Title: Green supply chain management and the induced performance changes of companies in the Yangtze River delta of China

Authors: Yanli Dong; Xianbing Liu; Yanwen Dong

Addresses: Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, 2-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan ' Kansai Research Centre, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Hitomirai Building 5F, 1-5-2 Wakinohama Kaigan Dori Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073, Japan ' Cluster of Science and Technology, Fukushima University, No. 1, Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, 960-1296, Japan

Abstract: Corporate environmental management in China has been expanding from the efforts of individual companies to various cooperative practices improving environmental performance of the supply chain, which may be classified as green supply chain management (GSCM). Using the data collected from 165 companies in the Yangtze River delta of China, this paper analyses the driving mechanisms of GSCM of the companies with different practice levels. The valid respondents are classified as laggard companies and advanced practitioners by a cluster analysis of the scores presented to the pre-defined 12 GSCM activities. Multivariate regression analyses indicate different driving models for these two groups of companies. GSCM of laggard companies are driven by the regulatory pressures and the client's demands but restricted by the company's capacities. The GSCM levels of advanced companies may be attributed to the company's business strategies for development. The business competitor's performance and top management support are identified as influential factors. This paper also confirms that GSCM practices help the improvement of environmental performances of the companies especially in terms of the reduction of pollutant emissions and the increase of employee's environmental awareness.

Keywords: green SCM; supply chain management; GSCM; performance change; Yangtze River delta; China; corporate environmental management; regulatory pressure; client demands; company capacity; business strategies; competitor performance; top management support; pollutant emissions; emissions reduction; employee awareness; environmental awareness.

DOI: 10.1504/AJMSA.2014.063377

Asian Journal of Management Science and Applications, 2014 Vol.1 No.2, pp.141 - 158

Received: 17 Dec 2012
Accepted: 18 Dec 2012
Published online: 30 Jul 2014 *

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