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Social enterprises are acquiring an increasingly relevant role as focal organizations for managing supply chains to address social problems. We argue that the presence of misaligned institutional logics between these focal organizations and their supply chain stakeholders generates tensions. Building on institutional theory and paradox theory, we analyzed seven dyadic relationships between a single focal social enterprise with a goal of migrant integration and its supply chain stakeholders. We propose relationship management mechanisms related to relationship governance, power and trust to manage such tensions. We observe the application of different relationship management mechanisms relative to different types of tensions. Finally, we relate different relationship management mechanisms to specific tension management approaches referred to as complementarity, acceptance and accommodation, and offer propositions based on our findings.

Purpose Sustainable operations management is characterized by environmental, social and operational goals. The implementation of routines to protect and direct the effective use of human capital is proposed to potentially improve all three dimensions. However, functional managers with overlapping responsibilities at the plant-level might implement human capital routines based on their individual functional schemas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether functional managers have conflicting perceptions of human capital routines, due to narrow perceptions benefiting their own functional domain, and thus generate trade-offs. Design/methodology/approach A combination of matched survey and archival data from 198 manufacturing plants is used to explore the degree to which functional managers have conflicting perceptions of human capital routines and the effects of these perceptions on sustainability outcomes. Findings The results indicate that on average functional managers have conflicting perceptions that generate trade-offs between sustainability dimensions. However, when functional managers had a shared perception better outcomes on all sustainability dimensions are shown. Thus, human capital routines can be a powerful tool for sustainability only if senior management can promote a shared schema across functional managers. Originality/value Differently than most previous studies assuming shared sustainability goals within an organization, this study considers a multiplicity of functional actors with potentially varying perceptions about sustainability goals and links these to organizational routine implementation and outcomes. Additionally, the dynamic and subjective nature of organizational routines, such as human capital routines, is proposed to explain contradictory impacts in a multi-objective setting such as sustainable operations management.

This paper aims to examine the role of national culture in the relationship between sustainability practices (social and environmental practices) and sustainability performance (social and environmental performance). While previous literature has focused on the influence of national culture on the decision-making and ethical behaviors of managers, the role of national culture on the effectiveness of sustainability practices has been rather neglected. Our study addresses this gap by highlighting the relevance of national culture as a contextual element when implementing sustainability practices in different countries. Based on a multi-level regression analysis using data from 484 firms in nine countries (China, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Slovenia, and Sweden), we found that the impact of social practices on social performance is accentuated in countries characterized by high uncertainty avoidance and high masculinity. The impact of environmental practices on environmental performance, however, is not affected by national culture.

Recurring controversies involving supply chain-related sustainability incidents suggest that firms with a global presence struggle to improve environmental, social and economic outcomes in global supply chains. Sustainable supply chain management has been suggested for improving sustainability outcomes in supply chains, yet global supply chains pose unique challenges. This paper aims to provide a synthesis of the key elements of sustainable supply chain management in global supply chains. To achieve this goal, we conduct a rigorous systematic literature review of articles focused on sustainable supply chain management in global supply chains and apply structured content analysis to * mentioned articles spanning 15 years of research published in English-language, peer-reviewed journals. The research contributes by identifying configurations and governance mechanisms as key elements characterizing sustainable supply chain management in global supply chains and synthesizing their relationship with sustainability outcomes. Overall configurations characterized by a greater connection between the focal firm and multi-tier suppliers, managed directly or through third parties, are increasing trends suggested to better serve sustainability development and offer several areas for future research. The research also contributes to practice by providing managers of focal firms with global supply chains directions for improving sustainable outcomes in their supply chains.

Purpose Little empirical work has been done on the effects of inclusive environmental disclosure and green supply chain management (GSCM) on firm outcomes. The literature on environmental disclosure suggests that it is a useful practice to improve a firm’s reputation and its financial performance and also to establish a dialogue with stakeholders improving environmental performance. Recent conceptual contributions in the supply chain management literature state that stakeholder expectations and informational needs increasingly concern firm supply chains. Thus, the authors propose that positive effects of inclusive environmental disclosure practices are enhanced in presence of GSCM practices. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach To test these relationships a combination of primary data on environmental disclosure practices, GSCM practices and environmental performance, and secondary data on financial performance was used. A series of hierarchical regression models were performed to test the disclosure-outcome relationships and the moderation of GSCM practices. Findings Results provide empirical support for the impact of inclusive environmental disclosure practices on financial performance but no support for the impact on environmental performance. Specifically, the more inclusive the environmental disclosure practices the greater and positive is the impact on financial performance in presence of GSCM practices. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence of the joint effects of inclusive environmental disclosure and GSCM practices on environmental and financial performance. Doing so, it reinforces the recent conceptual foundation that firms should align and leverage on supply chain management for disclosure practice effectiveness.

Supply chain research and practice has moved beyond green or environmental issues to include social issues. But much of the focus still remains on attempts of large companies to reduce social harm along their supply chains rather than creating social good. At the same time, research investigating the role of NGOs in supply chains or humanitarian logistics often emphasizes temporary initiatives and overlooks long†term viability. This conceptual paper seeks to expand the playing field by looking at how social enterprises manage their supply chains to generate social benefit while maintaining or improving their financial viability in the long term. Our contribution is to consider those socially motivated organizations that lie on the continuum between purely social and purely commercial enterprises. We consider how these organizations manage their supply chains for social impact and define this area as social impact supply chain management (SISCM). In this work, we view these organizations and managerial issues through the lens of institutional complexity, that is, the presence of multiple and possibly conflicting institutional logics in the focal organization. We propose that, for these organizations, supply chain strategy, stakeholder identification and engagement, and relationship management might differentiate SISCM from traditional supply chain management. And as a result, we offer future research directions that might add clarity to effective SISCM.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of complexity on the triple bottom line by applying information-processing theory. Specifically, the paper assesses the impact of internal manufacturing complexity on environmental, social, and financial performance. Furthermore, the paper assesses the moderating role of connectivity and shared schema in reducing the potential negative impact of complexity on performance.Design/methodology/approachMulti-country survey data collected through the Global Manufacturing Research Group were utilized to test the hypotheses. The authors used structural equation modeling to test the measurement and initial structural model. Furthermore, to test the proposed moderating hypotheses, the authors applied the latent moderated structural equations approach.FindingsThe results indicate that while complexity has a negative impact on environmental and social performance, it does not significantly affect financial performance. Furthermore, this negative impact can be reduced, to some extent, through connectivity; however, shared schema does not significantly impact on the complexity-performance relationship.Originality/valueThis study presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of complexity on sustainability. Furthermore, it provides managerial applications as it proposes specific tools to deal with the potential negative influences of complexity.

This paper studies the relationship between the opportunity realization of established firms and the organization of their top management teams (TMTs). We first consider six key organizational elements of TMTs and show how they combine in TMT organizational configurations. Then, we analyse how these configurations relate to the opportunity realization, also distinguishing between innovation and organizational change opportunities. Using a sample of 237 Italian firms collected through a survey of CEOs, we identify three well defined TMT organizational configurations: CEO-centric TMT, integrated TMT, and incentive-based TMT. The results from econometric models show that firms with an integrated TMT or an incentive-based TMT are generally better able to realize opportunities. Both the integrated TMT and the incentive-based TMT seem to have a positive impact on the realization of innovation opportunities, whereas the CEO-centric TMT positively relates only to organizational change opportunities. Our results contribute to the body of knowledge on how organizational design influences entrepreneurial behaviours/outcomes of established firms.

Increasingly complex supply chains and heightened disruption risks are bringing risk management to the forefront of managerial and research efforts. We examine how country disruption risks are related to the adoption of combined risk management and external supply chain integration practices, and how these combinations in turn are related to operational performance. We frame our propositions using information processing theory and complementarity theory. We combine primary data from the 6th International Manufacturing Strategy Survey on 21 countries, and secondary data on country level disruption risks to study these links. Our results indicate that companies in riskier countries, characterized by high operational contingencies risk, natural hazard and terrorism and political instability, use combined arcs of external supply chain integration and risk management practices. Such a combined approach is also related to higher operational performance. The findings suggest to managers that companies adopting risk management practices in combination with external integration achieve best operational results. We extend the arcs of integration concept to include also risk management practices thus showing that holistic risk management approaches along supply chains are positively related to operational performance. The combination of primary and secondary data, as well as the focus on exogenous risks distinguishes our approach from previous, mostly conceptual, studies on risks.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on how smart manufacturing (SM) affects work organization at both micro-level – i.e. work design, described in terms of operator job breadth and autonomy, cognitive demand and social interaction – and at macro-level – i.e. organizational structure, described in terms of centralization of decision making and number of hierarchical levels in the plant. Design/methodology/approach The paper reports on a multiple-case study of 19 companies implementing SM. Findings Results present four main configurations differing in terms of technological complexity, and micro and macro work organization. Research limitations/implications The paper contributes to the academic debate about the interplay between technology and work organization in the context of SM, specifically the authors find that the level of technology complexity relates to different characteristics of micro and macro work organization in the plant. Practical implications Findings offer valuable insights for practice, with implications for the design of operator jobs, skills and plant organizational structure, in light of the challenges generated by the implementation of SM technology. Guidelines on how policymakers can foster the implementation of SM technology to enhance social sustainability are proposed. Originality/value This study advances a novel focus in studying SM, i.e. work organization implications of this new manufacturing paradigm instead of its mere technological implications.

Purpose – Lean manufacturing has been demonstrated to increase operations and economic performance, but its alignment with environmental and social sustainability is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to understand how cross-functional executive involvement and worker involvement, in the formulation and implementation of the operations strategy, support the strategic alignment of lean manufacturing and sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – An inductive case study methodology was employed. Such theoretical elaboration is appropriate when extending existing theory (i.e. operations strategy theory and sustainability development theory). Evidence was drawn from ten cross-industry case studies. Within and cross-case analyses were performed. Findings – The results demonstrate that cross-functional executive involvement and worker involvement positively affect the strategic alignment of the lean manufacturing statement and bundles (just-in-time, total quality management, total preventive maintenance, and human resources management) with environmental and social goals and practices. Specifically, the study reveals the impact of cross-functional executive involvement on the formulation of lean manufacturing aligned with environmental and social sustainability. Worker involvement positively affects the actual implementation of lean manufacturing aligned with environmental and social sustainability. Practical implications – This research provides guidance to practitioners regarding how different organizational models lead to different levels of lean manufacturing and sustainability strategic alignment and performance. Originality/value – This research contributes to the operations strategy literature and the sustainability development literature, providing evidence regarding the mechanisms supporting the strategic alignment of lean manufacturing and social and environmental sustainability.

International audience; This paper contributes to extant research on green human resource management (HRM) relying on the instrumental value of stakeholder theory, which implies that stakeholders impact on company decisions and their development of organizational resources and performance. Following that theory, the study conceives green HRM practices as a set of management processes that companies implement for responding to stakeholder pressures on environmental issues. Accordingly with those premises, we empirically test the distinct role that different green HRM practices (i.e. green hiring, green training and involvement, and green performance management and compensation) play in mediating the relationship between pressures on environmental issues from two specific external stakeholders (i.e. customers and regulatory stakeholders) and environmental performance. Our findings, based on a multi-respondent survey in which the respondents were Human Resource Managers and Supply Chain Managers operating in Italy, confirm the hypothesized mediation model. Our results (as well as their implications) are discussed in light of the recent calls to broaden the scope of HRM research, considering the embeddedness of the company in a socio-political context and exploring the role that actors and factors outside the company play in shaping its green HRM practices.

This paper studies the influence of an organization’s time perspective on triple bottom line deployment through sustainable innovativeness. Although academics increasingly consider sustainable innovation to be an essential element in deploying the triple bottom line, the degree of an organization’s sustainable innovativeness remains limited. Using ten inductive case studies based on the triangulation of data from multiple-respondent interviews and secondary data, this study shows that an organization’s time perspective plays a crucial role in explaining the organization’s degree of sustainable innovativeness and improvement of triple bottom line outcomes. Specifically, organizations with a longer planning horizon, higher tolerance of uncertainty, and greater ability to learn from the past develop a higher and increasing degree of sustainable innovativeness, allowing trade-offs between triple bottom line dimensions to be mitigated.

Purpose – Environmental and social sustainability are becoming key competitive priorities for companies, but the way in which they are integrated in operations strategies remains an open issue. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether established operations strategy configuration models (i.e. price-oriented, market-oriented and capability-oriented models) are modified to include environmental and social priorities and whether different operations strategy configuration models are equally successful in the short and long term. Design/methodology/approach – Analyses were performed using data from the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (2009), including companies in the assembly industry in 21 different countries. According to previous studies, cluster analysis of competitive priorities and ANOVA analysis of the business strategy and short- and long-term performance were performed. Findings – The results show that traditional operations strategy configuration models are slightly modified. Market-oriented and capability-oriented operations strategies are complemented by environmental and social sustainability priorities. These operations strategies are adopted by companies with a differentiation and innovation business strategy. Moreover, capability-oriented companies, which are the most committed to environmental and social sustainability, perform better in both the short and long term. Practical implications – This research shows to companies that traditional operations strategies focusing on specific competitive priorities (e.g. low price) are being replaced by more holistic strategies that include sustainability priorities. However, environmental and social priorities contribute to competitive advantage when complementing capability-oriented operations strategies. Originality/value – This paper extends operations strategy configuration models highlighting how environmental and social sustainability priorities can be deployed together with traditional competitive operations priorities.

Information technology (IT) purchasing is covering an increasing part of companies’ expenditure. Scholars mainly investigated IT purchasing in terms of make or buy drivers from an IT perspective. Similarly, companies have been focusing on make or buy decisions and specifications definition in relation to technological characteristics. This often resulted in failures related to the goods/services purchased due to e.g. lack of negotiation skills, contracting, and suppliers’ relationship management. Accordingly, IT purchasing might require new structures and processes management. The purpose of the paper is to investigate what are the possible configurations for IT purchasing, and how these configurations are characterized in terms of purchasing process (i.e., strategic purchasing, sourcing and supply) and organization (i.e., roles involved, level of centralization, and span of control). Furthermore, the paper asks how IT relevance and purchasing maturity might affect these configurations. Through 12 case studies of leading international companies, four main configurations of the organization and the purchasing process for IT purchasing were identified, namely neutral (no specific approach is in place), IT oriented (the IT department takes the lead over the purchasing department), purchasing oriented (the purchasing department manages the whole IT sourcing process) and IT strategic (IT and purchasing departments jointly manage the IT purchasing process). The choice of the configuration is driven by IT strategic importance (low for neutral and purchasing oriented) and purchasing maturity of the company (low for neutral and IT oriented).

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the use of temporary workers and the adoption of new forms of work organisation (NFWO) in production. This study aims to understand to what extent these two forms of human resources flexibility are synergic or mutually exclusive. In order to answer this main goal, we discuss different levels of temporary workers adoption in relation to different levels of use of NFWO, the level of integration of temporary workers within the overall production organisation and the joint and synergistic use of NFWO and temporary work. Evidence drawn from seven case studies in manufacturing plants in northern Italy is provided. Results highlight that, according to the characteristics of the production process, temporary workers and NFWO are not mutually exclusive, that temporary workers can be integrated with other workers in the shop floor, and that NFWO can also be adopted for temporary workers. In addition, NFWO has been proven to be a key enabler to int...

This paper aims to study whether Human Resource Management and the organizational practices related to New Forms of Work Organization (NFWO) (e.g., teamwork, training, and employee involvement) should be implemented to attain higher environmental and social sustainability performance. This potential connection is analyzed using the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey 2009 database containing data on the assembly industry. Several hierarchical regression models are used to study the direct impact of the considered practices on sustainability performance and their interactions with sustainability action programs. The results show that some of the practices related to NFWO are linked to sustainability performance. In particular, training has a direct positive effect on environmental and social sustainability performance and creates a positive interaction between social sustainability action programs and performance. Additionally, employee involvement and incentives have a direct positive impact on social sustainability performance. Finally, teamwork is a relevant practice for the successful implementation of environmental sustainability action programs. This paper contributes by empirically extending the knowledge on the role of organizational practices and the understanding of environmental and social sustainability achievement at the operational level. Moreover, we highlight the complexity of these relationships within different sustainability dimensions, showing the need for more qualitative studies about this topic.

Environmental and social sustainability are becoming sources of competitive advantage for multinational companies. Consequently, they need to understand how to manage their global manufacturing networks to enhance both environmental and social performance. Results from an international survey show that site competence—that is, having competences in operations beyond the production activities—is an antecedent of the adoption of environmental and social sustainability programs and, in turn, of higher performance improvement. Moreover, site competence provides also a direct contribution to performance achievement especially to pursue social sustainability.

PurposeThis paper aims at understanding the relationship between the adoption of new forms of work organizations (NFWOs) and measures of country impact, in terms of national culture and economic development.Design/methodology/approachThe adoption of NFWO practices is measured through data from the fourth edition of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey, while Hofstede's measures are adopted for national culture, and gross national income (GNI) per capita is used as an economic development variable. Multivariate linear regression is applied to investigate relationships, using company size as a control variable. A cluster analysis is utilized to identify groups of countries with similar cultural characteristics and to highlight different patterns of adoption of NFWO practices.FindingsThe authors show that it is possible to explain different patterns in the adoption of NFWO practices when considering company size and cultural variables. GNI is instead only significant for some practices and does not always positively influence the adoption of NFWO. On the other hand, cultural variables are linked to all the practices, but there is no dominant dimension to explain higher or lower NFWO adoption.Research limitations/implicationsResults are limited because only Hofstede's cultural variables are used and manufacturing performance is not considered. Therefore, it is not possible to discriminate between more or less successful NFWO variations.Practical implicationsThis paper provides managers with insights on how to take into account cultural variables when transferring organizational models to different countries.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to previous studies showing the importance of including several contextual variables, country impact in particular, in the study of operations management.