Developing a contingency-based model for implementing sustainable warehouse practices: evidence from a case study

Vishwajit Kumar and Gajendra Kumar Adil

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2026, vol. 75, issue 8, 2649-2675

Abstract: PurposeThis study aims to develop a contingency-based model that maps sustainable warehouse practices (SWPs) to warehouse types and catalytic factors, enabling the selection of context-appropriate practices.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage research methodology is adopted. Stage 1 develops the contingency model of SWPs employing morphological analysis (MA). This includes defining warehouse sustainability constructs, exploring items for each from the literature and evaluating feasible combinations (fit) among items using a cross-consistency matrix supported by expert interviews. In stage 2, the above model is validated through a case study of a distribution warehouse.FindingsThe results show that SWPs related to warehouse management and facilities apply across all warehouse types, while supplier collaboration, vehicle scheduling and sustainable packaging vary by warehouse type. Implementation in both cases is influenced by catalytic factors such as cost, managerial commitment and regulatory pressures.Research limitations/implicationsThe study extends contingency theory by operationalising contextual, response and performance variables into a measurable framework for warehouse sustainability. The proposed model and propositions provide a basis for future empirical research in performance management.Practical implicationsThese findings help practitioners to select SWPs that fit their specific warehouse type, enabling better performance outcomes. From a performance management perspective, the study's insights into the catalytic factors influencing SWP implementation provide valuable guidance for managers.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to propose a contingency-based model for SWPs, offering a structured and context-specific approach to addressing sustainability challenges in warehouse operations, with MA serving as a methodological aid.

Keywords: Sustainable warehouse practices; Performance metrics; Catalytic factors; Contingency theory; Morphological analysis; Warehouse management; Sustainability strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/ijppm/article/75/8/2649/13 ... ency-based-model-for (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/ijppm/article-pdf/75/8/264 ... m-05-2025-0393en.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijppmp:ijppm-05-2025-0393

DOI: 10.1108/IJPPM-05-2025-0393

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management is currently edited by Dr Aylin Ates and Dr Berk Kucukaltan

More articles in International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().