Supply Chain Management as Private Sector Regulation: What does it Mean for Business Strategy and Public Policy?

The growing practice of environmental supply chain management by firms constitutes private sector regulation that is analogous in many ways to public sector regulation. Similarly to their public counterparts, private sector regulators set standards, apply standards, monitor for compliance, apply sanctions and require corrective action. Private sector regulation differs, however, in the source of authority, external oversight, analytical requirements, public participation and available sanctions. This article argues that supply chain management by firms goes beyond business objectives by creating positive environmental externalities for society, and that more systematic study of the similarities and contrasts between the two forms of regulation may provide valuable lessons for both. Further, it may be possible to increase the effectiveness of private sector regulation to achieve both public societal and private business goals. From a business perspective, supply chain management enables firms to strategically redefine their relationships with government, reduce uncertainty and promote goal‐oriented collaboration. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

Balancing priorities: Decision-making in sustainable supply chain management

The need for environmental protection and increasing demands for natural resources are forcing companies to reconsider their business models and restructure their supply chain operations. Scholars and proactive companies have begun to create more sustainable supply chains. What has not been fully addressed is how organizations deal with short-term pressures to remain economically viable while implementing these newly modeled supply chains. In this study, we use theory-building through case studies to answer the question: how do organizations balance short-term profitability and long-term environmental sustainability when making supply chain decisions under conditions of uncertainty? We present five sets of propositions that explain how exemplars in green supply chain management make decisions and balance short and long term objectives. We also identify four environmental postures that help explain the decisions organizations make when dealing with strategic trade-offs among the economic, environmental and social elements of the triple-bottom-line.     

建筑企业绿色供应链管理绩效评价研究

中国建筑施工产业是经济发展的重要支柱产业,是一个重要的物质生产部门。随着社会和经济的发展,环境问题越来越受到人们的关注,公众意识、法律和环境标准的改进推动了绿色供应链管理的快速发展。本文根据绿色供应链管理的内容及其特点,结合环境管理标准,体现可持续发展的要求,对建筑企业绿色供应链管理绩效评价指标体系与评价方法做出了理论探讨。     

Payments for ecosystem services and corporate social responsibility: Perspectives on sustainable production,stakeholder relations,and philanthropy in Thailand

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are environmental management tools that enable corporations to simultaneously enhance their environmental performance and fund sustainable development in rural areas. PES is primarily promoted as part of a sustainable production strategy for conserving natural resources, offsetting carbon emissions, and green supply chain management. Nevertheless, PES uptake by the private sector remains low, and few studies have analysed whether corporate‐financed PES schemes conform to this rationale. This study evaluates three of the first PES schemes in Thailand, financed by large corporations in the water utilities, aquaculture, and beverage sectors. Interviews with 39 business managers and project stakeholders suggest that PES may be viewed as a tool for philanthropy, public relations, and gaining license to operate—akin to many corporate social responsibility initiatives. Explanations and ramifications are discussed in the context of ecological uncertainty, risk management, financial performance, organisational learning, and the corporate‐engagement strategies of non‐governmental organisations.     

配销中心管理信息系统的设计与开发

配销中心是现代商品流通业发展的一种崭新形态,日渐成为国内零售商业界关注的重点,文章从供应链管理的角度对建设配销中心管理信息系统的必要性进行了探讨,在详细了解配销中心业务流程的基础上,分析了配销中心管理信息系统的功能需求,设计了配销中心管理信息系统的功能结构,采用VS．NET作为开发平台,SQL Server作为后台数据库．B／S结构模式作为体系架构开发了配销中心管理信息系统,提高了配销中心的管理效率,实现了供应链各方共赢的目标。     

Uniting partners to cope with environmental uncertainty: Disentangling the role of social capital in developing supply chain agility

Based on social capital theory, in this study, we investigate how a firm utilized social capital to coordinate partners in the achievement of supply chain agility under different levels of environmental uncertainty. We test the proposed hypotheses via a hierarchical regression analysis using questionnaire survey data collected from 190 firms in China. The empirical results show that cognitive, relational, and structural capital positively influence supply chain agility. Furthermore, environmental uncertainty positively moderates the positive relationship between relational capital and supply chain agility, whereas environmental uncertainty negatively moderates the positive roles of cognitive and structural capital. The findings suggest managers should adopt different strategies when leveraging social capital according to the business environment. In unpredictable and volatile business environments, managers should motivate their firms to embrace relational capital to obtain sufficient resources for achieving supply chain agility.     

Exploring the circular economy paradigm: A natural resource-based view on supplier selection criteria

The paradigm of circular economy and the transfer of its principles to supply chain management has recently received much attention from researchers and practitioners. Limited natural resources, governmental legislation, and social responsibility for environmental preservation are the main factors for the development of circular supply chains. Especially in the automotive industry, critical materials are used to produce electric vehicles, reinforcing the importance of circularity for the industry. As the first stage of the supply chain, suppliers have a considerable influence on creating self-sufficient production systems, and in the automotive sector, a low level of vertical integration is important. Therefore, selecting suppliers is an enabler for circular supply chains, but this decision is a complex process due to multiple, partly conflicting criteria. To contribute to the knowledge in this research area, this study applies a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory approach for supplier selection in a circular supply chain in a case study of electric vehicles. First, a set of criteria for supplier selection in circular supply chains was identified based on a literature review and was systematically categorized based on the natural resource-based view. Afterward, the criteria were assessed and refined by experts with a strong procurement background in the automotive industry. Second, the experts were interviewed for value collection, and finally, the mutual influence of the criteria was determined. The results show that the most important criteria for circular supplier selection in electric vehicle supply chains are environmental standards, environmental-related certifications, resource consumption, and waste generation. Regarding the natural resource-based view, short-term focused criteria addressing the capability of pollution prevention have a higher importance compared to long-term criteria that drive sustainable development. In addition, this study classifies the criteria into the categories of causes and effects, discusses the prominence of the criteria, and presents a strategic map showing the mutual influences of the criteria. The results contribute to the theoretical and practical discussion on circular supply chains by identifying the key criteria for circular supplier selection and providing decision-making support for procurement managers.     

Designing business models in circular economy: A systematic literature review and research agenda

The concept of circular economy is increasingly receiving attention in different domains, including strategic management, operations management, and technology management. It requires companies to design their business model (i.e., the value network, the relationships with the supply chain partners, and the value propositions towards customers) around a new concept of sustainable development that reduces consumption of natural resources and preserves the environment. However, extant research falls short in terms of explaining how companies design their business model according to the circular economy principles. Starting from this premise, the present paper provides a systematic review of the literature on the design of business models in the context of circular economy, aiming to offer an overview of the state of research and outline a promising research agenda.     

移动供应链管理模式及其应用

随着移动通信技术和供应链思想的发展,移动供应链管理具有供应链管理和移动商务双重优点,是一种全新的管理模式,成为21世纪适应全球化竞争的一种有效途径。论文重点阐述了移动供应链的功能、应用模式,强调企业的战略合作,并通过实例验证其为供应链发展的新趋势。     

供应链管理环境下贵州茶产业发展探析

茶产业作为贵州的传统优势产业,对贵州的经济社会发展起着重要的推动作用。但贵州茶产业总体实力较弱,其品质优良的自然资源禀赋优势还未能转化为市场竞争优势。特别是贵州茶叶企业规模小,过于分散,技术水平专业化程度低,标准化生产意识淡薄,战略管理力度不足,这些都严重制约了贵州茶产业的发展。文中从供应链视角针对贵州茶产业发展过程中存在的问题,提出了供应链管理环境下促进贵州茶产业发展的对策。     

试论我国在线零售成功的十大要素

在线零售作为一种新的商务模式，使得传统的交易方式、企业的经营形式和消费者的消费习惯产生一个全新的改变。但从目前形势来看，我国再线零售业既迎来了机遇，又面临着挑战。准确把握我国在线零售现状，正确分析并归纳我国在线零售成功的十大关键要素，用现代信息技术武装我国的零售业，是我国零售业赶上世界先进水平的必由之路。     

基于ZARA极速供应链模式对比GAP模式的深度分析

ZARA超越GAP成为全球服饰零售业龙头,其以快制胜的法宝在于经典的ZARA极速供应链模式。通过对ZARA、GAP的深入研究,对比分析西班牙ZARA以及美国GAP的不同供应链管理模式,首先对各自业务流程总体环节的直观对比,分析出ZARA和GAP对快时尚的不同追求和理解,以及如何在各自的模式下将时尚快速转化为产品推向市场;然后对比分析ZARA与GAP执行各自业务流程所需的响应时间,剖析ZARA通过自己的高效配送体系只需要15天的关键成功要素。     

A General Dynamic Capability: Does it Propagate Business and Social Competencies in the Retail Food Industry?*

abstract Given that firms have both business and social goals, an important unanswered question is whether a general dynamic capability breeds competencies in both these areas. In studies of the US retail food industry, we find that while a general dynamic capability affects firms’ competence in supply chain management (a business competency), it does not affect their competence in environmental management (a social competency). Firm mission and the extent to which firms obtain technical assistance are found to affect the acquisition of this latter competency. These findings offer insights into the resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm and provide lessons for corporate social responsibility. They reveal more precisely what a general dynamic capability yields and how far its reach extends, suggesting that the factors that drive competitive advantage are not the same as those that drive social responsibility.     

Sustainable reverse supply chains and circular economy in multichannel retail returns

The percentage of products being returned in multichannel retail are high and further increasing, yet many retailers and manufacturers are unaware of the importance and scale of this issue. They consider dealing with returns as a cost of doing business and are oblivious of the potential for conflicts between their corporate social responsibility commitments and their returns practices. This article investigates how far sustainable practices and circular economy concepts have been implemented in retail returns systems; it identifies vulnerabilities, barriers, and challenges to the implementation of sustainable, circular practices and suggests ways to overcome them, as sustainability, loss prevention, and profit optimisation can go hand in hand with the right approach to the organisation of the reverse supply chain. Implications of this research on strategic management are outlined. The research was conducted using in‐depth interviews and observations with four major retailers in the United Kingdom, 17 structured interviews, 100 retailer website reviews, and three retail community workshops, all with British and other European retailers.     

食品供应链的环境评估

随着中国社会物质文化生活水平的不断提升,人们对食品供应的数量和质量的要求越来越高。因此,为了满足消费者对时令新鲜食品的需求,则必须在食品生产、配送、零售等供应链系统方面得到加强。基于这一思考,文中综合运用手段-目的分析法（means/end analysis（MEA））评估了食品供应链（food supply chains（FSC））的环境绩效,详细分析了评估的方法和步骤,探讨了食品业避免现存供应链带来的环境污染的方法。文中结论认为,食品业应加强对食品供应链的环境评估,改善现存的供应链,并减少供应链各环节带来的环境影响。     

Where we are heading and the research that can help us get there – Executive perspectives on the anniversary of the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management

Procurement is a young field with much potential for further business impact in industry and insight generation through research. In this article four executives from different industries and continents offer their perspective on procurement, purchasing and supply management (PSM) capability development potential and research that can support this. These executives each addressed one of the following important themes and provided candid comment regarding the nexus between academia and practice. (1) Emerging industry 4.0 technologies that can enable new PSM capability development. These technologies should be evaluated in terms of what PSM challenges they can help resolve, not just in terms of how technically promising they may be. (2) PSM talent is key to the realization of new PSM capability and the development of this talent will require executive engagement in creating lifelong learning opportunities for PSM professionals to ensure new competencies and capabilities. (3) Sustainability efforts that are often housed in PSM organizations have much potential to expand these efforts more comprehensively throughout the supply chain and to expand the scope of the efforts. (4) Supplier enabled innovation (SEI) offers a pathway for PSM to meet current business needs with suppliers but also to collaborate with suppliers to create new revenue and customer value. The successful achievement of future PSM capability will require leadership in industry and research to help close the gap between known opportunity areas and actual real-world accomplishment. These executive perspective help us to realize that simplified roadmaps and maturity models underestimate interrelations between these four areas of opportunity and no “single path” currently exists.     

Drivers and barriers to environmental supply chain management practices: Lessons from the public and private sectors

This study explores the factors that drive or hinder organisations to implement green supply chain management initiatives. A literature review identifies the main categories of internal and external drivers of green supply chain management practices, including organisational factors, regulation, customers, competitors and society, but there is little indication of suppliers as drivers for green supply chain management. Internal barriers include cost and lack of legitimacy, whereas external barriers include regulation, poor supplier commitment and industry specific barriers. An explorative study is conducted based on interviews from seven different private and public sector organisations. Encouragingly, across the organisations, more drivers than barriers to environmental supply chain management are identified. Organisations seem to be more influenced by external rather than internal drivers. The barriers to environmental supply chain management experienced by organisations tend to be both internal and external.     

山西焦煤集团公司物流供应链发展战略研究

山西焦煤集团作为煤炭行业的领军企业,如何抓住发展物流产业良好机遇,具有深远意义。本文笔者在充分研究煤炭物流、供应链管理及山西焦煤集团物流现状和发展趋势的基础上,从山西焦煤集团的高度和广度定位了物流供应链的发展战略目标,以其现有行业地位、业务和实力为基础规划了现代物流产业的发展思路。     

Ngo-Business Partnerships

The rapidly changing external environment is having major implications for the role of NGOs, their sources of funding, the nature of their relationships and their activities Globalization, the Increasingly multinational nature of business and electronic communication, has caused a parallel reduction in the powers of the nation state to affect development and a rise in the powers of the business community NGOs need to engage with the private sector in new ways. INTRAC's own ongoing monitoring of the NGO sector suggests that an analysis of these issues would be of great value to NGOs and the private sector as they grapple with possible new modes of engagement in their quest to have a positive impact on justice, peace and poverty alleviation.

Relations have moved beyond the purely philanthropic, with corporations giving money to good causes, and the highly antagonistic, with organizations protesting a company's operations, to a situation where the two sectors often work in partnership to address core business issues such as environmental management, product development and ethical sourcing.There has been an explosion in these forms of partnership between business and NGOs. This raises many issues for strategies and tactics to be followed by NGO management. As such this research is of key strategic importance to NGOs and the private sector.     

Linking forward and reverse supply chain investments: The role of business uncertainty

This paper explores managerial efforts in reverse supply chains (RSC), where the focus is on the capture and exploitation of used products and materials. The RSC can potentially reduce negative environmental impacts of extracting virgin raw materials and waste disposal. If so, investment in the reverse supply chain should not be made in isolation, but instead must be integrated with investments selected to improve the forward supply chain. After defining and operationalizing these constructs, a survey of plant managers was used to empirically assess the linkages between supply chain investments, organizational risk propensity (i.e., willingness to take risk) and business uncertainty. Reverse supply chain investment had two primary dimensions: reconditioning (i.e., high-value recovery) and recycling and waste management (i.e., low- or no-value recovery). Ongoing investment in the forward supply chain was significantly related to investment in recycling and waste management, but not to investment in reconditioning. Moreover, risk propensity was found to mediate the relationship between the external business uncertainty and investment in the forward and reverse supply chain.