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Purpose – Empirical research provides evidence that green supply chain management (SCM) practices positively impact firm performance. Yet, questions remain regarding how firms configure their organizations and design green practices to achieve improved performance, especially in light of a constantly changing business environment. This research uses the resource-based and strategic choice theories to better understand the antecedent roles of two strategic orientations, supply chain orientation (SCO) and environmental orientation (EO), on both the implementation and outcomes of green SCM practices. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Survey responses from 367 supply chain managers are tested through structural equation modeling. Findings – Findings suggest that a combination of SCO and EO capabilities positively influence the implementation of green SCM practices, and positively impact firm performance. Results also suggest that the capability bundle of SCO, EO, and green SCM should be adaptable to the changing business environment. Originality/value – This research contributes through the combination of the resource-based theory, supported by strategic choice theory, to better understand how managers configure and re-configure valuable green-related capabilities to adapt to the constantly changing business environment.

This research uses data from a survey to explore the factors that affect organizations' manufacturing location decisions. Manufacturing location, more specifically the possibility of firms' nearshoring or reshoring, has received a great deal of recent attention, especially in the United States. This paper applies the location aspect of internalization theory to provide an understanding of what factors affect organizations' perceptions of the attractiveness of various regions as locations for owned manufacturing facilities. An exploratory factor analysis is used to develop factors that drive manufacturing location decisions. Multiple regression analysis is used to test the relationship between the drivers of manufacturing location decisions and movement of manufacturing into or out of a region, and overall perceived risk of a region. Findings indicate that various drivers have differential effects across regions. For example, while North America is viewed favorably for its trade policies over the next 3 years, the trade policies are also viewed as an increasing source of risk, possibly reflecting bipartisan conflicts. Three theoretical propositions are developed to advance the understanding of the current state of manufacturing location decisions from an internalization perspective. It appears that organizations are beginning to look at their manufacturing location decisions through a broader lens, giving more weight to supply chain issues as well as strategic factors.

Firms are increasingly under pressure from stakeholders to incorporate the triple‐bottom line of social, environmental and economic responsibility considerations into operations and supply chain management strategies. This research uses content analysis software that performed centering resonance analysis to examine corporate communication to stakeholders through corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. The intent is to determine how supply chain strategies factor in to the triple‐bottom line of 100 socially and environmentally responsible global companies. This research compares and contrasts the influential words in the CSR reports of firms from a range of industries, sizes and geographical regions. The content analysis revealed ten themes that provide a snapshot of how top global companies integrate and improve the triple‐bottom line in internal operations and external supply chains. Findings indicated that while institutional pressure is the major driving force behind strategy development for all of the industries studied, companies emphasize different facets of social, environmental and economic responsibility upstream and downstream in supply chains based on industry, size and geographic location. The analysis revealed unique insights regarding corporate communications that other methodologies would not find.

While the economic and environmental dimensions of the triple bottom line (TBL) have been covered extensively by management theory and practice, the social dimension remains largely underrepresented. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and the natural resourcebased view (NRBV) of the firm are revisited to lay the theoretical foundation for exploring how the social dimension might be addressed. Social capabilities are then explored by looking at the social entrepreneurship literature and illustrative cases with the purpose of elaborating RBV toward a social resource-based view (SRBV) of the firm. Three illustrative cases, which represent social businesses located in catastrophe-ridden Haiti, show how capabilities are used to overcome challenging constraints. The goal for the social entrepreneur is to employ the appropriate capabilities to ensure economic success, a positive environmental impact, and social benefits that leave the local community in a better position than without the business. Just as NRBV is a previous elaboration of RBV, so can SRBV be an elaborated theoretical foundation for future research. The components of a theory are systematically addressed by extending the range of variables (adding social capabilities), extending the domain (including stakeholders with economic, environmental, and/or social stakes), and offering propositions on variable relationships and outcome predictions (linking social capabilities and shared TBL value creation). By highlighting the social capabilities of social entrepreneurs, this research illuminates the micro-foundations of corporate social responsibility, emphasizing the value of individual level analyses.

Purpose – Suppliers play a more significant role in the environmental footprint of supply chains than most final manufacturers. The purpose of this paper is to apply transaction costs and institutional theory to help understand why the more conservative, or reactive suppliers may or may not be likely to adopt environmental practices. Design/methodology/approach – This research builds on a prior conceptual paper and uses the results of a survey to test whether transaction costs and institutional theory can provide insight into supplier's adoption of environmental practices. Findings – This research finds that perceived transaction costs affect supplier cooperation in adopting environmental practices. Suppliers are more likely to adopt an environmental practice if information-seeking costs are low or the cost of adoption is considered necessary to maintain the relationship. Data did not support the hypotheses concerning institutional pressures. Originality/value – There is much research in the area of proactive adoption of environmental business practices. This research looks specifically at what influences the adoption of environmental business practices by suppliers that are more reactive or hesitant to be leaders in this area.

Purpose The last decades have seen manufacturing and services offshoring on the rise, often motivated by low prices and without consideration of other important criteria such as additional cost measures and risk. With wages in former low-cost countries and automation/robotization increasing, these decisions are increasingly contested. Re-evaluations of “shoring” decisions inherently create a need to re-examine theoretical and academic contributions to this rapidly changing phenomenon. Therefore, the special issue sought manuscripts that added to the exciting and dynamic body of knowledge on “rightshoring”. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The paper starts out by delimiting outsourcing/insourcing and offshoring/reshoring as part of a conceptual “rightshoring” framework to establish a common terminology and context for the insights gathered in the special issue. It illustrates that “shoring” options can be classified along geographical and governance dimensions. Findings Both the geographical and governance dimensions are part of the rightshoring decision which is an important conceptual foundation for this special issue, as it invited insightful pieces on all of these phenomena (e.g. outsourcing, insourcing, offshoring, reshoring), acknowledging that these decisions are embedded in the same context – firms making governance and location decisions. Therefore, papers 1-4 primarily focus on offshoring, whereas paper 5 focuses on insourcing and paper 6 on reshoring. Their main findings are summarized in Table II. Research limitations/implications Suggestions for future research out of the six papers are summarized in Table III. There is ample opportunity to further shed light on these suggestions as well as to cover parts of the “rightshoring” framework presented, that remain less covered here (e.g. insourcing and/or reshoring). Practical implications The array of potential “rightshoring” options fosters clarity about the phenomena studied and their implications. The main practical implications of the six papers are summarized in Table II. Originality/value The overall conceptual framework highlights the positioning of the final papers included into the special issue and provides guidance to scholars and managers alike.

PurposeThis impact pathway manuscript motivates and guides operations and supply chain management (OSCM) researchers to deeply consider the role of suppliers in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. It prompts a reconsideration and update of their understanding of climate change in their research and the positive influence that research could have, specifically on reducing GHG emissions and slowing climate disasters.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use qualitative research methods, including a literature review, interviews with NGOs, focus groups with purchasing professionals and in-depth case studies.FindingsThe results provide insights into purchasing’s role in the engagement of suppliers in GHG emissions reduction efforts as organizations begin to advance the sustainability journey toward suppliers’ emissions reduction and their contribution to improvements in supply chain GHG emissions. The paper calls for more actionable academic research that can contribute to theory and practice.Research limitations/implicationsThis impact pathway article discusses how the topic of GHG supply chain emissions reduction is viewed in both research and practice. The current dire state of the environment and purchasing and supply chain involvement in GHG emissions reduction initiatives points to the need to develop impactful research. The paper closes with guidance on potential future research opportunities.Practical implicationsThe pressure on companies to reduce their GHG emissions has never been more significant, and companies have never before made as many public commitments to reduce their GHG emissions both internally and across the supply chain as they are making today. Managers must truly understand their role in reducing GHG emissions and their supply chain implications.Social implicationsGHG emissions reduction and associated climate change are top issues on the global climate agenda. Reducing emissions (and related climate change) has important positive implications for human health. This is especially true among underrepresented communities, which tend to be disproportionately impacted by living and working in weather-exposed climates with poor air quality.Originality/valueThe authors aim to stimulate new research and discussion through this pathway paper. The climate crisis is real, and the world is missing its GHG reduction targets. If companies limit their efforts and continue to make excuses, the world will continue its path to climate disaster.

PurposeDriven by increasing concerns for sustainable development and digitalization, intermediaries have emerged as relevant actors who can help supply chains tackle grand societal challenges. They can also trigger significant changes in structure, shape and governance models of supply chains. The goal of this research is to advance the understanding of supply chain intermediation and digital governance as coordinating mechanisms for enabling multi-level collective action to address the world's grand challenges.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual research paper that uses a vignette approach, where real examples are described to help question and expand theoretical insights and provide a basis for future research. The examples are drawn from past and ongoing extensive primary and secondary data collection efforts in diverse types of supply chains.FindingsThree contexts are proposed to illustrate how intermediaries and digital governance can play a key role in helping supply chains tackle grand challenges. The first and second context highlight the differences between material and support flow intermediaries in a triadic supply chain relationship. The third context illustrates intermediation within a multi-level network which can be industry-specific or span across industries. The three contexts are evaluated on the level of intervention, the focus on material or support flows, and traditional or digital governance. The specific Sustainable Development Goals which can be tackled through intermediary intervention are also indicated.Originality/valueIntermediaries are often hidden actors in global supply chains and have received limited attention in the academic literature. The conceptual foundation provided in this manuscript serves as the basis for future research opportunities. Three main avenues for further research in this domain are proposed: (1) novel forms of intermediation beyond economic and transactional arrangements; (2) novel forms of digital governance; and (3) translating multi-level collective action into sustainable development outcomes. Research on intermediation driven by sustainable development and digitalization trends can spur empirical advances in sustainable supply chain and operations management with important societal impact.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship among green, lean, and global supply chain strategies as found in the literature, with emphasis on the concurrent implementation of these three strategic initiatives, in order to develop a research agenda to guide theoretically based future research that informs managerial decision making.Design methodology approach - An extensive literature review is conducted to examine research and practice with respect to the concurrent implementation of green, lean, and global supply chain strategies.Findings - An in-depth examination of the literature revealed drivers, barriers, converging, and contradictory points across the three supply chain strategies. Future research opportunities fall into four major themes: the need for theoretically grounded research, the need for a multi-functional approach, the need for a systems approach that adds strategic insight, and the need for integrated measurement application. Managerial aspects are highlighted in the discussion of the metrics across the three strategic interfaces and integrated life cycle management is suggested as a framework for measurement application across the three supply chain strategies.Originality value - Separate literature streams have arisen to address issues in green, lean, and global supply chain management, but research has largely neglected the intersection of these three strategies practiced by multinational organizations. The current research synthesizes the literature addressing the intersections of green, lean, and global supply chain management, and suggests a research agenda to redress gaps in the literature.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compile a set of articles tackling supply chain issues in BOP contexts that address both demand and supply. Solutions are needed for global sustainability problems from medical aid and food availability to the ability to participate in supply chains for the global poor. Design/methodology/approach The accepted articles in the special issue used a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to answer research questions in a variety of base of the pyramid (BOP) contexts. These approaches and results distinguish between demand (BOP market) and supply, or base of the chain (BOC), perspectives. Findings The findings in the eight accepted marticles are interesting and applicable across different BOP contexts. Compilation of the articles into the special issue and the accompanying editorial led to a comprehensive future research agenda that addresses demand-side issues by investigating the customers in BOP markets, and supply-side issues focusing on the suppliers and intermediaries (BOC) who supply BOP markets. Future research ideas include a focus on supply chain design issues situated at the intersection of the demand (BOP) and the supply (BOC) concerns that address the needs of the world’s poorest populations. Research limitations/implications All of the selected articleshave societal implications related to addressing the needs of BOP populations. Many of these articles also have economic and environmental implications, the other two pillars of the triple bottom line. The detailed future research agenda developed in this editorial presents implications for researchers working in emerging and BOP communities to push research forward and further develop the foundational literature in the BOP context. Practical implications From a practical standpoint, each of the eight articles presents ideas for businesses that help address the needs of the global poor while enhancing global sustainability performance. The editorial summarizes these implications and provides new directions and examples of success in the BOP context. Managers are provided with techniques to address the supply and demand side of these growing markets. Originality/value The overall conceptual framework and positioning of the final papers into the BOP market, BOC suppliers and a combination of the two is novel and helps provide guidance to both scholars and managers.