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Stakeholder Pressures, Environmental Practice Adoption and Economic Performance in the German Third-party Logistics Industry—A Contingency Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Steffen Maas

    (Adidas AG Amsterdam, Director Global Distribution Center Landscape)

  • Tassilo Schuster

    (Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg)

  • Evi Hartmann

    (Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Abstract

This study explores how companies adopt environmental practices when they are exposed to stakeholder pressures and how those practices affect economic performance within the German third-party logistics industry. The relationships are tested against a random sample of 192 German third-party logistics providers by using a higher-order partial least squares approach. The study reveals that perceived stakeholder pressures, especially internal, market, and regulatory pressures, strongly influence third-party logistics providers’ environmental practice adoption and that environmental practice adoption improves economic performance. Moreover, by introducing complexity of service offerings as an important firm-related contextual variable, the study advances our knowledge as it highlights that companies with basic service offerings can benefit more from adopting environmental practices than companies with advanced service offerings.

Suggested Citation

  • Steffen Maas & Tassilo Schuster & Evi Hartmann, 2018. "Stakeholder Pressures, Environmental Practice Adoption and Economic Performance in the German Third-party Logistics Industry—A Contingency Perspective," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 88(2), pages 167-201, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jbecon:v:88:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s11573-017-0872-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11573-017-0872-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Siems, Erik & Land, Anna & Seuring, Stefan, 2021. "Dynamic capabilities in sustainable supply chain management: An inter-temporal comparison of the food and automotive industries," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    2. Muddassar Sarfraz & Ilhan Ozturk & Sunghoon Yoo & Muhammad Ali Raza & Heesup Han, 2023. "Toward a new understanding of environmental and financial performance through corporate social responsibility, green innovation, and sustainable development," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. K. Noorliza, 2023. "Determinants of an Environmentally Sustainable Model for Competitiveness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Yi Gao & Zhiguo Li & Kashif Khan, 2019. "A Study on the Relationship between Paradox Cognition, Green Industrial Production, and Corporate Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-18, November.
    5. Laguir, Issam & Stekelorum, Rébecca & El Baz, Jamal, 2021. "Proactive environmental strategy and performances of third party logistics providers (TPLs): Investigating the role of eco-control systems," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    6. Fazli Haleem & Sami Farooq & Yang Cheng & Brian Vejrum Waehrens, 2022. "Sustainable Management Practices and Stakeholder Pressure: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-23, February.
    7. Christina C. Bartenschlager & Jens O. Brunner, 2019. "Reaching for the stars: attention to multiple testing problems and method recommendations using simulation for business research," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 89(4), pages 447-479, June.
    8. Erik Siems & Stefan Seuring & Lara Schilling, 2023. "Stakeholder roles in sustainable supply chain management: a literature review," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(4), pages 747-775, May.
    9. Milita Vienažindienė & Vilma Tamulienė & Jurgita Zaleckienė, 2021. "Green Logistics Practices Seeking Development of Sustainability: Evidence from Lithuanian Transportation and Logistics Companies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-18, November.
    10. Ivana Mijatovic & Milica Maricic & Ana Horvat, 2019. "The Factors Affecting the Environmental Practices of Companies: The Case of Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-17, October.
    11. Roy, Vivek & Silvestre, Bruno S. & Singh, Shubham, 2020. "Reactive and proactive pathways to sustainable apparel supply chains: Manufacturer's perspective on stakeholder salience and organizational learning toward responsible management," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    12. Tim Gruchmann & Annika Mies & Thomas Neukirchen & Stefan Gold, 2021. "Tensions in sustainable warehousing: including the blue-collar perspective on automation and ergonomic workplace design," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 91(2), pages 151-178, March.
    13. Noorliza Karia, 2022. "Antecedents and Consequences of Environmental Capability towards Sustainability and Competitiveness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, September.
    14. Kofi Mintah Oware & Harshitha Moulya & Thathaiah Mallikarjunappa, 2024. "Corporate social responsibility assurance, board characteristics and social performance disclosure. Evidence of listed firms in India," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 1707-1721, April.
    15. Tobias Rebs & Daniel Thiel & Marcus Brandenburg & Stefan Seuring, 2019. "Impacts of stakeholder influences and dynamic capabilities on the sustainability performance of supply chains: a system dynamics model," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 89(7), pages 893-926, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental sustainability; Third-party logistics; Partial least squares; Contingency perspective;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • F64 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Environment

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