IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v26y2017i2p224-238.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental Upgrading of Developing Country Firms in Global Value Chains

Author

Listed:
  • Mohamed Akli Achabou
  • Sihem Dekhili
  • Mohamed Hamdoun

Abstract

While the strategic management literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is abundant, it tends to consider the context of developed countries, with a focus on certain specific issues such as the strategic behaviour of firms with regard to sustainable development and the economic benefits of CSR practices. The present study examines the influence of western organizations on responsible corporate behaviour in developing countries, an issue that has been somewhat neglected in the existing academic literature. In particular, it explores the environmental upgrading of developing country firms in global value chains. This research, conducted with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, involves 24 Tunisian olive oil companies. The findings indicate that exporting companies have indeed benefited from environmental upgrading, but, because of the cooperation strategy adopted by leading western firms (imposition of standards) and the absence of financial and technical assistance, the extent of environmental upgrading remains limited. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Akli Achabou & Sihem Dekhili & Mohamed Hamdoun, 2017. "Environmental Upgrading of Developing Country Firms in Global Value Chains," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 224-238, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:26:y:2017:i:2:p:224-238
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1911
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1911
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.1911?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lozano, Javier & Blanco, Ester & Rey-Maquieira, Javier, 2010. "Can ecolabels survive in the long run?: The role of initial conditions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 2525-2534, October.
    2. Barrett, H. R. & Browne, A. W. & Harris, P. J. C. & Cadoret, K., 2002. "Organic certification and the UK market: organic imports from developing countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 301-318, August.
    3. Peter J. Ras & Walter J. V. Vermeulen, 2009. "Sustainable production and the performance of South African entrepreneurs in a global supply chain. The case of South African table grape producers," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(5), pages 325-340.
    4. Peter Lund-Thomsen & Khalid Nadvi & Anita Chan & Navjote Khara & Hong Xue, 2012. "Labour in Global Value Chains: Work Conditions in Football Manufacturing in China, India and Pakistan," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 43(6), pages 1211-1237, November.
    5. Suk-Jun Lim & Joe Phillips, 2008. "Embedding CSR Values: The Global Footwear Industry’s Evolving Governance Structure," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(1), pages 143-156, August.
    6. Philippe Gugler & Jacylyn Shi, 2009. "Corporate Social Responsibility for Developing Country Multinational Corporations: Lost War in Pertaining Global Competitiveness?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 3-24, April.
    7. H. Schmitz & P. Knorringa, 2000. "Learning from Global Buyers," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 177-205.
    8. Kenneth M. Amaeshi & Onyeka K. Osuji & Paul Nnodim, 2008. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Supply Chains of Global Brands: A Boundaryless Responsibility? Clarifications, Exceptions and Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(1), pages 223-234, August.
    9. Ralph Luken & Rodney Stares, 2005. "Small business responsibility in developing countries: a threat or an opportunity?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 38-53, January.
    10. Bo Xiong & Daniel Sumner & William Matthews, 2014. "A new market for an old food: the U.S. demand for olive oil," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(S1), pages 107-118, November.
    11. Antony Paulraj, 2009. "Environmental motivations: a classification scheme and its impact on environmental strategies and practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 453-468, November.
    12. Baden, D.A. & Harwood, I.A. & Woodward, D.G., 2009. "The effect of buyer pressure on suppliers in SMEs to demonstrate CSR practices: An added incentive or counter productive?," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 429-441, December.
    13. Martin Mueller & Virginia dos Santos & Stefan Seuring, 2009. "The Contribution of Environmental and Social Standards Towards Ensuring Legitimacy in Supply Chain Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 89(4), pages 509-523, November.
    14. Clarkson, Peter M. & Li, Yue & Richardson, Gordon D. & Vasvari, Florin P., 2011. "Does it really pay to be green? Determinants and consequences of proactive environmental strategies," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 122-144, March.
    15. Valentina De Marchi & Eleonora Di Maria & Stefano Micelli, 2013. "Environmental Strategies, Upgrading and Competitive Advantage in Global Value Chains," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 62-72, January.
    16. Soeren Jeppesen & Michael W. Hansen, 2004. "Environmental upgrading of Third World enterprises through linkages to transnational corporations. Theoretical perspectives and preliminary evidence," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 261-274, July.
    17. Vlontzos, G. & Duquenne, M.N., 2014. "Assess the impact of subjective norms of consumers' behaviour in the Greek olive oil market," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 148-157.
    18. Neil M. Coe, 2014. "Missing links: Logistics, governance and upgrading in a shifting global economy," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 224-256, February.
    19. Yoram Wind & Thomas L. Saaty, 1980. "Marketing Applications of the Analytic Hierarchy Process," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(7), pages 641-658, July.
    20. Tsang, Eric W. K., 2014. "Old and New," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(03), pages 390-390, November.
    21. Peter Lund-Thomsen & Adam Lindgreen, 2014. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Value Chains: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 123(1), pages 11-22, August.
    22. Géraldine Froger & Fano Andriamahefazafy, 2003. "Les stratégies environnementales des organisations internationales dans les pays en développement : continuité ou ruptures ?," Mondes en développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 124(4), pages 49-76.
    23. Gereffi, Gary, 1999. "International trade and industrial upgrading in the apparel commodity chain," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 37-70, June.
    24. Ponte, Stefano & Ewert, Joachim, 2009. "Which Way is "Up" in Upgrading? Trajectories of Change in the Value Chain for South African Wine," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1637-1650, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhiheng Wu & Guisheng Hou & Baogui Xin, 2020. "The Causality between Participation in GVCs, Renewable Energy Consumption and CO 2 Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-26, February.
    2. Dimitropoulos, Panagiotis & Koronios, Konstantinos & Sakka, Georgia, 2023. "International business sustainability and global value chains: Synthesis, framework and research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    3. Golgeci, Ismail & Makhmadshoev, Dilshod & Demirbag, Mehmet, 2021. "Global value chains and the environmental sustainability of emerging market firms: A systematic review of literature and research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    4. Shu Wang & Ying Li & Muhammad Nadeem & Maria Altaf, 2023. "Global Value Chains Embeddedness for the Energy Efficiency: A Panel Data Approach with Country-Level Decomposition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-12, March.
    5. Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes & Beatriz Macchione Saes & Elis Regina Monte Feitosa & Peter Poschen & Adalberto Luis Val & Jacques Marcovitch, 2023. "When Do Supply Chains Strengthen Biological and Cultural Diversity? Methods and Indicators for the Socio-Biodiversity Bioeconomy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Roberta Souza Piao & Vivian Lara Silva & Irene Navarro del Aguila & Jerónimo de Burgos Jiménez, 2021. "Green Growth and Agriculture in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-13, January.
    7. Shengda Zhang & Shuang Lin & Chaofeng Wang & Pomi Shahbaz, 2024. "Towards energy sustainability: Exploring the nexus between global value chain participation and energy security in developing and developed countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(1), pages 1-28, January.
    8. Liang Lv & Lidong Fan & Bin Meng & Mohammad Zoynul Abedin & Haoyue Feng, 2023. "A Combined Evaluation Method of Corporate Social Responsibility Based on the Difference and Similarity: A Case Study of Transportation Industry in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-25, March.
    9. Mikhail G. Kuzyk & Liudmila S. Ruzhanskaya, 2024. "Factors of Energy Transition of Manufacturing Companies Regarding their Inclusion in Global Value Chains," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 23(3), pages 642-673.
    10. Tran Thi Mai Hoa & Le Thanh Ha & Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen & Nguyen Thi Thu Ha & Tran Anh Ngoc, 2024. "Global value chains and environment performance: Insights from global database," Energy & Environment, , vol. 35(5), pages 2807-2828, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-496 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Sadaat Ali Yawar & Stefan Seuring, 2017. "Management of Social Issues in Supply Chains: A Literature Review Exploring Social Issues, Actions and Performance Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 621-643, March.
    3. Venkatesh, V.G. & Zhang, Abraham & Deakins, Eric & Mani, Venkatesh, 2021. "Antecedents of social sustainability noncompliance in the Indian apparel sector," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    4. Fahian Anisul Huq & Mark Stevenson, 2020. "Implementing Socially Sustainable Practices in Challenging Institutional Contexts: Building Theory from Seven Developing Country Supplier Cases," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(2), pages 415-442, January.
    5. Vivek Soundararajan & Jill A. Brown, 2016. "Voluntary Governance Mechanisms in Global Supply Chains: Beyond CSR to a Stakeholder Utility Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 83-102, March.
    6. V.G. Venkatesh & Abraham Zhang & Eric Deakins & Venkatesh Mani, 2021. "Antecedents of social sustainability noncompliance in the Indian apparel sector," Post-Print hal-04455594, HAL.
    7. Dimitropoulos, Panagiotis & Koronios, Konstantinos & Sakka, Georgia, 2023. "International business sustainability and global value chains: Synthesis, framework and research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    8. Enderwick, Peter, 2018. "The scope of corporate social responsibility in networked multinational enterprises," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 410-417.
    9. Tolentino-Zondervan, Frazen & Berentsen, Paul & Bush, Simon & Idemne, Joseph & Babaran, Ricardo & Lansink, Alfons Oude, 2016. "Comparison of Private Incentive Mechanisms for Improving Sustainability of Filipino Tuna Fisheries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 264-279.
    10. Ballco, Petjon & Gracia, Azucena, 2020. "Do market prices correspond with consumer demands? Combining market valuation and consumer utility for extra virgin olive oil quality attributes in a traditional producing country," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    11. Mohamed Akli Achabou & Sihem Dekhili & Linda Prince, 2014. "Proactive CSR: Analytical Hierarchy Process And Empirical Assessment In The French Context," Working Papers 2014-75, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    12. Hochachka, Gail, 2023. "Climate change and the transformative potential of value chains," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    13. Ziliang Deng & Xufei Ma & Ziyan Zhu, 2022. "Transactional Dependence and Technological Upgrading in Global Value Chains," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 390-416, March.
    14. Yoruk, Deniz E., 2019. "Dynamics of firm-level upgrading and the role of learning in networks in emerging markets," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 341-369.
    15. Manveer Mann & Sang-Eun Byun & Hyejeong Kim & Kelli Hoggle, 2014. "Assessment of Leading Apparel Specialty Retailers’ CSR Practices as Communicated on Corporate Websites: Problems and Opportunities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(4), pages 599-622, July.
    16. Amira Khattak & Christina Stringer, 2017. "Environmental Upgrading in Pakistan's Sporting Goods Industry in Global Value Chains: A Question of Progress?," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 9(1), pages 43-64, March.
    17. Xinyu Yang & Weidong Liu, 2022. "Agricultural Production Networks and Upgrading from a Global–Local Perspective: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.
    18. Ponte, Stefano & Kelling, Ingrid & Jespersen, Karen Sau & Kruijssen, Froukje, 2014. "The Blue Revolution in Asia: Upgrading and Governance in Aquaculture Value Chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 52-64.
    19. Marola, Elena & Schöpfner, Judith & Gallemore, Caleb & Jespersen, Kristjan, 2020. "The bandwidth problem in telecoupled systems governance: Certifying sustainable winemaking in Australia and Chile," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    20. Greg Distelhorst & Jens Hainmueller & Richard M. Locke, 2017. "Does Lean Improve Labor Standards? Management and Social Performance in the Nike Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(3), pages 707-728, March.
    21. Choksy, Umair Shafi & Ayaz, Muhammad & Al-Tabbaa, Omar & Parast, Mahour, 2022. "Supplier resilience under the COVID-19 crisis in apparel global value chain (GVC): The role of GVC governance and supplier’s upgrading," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 249-267.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:26:y:2017:i:2:p:224-238. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.