as the barriers and enablers for these effects. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

The impact of supply chain disclosure on supplier sustainability: a qualitative analysis in the textile industry

This study aims to investigate the impact of supply chain disclosure on supplier sustainability. After the unfortunate Rana Plaza event in Bangladesh and due to increasing stakeholder pressure, global textile and apparel retailers started to share more information about how they ensure sustainability in their supply chains. One of these practices is publicly sharing supplier lists, which include supplier information such as location, employee size and gender, product type and audit reports. Extant research has focused on understanding the impact of sharing supplier lists on customer buying behavior and buying firm profitability; however, the effect on supplier sustainability has not been investigated yet. This is surprising considering that the ultimate purpose of supply chain disclosure is improving supply chain sustainability. To investigate this research gap, in this study a qualitative approach is adopted, and interviews with Turkish textile firms listed in such lists are conducted. Exploratory analyses illustrate varying effects on supplier sustainability behavior as well as the barriers and enablers for these effects. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

Sustainability in the textile industry: a quantitative analysis of the role of supply chain disclosure and supply chain complexity

Sustainability has become an important issue on corporate agendas and firms are increasingly being held responsible for not only their own actions, but also the actions of other firms in the supply chain. In line with this, firms aiming to be more transparent about their sustainability practices started to voluntarily reveal their supplier lists to the public, which might include information such as the company name, product type, location, factory demographics (e.g. gender distribution, firm size), audit reports and sustainability grading of suppliers. This exploratory study aims to investigate the impact of the extent of supply chain disclosure on firm performance, by focusing on the textile industry. The role of supply chain complexity as an antecedent of supply chain disclosure is also examined by focusing on its two dimensions: horizontal complexity (i.e. the number of suppliers) and spatial complexity (i.e. geographical spread of suppliers). Data is collected from secondary sources using supplier lists published on company websites and ORBIS database. Hypotheses are tested via hierarchical regression analysis. The results suggest that supply chain disclosure has a positive impact on financial performance. The findings also indicate that supply chain complexity has a negative impact on the extent of supply chain disclosure

Sustainability in the textile industry: an exploratory analysis of supply chain disclosure and supply chain complexity

Sustainability has become an important issue on corporate agendas and firms are increasingly being held responsible for not only their own actions, but also the actions of other firms in the supply chain. In line with this, firms aiming to be more transparent about their sustainability practices started to voluntarily reveal their supplier lists to the public, which might include information such as the company name, product type, location, factory demographics (e.g. gender distribution, firm size), audit reports and sustainability grading of suppliers. This exploratory study aims to investigate the impact of the extent of supply chain disclosure on firm performance, by focusing on the textile industry. The role of supply chain complexity as an antecedent of supply chain disclosure is also examined by focusing on its two dimensions: horizontal complexity (i.e. the number of suppliers) and spatial complexity (i.e. geographical spread of suppliers). Data is collected from secondary sources using supplier lists published on company websites and ORBIS database. Hypotheses are tested via hierarchical regression analysis. The results suggest that supply chain disclosure has a positive impact on financial performance. The findings also indicate that supply chain complexity has a negative impact on the extent of supply chain disclosure