An Exploration of the Critical Risk Factors in Sustainable Telecom Services: An Analysis of Indian Telecom Industries

Wen-Kuo Chen, Venkateswarlu Nalluri, Suresh Ma, Mei-Min Lin and Ching-Torng Lin
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Wen-Kuo Chen: College of Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
Venkateswarlu Nalluri: College of Management, Da-Yeh University, Changhua 51591, Taiwan
Suresh Ma: Amrita School of Business, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Coimbatore 641112, India
Mei-Min Lin: Department of Finance, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 50074, Taiwan
Ching-Torng Lin: College of Management, Da-Yeh University, Changhua 51591, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: Different sources of risk factors can occur in sustainable supply chain management due to its complex nature. The telecommunication service firm cannot implement multiple improvement practices altogether to overcome the risk factors with limited resources. The industries should evaluate the relationship between risk factors and explore the determinants of improvement measures. The purpose of the present study is to identify and analyze critical risk factors (CRFs) for enhancing sustainable supply chain management practices in the Indian telecommunication industry using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Risk factors are identified through a literature survey, and then with the help of experts, nine CRFs are identified using a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). The relationship among these CRFs has been analyzed using ISM, and the driving and the dependence power of those CRFs are analyzed. Results indicate that both “government policies (laws and regulations)” and “the impact of rapid change in technology” are independent or key factors that affect the sustainability of the telecommunications supply chain. In addition, results provide significant managerial implications, including enhanced sustainability, and the government should build justice, fairness, open laws, certainties, and regulations to prevent risk in the telecommunications industry supply chain; service providers should monitor the rapidly evolving technologies and focus on technical learning and organizational capacity development to overcome the impact of technological changes. The contribution of this study is using a novel approach to establish a hierarchical structural model for an effective understanding of CRFs relationships and to explore decisive risk factors that can help telecom service providers to better plan and design effective improvement strategies to enhance sustainability supply chain management.

Keywords: sustainability supply chain management; critical risk factors (CRFs); fuzzy Delphi method (FDM); telecommunications industry; interpretive structural modelling (ISM) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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