The Contribution of Global Alliances to Airlines’ Environmental Performance

Global alliances have traditionally been related to improvements in the economic and operational performances of companies, particularly in the airline industry. However, we still do not know the effect of the participation in this kind of multilateral agreement on the environmental performance of airlines. The main aim of this work is to analyze whether the alliance membership of airlines has an effect upon their environmental performance, and if so, whether or not the characteristics of the global alliance, as well as the business model of the airline, may influence this relation to a greater or lesser extent. The results of regression and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in a sample of 252 airlines (58 included in one of the three global alliances: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam) show a strong and inverse relationship between environmental performance and belonging to an alliance. The paper also shows empirical evidence of the influence of the business model of the airline on environmental performance. These results suggest important implications for managers facing challenges regarding sustainability

Green Growth Policy, De-Growth, and Sustainability: The Alternative Solution for Achieving the Balance between Both the Natural and the Economic System

“We are ethically obliged and incited to think beyond what are treated as the realistic limits of the possible” [...

What Characteristics Do the Firms have That Go Beyond Compliance with Regulation in Environmental Protection? A Multiple Discriminant Analysis

This paper is focused on analyzing the characteristics of firms that have environmental performance beyond the requirements of regulation in environmental protection. To identify such characteristics, we propose a value and context model building on environmental paradigms as conceptualized by Dryzek’s environmental discourse theory. Using multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) to analyze data collected from a multi-respondent survey of Argentinean polluting firms, we identify distinctive characteristics of firms going beyond regulation and firms that do not comply with regulation. In particular, comparing with other five environmental discourses, endorsement of green growth is evaluated in its connection with compliance patterns. We find that supporting green growth discourse (also known as ecological modernization) is one of the characteristics of those firms that go beyond compliance in their environmental performance

The Management of Agricultural Waste Biomass in the Framework of Circular Economy and Bioeconomy: An Opportunity for Greenhouse Agriculture in Southeast Spain

For decades, non-renewable resources have been the basis of worldwide economic development. The extraction rate of natural resources has increased by 113% since 1990, which has led to overexploitation and generation of vast amounts of waste. For this reason, it is essential that a sustainable development model is adopted—one which makes it possible to produce more food and energy with fewer fossil fuels, low pollutant gas emissions and minimal solid waste. Certain management policies and approaches, such as the strategy of a circular ecocomy or bioeconomy, are oriented towards sustainable production and consumption. The present study focuses on the importance of intensive horticulture in the Mediterranean region, specifically in the province of Almería (Spain). After having conducted a study of the main crops in this area, it was determined that the waste biomass generated presented strong potential for exploitation. With the proper regulatory framework, which promotes and prioritises the circularity of agricultural waste, there are several opportunities for improving the current waste management model. In the same way, the results of the economic evaluation demonstrate that the alternative of self-management of waste biomass is profitable, specifically from tomato crops. Compost and green fertilizer production also prove to be a key strategy in the transition towards a more circular and sustainable agricultural production model. As for the said transition, government support is vital in terms of carrying out awareness campaigns and training activities and providing financing for Research and Development (R&D)

Sustainable Business Model in the Product-Service System: Analysis of Global Research and Associated EU Legislation

The business fabric is trying to resolve the many transformations that have occurred in recent decades. Companies are obliged to offer new ways to meet the needs of the market. This situation has led to the creation of new business models that combine both competitiveness and sustainability. Among the most consistent strategies, the product-service system (PSS) stands out. A bibliometric analysis was carried out on 1088 documents during the period 2000–2020, to synthesize the knowledge base on PSS in a global context and analyse future trends. The results obtained have made it possible to identify the evolution of scientific production, the main drivers of this issue, the lines of research developed and their link with EU legislation and reveal some critical gaps in knowledge. The main lines of research describe different aspects of PSS: servitisation, product design, manufacturing, life cycle, circular economy, and sustainable development. This study has identified how its analysis has developed to date and what terms allow us to glimpse new approaches; hence, it is a useful tool for PSS researchers and sponsors who provide financial resources that allow new directions in this research

Trends and New Challenges in the Green Supply Chain: The Reverse Logistics

As members of society, companies are exposed to social changes and pressures. Hence, an interest to be more environmentally friendly appears and rises in their core. Therefore, the supply chain management concept became “greener” with the development, among other practices, of reverse logistics programs. Both external pressures and internal factors, such as reducing costs and increasing operational performance, are motivating companies to pay more attention to the reverse flow. Unfortunately, there are still many boundaries that hinder the implementation of reverse logistics. Some of these obstacles include additional costs, the desire for deep collaboration with suppliers and customers, and the belief of some managers that are managing reverse flow that it is not worth the trouble. On the contrary, those who have assimilated its importance and advantages are interested in new and innovative tools that could contribute to more effective and efficient results, including the role of RFID technology

Open Innovation for Sustainability or Not: Literature Reviews of Global Research Trends

The demand for innovative approaches applied to productive sectors is a reality present in the circular economy and open innovation is a relatively new concept that has revolutionized the literature about innovation management. Since the concept appeared in 2003, many articles have focused on its development and application. Although some studies have connected open innovation with sustainability, the relevance of this current on the global literature about open innovation is still unidentified. In this context, this paper tries to cover this gap with a bibliometric analysis focused on the evolution of the open innovation paradigm and the relevance of sustainability in this field of research. A sample of 3087 papers published between 2003 and 2019 in the Scopus database was obtained. The analysis revealed the main topics and the most prolific journals, authors, institutions, and countries, in terms of productivity, citations, and h-indexes. Besides of these contributions, keywords analysis reveals that, in recent years, sustainability and ecosystems are decisive variables in open innovation research

The Contribution of Global Alliances to Airlines’ Environmental Performance

Global alliances have traditionally been related to improvements in the economic and operational performances of companies, particularly in the airline industry. However, we still do not know the effect of the participation in this kind of multilateral agreement on the environmental performance of airlines. The main aim of this work is to analyze whether the alliance membership of airlines has an effect upon their environmental performance, and if so, whether or not the characteristics of the global alliance, as well as the business model of the airline, may influence this relation to a greater or lesser extent. The results of regression and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in a sample of 252 airlines (58 included in one of the three global alliances: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam) show a strong and inverse relationship between environmental performance and belonging to an alliance. The paper also shows empirical evidence of the influence of the business model of the airline on environmental performance. These results suggest important implications for managers facing challenges regarding sustainability

Grupos de interés, gestión ambiental y resultado empresarial: una propuesta integradora

ResumenEste trabajo aborda un debate extenso en la literatura de Medio ambiente y Dirección de empresas en los últimos años: la conexión de la protección ambiental de la empresa y la mejora de resultados derivada de estas actividades. Más concretamente se pretende contribuir al estudio de esta cuestión desde el enfoque de los grupos de interés. Adoptando un enfoque de efectos moderadores, se han obtenido evidencias significativas de que la integración de los grupos de interés modera positivamente esta conexión. El trabajo se completa con el análisis de la percepción directiva y sugiere la necesidad de difundir este tipo de resultados con objeto de mejorar la percepción directiva de las contribuciones de la gestión ambiental en las organizaciones, y por tanto, su disposición a desarrollar medidas de protección ambiental en el futuro.AbstractThis work addresses a wide debate about Environmental Dirección de empresas in recent years: the connection of Environmental Protection and Performance. More specifically, it aims to contribute to this question from the stakeholders’ focus. Adopting an moderating effects approach, we have found significant evidence about the positive moderated effect of stakeholders’ integration on environmenta protection-performance connection. The paper concludes with an analysis managers’ perception about this relation and suggests that it is necessary to disseminate these results in order to influence on managers’ perception and therefore on their willingness to develop environmental protection practices