Practices and performance outcomes of green supply chain management initiatives in the garment industry

Abstract

PurposeThe garments/textiles industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. However, efforts to understand and curtail its adverse environmental impacts have not been commensurate, and previous works have largely been fragmented and disjointed. This study aims to coduct a comprehensive and systematic green supply chain management (GSCM) investigation on this industry, where a multidimensional framework involving green supply chain practices and performance is developed, validated and applied.Design/methodology/approachA framework consisting of 12 constructs (8 on practices and 4 on performance) and their underlying measures were developed through an extensive literature review. A survey methodology was used to obtain responses from 403 garment-manufacturing firms in Bangladesh, one of the leading garment producers in the world. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used first to validate the first- and second-order constructs and then test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsInternal environmental management and cooperation with stakeholders were identified as necessary precursors for implementing the second-order green supply chain practices comprising green design, green purchasing, green manufacturing, green transportation, green facilities and end-of-life management. The implementation of green supply chain practices was found to have a (direct) positive impact on environmental, economic and operational performance and an indirect positive impact on organizational performance. Similarly, both economic and operational performance was found to impact organizational performance positively. Surprisingly, a negative relationship (albeit low) was observed between environmental and organizational performance. Also, garment-manufacturing firms were found to have been unable to translate their IEM capabilities into strategic and long-term cooperation with stakeholders.Research limitations/implicationsThe study fills a gap in the literature about applying/implementing GSCM in the garment industry. Future studies in the garment industry and elsewhere could utilize the framework to understand further the synergistic impact of green supply chain practices on performance.Practical implicationsThe findings provide practitioners, policymakers and organizations associated with the garment industry with critical insights on the various opportunities and challenges in adopting GSCM. Also, the positive impact of green supply chain practices on performance could provide the impetus for manufacturing firms to adopt GSCM.Originality/valueA comprehensive GSCM investigation on the garment industry has not been previously attempted and constitutes the novelty of this work. Also, Bangladesh is the second-largest garment exporter worldwide, making this study contribution even more valuable.

Modeling the impact of green supply chain practices on environmental performance: the mediating role of ecocentricity

“…Mallikarathna and Silva (2019) averred that GSCM is an integration of green thinking into SCM, including product development, materials sourcing and selection, manufacturing processes, delivery of the final product to the consumer and end-of-life. Prior studies (Gamboa-Bernal, 2020;Han and Huo, 2020;Acquah et al, 2021;Habib et al, 2022) have linked SCM and logistics activities including packaging, transportation and distribution to environmental pollution, and a threat to the planet of which current study argues that the Oil Marketing and Distribution Companies in Ghana are not exceptional.…”

“…The transition to sustainable development and reduced demand for fossil fuels will require a complete transformation of existing production, consumption and waste management systems, as well as an increase in the sustainability of the energy production and manufacturing sectors (Acquah et al, 2021;Agyabeng-Mensah et al, 2021;Habib et al, 2022). Global challenges such as energy security and high energy prices, natural resource scarcity and climate change are driving the development of sustainable alternative energy production and generation systems.…”

“…Green distribution broadly refers to logistics methods that reduce the impact on the environment. Green choices can be made throughout the supply chain, including warehousing, order fulfillment, packaging and last-mile delivery (Acquah et al, 2021;Agyabeng-Mensah et al, 2021;Habib et al, 2022). As evident in recent extant studies (Acquah et al, 2021;Agyabeng-Mensah et al, 2021) Oil Marketing and Distribution Companies are expected to adopt and incorporate green distribution into their supply chain system to prevent the worse of climate change.…”

“…Distribution covers a range of activities, from packaging to transportation that has a significant impact on the planet. One way to think about this is to consider the organization's ecological footprint (Cousins et al, 2019;Habib et al, 2022). Accurately calculating this footprint is not straightforward, as everything from the urban infrastructure and roads used for distribution to waste and CO2 emissions must be considered.…”

“…There are many possibilities, such as efficient packaging of trucks and containers or optimizing energy efficiency in ground transportation. All of this translates into significant energy savings and reduced carbon emissions (Çankaya and Sezen, 2019;Choudhary and Sangwan, 2019;Green et al, 2019;Younis and Sundarakani, 2020;Habib et al, 2022). If improving operational efficiency is the goal of most petroleum sales and distribution companies, therefore green distribution is a win-win solution for both the business and the environment.…”