Emerald InsightInternationalJournalofOperations&ProductionManagemeSustainable supplychains:aframeworkforenvironmental scanningpracticesNathalieFabbe-CostesChristineRoussatMargaretTaylorAndrewTaylorArticleinformation:Tocitethisdocument:NathalieFabbe-CostesChristineRoussatMargaretTaylorAndrewTaylor,(2014)."Sustainablesupplychains:aframeworkforenvironmental scanningpractices",International JournalofOperations&ProductionManagement.Vol.34Iss5pp.664-694(id)Permanent linkto thisdocument:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108//JOPM-10-2012-0446SI2Downloadedon:25June2015,At:03:58(PT)aunReferences:thisdocumentcontainsreferencesto110otherdocuments5Tocopythisdocument:permissions@emeraldinsight.comThefulltextofthisdocumenthasbeendownloaded1171timessince2014*2Userswhodownloadedthisarticlealsodownloaded:ADCConstantinBlome,AntonyPaulraj.KaiSchuetz(2014)."Supplychaincollaborationandsustainability:aprofiledeviationanalysis",InternationalJournalofOperations&ProductionManagement,Vol.34Iss5pp.639-663http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/lJOPM-11-2012-0515L.Dam,B.N.Petkova,(2014)"Theimpactofenvironmentalsupplychainsustainabilityprogramsonshareholderwealth",International JournalofOperations&ProductionManagement,Vol.34Iss5pp.0586-609http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/lJOPM-10-2012-0482SJensK.Roehrich,JohanneGrosvold.StefanU.Hoeimose,(2014),"Reputationalrisksandsustainable品supplychainmanagement:Decisionmakingunderboundedrationality",InternationalJournalofOperations&ProductionManagement,Vol.34Iss5pp.695-719http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/lJOPM-10-2012-0449NINVHNMAccesstothisdocumentwasgranted through an Emerald subscriptionprovided byAll users group3ForAuthorspapIf you would like to write for this,or any other Emerald publication, then pleaseuse our EmeraldforAuthorsserviceinformationabouthowtochoosewhichpublicationtowriteforand submissionguidelinesMOdareavailableforall.Pleasevisit www.emeraldinsight.com/authorsformoreinformation.AboutEmeraldwww.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a globalpublisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society.The companymanagesaportfolioof morethan290journalsandover2,350booksandbookseriesvolumes,aswell asprovidingan extensiverangeofonlineproducts andadditional customerresources and services.EmeraldisbothCOUNTER4andTRANSFERcompliant.TheorganizationisapartneroftheCommitteeonPublicationEthics(COPE)andalsoworkswithPorticoandtheLOCKSSinitiativefordigitalarchivepreservation.*Relatedcontentanddownloadinformationcorrectattimeofdownload
International Journal of Operations & Production Management Sustainable supply chains: a framework for environmental scanning practices Nathalie Fabbe-Costes Christine Roussat Margaret Taylor Andrew Taylor Article information: To cite this document: Nathalie Fabbe-Costes Christine Roussat Margaret Taylor Andrew Taylor , (2014),"Sustainable supply chains: a framework for environmental scanning practices", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 34 Iss 5 pp. 664 - 694 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2012-0446 Downloaded on: 25 June 2015, At: 03:58 (PT) References: this document contains references to 110 other documents. To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 1171 times since 2014* Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: Constantin Blome, Antony Paulraj, Kai Schuetz, (2014),"Supply chain collaboration and sustainability: a profile deviation analysis", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 34 Iss 5 pp. 639-663 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-11-2012-0515 L. Dam, B.N. Petkova, (2014),"The impact of environmental supply chain sustainability programs on shareholder wealth", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 34 Iss 5 pp. 586-609 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2012-0482 Jens K. Roehrich, Johanne Grosvold, Stefan U. Hoejmose, (2014),"Reputational risks and sustainable supply chain management: Decision making under bounded rationality", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 34 Iss 5 pp. 695-719 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2012-0449 Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by All users group For Authors If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. *Related content and download information correct at time of download. Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available atwww.emeraldinsight.com/0144-3577.htmIJOPMSustainable supply chains: a34,5framework for environmentalscanning practices664NathalieFabbe-CostesCRET-LOG and Faculty of Economics and Management,Received 2 November 2012Aix-Marselle University,Aix-en-Provence,FranceRevised22February2013ChristineRoussat29 June 2013.IdAccepted 31 July 2013CRET-LOG, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France and IUT d'Allier,BlaisePascalUniversity,Clermont-Ferrand,France,andMargaret Taylor and AndrewTaylorSchool ofManagement, UniversityofBradford,Bradford,UKAbstractPurpose-The purpose of this paper is to explore the empirical reality of environmental scanning(ES) practices in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) contexts. In particular it tests aconceptual frameworkproposed in 2011byFabbe-Costes etal.Design/methodology/approach -The empirical data for this research were obtained from45semi-structured interviewswithkeyinformants,combined witha discussionofthemainresultswithafocusgroup of supplychain experts.Thesedataare compared with the literatureand broughttobearontheframeworkFindings -The research finds both breadth and depth in the scope of sustainability scanningpracticesoftherespondentgroupand provides evidenceof multi-levelscanning,withallrespondentsdescribing scanning activity at the societal level. It further demonstrates the adoption of multipleand diverse scanning targets at allevels in the conceptual framework.Thearticulation and ranking ofscanning targetsforSSCM at all levels informs thedevelopment of priorities for practice.Thepaperalso makes some observations about theboundariesofthe scanning process.Practical implications -The results provide managers with concrete guidance about what to scanin sustainable supplychain contexts.The validated framework can serveas a practical tool toassist managers with the organization and prioritization of their ES activitiesOriginality/value-The paper is among the first to address the role of ES in sustainable supplyeaoochain contexts.It highlights the need for a multi-level frameworkfor such scanning activities andopens up a debate about their implementation.KeywordsQualitativeresearch,Sustainabledevelopment, Supply chain management,EmpiricalEnvironmental scanning,EnvironmentalscanningscopePaper type Research paperThis research uses data collected within the research project: “Sustainable Supply ChainEmeraldScanning"supported by the French PREDIT 4 (a government-sponsored national researchinitiative in France) and funded by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency(ADEME).The authors gratefully acknowledge the DEMETER's members of the focus group.International Journal of Operatioes &They also gratefully acknowledge the cooperation in data gathering (for the semi-structuredProduction Managementinterviews) of the French colleagues participating in the research project: Blandine Ageron,Vol. 34 No. 5, 2014Pp. 664-694Marie-Laurence Caron-Fasan,Marie-ChristineChalus-Sauvannet, Olivier Lavastreand NicolasEmerald Group Publishing LimitedLesca, (CERAG-Grenoble); Cendrine Fons and Anne Rollet (CRET-LOG-Aix-Marseille), Stephane0144-3577DOI 10.1108/JOPM-10-2012-0446Sirjean (Jonction) and Isabelle Bardin (Cluster Paca Logistique)
Sustainable supply chains: a framework for environmental scanning practices Nathalie Fabbe-Costes CRET-LOG and Faculty of Economics and Management, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France Christine Roussat CRET-LOG, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France and IUT d’Allier, Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand, France, and Margaret Taylor and Andrew Taylor School of Management, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the empirical reality of environmental scanning (ES) practices in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) contexts. In particular it tests a conceptual framework proposed in 2011 by Fabbe-Costes et al. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data for this research were obtained from 45 semi-structured interviews with key informants, combined with a discussion of the main results with a focus group of supply chain experts. These data are compared with the literature and brought to bear on the framework. Findings – The research finds both breadth and depth in the scope of sustainability scanning practices of the respondent group and provides evidence of multi-level scanning, with all respondents describing scanning activity at the societal level. It further demonstrates the adoption of multiple and diverse scanning targets at all levels in the conceptual framework. The articulation and ranking of scanning targets for SSCM at all levels informs the development of priorities for practice. The paper also makes some observations about the boundaries of the scanning process. Practical implications – The results provide managers with concrete guidance about what to scan in sustainable supply chain contexts. The validated framework can serve as a practical tool to assist managers with the organization and prioritization of their ES activities. Originality/value – The paper is among the first to address the role of ES in sustainable supply chain contexts. It highlights the need for a multi-level framework for such scanning activities and opens up a debate about their implementation. Keywords Qualitative research, Sustainable development, Supply chain management, Empirical, Environmental scanning, Environmental scanning scope Paper type Research paper The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0144-3577.htm Received 2 November 2012 Revised 22 February 2013 29 June 2013 Accepted 31 July 2013 International Journal of Operations & Production Management Vol. 34 No. 5, 2014 pp. 664-694 r Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0144-3577 DOI 10.1108/IJOPM-10-2012-0446 This research uses data collected within the research project: “Sustainable Supply Chain Scanning” supported by the French PREDIT 4 (a government-sponsored national research initiative in France) and funded by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME). The authors gratefully acknowledge the DEMETER’s members of the focus group. They also gratefully acknowledge the cooperation in data gathering (for the semi-structured interviews) of the French colleagues participating in the research project: Blandine Ageron, Marie-Laurence Caron-Fasan, Marie-Christine Chalus-Sauvannet, Olivier Lavastre and Nicolas Lesca, (CERAG-Grenoble); Cendrine Fons and Anne Rollet (CRET-LOG-Aix-Marseille), Ste´phane Sirjean ( Jonction) and Isabelle Bardin (Cluster Paca Logistique). 664 IJOPM 34,5 Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
Sustainable1.IntroductionIn the current business environment, in which firms are increasingly subject tosupply chainspressuresderivingfromboth legislationandpublicopinion (Jayaraman etal,2007)the pursuit of sustainable development is an imperative.This paper considerssustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and examines the empirical reality ofenvironmental scanning (ES)practices within this.ES is a strategic activitywhichassumes greater importance inthefaceof today's complexand uncertaintrading665environments.Wearguethat ithas an important roleinSSCM,especiallysincenotenough isyetknownabout howtocreate sustainablesupplychains (SSCs)(PagellandWu, 2009: Carter and Easton, 201l).The extant literature largely fails to addressESin thecontextof sustainabledevelopment (Fabbe-Costes etal.,2011).Consequentlyfirms lack the knowledge they need in order to design and re-design their supplychains (SCs) to address the challenges posed by needing to adhere to principlesof sustainabledevelopment. Further, effective ES can improve performance byminimizing SC disruption due to unanticipated changes in the environment(Closset al., 2008; Fleming, 2008),Thesustainabledevelopment agenda encourages firms totake amuchwiderviewoftheir supply base,to encompass activities along the entirechain (Seuring and Muller,2008).This in turn argues for optimizing the complete chain, based on total costand maximum value creation, rather than on sub-optimization at the firm level(Lintonetal,2007;FergusonandSouza,2010).There is someevidencethatSSCMcanbringstrategicbenefitsintermsofenhancedcorporatereputation(Roberts,2003)and inrelation toimprovedoperational andfinancial performance(Raoand Holt,2005;CarterandRogers,2008).However,evenifthesebenefitswerenotevident,thedrivetowardSSCsisinescapable:"Research intotheoperationalimplications ofvariouspolicies and how business can integrate sustainability is critical, since current legaltrends will forcemanyofthese changeswhether or notacademeandpractice isprepared" (Linton et al., 2007,p.1080).Building on a conceptual framework which suggests the scope of,and targets for,ES (Fabbe-Costes et al,2011),theresearch presented in this paperhastwokeypurposes. First, it aims to address a gap in the literature regarding the need fornew approaches to ES in the context of SSCs. Second, it aims to provide firmswithknowledgetohelp them properlyfacethechallenges of sustainability inthedesign/re-design of their SCs.Thepaper extendstheframework by exposing ittothe realities of practice through 45 semi-structured interviews with practitionerstogetherwitha confirmatoryfocusgroupofSC experts.Throughthiscomparisonwithfirms'actual sustainable scanning practices, the paper sheds new light on theconceptual framework and allows us toproposeavalidated set oftargets forES whichare organized into six inter-related levels.The result is a tool to assist practitionerswiththeprioritizationoftheirESefforts.Asstatedabove,sucheffortsaremandatedby the increasing pressures to perform effectivelywhile adhering to the globalsustainability agenda.The remainder of the paper is as follows:in the next section we reviewtheliterature on ES and its relevance for SSCM There is also a brief introductionto theconceptual framework which is the subject of this investigation.This is followedbyadescription oftheresearchdesignandmethodology,afterwhichourresultsarepresented.Finally,thesignificanceof thefindings is discussed before weconcludewithsomeremarksabout contributions,limitationsandopportunitiesforfurtherresearch
1. Introduction In the current business environment, in which firms are increasingly subject to pressures deriving from both legislation and public opinion ( Jayaraman et al., 2007), the pursuit of sustainable development is an imperative. This paper considers sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and examines the empirical reality of environmental scanning (ES) practices within this. ES is a strategic activity which assumes greater importance in the face of today’s complex and uncertain trading environments. We argue that it has an important role in SSCM, especially since not enough is yet known about how to create sustainable supply chains (SSCs) (Pagell and Wu, 2009; Carter and Easton, 2011). The extant literature largely fails to address ES in the context of sustainable development (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011). Consequently firms lack the knowledge they need in order to design and re-design their supply chains (SCs) to address the challenges posed by needing to adhere to principles of sustainable development. Further, effective ES can improve performance by minimizing SC disruption due to unanticipated changes in the environment (Closs et al., 2008; Fleming, 2008). The sustainable development agenda encourages firms to take a much wider view of their supply base, to encompass activities along the entire chain (Seuring and Mu¨ller, 2008). This in turn argues for optimizing the complete chain, based on total cost and maximum value creation, rather than on sub-optimization at the firm level (Linton et al., 2007; Ferguson and Souza, 2010). There is some evidence that SSCM can bring strategic benefits in terms of enhanced corporate reputation (Roberts, 2003) and in relation to improved operational and financial performance (Rao and Holt, 2005; Carter and Rogers, 2008). However, even if these benefits were not evident, the drive toward SSCs is inescapable: “Research into the operational implications of various policies and how business can integrate sustainability is critical, since current legal trends will force many of these changes whether or not academe and practice is prepared” (Linton et al., 2007, p. 1080). Building on a conceptual framework which suggests the scope of, and targets for, ES (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011), the research presented in this paper has two key purposes. First, it aims to address a gap in the literature regarding the need for new approaches to ES in the context of SSCs. Second, it aims to provide firms with knowledge to help them properly face the challenges of sustainability in the design/re-design of their SCs. The paper extends the framework by exposing it to the realities of practice through 45 semi-structured interviews with practitioners together with a confirmatory focus group of SC experts. Through this comparison with firms’ actual sustainable scanning practices, the paper sheds new light on the conceptual framework and allows us to propose a validated set of targets for ES which are organized into six inter-related levels. The result is a tool to assist practitioners with the prioritization of their ES efforts. As stated above, such efforts are mandated by the increasing pressures to perform effectively while adhering to the global sustainability agenda. The remainder of the paper is as follows: in the next section we review the literature on ES and its relevance for SSCM. There is also a brief introduction to the conceptual framework which is the subject of this investigation. This is followed by a description of the research design and methodology, after which our results are presented. Finally, the significance of the findings is discussed before we conclude with some remarks about contributions, limitations and opportunities for further research. 665 Sustainable supply chains Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
IJOPM2. Literature review2.1 SSCM34,5Theimportanceof sustainabilityinoperations continues togrow,to theextent thatmany now regard it as a mainstream concern for both researchers and practitioners(Kleindorfer etal,2005;Corbettand Klassen,2006).SCmanagers, in particular,are in astrong position to impactenvironmental and socialperformance(Carterand Easton,6662011).As firms encounterexternal pressures about sustainabilityfrom,forexampleregulators,consumers,lobby groups and citizens,theyneed to reconfiguretheir SCsto combine economic prosperity,social equity and environmental quality(Seuringand Miller, 2008) -the so-called “triple bottom line"(Elkington, 1997). Sustainabledevelopmentwillimpactonoperationsandsupplychainmanagement(SCM),modifyingproductdesign,sourcing,production,transportationmodels,stockpolicies,distributionand waste networks and partners'relationships (Vachon and Mao, 2008; Awaysheh andKlassen, 2010).However, an organization's environmental management orientationshould not simplybereactive,aiming primarilyto comply withlegal requirements;more desirable is a proactive orientation which is“associated with thedevelopment ofproduct design capabilities that employ design-for-the-environment principles and lifecycle analysis" (Vachon and Klassen, 2010, p.224).Many companies have embraced their responsibilityto address environmentalissues, often through certification to ISO14001 or othergreen"initiatives (Zhu et al,2008).However,a response to social issues (e.g.human safetyand welfare, communitydevelopmentandprotectionfromharm),particularlyintheSC,isnotasevident(Beskeetal,2008;KlassenandVereecke,2012).This couldtosomeextentbelinkedtoequivocalityaboutthemeaningofsocialissuesinoperationscontexts(Sarkis,2012)In contrast,astudy which examined howbestto embed social and environmentalpractices inglobal SCs (Jorgensen etal,2003)showed that environmental issueswentlargelyignored.Consequently,despitechargesthatthetriplebottom linemightbesomewhat oxymoronic andthatthequestfor profitabilitywillgenerallymilitateagainstsustainability,thereremainsaneedformore widespread adoption of itsunderlying conceptswithin SCM (Bai and Sarkis,2010;Bai et al,2012Walker andJones,2012)More generally,despite the increasing body of literature on SSCs there remain“numerousopportunitiesforfurtheradvancingtheory,methodology,andthemanagerialrelevance of future inquiries" (Carter and Easton, 20il, p.46) such that“there are stillfundamental issues researchers need to address in orderto offer managers prescriptivemodels of how to create sustainable supply chains"(Pagell and Wu, 2009,p.37).Theseissues include the needs for a more balanced approach to sustainability,for betterframeworks and methods to understand and anticipatefuturetrendsrequiring SC designor redesign (Fabbe-Costesetal.,2011);andforamoreholisticperspectiveoncompleteSCs(Zhuetal,2008:Wolf,2011)ratherthanonindividualfirms,sinceafirmcanbenomoresustainablethanitsSC(Krauseetal,2009)The adoption ofa holistic perspectiveis widely emphasized (e.g.Mentzeret al,2001;Chen and Paulraj,2004;Larson et al.,2007),with the“ultimate supply chain"(Mentzeret al., 2001,p.4)encompassing all organizations associated with upstreamanddownstreamflowsofproducts,services,financeand informationfrom initial supplierstofinalcustomers,andembracingactivitiesbeyondthecoresuchasdisposal,recyclingand recoveryprocessesatend-of-life(Lintonetal,2007;VachonandKlassen,2010)As firms tackle the challenges of integrating sustainable development into theirSCs they uncover the strategic benefits which may accrue (Keating et al, 2008;
2. Literature review 2.1 SSCM The importance of sustainability in operations continues to grow, to the extent that many now regard it as a mainstream concern for both researchers and practitioners (Kleindorfer et al., 2005; Corbett and Klassen, 2006). SC managers, in particular, are in a strong position to impact environmental and social performance (Carter and Easton, 2011). As firms encounter external pressures about sustainability from, for example, regulators, consumers, lobby groups and citizens, they need to reconfigure their SCs to combine economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality (Seuring and Mu¨ller, 2008) – the so-called “triple bottom line” (Elkington, 1997). Sustainable development will impact on operations and supply chain management (SCM), modifying product design, sourcing, production, transportation models, stock policies, distribution and waste networks and partners’ relationships (Vachon and Mao, 2008; Awaysheh and Klassen, 2010). However, an organization’s environmental management orientation should not simply be reactive, aiming primarily to comply with legal requirements; more desirable is a proactive orientation which is “associated with the development of product design capabilities that employ design-for-the-environment principles and life cycle analysis” (Vachon and Klassen, 2010, p. 224). Many companies have embraced their responsibility to address environmental issues, often through certification to ISO 14001 or other “green” initiatives (Zhu et al., 2008). However, a response to social issues (e.g. human safety and welfare, community development and protection from harm), particularly in the SC, is not as evident (Beske et al., 2008; Klassen and Vereecke, 2012). This could to some extent be linked to equivocality about the meaning of social issues in operations contexts (Sarkis, 2012). In contrast, a study which examined how best to embed social and environmental practices in global SCs ( Jørgensen et al., 2003) showed that environmental issues went largely ignored. Consequently, despite charges that the triple bottom line might be somewhat oxymoronic and that the quest for profitability will generally militate against sustainability, there remains a need for more widespread adoption of its underlying concepts within SCM (Bai and Sarkis, 2010; Bai et al., 2012; Walker and Jones, 2012). More generally, despite the increasing body of literature on SSCs there remain “numerous opportunities for further advancing theory, methodology, and the managerial relevance of future inquiries” (Carter and Easton, 2011, p. 46) such that “there are still fundamental issues researchers need to address in order to offer managers prescriptive models of how to create sustainable supply chains” (Pagell and Wu, 2009, p. 37). These issues include the needs for a more balanced approach to sustainability; for better frameworks and methods to understand and anticipate future trends requiring SC design or redesign (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011); and for a more holistic perspective on complete SCs (Zhu et al., 2008; Wolf, 2011) rather than on individual firms, since a firm can be no more sustainable than its SC (Krause et al., 2009). The adoption of a holistic perspective is widely emphasized (e.g. Mentzer et al., 2001; Chen and Paulraj, 2004; Larson et al., 2007), with the “ultimate supply chain” (Mentzer et al., 2001, p. 4) encompassing all organizations associated with upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finance and information from initial suppliers to final customers, and embracing activities beyond the core such as disposal, recycling and recovery processes at end-of-life (Linton et al., 2007; Vachon and Klassen, 2010). As firms tackle the challenges of integrating sustainable development into their SCs they uncover the strategic benefits which may accrue (Keating et al., 2008; 666 IJOPM 34,5 Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
SustainableFlint and Golicic,2009).Theseincludeimproved financial performance (RaoandHolt,2005;Handfield etal,2005;CarterandRogers,2008),enhancedcorporatesupply chainsreputation(Roberts,2003)andincreasedcompetitiveadvantage(MarkleyandDavis2007).However, these are only attainable if firms are prepared to take a broaderenvironmentalandsocialperspective(Kleindorferetal,2005;Kovacs,2008),tolook"ata longer part of the supply chain"(Seuring and Muller, 2008,p.1705), to ensure that667they consider a wider range of issues (Seuring and Muiller, 2008, p.1705) and toacknowledgethecrucialroleof inter-organizational relationships(Goldetal,2010)Consequently,firms who are embedded within SSCs must renew theway theydelineate their SCs and scan their environments (Fabbe-Costes et al,2011), ie.theymustrevisitandrevisetheirmethodsofSCES.2.2ESEs is a search activity which aims to anticipate and understand events andrelationships in a firm's external environment (Hambrick, 1982; Lesca et al., 2012) inorder to reduce uncertainty (Lewis and Harvey,2001).It can “assist top managementin itstask of charting thecompany'sfuture courseof action"(Aguilar,1967,p.1),butdiffers from focussed search where managers, already engaged in decision makingseek information to understand a problem and available choices (Walters et al,2003;Day and Shoemaker,2004).ES is pre-attentivemonitoring with no specific decisionguiding the process:“the objective is to be vigilant to discrepant signs/signals thatmight manifest in theperipheral vision and could eventually help identify,discoveror anticipate plausible changes in the environment"(Lesca et al,2012,p.132)After detection, the scanning process entails interpretation of signal strength andmeaning,to inform managerial action.ES hasa long history(e.g.Etzioni,1967;Aguilar,1967)and theassociated literaturehas evolved in phases, first focussing on systems employed by largefirms, thenexamining relationshipsbetween scanning and strategic management beforeshiftingtowardstudyofscanningpracticesinvariouscontexts,andtotheimpactofscanningonfirm performance(WongandHung,2012).Some scanningpapersrecommendusingabroadscanning scopebecause"underconditionsofuncertaintyacompleteandaccuratescanningoftheexternalenvironmentiscritical"(Srinivasan etal,201l,p263)-while,somewhatcontradictorily,alsosuggestingthatscanningoperationsshouldbefocussed.Theyproposetheuseof listsofmacro-environmental components(Aaker, 1983; Jain, 1984; Prescott and Smith, 1989; Ahituv et al, 1998), to includeindividual and collectivecognitiveperspectives(Slaughter1999;Voros,200la,b,2003)andtodefinemicro-environmentforcesinlinewithPorter'smodel.Brockhoff(1991proposes combining both“general"and"task"(Bourgeois,1980)environment,toidentify"interest zones"and"interestgroups."Others emphasizethe need to operationalize such environmental frameworksthrough the use of checklists (Mendonca et al,2004; Oreja-Rodriguez and Yanes-Estevez,2007)orcausal diagrams (Narchaletal.,1987),orbyroad-mappingtechnologyprocesses(Phaal etal,2004;CamponovoandPigneur,2004).Someadvocatetheprioritizationofscanning targets through expert interviews (Calori,1989)or by focussing on theirimportance and likelihood (Stoffels, 1982; Aaker, 1983; Bates, 1985).To sum up, the limitedempirical research into ES has found that firms focus on economic and technologicalzones (Jain,1984; Subramanian et al.,1993)with enlargement of the scanning scopeovertime.Itseemsthat“thereisoftenalocalsearchprobleminfirmsenvironmentalscanning"(Holmberg and Cummings,2009,p.177) although“executives in high
Flint and Golicic, 2009). These include improved financial performance (Rao and Holt, 2005; Handfield et al., 2005; Carter and Rogers, 2008), enhanced corporate reputation (Roberts, 2003) and increased competitive advantage (Markley and Davis, 2007). However, these are only attainable if firms are prepared to take a broader environmental and social perspective (Kleindorfer et al., 2005; Kovacs, 2008), to look “at a longer part of the supply chain” (Seuring and Mu¨ller, 2008, p. 1705), to ensure that they consider a wider range of issues (Seuring and Mu¨ller, 2008, p. 1705) and to acknowledge the crucial role of inter-organizational relationships (Gold et al., 2010). Consequently, firms who are embedded within SSCs must renew the way they delineate their SCs and scan their environments (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011), i.e. they must revisit and revise their methods of SC ES. 2.2 ES ES is a search activity which aims to anticipate and understand events and relationships in a firm’s external environment (Hambrick, 1982; Lesca et al., 2012) in order to reduce uncertainty (Lewis and Harvey, 2001). It can “assist top management in its task of charting the company’s future course of action” (Aguilar, 1967, p. 1), but differs from focussed search where managers, already engaged in decision making, seek information to understand a problem and available choices (Walters et al., 2003; Day and Shoemaker, 2004). ES is pre-attentive monitoring with no specific decision guiding the process: “the objective is to be vigilant to discrepant signs/signals that might manifest in the peripheral vision and could eventually help identify, discover or anticipate plausible changes in the environment” (Lesca et al., 2012, p. 132). After detection, the scanning process entails interpretation of signal strength and meaning, to inform managerial action. ES has a long history (e.g. Etzioni, 1967; Aguilar, 1967) and the associated literature has evolved in phases, first focussing on systems employed by large firms, then examining relationships between scanning and strategic management before shifting toward study of scanning practices in various contexts, and to the impact of scanning on firm performance (Wong and Hung, 2012). Some scanning papers recommend using a broad scanning scope because “under conditions of uncertainty a complete and accurate scanning of the external environment is critical” (Srinivasan et al., 2011, p. 263) – while, somewhat contradictorily, also suggesting that scanning operations should be focussed. They propose the use of lists of macro-environmental components (Aaker, 1983; Jain, 1984; Prescott and Smith, 1989; Ahituv et al., 1998), to include individual and collective cognitive perspectives (Slaughter, 1999; Voros, 2001a, b, 2003) and to define micro-environment forces in line with Porter’s model. Brockhoff (1991) proposes combining both “general” and “task” (Bourgeois, 1980) environment, to identify “interest zones” and “interest groups.” Others emphasize the need to operationalize such environmental frameworks through the use of checklists (Mendonc¸a et al., 2004; Oreja-Rodriguez and Yanes-Estevez, 2007) or causal diagrams (Narchal et al., 1987), or by road-mapping technology processes (Phaal et al., 2004; Camponovo and Pigneur, 2004). Some advocate the prioritization of scanning targets through expert interviews (Calori, 1989) or by focussing on their importance and likelihood (Stoffels, 1982; Aaker, 1983; Bates, 1985). To sum up, the limited empirical research into ES has found that firms focus on economic and technological zones ( Jain, 1984; Subramanian et al., 1993) with enlargement of the scanning scope over time. It seems that “there is often a ‘local search’ problem in firms’ environmental scanning” (Holmberg and Cummings, 2009, p. 177) although “executives in high 667 Sustainable supply chains Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
JJOPMperformingcompaniestend toscan environmental information morebroadlythantheircounterparts inlowperformingcompanies"(Xuetal,2003,p.382)34,52.2.1ESinSCM.DespitetheincreasingimperativetoundertakeES,fewSCMpapers consider this as a core topic (Paiva et al.,2008).Those that do, indicate a rangeofbenefits.Bymonitoring competitors'productlines,quality and costs,scanningenablesfirmstostayahead ofthecompetition (Badrietal.,2000)andprovides insights668into salestrendsand customerpreferences,supplynetwork innovations andnewdistribution channels (March and Hevner, 2007; Kristal et al., 2010).It can trigger thereconfiguration offirmsSCstorespondquicklytomarketplacechanges and managedisruption risks (Harland etal,2003)and tosafeguard uninterrupted customer service(BraunscheidelandSuresh,2009).Scanningcanmitigatetheimpactofenvironmentaluncertainty on SC performance (Srinivasan et al.,2011),and support thecreationof powerful value propositions for other chain members (Walters, 2008). Scanning ofsuppliers and their extended networks can improve supplier selection for long-termrelationships and provideaccess to othercompanies withtechnologicaland innovativeresources (ChoiandKim,2008;Koufteros etal,2012)In practice,organizationstendtoadopta fragmented and somewhatisolatedfocusontheindividualfirm(HakanssonandSnehota,2006b),despiteencouragementto"widen their sweep,"especially in inter-organizational networks (Eisingerich and Bell,2008; Neto et al,2008; Peters et al,2011).Moreover, due to increased environmentalcomplexity and uncertainty,and a greatervolume and range of external informationsources (Bengisu and Nekhili, 2006),new scanning methods are called for, especiallysince“a review of the state-of-the-art in environmental scanning does not revealany major changes in its basic methods since the1970's"(Tonn,2008,p.596).Althoughfirms are beginning to use the internet and social media to undertake SCM scanning(Abrahams et al,2012),the changes being advocated are much broader in scope.Thus,“a framework of multiple perspectives for environmental scanning"(Neugarten,2006,p.903)is needed, such that the peripheral environment is taken into accountfor thedetectionofweaksignals(Brown,2004;Rossel,2011)2.2.2ESand sustainability.Since sustainabilitymandates firms tolook tothefutureand showa concern for the long-term well-being of humanity(Tilley and Fuller,2000Voros,200la;Kelly et al,2004),it isstriking thattheES literature is relatively sparseon thetopic ofsustainability.Afew articles assertthatES is,or could be,important insustainabledevelopmentcontexts(Voros,2001b;Schlange,2009;AdemaandRoehl)2010,Asifet al,20i1),and othersmakebriefmention of its importance in organizationalpractices such as corporateplanning(Clemens,2009)orthe development of corporatesustainabilityperformance measurement systems (Searcy,201l).Finally therearea fewpaperswhichrefertothepracticeofESforsustainabilityinspecificorganizations suchasShell in Thailand (Ngamkroeckjoti and Johri, 2000),companies in developing countries(JamailandMirshak.2007).thepublicsector(Clemens,2009)andsmallfirms(Will.2008)Innoinstanceswasitpossibletofindanydetailedstudiesofenvironmentalscopeandtargetsin sustainabledevelopment contexts.Summarizing the literature review, three distinct dyadic relationships emerge.Thefirst relates to sustainability and SCM,where the importance of SSCM is confirmedthrough the many studies which have examined aspects of this. Nevertheless researchgapsremainconcerningtheneedtoadoptabroaderenvironmentaland social perspectiveof the whole SC and highlighting the need for work which takesa trulybalanced“triple-bottom-line"perspective.The second relationship involves the role and practiceofES in SC contexts.Here, the review identifies a need for new approaches and particularly
performing companies tend to scan environmental information more broadly than their counterparts in low performing companies” (Xu et al., 2003, p. 382). 2.2.1 ES in SCM. Despite the increasing imperative to undertake ES, few SCM papers consider this as a core topic (Paiva et al., 2008). Those that do, indicate a range of benefits. By monitoring competitors’ product lines, quality and costs, scanning enables firms to stay ahead of the competition (Badri et al., 2000) and provides insights into sales trends and customer preferences, supply network innovations and new distribution channels (March and Hevner, 2007; Kristal et al., 2010). It can trigger the reconfiguration of firms’ SCs to respond quickly to marketplace changes and manage disruption risks (Harland et al., 2003) and to safeguard uninterrupted customer service (Braunscheidel and Suresh, 2009). Scanning can mitigate the impact of environmental uncertainty on SC performance (Srinivasan et al., 2011), and support the creation of powerful value propositions for other chain members (Walters, 2008). Scanning of suppliers and their extended networks can improve supplier selection for long-term relationships and provide access to other companies with technological and innovative resources (Choi and Kim, 2008; Koufteros et al., 2012). In practice, organizations tend to adopt a fragmented and somewhat isolated focus on the individual firm (Hakansson and Snehota, 2006b), despite encouragement to ˚ “widen their sweep,” especially in inter-organizational networks (Eisingerich and Bell, 2008; Neto et al., 2008; Peters et al., 2011). Moreover, due to increased environmental complexity and uncertainty, and a greater volume and range of external information sources (Bengisu and Nekhili, 2006), new scanning methods are called for, especially since “a review of the state-of-the-art in environmental scanning does not reveal any major changes in its basic methods since the 1970’s” (Tonn, 2008, p. 596). Although firms are beginning to use the internet and social media to undertake SCM scanning (Abrahams et al., 2012), the changes being advocated are much broader in scope. Thus, “a framework of multiple perspectives for environmental scanning” (Neugarten, 2006, p. 903) is needed, such that the peripheral environment is taken into account for the detection of weak signals (Brown, 2004; Rossel, 2011). 2.2.2 ES and sustainability . Since sustainability mandates firms to look to the future and show a concern for the long-term well-being of humanity (Tilley and Fuller, 2000; Voros, 2001a; Kelly et al., 2004), it is striking that the ES literature is relatively sparse on the topic of sustainability. A few articles assert that ES is, or could be, important in sustainable development contexts (Voros, 2001b; Schlange, 2009; Adema and Roehl, 2010; Asif et al., 2011), and others make brief mention of its importance in organizational practices such as corporate planning (Clemens, 2009) or the development of corporate sustainability performance measurement systems (Searcy, 2011). Finally there are a few papers which refer to the practice of ES for sustainability in specific organizations such as Shell in Thailand (Ngamkroeckjoti and Johri, 2000), companies in developing countries ( Jamail and Mirshak, 2007), the public sector (Clemens, 2009) and small firms (Will, 2008). In no instances was it possible to find any detailed studies of environmental scope and targets in sustainable development contexts. Summarizing the literature review, three distinct dyadic relationships emerge. The first relates to sustainability and SCM, where the importance of SSCM is confirmed through the many studies which have examined aspects of this. Nevertheless research gaps remain concerning the need to adopt a broader environmental and social perspective of the whole SC and highlighting the need for work which takes a truly balanced “triple-bottom-line” perspective. The second relationship involves the role and practice of ES in SC contexts. Here, the review identifies a need for new approaches and particularly 668 IJOPM 34,5 Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
those which move beyond a focus on individual firms to the wider SC.The thirdSustainablerelationship is associated with ES in sustainable development contexts. In this domainsupply chainstheliteratureissparseandcomparativelysuperficialinitsapproachInmostcasesthetreatment of ES for sustainability makes tangential referenceto its importanceor,atbest, produces brief descriptive accounts of broader foresight or scenario planningprocesseswhichincludesustainablescanning.The conclusion of this literature review is that the intersection of these three dyads669represents a significant and important research gap, ie. SCM-focussed ES approacheswhich take account of sustainable development. Earlier work, which begins toaddressthisgap,proposesaconceptual frameworkforSSC designthat incorporatesamulti-level approachtoES (Figure1)(Fabbe-Costes et al.,2011)2.3ConceptualframeworkandresearchquestionsThe framework incorporates scanning at different levels from individuals andgroups of people up to the entire societal environment. The six levels representsignificant depth and breadth of scope and are argued to be inherently inter-related(Fabbe-Costes et al,2011).Theframework is complementedby a set of targetsforeachlevel,where-inthiscontext-“targetsrefertothosetopics,subjectsorentitiesthat firms search for, and monitor, when scanning.Implicit in the theoreticaldevelopmentof theframework is a debate about themostappropriate boundaries andunits of analysisfor sustainableSCMresearchinterms of activity,timehorizonand geography orterritory.Acanning.scopeforthe-focalAbility to copefirmwithSocietal levelsustainablerequirementsSustainablescanningNetwork level=thenewfocal levelaaooChainlevelScopebreadthFirmlevelEnvironmFunctionlevel2Figure 1.A sustainablescanningframeworkSource:Fabbe-Costesetal.(2011)
those which move beyond a focus on individual firms to the wider SC. The third relationship is associated with ES in sustainable development contexts. In this domain, the literature is sparse and comparatively superficial in its approach. In most cases the treatment of ES for sustainability makes tangential reference to its importance or, at best, produces brief descriptive accounts of broader foresight or scenario planning processes which include sustainable scanning. The conclusion of this literature review is that the intersection of these three dyads represents a significant and important research gap, i.e. SCM-focussed ES approaches which take account of sustainable development. Earlier work, which begins to address this gap, proposes a conceptual framework for SSC design that incorporates a multi-level approach to ES (Figure 1) (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011). 2.3 Conceptual framework and research questions The framework incorporates scanning at different levels from individuals and groups of people up to the entire societal environment. The six levels represent significant depth and breadth of scope and are argued to be inherently inter-related (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011). The framework is complemented by a set of targets for each level, where – in this context – “targets” refer to those topics, subjects or entities that firms search for, and monitor, when scanning. Implicit in the theoretical development of the framework is a debate about the most appropriate boundaries and units of analysis for sustainable SCM research in terms of activity, time horizon and geography or territory. Sustainable scanning Societal level Ability to cope with sustainable requirements Scanning scope for the focal firm Network level = the new focal level Chain level Firm level Function level People level Source: Fabbe-Costes et al. (2011) Scope depth Environmental scanning Scope breadth Figure 1. A sustainable scanning framework 669 Sustainable supply chains Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
IJOPMThe purpose of this paper is to test the conceptual framework through comparisonwith the sustainable scanning practices of firms engaged in the design or re-design of34,5theirSCsandnetworksorthatareseekingtodoso.Inparticularweproposetogatherempirical data about therealities of scanning for sustainability in SC contexts so thatthe validity and utility of the proposed framework can be assessed.To do so weproposethefollowing set of research questions (RQs).670First,concerningthesearchfor information:RQ1.How do the sustainable scanning practices used by organizations relate to thestructure of the conceptual framework (Figure1)?Second,regarding sustainablescanning targets:RQ2.Howdo thetargets thataremonitored inpractice compare tothosederivedfrom theliterature (as listed in Fabbe-Costes et al.,2011)?Third, concerning the scope of the search for information:RQ3.What is the scope ofESfor sustainability inpractice?In thenext section we outlinetheresearch design and methodologyadopted forthe investigation.3.ResearchdesignandmethodologyThe nature of the research questions argued foran exploratory approach to thefieldwork and within this, a two-stage design was adopted.First, semi-structuredinterviewswereheldwithkey informantsfroma rangeof organizationstogatherrich, in-depth qualitative data. Thereafter, a quasi-confirmatory method, involving afocus group ofexperts,considered the outcomes ofouranalysis ofthe interviewdata.This two-step approach thatfacilitates triangulation of the issues and which is similarto others used to gather rich data (e.g. Manuj and Mentzer, 2008), is described in moredetail in thefollowing paragraphs.The research was undertaken as part of a government-sponsored national researchinitiative inFrance (Predit 4, 2012)and was funded by theFrench EnvironmentandEnergyManagementAgency[]Given this context,thefocusof thefieldwork wason a single country (France).3.1Stageone:semi-structured interviewsFor this stage, we wanted diversity relating to industry sector, organizational size andactivity of participants.Furthermore, in order to gather the breadth of data required,we specifically neededto target interviewees from organizations operating atdifferentSCpoints (from upstream to downstream).Accordingly,respondents were soughtfromfirms ofvarying size,sectorand SCfunction,and fromotherstakeholderstothesustainability agenda, including institutions and associations. Sampling involveddirect targeting of professional contacts known to the researchers and, through theseusingaformofsnowballingidentifyingsecondarycontacts.Informantswithexperienceof SCM, sustainable development or scanning were sought, and - in all cases - theorganizationstowhichtheyareaffiliated areknownfortheirSCM competencies andsustainable commitment/initiatives.The unit of analysis for the study being the
The purpose of this paper is to test the conceptual framework through comparison with the sustainable scanning practices of firms engaged in the design or re-design of their SCs and networks or that are seeking to do so. In particular we propose to gather empirical data about the realities of scanning for sustainability in SC contexts so that the validity and utility of the proposed framework can be assessed. To do so we propose the following set of research questions (RQs). First, concerning the search for information: RQ1. How do the sustainable scanning practices used by organizations relate to the structure of the conceptual framework (Figure 1)? Second, regarding sustainable scanning targets: RQ2. How do the targets that are monitored in practice compare to those derived from the literature (as listed in Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011)? Third, concerning the scope of the search for information: RQ3. What is the scope of ES for sustainability in practice? In the next section we outline the research design and methodology adopted for the investigation. 3. Research design and methodology The nature of the research questions argued for an exploratory approach to the fieldwork and within this, a two-stage design was adopted. First, semi-structured interviews were held with key informants from a range of organizations to gather rich, in-depth qualitative data. Thereafter, a quasi-confirmatory method, involving a focus group of experts, considered the outcomes of our analysis of the interview data. This two-step approach that facilitates triangulation of the issues and which is similar to others used to gather rich data (e.g. Manuj and Mentzer, 2008), is described in more detail in the following paragraphs. The research was undertaken as part of a government-sponsored national research initiative in France (Predit 4, 2012) and was funded by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency[1]. Given this context, the focus of the fieldwork was on a single country (France). 3.1 Stage one: semi-structured interviews For this stage, we wanted diversity relating to industry sector, organizational size and activity of participants. Furthermore, in order to gather the breadth of data required, we specifically needed to target interviewees from organizations operating at different SC points (from upstream to downstream). Accordingly, respondents were sought from firms of varying size, sector and SC function, and from other stakeholders to the sustainability agenda, including institutions and associations. Sampling involved direct targeting of professional contacts known to the researchers and, through these using a form of snowballing, identifying secondary contacts. Informants with experience of SCM, sustainable development or scanning were sought, and – in all cases – the organizations to which they are affiliated are known for their SCM competencies and sustainable commitment/initiatives. The unit of analysis for the study being the 670 IJOPM 34,5 Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
Sustainablerespondent's organization rather than theSC to which it belonged,informants derivedfrom multiple SCs.The role, sector, activity and organizational size of thefinal set of 45supply chainsintervieweesareshowninAppendix.The over-arching national research initiative aimed to investigate the importance oflogistics/SCM and sustainabledevelopment issuesfororganizations,andtounderstandthe various SSCM initiatives and scanning practices that are used relating to future671SSCs.The research, which is essentially exploratory, used a semi-structured interviewguidetogatherdata ona rangeof issuesassociated with theseaims.Tominimizebias inthe results, questions were open and non-leading.Specifically, it was important thatrespondents provided unprompted answersand,for this reason,we did not mentionany scanning targets or boundaries as we conducted theinterviews.The interviewslasted between one and two hours, and were conducted and audio-recorded betweenDecember 2010 and February 2011.Once“theoretical saturation"was reached (after 45interviews)the recordings were transcribed and atwo-stepcodingapproach was usedfordata analysis.In the first “open coding" step (Ellram, 1996), each significant verbatim quoterelevantto theresearch questionswas noted.Inparticular,we captured every scanningtarget for future SSCs that wasmentioned (RQ2).Thereafter,we related each target toitsappropriatelevel(s)intheSSCMframework,thuscompletinga codingtableforeachinterview (RQI).During this process, we noted those topics thatfeatured atmorethanoneframeworklevel (RQI),and wecapturedresponses thatreferred totheboundariesused to delineate/prioritize respondents'SSC scanning practices (RQ3).In ordertoensure rigor in this coding process three of the richest interview transcripts wereinitially coded independently bytworesearchers who afterwards compared resultsAsa consequence,slightadjustments weremadeto theprocess such that theanalysisof the remaining transcripts would be standardized and without bias. Once alltranscripts had been analyzed,the results were shared,and final coding was made anddouble-checked To complete the first step, the primary results and observations foreach interview were summarized, by“writing analytic notes to explicateand fill outcategories,"a crucial intermediate step close to memo-writing from grounded theory(Charmaz, 1995, p. 28).Inthesecond step,the individual codingtablesweremerged intomastertables,eachincluding a compilation of all the scanningtargets foroneof theframework's six levelsWe then lookedfor similarities,and iteratively developed a view ofemerging categoriesthat could serve as a generic guideline for scanning focus definition.Finally in thisstep, the results of coding and categorization were compared to scanning targetsidentified from the literature (Fabbe-Costes et al,2011) (RQ2)and used toexaminethescopeofrespondentsscanningpractices(RQ3).3.2 Stage two: focus groupIn this stage,during which we sought in-depth discussion and validation of the interviewresults, a focus group method was considered appropriate (Sanchez-Rodriguez et al.,20i0).ThegroupcomprisedexpertsdrawnfrommembersofaFrench"environmentand logistics"ciub which aims to develop and implement operational solutions forSSCM, and is well-known in Francefor its SSCM commitment[2]. The three-hour focusgroup, which was audio-recorded, was held in Paris on May 4, 2012 with nineparticipants representing various SCroles,includingretail,manufacture and thirdpartylogistics (seeAppendix).Followingabriefpresentationabouttheprojectand theproposed framework, we circulated the master tables from the analysis of interviews
respondent’s organization rather than the SC to which it belonged, informants derived from multiple SCs. The role, sector, activity and organizational size of the final set of 45 interviewees are shown in Appendix. The over-arching national research initiative aimed to investigate the importance of logistics/SCM and sustainable development issues for organizations, and to understand the various SSCM initiatives and scanning practices that are used relating to future SSCs. The research, which is essentially exploratory, used a semi-structured interview guide to gather data on a range of issues associated with these aims. To minimize bias in the results, questions were open and non-leading. Specifically, it was important that respondents provided unprompted answers and, for this reason, we did not mention any scanning targets or boundaries as we conducted the interviews. The interviews lasted between one and two hours, and were conducted and audio-recorded between December 2010 and February 2011. Once “theoretical saturation” was reached (after 45 interviews) the recordings were transcribed and a two-step coding approach was used for data analysis. In the first “open coding” step (Ellram, 1996), each significant verbatim quote relevant to the research questions was noted. In particular, we captured every scanning target for future SSCs that was mentioned (RQ2). Thereafter, we related each target to its appropriate level(s) in the SSCM framework, thus completing a coding table for each interview (RQ1). During this process, we noted those topics that featured at more than one framework level (RQ1), and we captured responses that referred to the boundaries used to delineate/prioritize respondents’ SSC scanning practices (RQ3). In order to ensure rigor in this coding process three of the richest interview transcripts were initially coded independently by two researchers who afterwards compared results. As a consequence, slight adjustments were made to the process such that the analysis of the remaining transcripts would be standardized and without bias. Once all transcripts had been analyzed, the results were shared, and final coding was made and double-checked. To complete the first step, the primary results and observations for each interview were summarized, by “writing analytic notes to explicate and fill out categories,” a crucial intermediate step close to memo-writing from grounded theory (Charmaz, 1995, p. 28). In the second step, the individual coding tables were merged into master tables, each including a compilation of all the scanning targets for one of the framework’s six levels. We then looked for similarities, and iteratively developed a view of emerging categories that could serve as a generic guideline for scanning focus definition. Finally in this step, the results of coding and categorization were compared to scanning targets identified from the literature (Fabbe-Costes et al., 2011) (RQ2) and used to examine the scope of respondents’ scanning practices (RQ3). 3.2 Stage two: focus group In this stage, during which we sought in-depth discussion and validation of the interview results, a focus group method was considered appropriate (Sanchez-Rodriguez et al., 2010). The group comprised experts drawn from members of a French “environment and logistics” club which aims to develop and implement operational solutions for SSCM, and is well-known in France for its SSCM commitment[2]. The three-hour focus group, which was audio-recorded, was held in Paris on May 4, 2012 with nine participants representing various SC roles, including retail, manufacture and third party logistics (see Appendix). Following a brief presentation about the project and the proposed framework, we circulated the master tables from the analysis of interviews. 671 Sustainable supply chains Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)
IJOPMReflecting the content of the second column in Table Il, these contained thecategorized lists of targets from the interviews.For each level, we asked the experts34,5independentlytoselectthethreecategoriesthattheyconsideredtobemostimportant(not necessarily those that they or their organizations actually scan), and to add anytargets that they felt were missing. The results were collated and summarized toindicate, for each scanning level, the target(s) with a majority of choices.This provided672the basis forgeneral discussion byfocus groupmembers, including consideration ofhowtheresultsmightinformtheirfuturedevelopmentof a collectivesustainablescanning approach and critical review of the relevance and utility of this particularscanningframework.Theresearch methodology adopted for this study was designed to ensure,as far aspossible, the reliability and validity of the data deriving from it.In particular, stepswere taken to ensurethat it conformed to the parallel quality criteria forqualitativeresearch in logistics deriving from interpretivist research approaches (Halldorsson andAastrup,2003).Thus, in pursuit of“truth-value"we directly targeted professionalswho had conviction that sustainability and scanning are important issues for logisticsand SCM;weused open and non-leading questions forthe semi-structuredinterviews; we continued data collection until theoretical saturation was reached andwe double-checked the final coding.Every respondent received thefinal report withresults of the research and could comment on its "credibility."To maximize"transferability,”wedeliberately sought diversity in terms of responder organizations'size,sectorand activityandweattempted toidentifybestpracticesthroughthefocusgroup.When building themaster tables with target categories, we formulated generictargets that couldfit withasmany industriesaspossible.Finally,for“trackability andexplicity,"theprocess, data sources and theories underlying the work are documented,and the interview guide and transcribed interviews are available upon request.The fieldwork results are presented according to the sequence of the researchquestions in thefollowing section, and are subsequently discussed by reference to theconceptual frameworkand theresearchquestions.4.Results4.1 RQ1RQ1 sought to understand how the sustainable scanning practices used byorganizationsrelate tothe structure of theconceptual framework.Interview dataaddressing this question is shown in Table Iand, with respondents reporting targetmonitoring at all levels,provides strong evidence of the relevance of its multi-levelarchitecture.Alargemajorityofrespondentspracticescoverseverallevels,withoverNumber of levelsCumulative%ofNumberof interviews% of interviewsconcernedinterviews(total = 45)65432101842240B9320069896.595.5TableI.4.51000100Number of levels000100mentioned in the45Total100%100%interviews
Reflecting the content of the second column in Table III, these contained the categorized lists of targets from the interviews. For each level, we asked the experts independently to select the three categories that they considered to be most important (not necessarily those that they or their organizations actually scan), and to add any targets that they felt were missing. The results were collated and summarized to indicate, for each scanning level, the target(s) with a majority of choices. This provided the basis for general discussion by focus group members, including consideration of how the results might inform their future development of a collective sustainable scanning approach and critical review of the relevance and utility of this particular scanning framework. The research methodology adopted for this study was designed to ensure, as far as possible, the reliability and validity of the data deriving from it. In particular, steps were taken to ensure that it conformed to the parallel quality criteria for qualitative research in logistics deriving from interpretivist research approaches (Halldorsson and Aastrup, 2003). Thus, in pursuit of “truth-value” we directly targeted professionals who had conviction that sustainability and scanning are important issues for logistics and SCM; we used open and non-leading questions for the semi-structured interviews; we continued data collection until theoretical saturation was reached and we double-checked the final coding. Every respondent received the final report with results of the research and could comment on its “credibility.” To maximize “transferability,” we deliberately sought diversity in terms of responder organizations’ size, sector and activity and we attempted to identify best practices through the focus group. When building the master tables with target categories, we formulated generic targets that could fit with as many industries as possible. Finally, for “trackability and explicity,” the process, data sources and theories underlying the work are documented, and the interview guide and transcribed interviews are available upon request. The fieldwork results are presented according to the sequence of the research questions in the following section, and are subsequently discussed by reference to the conceptual framework and the research questions. 4. Results 4.1 RQ1 RQ1 sought to understand how the sustainable scanning practices used by organizations relate to the structure of the conceptual framework. Interview data addressing this question is shown in Table I and, with respondents reporting target monitoring at all levels, provides strong evidence of the relevance of its multi-level architecture. A large majority of respondents’ practices cover several levels, with over Number of levels concerned Number of interviews (total ¼ 45) % of interviews Cumulative % of interviews 6 18 40 40 5 13 29 69 4 9 20 89 3 3 6.5 95.5 2 2 4.5 100 1 0 0 100 0 0 0 100 Total 45 100% 100% Table I. Number of levels mentioned in the interviews 672 IJOPM 34,5 Downloaded by WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:58 25 June 2015 (PT)