Does Stakeholder Pressure Matters in Adopting Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives? Insights from Agro-Based Processing Industry

Tamoor Azam, Songjiang Wang, Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Nazam, Muhammad Hashim, Sajjad Ahmad Baig and Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman
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Tamoor Azam: Department of Management Sciences and Engineering, School of Management and Economics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan 650500, China
Songjiang Wang: Department of Management Sciences and Engineering, School of Management and Economics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan 650500, China
Muhammad Mohsin: School of Business, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi 417000, China
Muhammad Nazam: Institute of Business Management Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Hashim: Faisalabad Business School, National Textile University, Faisalabad 37610, Pakistan
Sajjad Ahmad Baig: Faisalabad Business School, National Textile University, Faisalabad 37610, Pakistan
Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman: Faisalabad Business School, National Textile University, Faisalabad 37610, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-30

Abstract: Over the past few years, sustainable supply chain initiatives (SSCIs) have grabbed attention in the domestic, as well as global, marketplace of the food sector. Nowadays, the success of the entire food supply chain depends on the prosperity of farms, local communities, trader processors, and agro-based industries. Despite its importance, food processing industries (FPIs) are encountering various hurdles in achieving sustainable business goals due to the sheer number of potential barriers. Due to this reason, stakeholders are continuously pressuring the management of FPIs to embrace sustainable food processing activities. In light of this, the present study aims to apply a hybrid fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) framework, based on fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution (F-TOPSIS), for analyzing the barriers and prioritizing the possible pathways in adopting the SSCIs for the development of FPIs. Based on the extensive review of literature and panel consultation with experienced experts, a total of seven main barriers, forty-two sub barriers, and five possible pathways as strategic tools were finalized and ranked. An empirical case investigation of a Pakistani-based food processing company has been taken to check the practical application of the proposed framework along with sensitivity analysis. The findings of this study reveal that the lack of sustainable outsourcing factors were found as the top-ranked barrier in implementing SSCIs, and the possible pathway to overcome this barrier is the appropriate management of the procurement cycle. The major contribution of this study is to establish a barriers prioritization framework and suggest possible pathways to overcome these barriers for the successful implementation of SSCIs. Finally, the theoretical, managerial, and policy implications are provided as a way forward for the concerned stakeholders and policymakers.

Keywords: barriers; possible pathways; sustainability; fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS; sensitivity analysis (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 (2)

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