Green supply chain management: pressures, practices and performance within the Chinese automobile industry

Published Date
2007, Vol.15(11):1041–1052, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.05.021
The Automobile Industry & Sustainability

Author 

• Qinghua Zhu ^a,,
 
• Joseph Sarkis ^b,1,
 
• Kee-hung Lai ^c,2,

• aInstitute for Eco-planning and Development, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning Province 116024, P.R. China
• bGraduate School of Management, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477, USA
• cDepartment of Logistics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Accepted 28 May 2006. Available online 11 September 2006. 

Abstract

Increasing pressures from a variety of directions have caused the Chinese automobile supply chain managers to consider and initiate implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices to improve both their economic and environmental performance. Expanding on some earlier work investigating general GSCM practices in China, this paper explores the GSCM pressures/drivers (motivators), initiatives and performance of the automotive supply chain using an empirical analysis of 89 automotive enterprises within China. The results show that the Chinese automobile supply chain enterprises have experienced high and increasing regulatory and market pressures and at the same time have strong internal drivers for GSCM practice adoption. However, their GSCM implementation, especially with consideration of external relationships, is poor. Therefore, GSCM implementation has only slightly improved environmental and operational performance, and has not resulted in significant economic performance improvement. In furthering this analysis we investigate one specific organization in this supply chain, the Dalian Diesel Engine Plant, and how this pioneering company has addressed the issues identified by the broader empirical analysis.

Keywords

Environmental sustainability

Green supply chain management

Automotive supply chain

China

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• ∗ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 411 8470 7331; fax: +86 411 8470 8342.

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Furniture supply chain tactical planning optimization using a time decomposition approach

Published Date
16 September 2008, Vol.189(3):952–970, doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2007.01.064

Author 

M. Ouhimmou ^a,b

S. D’Amours ^a,b,,

R. Beauregard ^b,c

D. Ait-Kadi ^a,b

S. Singh Chauhan ^d

• aDépartement de Génie Mécanique, Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1K7P4
• bCentre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur les Réseaux d’Entreprise, la Logistique et le Transport (CIRRELT), Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1K7P4
• cDépartement des Sciences du Bois et de la Forêt, Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1K7P4
• dJohn Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, QC H3G 1M8

Received 1 October 2005. Accepted 1 January 2007. Available online 16 July 2007. 

Abstract

We study the supply chain tactical planning problem of an integrated furniture company located in the Province of Québec, Canada. The paper presents a mathematical model for tactical planning of a subset of the supply chain. The decisions concern procurement, inventory, outsourcing and demand allocation policies. The goal is to define manufacturing and logistics policies that will allow the furniture company to have a competitive level of service at minimum cost. We consider planning horizon of 1 year and the time periods are based on weeks. We assume that customer’s demand is known and dynamic over the planning horizon. Supply chain planning is formulated as a large mixed integer programming model. We developed a heuristic using a time decomposition approach in order to obtain good solutions within reasonable time limit for large size problems. Computational results of the heuristic are reported. We also present the quantitative and qualitative results of the application of the mathematical model to a real industrial case.

Keywords

Supply chain management

Integrated planning

Furniture industry

Tactical decisions

Large scale optimization

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  Corresponding author. Address: Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur les Réseaux d’Entreprise, la Logistique et le Transport (CIRRELT), Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1K7P4.

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Stakeholder capitalism and the value chain

Published Date
June 1997, Vol.15(3):286–296, doi:10.1016/S0263-2373(97)00008-X

Author 
Edward Freeman (Director)

• Olsson Center for Applied Ethics, Darden School, University of Virginia USA

• Jeanne Liedtka (Associate Professor)

• Darden School, University of Virginia USA

Available online 9 June 1998.

Abstract

The purpose of this article by Edward Freeman and Jeanne Liedtka is to explore the idea of stakeholder capitalism. In particular, it is argued that a firm grounding of the idea on four principles, yields a view of business as creating value for stakeholders. To further elaborate stakeholder capitalism it must be connected to the central themes in business strategy. In this article, the value chain is reinterpreted in stakeholder terms. A method of analysis for key stakeholder relationships is explained, and general principles for conceptualizing the value chain in relational terms are suggested.

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Driving environmental certification: its impact on the furniture and timber products value chain in South Africa

Published Date
March 2004, Vol.35(2):251–266, doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2003.09.006
Themed Section on: Differentiation in South Africa and Indian Cities

Author 

Mike Morris ^,

Nikki Dunne 

School of Development Studies, University of Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa

Received 18 March 2003. Revised 19 August 2003. Available online 19 November 2003. 

Abstract

In this new globalised era there is an increasing demand in the developed world for environmental certification (Forestry Stewardship Council) of furniture and timber products. The imposition of this requirement has major implications for producers in developing countries. This paper examines this issue from a value chain perspective, exploring how certification requirements are driven through the links of the global furniture value chain. It does so by focusing on the dynamic underlying the spread of FSC certification through the furniture and timber industry in South Africa, and investigates the role of the various organisational ‘drivers’ of the system. In doing so it explores how developing country firms relate to these opportunities and pressures, drawing out the logistical implications, the costs and benefits, as well as the future for FSC certification. It concludes with a discussion of the role of buyers, agents, certification agencies and manufacturers in driving FSC certification through the wood products value chain in South Africa.

Keywords

Furniture

Value chains

FSC certification

Lead firm drivers

Environmental concerns

South Africa

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• ☆
  The research on which this paper is based was undertaken on behalf of, and funded by, the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), as part of its multi-country study on Sustainable Private Sector Forestry. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors.

• ∗ 
  Corresponding author

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A framework for designing efficient value chain networks

Published Date
20 May 1999, Vol.62(1):133–144, doi:10.1016/S0925-5273(98)00225-4

Author 

Srinivas Talluri ^a,

R.C Baker ^b

Joseph Sarkis ^c

aDepartment of Information Systems and Sciences, Samuel J. Silberman College of Business Administration, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1000 River Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666, USA

bDepartment of Information Systems and Management Sciences, Box # 19437, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA

cGraduate School of Management, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA

Available online 14 May 1999. 

Abstract

Strategic interorganizational networks aid organizations in gaining competitive advantages and improving production efficiencies. Network organizations, virtual corporations, and value-adding partnerships are envisioned by many experts as the epitome of interorganizational networks for the 21st century. These multi-organizational structures are viewed as a solution for rapid introduction of products while maintaining high quality and minimal costs. One common key issue in designing these new forms of organizations is the partner selection process. The business processes, owned by organizational partners, must be efficient both individually and as a collective group. This paper proposes a two-phase quantitative framework to aid the decision making process in effectively selecting an efficient and a compatible set of partners. Phase 1 identifies efficient candidates for each type of business process (e.g. design, manufacturing, distribution, etc.) utilizing data envelopment analysis. Phase 2 involves the execution of an integer goal programming model to determine the best portfolio of efficient partners based on a number of compatibility objectives. Model application and insights are evident through an illustrative example.

Keywords

Value chain networks

Data envelopment analysis

Goal programming

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  Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 201-692-7285; fax: +1 201-692-7219; e-mail: talluri@alpha.fdu.edu.

For further details log on website :
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