Maria Björklund

Performance measurements in the greening of supply chains

Purpose: In response to increasing demands on improved environmental performance, companies need to develop their capabilities in assessing the environmental performance of their operations. Knowle ...

Matches and gaps in the green logistics market

The management of interfaces is central in supply chain management (SCM) and logistics. An important part of SCM is coordination and collaboration with different partners such as suppliers, interme ...

Benchmarking tool for improved corporate social responsibility in purchasing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a benchmark tool that can be applied to improve corporate social responsibility (CSR) in purchasing. The tool has been tested on two companies that illustrate how the benchmarking tool can be applied.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review provides arguments for the importance of a benchmarking tool in the area of social responsible purchasing. The literature review also provides information about the practices and activities that can be applied as well as a structure for these. Empirical data are based on the sustainability reports of two companies.Findings – A benchmarking tool for social responsible purchasing is developed. The tool facilitates companies in their structuring, categorising and presenting of relevant data in order to benchmark their social responsibility in purchasing. The testing of the tool provided concrete examples of activities that can be used to address different aspects of CSR in purchasing.Practical implications – The l...

Logistics service providers and corporate social responsibility: sustainability reporting in the logistics industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a content analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports published by logistics service providers (LSPs), and to analyse factors influencing the level and scope of reporting. In order to address this objective, the authors show to what extent various social and environmental categories are covered in the CSR reports. The authors also investigate whether any differences in the use of CSR indicators can be found with regard to the use of a formal reporting framework, the size of a company, location of its headquarter, and ownership structure. Design/methodology/approach – The study begins with a comprehensive literature review on the CSR policies and practices in relation to the field of logistics. A database of 350 international LSPs is compiled based on independent rankings of top logistics companies. Applying a content analysis approach, corporate web sites and CSR reports are examined in order to investigate how sustainability is reported and ...

The purpose and focus of environmental performance measurement systems in logistics

Purpose - Environmental performance measurement systems (EPMS) in supply chains are increasingly important. The aim of this paper is to investigate the purposes of having an EPMS in logistics and in what ways the purpose of an EPMS can influence its focus in the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach - The study is based on a survey of shippers and logistics service providers in Sweden. Exploratory factor analysis grouped the EPMS purposes. Regression analysis investigated the relation between EPMS purpose and supply chain focus. Findings - Those companies that had an EPMS had several purposes. The most common EPMS purpose was target setting. The seven purposes could be grouped into one external demand and one internal management factor. The most common focus was company-internal, and the least common was to have a downstream focus. Significant relationships were verified between EPMS purpose and supply chain focus; companies seem to design their EPMS mainly out of internal management purposes. Research limitations/implications - The study contributed to theory on performance measurement in logistics by expanding it to include environmental performance. The richest theoretical contribution is related to the descriptive first research question, which provided theoretical structures and empirical knowledge on EPMS, which to the best of our knowledge has not been published before. Logical, valid and reliable factors or scales for measuring the purpose of EPMS were provided. The conceptualized relation between EPMS purpose and focus is an additional theoretical contribution. Practical implications - Managers are provided with descriptions, structure and input to EPMS design. This paper has increased the understanding on EPMS design, related both to the own companys and other supply chain actors’ EPMS. It indicates the complex practices of having many purposes for the EPMS and offers explanation to why companies may be reluctant to expand EPMS beyond their company boundaries. Originality/value - Despite the increasing importance of environmental performance, few studies on EPMS are conducted. This study expands performance measurement knowledge by providing empirical evidence in a Swedish context.

The inclusion of environmental performance in transport contracts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the inclusion of environmental performance in transport contracts, and to study whether differences in inclusion can be explained by managerial ...

Exploring logistics-related environmental sustainability in large retailers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and illustrate ways in which the world’s largest retailers describe their logistics-related environmental considerations, their environmental indicators applied to measure the effects of these considerations and their environmental consciousness in their CSR reports. Design/methodology/approach – Classification models are developed via a literature review on logistics-related environmental considerations, indicators and consciousness. A content analysis approach is then applied to examine CSR reports from 12 of the world’s largest retailers. Findings – Few retailers show environmental considerations in all logistics activities, but purchasing is especially well described. Even if many retailers claim to use the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework, no one uses is completely. Judging consciousness from CSR reports raised a number of questions. Research limitations/implications – A contribution to theory is the development of two classification models...

Linking strategic logistics change to labor rights

Purpose – This paper aims to describe how research literature and logistics practitioners respectively describe the link between logistics and corporate social responsibility, focusing on the link ...

Urban consolidation centres: retail stores’ demands for UCC services

Purpose - Urban consolidation centres (UCCs) are often conceived to improve services in retail stores and potentially reduce costs. However, few studies have examined how retail stores perceive the ...

The Shades of Green in Retail Chains’ Logistics

Abstract Purpose This study aims to illustrate how retail chains with a green image align sustainable logistics actions, logistics measurements and contracts with logistics service providers (LSPs), and to develop a classification model that allows for a description of the various shades of green within companies. Design/methodology/approach We carried out a multiple case study of four retail chains with a green image operating in the Swedish market, collecting empirical data from the retail chains’ sustainability reports and home pages and conducting interviews with logistics, transportation and supply chain managers. Findings Based on the literature, we developed a classification model for judging green image, green logistics actions, green measurements and green contracts. The model is used to illustrate the different shades of green found within the respective retail chains. A green image seems well-aligned with green logistics actions. However, there are more levels to judge, and the measurement systems are not sufficiently developed to track green logistics actions. Contract handling is more developed among retail chains than measurements, which is positive, as this is a way of ensuring that LSPs are involved. In our classification model, greenwashing can be judged in a more nuanced way, delving deeper under the surface. Research limitations/implications The provided classification model adds to our knowledge and illustrates the alignment within companies’ sustainable logistics. The robustness of the model can be strengthened by applying it to a larger number of cases and by continually validating its content and evaluation criteria. Practical implications The study’s main practical contribution is the classification model, which may potentially serve as a method for managers to easily judge the green alignment of a retail chain’s logistics. Originality/value Few empirical studies capture how retail chains measure environmental logistics performance, and even fewer concern contracts stipulating the environmental demands placed on LSPs.