Title: Green corporate initiatives: a case study of goods and service design

Authors: Amber A. Smith; O. Felix Offodile

Addresses: Department of Kinesiology, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX 76204-5647, USA ' Department of Management and Information Systems, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242-001, USA

Abstract: Undoubtedly, as product life cycles are becoming shorter, fuelled by technological progress and increasing consumer demands for new products and product features, improved sustainable product and service designs are needed. A case study of three large and global firms, under competitive pressures, documents how management tries to balance the needs of the consumer and the costs/benefits of implementing green strategies in product and service designs at the strategic level. Management must simultaneously deal with shortened product life cycles while addressing manufacturing issues and reducing environmental impact. The implementation of eco-friendly strategies and tactics in production and product design are balanced with factors associated with customer demands, government mandates, and company philosophies.

Keywords: business strategies; case studies; eco-friendly; environmentally friendly; environment friendly; GSCM; green SCM; supply chain management; green supply chains; sustainable product design; sustainable service design; quality; sustainability; greening; product life cycles; technological progress; consumer demands; sustainable products; global firms; competition; consumer needs; cost benefits; green strategies; environmental impact; government mandates; company philosophies; business philosophies; corporate philosophies; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2014.065664

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2014 Vol.19 No.4, pp.417 - 443

Published online: 15 Nov 2014 *

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