Gold, Stefan

2017-2-8, Schwab, Leila, Gold, Stefan, Reiner, Gerald

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to explore how operations decision-making may keep the growing firms within the boundaries of corporate and societal sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: We classify operations decisions during growth periods according to the three dimensions of the triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental). By means of a longitudinal case study of a family-owned wood construction firm that is in a process of intense growth, we identify, visually represent and analyse the complex sequences of selected managerial operations decisions. Findings: Our empirical data suggests that operations decisions made by managers during growth periods follow specific patterns. From our analysis, we derive various research propositions that investigate how a well-understood and therefore efficient and effective decision-making process can facilitate sustainable business growth. Research limitations/implications: Our findings offer opportunities for future studies to zoom in on specific parts of the decision-making process during growth periods. Moreover, given the exploratory nature of our study, future research should test hypotheses derived from our research propositions. Practical implications: This study investigates operations decision-making during growth, which is crucial for guiding companies through this complex transition phase. Originality/value: This conceptual and empirical analysis explores new theory and contributes to the vastly under-researched subject of sustainable business growth.

2010, Gold, Stefan, Seuring, Stefan, Beske, Philip

The intersection of supply chain management and sustainability is still a rather young research field emerging as growing topic only recently. This paper outlines findings of a content analysis assessing systematically all case studies in the field of sustainable supply chain management, published from 1994 to 2007 in English-speaking peer-reviewed journals, and thus, mapping and evaluating the scope of current SCM topics reflected in these case papers. The analysis confirms previous research that highlights pressures from governments, customers and stakeholders as triggers of sustainable supply chain management and the neglect of the social dimension of sustainability within supply chain management. Improving supplier performance or, at least, assuring minimum performance standards can be generally regarded important objectives of supply chain strategies. Communication is an outstanding characteristic both for traditional and sustainable supply chain management; though far-reaching supply chain integration is still rather limited.

2013-5-4, Kunz, Nathan, Gold, Stefan, Reiner, Gerald

We propose a framework of sustainable humanitarian supply chain management (SCM) for the rehabilitation phase of disasters. Our framework connects enablers, features and triple bottom line performance of SCM with specific socio-economic/governmental contingency factors. Findings from multiple case studies in Chad provide initial evidence for illustrating and underpinning the framework.

2012-5-3, Gold, Stefan, Kunz, Nathan, Reiner, Gerald

Purpose The paper investigates why business still postpones integration of sustainability and other non-financial performance measures into global agrifood supply chains. Design/methodology/approach On basis of literature-based conceptual reasoning (“disciplined imagination”), we identify tradeoffs that are prevalent in basic agrifood supply chain strategy types (efficient, risk-hedging, responsive, and agile chains) and tradeoffs that additionally emerge when agrifood chains simultaneously strive for sustainability. Further, we conceptualize one major obstacle for businesses pursuing comprehensive supply chain performance in global agrifood chains, which helps explaining why agrifood chains procrastinate the integration of sustainability into their business activities. Findings First, we develop a variety of research propositions about performance trade-offs that appear when agrifood chains follow different supply chain strategy types. Second, we point out that many supply chain performance attributes represent in fact credence attributes not to be verified by the (final) consumer. Rational business responses to this situation tend to optimize publicity efforts by sustainability reports and other brand-enhancing marketing tools that are often and easily decoupled from real efforts of operations and supply chain improvements. Research limitations/implications The research propositions are to be tested in follow-up empirical and modeling/simulation research on global food supply chains. Originality/value The conceptual considerations presented in the paper serve as basis for managers and academics to develop innovative inter- and intra-organizational business processes that reconcile tradeoffs pushing the performance frontier outwards and that overcome hurdles towards sustainability that are inherent in current food production, processing, retailing and consumption/shopping practices.