Increasing food waste, natural resource depletion, and climate change issues have forced plastic food packaging (PFP) companies to align their business strategies with sustainability aspects. At the ...same time, however, companies operating in the food packaging industry continue to face tensions while pursuing divergent sustainability goals simultaneously. Drawing on paradox theory, this study aims to examine paradoxical sustainability tensions in the PFP industry and propose potential resolution strategies to resolve diverse tensions arising from addressing competing social, economic, and environmental concerns simultaneously. To this end, we employed a qualitative research methodology and interviewed 15 senior corporate managers and consultants in the PFP industry. Based on the empirical data, we develop categories of sustainability tensions related to operations and supply chain, recycling, and external stakeholders associated with performing, organizing, learning, and belonging paradoxes. Further, we propose resolution strategies including multi‐stakeholder collaboration, research and innovation, circular economy, and use of integrated business strategies which are aligned with the acceptance, spatial separation, temporal separation, and synthesis approaches of the paradox theory. To the best of our knowledge, it is one of the early studies that embrace a paradox lens to investigate the sustainability tensions and resolution strategies in the PFP industry. Further, the study results could guide practitioners and policymakers in the PFP industry to comprehend underlying paradoxical sustainability tensions and promote resolution strategies to address divergent yet desirable economic, social, and environmental considerations simultaneously.
Abstract Increasingly, pressing sustainability issues including the rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rates, climate change‐related vulnerabilities, and natural resource depletion have propelled ...companies to transition from a linear economy to a circular economy (CE). While circular business models are gaining currency in the manufacturing sector, empirical research on CE transition in the continuous process industry in developing economies is scarce. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate the drivers and barriers of CE adoption in the textile industry of Pakistan. To this end, we utilized a qualitative methodology, and a total of 22 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with consultants and senior corporate managers working in the textile sector. Building on the natural resource‐based view (NRBV) and institutional theory, the findings revealed various internal drivers (resource efficiency‐related, organization‐related, and research and innovation‐related factors) and external drivers (market, regulatory, and societal factors) for CE transition. Additionally, the findings demonstrated internal barriers including behavioral, technical, and economic issues, and external issues such as customer and brand‐related barriers, regulatory and policy‐related barriers, as well as supply chain‐related barriers hindering the adoption of CE. We argue that it is one of the early studies to utilize the NRBV and institutional theory to examine the drivers and barriers and provide novel insights into the CE transition in the textile process industry in a developing economy. The findings can assist academics, consultants, practitioners, and policymakers to understand and promote CE as a sustainable strategy in the textile process industry.
Purpose
Manufacturing companies continue to encounter a diverse set of obstacles while embracing sustainable development goals. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to explore critical ...sustainable development-related barriers to flexible packaging manufacturing companies in the New Zealand context.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a qualitative multiple case studies approach, the authors collected data from the New Zealand flexible packaging industry. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the senior corporate managers in two large flexible packaging companies. Following the thematic analysis approach, the authors analyzed the information collected from the participants and synthesized our findings under the key dimensions of internal and external barriers to sustainable development.
Findings
The findings revealed that internal barriers to sustainable flexible packaging are linked to economic, operational and technical issues. Conversely, external barriers include global crises and disruption, customer behavior and preferences and institutional and infrastructural-related aspects. Based on the analysis of empirical findings, the authors further identified the underlying reasons for sustainable flexible packaging barriers and recommended guidelines that could assist corporate managers and policymakers in addressing obstacles inhibiting the flexible packaging industry from adopting sustainable business practices.
Originality/value
The authors argue that this study is one of the early studies to consider inhibiting factors to incorporate sustainable development into the New Zealand flexible packaging industry context. Building on a range of theoretical perspectives, the authors extend the current body of knowledge seeking to advance the sustainable development agenda in the New Zealand flexible packaging industry and offer recommended pathways fostering sustainable development in a distinctive manufacturing context.
Green‐lean‐six sigma (GLSS) is an evolving strategy that can be applied in the manufacturing context to address pressing environmental issues. However, due to a lack of research in this area, ...investigating the motivations behind GLSS implementation is crucial to develop a deeper understanding of factors that shape the overall environmental management strategy of a firm. Drawing on the natural‐resource‐based view and institutional theory, we explore the GLSS drivers and compare developed and developing country contexts by conducting in‐depth interviews with senior consultants specializing in GLSS implementation from New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PK). Findings reveal that the key drivers of GLSS adoption in NZ are general environmental awareness, creating a company image, and government pressure, whereas the main drivers for PK include cost reduction, international customers' influence, and competitiveness. These findings throw light on the reasons for GLSS adoption in different regions and have significant theoretical and practical implications towards improving environmental performance.
Increasingly, companies are embracing the green‐lean‐six sigma (GLSS) approach to managing their environmental impacts. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of studies that examined the underlying ...motivations behind GLSS deployment in manufacturing organizations. Accordingly, this study investigates the GLSS motivators in a developed and developing economy context through multiple case studies in which semi‐structured interviews are conducted with senior corporate managers in the flexible packaging manufacturing industry. Drawing on the natural resource‐based view (NRBV) and institutional theory‐based view (ITBV), our analysis revealed various operational, organizational, and environmental factors as internal motivators and factors related to the state, society, and market as external motivators. To the best of our knowledge, it is one of the early comparative studies investigating the GLSS motivators in both developed and developing economies, which can guide future researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding the salient factors influencing the GLSS adoption for environmental sustainability.
Purpose
Despite differing strategies towards environmental sustainability in developed and developing nations, the manufacturing sector in these regional domains faces substantial environmental ...issues. The purpose of this study is to examine the green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) enablers and outcomes for enhancing environmental sustainability of manufacturing firms in both, a developed and developing country context by using an environment-centric natural resource-based view (NRBV).
Design/methodology/approach
First, a framework of GLSS enablers and outcomes aligned with the NRBV strategic capabilities is proposed through a systematic literature review. Second, this framework is used to empirically investigate the GLSS enablers and outcomes of manufacturing firms through in-depth interviews with lean six sigma and environmental consultants from New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PK) (developed and developing nations).
Findings
Analysis from both regional domains highlights the use of GLSS enablers and outcomes under different NRBV capabilities of pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development. A comparison reveals that NZ firms practice GLSS to comply with environmental regulatory requirements, avoid penalties and maintain their clean-green image. Conversely, Pakistani firms execute GLSS to reduce energy use, satisfy international customers and create a green image.
Practical implications
This paper provides new insights on GLSS for environmental sustainability which can assist industrial experts and academia for future strategies and research.
Originality/value
This is one of the early comparative studies that has used the NRBV to investigate GLSS enablers and outcomes in manufacturing firms for enhancing environmental performance comparing developed and developing nations
PurposeThis paper attempts to explore the green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) practices in the continuous process industry particularly in the flexible packaging (FP) industry in an emerging economy for ...addressing environmental sustainability issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have employed a qualitative multiple-case approach to examine managerial perspectives on GLSS adoption in the flexible packaging industry. Semi-structured interviews with senior corporate managers in two large FP organizations in Pakistan were conducted as the primary source of data collection.FindingsDrawing on the natural resource-based view (NRBV), the analysis revealed that organizations are implementing key GLSS practices such as environmental management system (ISO 14001), cause–effect analysis, renewable energy sources, total productive maintenance, and statistical process control to effectively manage waste, conserve resources, control air emissions, and improve environmental and workplace safety.Originality/valueThe authors argue that this is one of the first research studies that has utilized NRBV to investigate the application of the GLSS approach in the process industry, specifically in the FP industry in an emerging economy.
Biogas production is one of the sustainable solutions for tackling organic waste and addressing serious environmental issues. In developing nations, however, stakeholders such as farmers, biogas ...plant owners, project developers, and investors continue to face diverse challenges in biogas production. Research on potential mitigation strategies to address the complex challenges in biogas adoption in the developing countries context is also scarce. Accordingly, we adopted a multi-stakeholder networks perspective to investigate the barriers and potential strategies for biogas adoption in Pakistan. To this end, we conducted twelve semi-structured interviews with energy consultants and environmental experts working in the biogas industry. Building on the multi-stakeholder networks perspective, the findings contribute to the existing literature by critically analyzing diverse barriers such as the interference of farmer unions, fear of project failure, mindset issues of stakeholders, dependence on a few feedstock suppliers, and lack of policy safeguards for investors. Further, the findings provide in-depth insights into mitigation strategies such as engagement with local communities, proactive biogas policies and best practices in developed and developing economies, cost-benefit analysis of biogas production, close monitoring of the upstream supply chain activities in the biogas industry, incentivizing the segregation of municipal solid waste, and collaboration between industry and academia, which are lacking in the current literature. We argue that rich insights from the present study could facilitate practitioners, stakeholders, and policymakers in advancing sustainable biogas policies and regulatory frameworks, promoting alternative feedstock options, improving stakeholder collaboration, initiating biogas awareness programs, and effectively managing biogas supply chain operations.
Conservation of natural resources has a critical role in promoting sustainable development. However, emerging evidence suggests that the overexploitation of natural resources and inadequate concern ...for environmental sustainability by manufacturing firms in recent times have posed a significant threat to ecosystem services and exacerbated the ongoing climate change crisis. In this regard, Green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) is recognized as an emerging strategy to effectively address pressing environmental issues and conserve natural resources in manufacturing operations. While prior studies have documented the operational and environmental benefits of this strategy, there is a paucity of empirical research examining the role of the GLSS approach in fostering a circular economy in the manufacturing industry. Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the role of GLSS practices and factors supporting the circular economy in the flexible packaging (FP) industry. In particular, this process industry is selected as it faces several circular economy-related issues including natural resource depletion, lack of recycling, solid waste generation, air pollution, energy footprints, and marine pollution. A multiple-case study approach is used to obtain data through semi-structured interviews with senior corporate managers in New Zealand FP industry. Further, to corroborate the research findings, we have interviewed key informants including lean six sigma and environmental consultants. Building on the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and intellectual capital-based view (ICBV), our analysis reveals that GLSS practices related to waste elimination, pollution reduction, resource circulation, and environmental conservation enable FP manufacturing firms to transit towards the circular economy. The findings further demonstrate that supporting factors including strategic, technical, human resource, and external stakeholders contribute to GLSS adoption in promoting the circular economy concept. We argue that these findings can assist academia, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding the significance of GLSS practices and supporting factors for enabling circular economy in the process industry.
•Green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) is recognized as a circular business strategy to address pressing environmental issues.•There is a dearth of empirical research that has examined the GLSS practices and factors supporting the circular economy.•The paper examines the GLSS strategy as an enabler of circular economy in the New Zealand flexible packaging industry•Findings can help academia, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding the GLSS strategy for enabling circular economy.
The purpose of this review is to investigate environmental sustainability issues of the flexible packaging (FP) segment of the packaging industry. Increasingly, waste and pollution caused by FP have ...become a significant challenge for global sustainable development. Prior research studies have examined a diverse set of environmental challenges associated with FP, albeit, in a fragmented way. There is a paucity of research exploring and synthesizing the environmental burden of FP in an integrated fashion. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify, synthesize, and analyze the environmental sustainability issues of FP utilizing the SCOPUS database. Based on an in-depth critical analysis of selected articles, this paper provides novel insights to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers for developing an improved understanding of environmental issues of the FP sector. This paper promotes academic scholarship and strengthens managerial practice in addressing the environmental sustainability challenges of FP.
