The role of cultural factors in green supply chain management practices: a conceptual framework and an empirical investigation

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate on the impact of organizational culture and national culture on green supply chain management (GSCM) adoption by empirically testing the developed framework, and ultimately pave the way toward potential areas for future research. Design/methodology/approach – Using survey data from a sample of Moroccan manufacturing firms, 130 responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS 25 and Smart PLS v 3.3.3 software. The paper used a convenience sample, as it is required by the quantitative method, which legitimate making generalization under certain conditions. Findings – The research results indicated that the national culture does not influence the GSCM implementation. The results contradict a number of prior works. As for the second direct effect measured postulated that organizational culture has a direct and significant impact on the GSCM. The results indicate that adhocracy culture, clan culture and hierarchical culture have a positive impact on the implementation of GSCM initiatives. To assess the impact of ownership type on GSCM, we underlined the difference between local and foreign firms. In fact, as argued, the foreign firms are more implementing GSCM initiatives than local firms do. Based on the arguments advanced on prior literature, the firm size does, as expected, exert significant control over the adoption of GSCM initiatives. Research limitations/implications – The paper here is a starting point to understand how environmental sustainability and culture are interlinked; further research might contribute to this topic by empirically testing the model in similar or different contexts, using different cultural frameworks. Practical implications – The practical implications for the paper are related to the necessity of adopting adequate organizational culture to build responsible behaviors for GSCM adoption by Moroccan firms. Recognizing the powerful role of organizational culture as a crucial factor responsible for GSCM’s success beyond the well-defined corporate strategies, including market presence and technological advantages, etc. Social implications – This paper contributes to the establishment of codependent links between sociology and management fields as it helps to update the social theories present in the operations management area. Originality/value – To the best of the author’s knowledge, few works have pursued to review and bridge cultural theories with the GSCM implementation.

Keywords

• Green supply chain management
• National culture
• Organizational culture
• Quantitative survey
• Developing countries