Making sense of green logistics

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate whether or not greening efforts are dependent on a higher level company-wide sustainability strategy to be carried out and whether or not greening efforts lead to any changes in logistics effectiveness and logistics efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on empirical data collected via a survey sent to logistics managers and transport purchasers at Nordic multinationals. The results were analysed using structural equation model as to validate the anticipated relationships between the designed constructs.

Findings

Within this research, the authors have tried to validate the existence of relationships between a company's sustainability strategy, its transportation greening efforts and logistics performance.

Research limitations/implications

The paper investigates the possible effect the sustainability strategy of the firm will have on its decision to green its transportation, and the possible effect these measures will have on logistics efficiency and effectiveness. The empirical data gathered for this research are regionally restricted to the Nordic region. Further research could empirically test these relationships with empirical data from other countries or industries, perhaps using other performance constructs, to see if the results hold true.

Practical implications

It is shown that companies with a sustainability strategy are focusing on greening their transportation both from purchasing and operations perspectives to improve their entire environmental performance. The results from this paper fail to support the assumption that company-wide sustainability strategies are imperative for supply chain greening.

Originality/value

The paper is among the first attempts in analysing the relationships between a company's sustainable strategy and its logistics performance through greening the transportation activities.

Citation

Pazirandeh, A. and Jafari, H. (2013), "Making sense of green logistics", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 62 No. 8, pp. 889-904. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-03-2013-0059