IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v29y2020i1p87-117.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Business strategy for sustainable development: Impact of life cycle inventory and life cycle impact assessment steps in supply chain design and planning

Author

Listed:
  • Bruna Alexandra Elias Mota
  • Ana Isabel Cerqueira de Sousa Gouveia Carvalho
  • Maria Isabel Azevedo Rodrigues Gomes
  • Ana Paula Ferreira Dias Barbosa‐Povoa

Abstract

Sustainability reporting has become a central instrument in displaying a company's strategy and engagement with a more sustainable society. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important tool in this context as it is aimed to analyze the entire life cycle of the product/service, instead of focusing on one focal firm. However, the lack of standardized guidelines in its application raises questions regarding the usefulness and validity of results. This study contributes to the improvement of sustainability reporting through the identification of the uncertainty sources in life cycle methodologies that have the biggest impact in the definition of business and environmental strategies, exploring a supply chain‐oriented analysis. The focus is on life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). A multiobjective optimization‐based methodology is applied to a supply chain case study in the pulp and paper industry. Environmental and economic objectives are considered. Results show that different LCIA methods and different normalization data sets result in significantly different business and environmental strategies. However, different system models and cultural perspectives at the LCI step and variations in the characterization factors tend to lead to the same decisions. Important insights are gained regarding the impact of nonstandardized analysis of the application of LCA in supply chain design and planning decisions and consequently on business strategy definition and sustainability reporting. Furthermore, the importance of operations research methods to improve LCA‐based studies and of bridging the gap between LCA and supply chain management bodies of knowledge is highlighted in this work.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruna Alexandra Elias Mota & Ana Isabel Cerqueira de Sousa Gouveia Carvalho & Maria Isabel Azevedo Rodrigues Gomes & Ana Paula Ferreira Dias Barbosa‐Povoa, 2020. "Business strategy for sustainable development: Impact of life cycle inventory and life cycle impact assessment steps in supply chain design and planning," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 87-117, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:29:y:2020:i:1:p:87-117
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2352
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2352
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.2352?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. Nelly Oelze & Stefan Ulstrup Hoejmose & Andre Habisch & Andrew Millington, 2016. "Sustainable Development in Supply Chain Management: The Role of Organizational Learning for Policy Implementation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 241-260, May.
    2. Joana M. Comas Martí & Ralf W. Seifert, 2013. "Assessing the Comprehensiveness of Supply Chain Environmental Strategies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(5), pages 339-356, July.
    3. Tereza Assis Bicalho Bicalho & Ildo Sauer & Alexandre Rambaud & Yulia Altukhova-Nys, 2017. "LCA data quality: A management science perspective," Post-Print hal-02958533, HAL.
    4. Markus Beckmann & Stefan Hielscher & Ingo Pies, 2014. "Commitment Strategies for Sustainability: How Business Firms Can Transform Trade‐Offs Into Win–Win Outcomes," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 18-37, January.
    5. Johann Meckenstock & Ana Paula Barbosa‐Póvoa & Ana Carvalho, 2016. "The Wicked Character of Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Evidence from Sustainability Reports," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(7), pages 449-477, November.
    6. Ricky Speck & Susan Selke & Rafael Auras & James Fitzsimmons, 2016. "Life Cycle Assessment Software: Selection Can Impact Results," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 20(1), pages 18-28, February.
    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. Guia Bianchi & Francesco Testa & Sara Tessitore & Fabio Iraldo, 2022. "How to embed environmental sustainability: The role of dynamic capabilities and managerial approaches in a life cycle management perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 312-325, January.
    2. Chao Hung Wang, 2020. "An environmental perspective extends market orientation: Green innovation sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3123-3134, December.
    3. Päivi Luoma & Romana Rauter & Esko Penttinen & Anne Toppinen, 2023. "The value of data for environmental sustainability as perceived by the customers of a tissue‐paper supplier," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 3110-3123, November.

    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. Pies, Ingo & Hielscher, Stefan & Everding, Sebastian, 2020. "Do hybrids impede sustainability? How semantic reorientations and governance reforms can produce and preserve sustainability in sharing business models," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 174-185.
    2. Matthias Kalverkamp & Alexandra Pehlken & Thorsten Wuest, 2017. "Cascade Use and the Management of Product Lifecycles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-23, August.
    3. Mariusz Zielinski & Izabela Jonek-Kowalska, 2020. "Profitability of Corporate Social Responsibility Activities from the Perspective of Corporate Social Managers," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 264-280.
    4. Francesco Gangi & Mario Mustilli & Lucia Michela Daniele & Maria Coscia, 2022. "The sustainable development of the aerospace industry: Drivers and impact of corporate environmental responsibility," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 218-235, January.
    5. Howard, Mickey & Böhm, Steffen & Eatherley, Dan, 2022. "Systems resilience and SME multilevel challenges: A place-based conceptualization of the circular economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 757-768.
    6. Tulin Dzhengiz & Eva Niesten, 2020. "Competences for Environmental Sustainability: A Systematic Review on the Impact of Absorptive Capacity and Capabilities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 881-906, April.
    7. Mariusz Zieliński & Izabela Jonek-Kowalska, 2021. "Does CSR Affect the Profitability and Valuation of Energy Companies? An Example from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-24, June.
    8. Daniel Kiel & Julian M. Müller & Christian Arnold & Kai-Ingo Voigt, 2017. "Sustainable Industrial Value Creation: Benefits And Challenges Of Industry 4.0," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(08), pages 1-34, December.
    9. Cátia da Silva & Ana Paula Barbosa‐Póvoa & Ana Carvalho, 2022. "Towards sustainable development: Green supply chain design and planning using monetization methods," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1369-1394, May.
    10. Steven E. Wallis, 2021. "Understanding and improving the usefulness of conceptual systems: An Integrative Propositional Analysis‐based perspective on levels of structure and emergence," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 426-447, August.
    11. Chien-Ming Chen, 2017. "Supply Chain Strategies and Carbon Intensity: The Roles of Process Leanness, Diversification Strategy, and Outsourcing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(3), pages 603-620, July.
    12. Shiruo Fei & Chanho Kwon & Changhyun Jin, 2021. "The Role of Corporate Ethical Management on Trade Relationship Trust and Commitment: B2B," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, May.
    13. Barisan, L & Onofri, L & Boatto, V, 2018. "Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg : Managing Product and Landscape Core Sustainable Policies and Their Impacts on Winery Visits," 2018 Seventh AIEAA Conference, June 14-15, Conegliano, Italy 275652, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    14. Burritt, Roger & Schaltegger, Stefan, 2014. "Accounting towards sustainability in production and supply chains," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 327-343.
    15. Pisani, Niccolò & Kourula, Arno & Kolk, Ans & Meijer, Renske, 2017. "How global is international CSR research? Insights and recommendations from a systematic review," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 591-614.
    16. Amna Farrukh & Sanjay Mathrani & Aymen Sajjad, 2023. "An exploratory study of green‐lean‐six sigma motivators for environmental sustainability: Managerial insights from a developed and developing economy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5187-5210, December.
    17. Erik Pauer & Bernhard Wohner & Manfred Tacker, 2020. "The Influence of Database Selection on Environmental Impact Results. Life Cycle Assessment of Packaging Using GaBi, Ecoinvent 3.6, and the Environmental Footprint Database," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-14, November.
    18. Tulin Dzhengiz, 2020. "A Literature Review of Inter-Organizational Sustainability Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-52, June.
    19. Chen, Jen-Yi & Slotnick, Susan A., 2015. "Supply chain disclosure and ethical sourcing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 17-30.
    20. Nancy E. Landrum & Brian Ohsowski, 2018. "Identifying Worldviews on Corporate Sustainability: A Content Analysis of Corporate Sustainability Reports," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 128-151, January.

    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:29:y:2020:i:1:p:87-117. 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.