Strategic responses to institutional forces pressuring sustainability practice adoption: Case-based evidence from inland port operations

Vejvar, Markus; Lai, Kee‐hung; Lo, Chris K.Y.; Fürst, Elmar Wilhelm M.

doi:10.1016/j.trd.2017.08.014

Cited by 46 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…It is commonly used by existing research in analysing companies' motivation for managing sustainability (Yang, 2018). Particularly from the institutional perspective, stakeholders such as shareholders, suppliers, customers, competitors, and the public can exert normative, mimetic, and coercive pressure on firms to manage sustainability (Lai et al, 2013;Vejvar et al, 2017). Such abilities confer power to stakeholders who can affect the performance outcomes of shipping companies.…”

Section: Stakeholder Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

A theory-driven identification and ranking of the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management

Tran

Yuen

et al. 2020

Journal of Cleaner Production

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Sustainable shipping management is arguably the most challenging issue that shipping companies faced for the coming years. Hence, examining the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management is vital. Although previous research mainly focused on the motives and implication of sustainable shipping management, practical research that proposes how sustainable shipping management can be implemented is still lacking. Therefore, this study fills the gap by identifying and ranking the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management with a theory-driven approach. The critical success factors were developed through the theoretical lenses of five organisational theories, namely, stakeholder theory, resource-based view theory, relational-view theory, innovation diffusion theory, and contingency (fit) theory. Based on these theories, this study proposes stakeholders' focus, intra-firm management, interfirm collaboration, new technology acceptance, and strategic fit as the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management. Further, 20 sub-criteria were identified to operationalise the critical success factors. A survey questionnaire was pretested and then administered to 36 shipping companies in Vietnam. Thereafter, the obtained data was analysed using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. The findings show that the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management, in descending order of their importance with their respective local weights, are (1) stakeholders' focus (0.298), (2) intra-firm management (0.248), (3) new technology acceptance (0.156), (4) inter-firm collaboration (0.154), and (5) strategic fit (0.143). Moreover, results of this study show that among the sub-criteria of sustainable shipping management, the most important ones are primarily related to monetary resources and tangible infrastructures and equipment. Additionally, sustainable shipping management implementation in shipping companies can be improved by addressing the needs of stakeholders and aligning sustainable shipping management activities with shipping companies' strategies. By evaluating the critical success factors, this study contributes to theory by holistically identifying and reviewing five theoretical frameworks that can enhance sustainable shipping management. This research also contributes to practice by contextualising and operationalising these theories into meaningful criteria and sub-criteria for shipping companies to implement sustainable shipping management. Consequently, it addresses the question of how sustainable shipping management should be implemented to maximise a shipping company's sustainability performance.

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Section: Stakeholder Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

A theory-driven identification and ranking of the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management

Tran

Yuen

et al. 2020

Journal of Cleaner Production

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In contrast to seaports, sustainability reporting is still largely undiscovered territory for inland ports. Furthermore, as stated by Vejvar, Lai, Lo, and Fürst [19] "even though inland port operators strive for economic viability, there are growing pressures from various stakeholders for continuous enhancement of their environmental and social sustainability practices". However, no inland port or dry port, to our knowledge, has already published a sustainability report.…”

Section: Sustainability Reporting In the Port Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, no inland port or dry port, to our knowledge, has already published a sustainability report. Inland ports, given their relative smaller size in terms of operations, are considered the smaller players within the port sector [19]. They are also subject to more stringent internal financial and human constraints, and operate in an environment of high external stakeholder pressure.…”

Section: Sustainability Reporting In the Port Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Reporting for Inland Port Managing Bodies: A Stakeholder-Based View on Materiality

Geerts

Dooms

2020

Sustainability

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Sustainability reporting has been marked by a rise in importance in recent years as it has proved to be an important management tool in the understanding of where an organization is situated along the sustainability pathway. However, industries have shown different behaviors towards embracing this practice. In this paper, we turn our attention to the port industry, using the metropolitan inland Port of Brussels (Belgium) as a case study. Given the contested nature of port activities within urban regions, metropolitan inland ports are expected to benefit from the development of a sustainability report as it allows a more transparent account of the contribution of port activities to the objectives of different stakeholder groups in the urban environment. The case study is based on a survey yielding 74 valid responses from different stakeholder groups (employees, clients, and broader society). Our results show that the expected content of a sustainability report is viewed differently by these various stakeholder groups in terms of the relative importance of the dimensions of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), as well as in terms of the specific indicators representing material issues. Furthermore, the concept of boundary setting with respect to the different dimensions of the TBL and the desired level of inclusion by stakeholders during the development of a sustainability report are differently assessed. The paper is of interest to academics as well as policy makers, as the research results complement the existing insights on sustainability reporting in general and can be used as basis to stimulate the adoption of sustainability reporting by inland ports.

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“…Two examples include the use of renewable energy technologies and the types of materials used in heat insulation of the factories. At a higher level, Vejvar et al (2018) [44] observed that dry ports respond to pressures on sustainability via acquiescence (forcing habits, imitating and complying). They are also partly compromised by pacifying and bargaining and sometimes defy by attacking or dismissing these pressures.…”

Section: The Challenges and The Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging Employees with Good Sustainability: Key Performance Indicators for Dry Ports

2019

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Dry ports have the potential to enhance the sustainability of transport systems, yet their introduction requires major changes to the current logistics chain. Further, emphasising sustainability goals and continued employee engagement can be a challenge when developing or implementing organisational change management programs in dry ports. Key considerations include governmental requirements and compliance, investor expectations, as well as employee engagement; these factors may be conflicting. The top-down management approach supported by strong leadership, participative approaches and constant communication assists in achieving successful change management. Sound selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) provides a set of metrics to track and aid the change process. They serve as a unifying link between top managements’ sustainability goals and employees’ engagement. The initial findings of our research confirm that both port and terminal operators have a gap in their understanding of the importance of sustainability goals and environmental goals. This will have a flow-on effect of port and terminal operators not driving the right messages to their staff in their organisational change management programs. Based on a critical literature review, it has been established what might qualify as good sustainability KPIs for dry ports. An example of a dry port at the Port of Somerton has been included. As every dry port has different requirements and constraints, it is important to develop KPIs together with stakeholders.

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Strategic responses to institutional forces pressuring sustainability practice adoption: Case-based evidence from inland port operations

Cited by 46 publications

References 71 publications

A theory-driven identification and ranking of the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management

A theory-driven identification and ranking of the critical success factors of sustainable shipping management

Sustainability Reporting for Inland Port Managing Bodies: A Stakeholder-Based View on Materiality

Engaging Employees with Good Sustainability: Key Performance Indicators for Dry Ports

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