Fuzzy-based sustainable manufacturing assessment model for SMEs

This paper examines the impact of competitive capabilities on sustainable manufacturing practices in Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises from the textile industry. We developed an econometric model based on previous research conducted by prestigious specialists and validated on a survey data from 221 Romanian small and medium enterprises from the textile industry. Our article proposes a number of implications to encourage entrepreneurs and managers from textile industry to engage in pro-environmental behaviour.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Competitive Capabilities on Sustainable Manufacturing Applications in Romanian SMEs from the Textile Industry

Ceptureanu

Bologa

et al. 2018

“…Profound research on the development of CSA for different types of organizations-e.g., SMEs, large companies, manufacturing and public-has been carried out and the literature on CSA demonstrates that researchers and practitioners learned a great deal about assessment techniques and sustainability indicators, see, e.g., [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. It is apparent that the focus is mainly on the technical aspects, such as the choice of indicators, aggregation of data, requirements to an assessment process, the characteristics of indicators, aggregation methods and challenges related to data collection and analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Organizational Context for Corporate Sustainability Assessment: Cross-Disciplinary Approach

Moldavska

2017

Abstract:Extensive research has already been conducted on the technical aspects of a Sustainability Assessment (SA) at a company level, i.e., Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). However, previous research paid little attention to the context in which an assessment takes place, i.e., the conditions within the organization that facilitate or inhibit the effectiveness of CSA as a decision support tool. This study seeks to shed more light on the organizational context for CSA. Since the research in this topic is limited within the SA discipline, the knowledge from the Performance Measurement (PM) discipline is used. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, factors that define the organizational context for CSA were proposed. Furthermore, they were ranked by 104 sustainability professionals using online survey. The survey results revealed that the top five factors are "leadership commitment", "sustainability strategy", "data collection capabilities", "understanding of purpose and benefits of SA" and "focus on continuous improvements". The practical application of the result of this study was illustrated using a multiple case study, in which the readiness to implement CSA by four manufacturing companies was evaluated.

“…Despite the growing interest in application of sustainability assessment in the manufacturing and a great number of developed assessment tools (e.g., [8][9][10][11][12]), only few of them have been used by manufacturing companies. One of the reasons is that sustainability assessment tools may appear too theoretical and abstract [9,13], or too technical and complicated for manufacturing companies [14][15][16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the reasons is that sustainability assessment tools may appear too theoretical and abstract [9,13], or too technical and complicated for manufacturing companies [14][15][16]. Researchers attempt to create the ideal assessment tool, whereas manufacturers do not know from where to start their journey toward sustainability, causing a gap between the two communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Manufacturing Sustainability Assessment Using Systems Thinking

Moldavska

Welo

2015

Abstract:The existing body of knowledge in sustainability assessment of manufacturing indicates that although extensive research is going on, significant shortcomings remain unsolved. In this paper, the specific needs of a new sustainability assessment system are discussed. Systems thinking is suggested as an alternative to the reductionist approach which is commonly applied to sustainability assessment. Although previous research has recognized the potential of systems thinking applied to sustainability assessment, few practical examples have been demonstrated. Therefore, this article focuses on a practical application of systems thinking to the development of a sustainability assessment system of a manufacturing organization. A framework for development is proposed employing systems thinking. It is suggested that systems thinking reveals several aspects usually not addressed by the reductionist approaches. It is demonstrated that a combination of tools like analysis of multiple viewpoints, conceptagon, seven samurai, and model-based systems engineering can enhance a development of a suitable assessment systems.