Browsing by Author "Fawcett, Stanley E."

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Citation - WoS: 5
Citation - Scopus: 9
How Does the Contingent Sustainability-Risk Relationship Affect the Viability of Csr? an Emerging Economy Perspective
(Mdpi, 2019) Gocer, Aysu; Jin, Yao Henry; Fawcett, Stanley E.
Sustainability has become a core strategic initiative for firms in the global economy. Its key benefits aside, sustainability may increase a firm's risks, undermining its prospective value. The intricate relationship among sustainability's impact on various dimensions of firm risk is poorly understood, particularly for firms operating in emerging economies. The purpose of this study is to address this gap by developing a nuanced framework for the sustainability-risk relationship in various industries in emerging economies. A multi-method approach was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data through interviews and site visits for supply chain members of four industries. A fuzzy AHP method was used to illustrate cross-industry differences in sustainability-induced firm risks. These differences are further illustrated through inductive, interpretive analysis of semi-structured interviews. Sustainability behaves as a limits-to-growth system and engenders different risk profiles across four industries. For all firms in emerging economy, sustainability initiatives increase various unanticipated risks. Thus, these firms must saliently tailor sustainability initiatives uniquely suitable for their industry to avoid compromising their value proposition. Insights gleaned from this study may assist both buyers from multinational corporations in the developed economy to propagate sustainability initiatives and suppliers in the emerging economy to implement sustainability initiatives more saliently.
Citation - WoS: 10
Citation - Scopus: 11
Supply Chain Sustainability, Risk and Transformational Tension: a Systems Perspective
(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2024) Göçer, Aysu; Brockhaus, Sebastian; Fawcett, Stanley E.; Vural, Ceren; Knemeyer, A. Michael
PurposeSustainability continues to be put forth as a strategic priority. However, sustainability efforts are often deemphasized for short-term profitability. This study explores the nuances in managerial decision-making related to adopting sustainability initiatives within food supply chains in an emerging economy. We identify a complex interaction between sustainability efforts and risk mitigation. We derive a model to explain conflicting company goals, managerial decisions and system design.Design/methodology/approachWe followed an exploratory research design with an inductive approach. We analyzed data from semi-structured interviews with 29 companies representing different tiers in Turkish food supply chains. We refined and validated the interview findings through a focus group with nine senior managers. We conducted open, focused and theoretical coding in an iterative and reflective manner to analyze the data and derive our results.FindingsFrom the data, three themes emerged, indicating that managers are pursuing different, often conflicting, goals concerning value creation, risk management and sustainability performance. Managers identified and commented on new risks brought on by sustainability initiatives. These sustainability-induced risks were seen as a threat to operational performance, a driver of increased costs and a negative impact on product quality and delivery performance. Trade-offs across operating, sustainability and risk management systems create transformational tension that confounds the sustainability adoption decision-making process.Originality/valueThe data from the study was contrasted with a theoretical framework derived from systems theory, goal-setting theory of motivation and the theory of planned behavior. We identified four distinct decision paths that managers pursue. Increased awareness of transformational tension and how it influences managerial decision-making can enhance strategic sustainability system design and initiative success.
Citation - WoS: 8
Citation - Scopus: 9
What Does the Sustainability-Risk Interaction Look Like? Exploring Nuanced Relationships in Emerging Economy Sustainability Initiatives
(Mdpi, 2018) Gocer, Aysu; Fawcett, Stanley E.; Tuna, Okan
To be viable long-term, sustainability programs must be profitable. Unfortunately, current sustainability practices increase risk, increasing costs and threatening revenues. Higher costs and lower revenues negatively impact profitability and, thus, the viability of sustainability. To understand how sustainability-induced risks affect food production systems, sustainability-induced risks in food production systems are identified and classified. It is also explored how sustainability risks interact, making it especially costly and difficult to eradicate them. An inductive, interview-based method was employed, which relies on 41 semi-structured interviews, with managers at 32 companies. The study documents the interaction between sustainability and risk in five risk categories-behavioral, opportunism, organizational routines, safety and traceability routines and systems design. The negative impact of intensive interactions among these risk categories threatens food production systems' sustainability initiatives. Behavioral risks are particularly pervasive and harmful as they either induce or exacerbate other risk clusters. Elaborating the interaction between sustainability and risk, as well as documenting risk types and interactions, provides a more holistic view of sustainability implementation. This nuanced view will lead to a more accurate and insightful costing of sustainability programs. Lamentably, the most pervasive risk category-i.e., behavioral risks-are often overlooked in the supply chain management literature. However, this research shows a clear need to delve more deeply into the behavioral dimension to improve risk management and to increase the viability of sustainability. This study identifies and categorizes sustainability-induced risk factors in food production systems, and shows how they interrelate, providing the foundation for better planning and execution of viable sustainability programs.