Title: Effects of sustainability orientation, integration, and value addition on food cold chain performance: a Thai perspective

Authors: Warat Kaewpijit; Viput Ongsakul

Addresses: NIDA Business School, National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, 10240, Thailand ' NIDA Business School, National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, 10240, Thailand

Abstract: Due to increasing environmental concerns, sustainability has become a major research topic in the food cold chain (FCC). However, the relationship between sustainability, FCC integration, value addition, and FCC performance has remained relatively unexplored. Therefore, this paper aims to address this gap by proposing a conceptual model depicting these relationships and examining them through structural equation modelling (SEM). Our findings highlight the significant relationship between sustainability orientation, integration, value addition, and FCC performance. The empirical evidence suggests that sustainability orientation positively impacts FCC performance. Meanwhile, integration is proven to be the most influential factor, overshadowing others in its impact on FCC performance. In addition, value addition proved to be a significant mediator with its role in bridging the relationship between sustainability orientation and FCC performance. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by empirically illuminating the relationship between sustainability, FCC integration, and value addition in driving cold chain performance, offering novel insights for practitioners and policymakers in the FCC sector.

Keywords: food supply chain; FCC; food cold chain; food cold chain performance; sustainability; integration; value addition.

DOI: 10.1504/JGBA.2023.137461

Journal for Global Business Advancement, 2023 Vol.16 No.1, pp.53 - 78

Received: 18 Sep 2023
Accepted: 27 Sep 2023
Published online: 19 Mar 2024 *

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