Browsing by Author "Salmi, Asta, Prof., Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland"
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- Sustainability and Transformational Change - A Review, Conceptualization, and Empirical Investigation
School of Business | Doctoral dissertation (article-based)(2017) Quarshie, AnneSustainability has become an important research field in business and management research, and scholars from multiple disciplines have covered a broad range of topics concerning (corporate) sustainability over the past several decades. Nevertheless, important gaps still exist in the understanding of how multinational and other firms can sufficiently address and be part of the solutions to significant global sustainability challenges and other 'wicked' problems related to them. As a large share of the existing research on sustainability has focused on relatively incremental or mainstream corporate activities and approaches toward sustainability, which mainly seek to reduce some of the environmental, social and economic harms that firms are connected to, we still remain somewhat limited in our knowledge of more transformational efforts toward true sustainability. A key purpose of this doctoral dissertation is to advance a scholarly understanding of transformational change as it relates to multinational corporations (MNCs) and other firms in the context of sustainability. Specifically, the dissertation addresses the question of how firms can bring about or participate in transformational change that pursues sustainability; within their own organizations and/or as part of broader networks and systems. The three essays that are included in this dissertation each contribute to this general theme and more specific scholarly conversations within the interdisciplinary (corporate) sustainability research field. The first essay presents an extensive, systematic review of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature related to supply chains. The essay identifies and establishes the urgent need to further study transformational corporate sustainability efforts. The developed future research ideas include suggestions for investigating transformation within organizations as well as across supply chains and networks. Essay two explores the theme of transformational change toward sustainability more in-depth, and develops a conceptual framework of four corporate approaches to change toward sustainability. Two of these approaches concern transformational change, internally and externally to the firm. Lastly, essay three is a qualitative study of systemic (or transformational) change of broad organizational systems. Our investigation is conducted in the context of the United States national disaster preparedness system, and Hurricane Sandy in particular. The paper seeks to advance a scholarly understanding of the connections between cross-sector social interaction and significant change of broad systems. In sum, this doctoral dissertation and its three essays are intended to bring us closer to a scholarly understanding of transformational change toward greater sustainability, as well as to contribute to more sustainable and responsible business practice by globally operating firms. - Taking Sustainability to the Operational Level: Purchasing within the MNC
School of Business | Doctoral dissertation (article-based)(2017) Riikkinen, RilanaSustainability, including environmental, social, and economic aspects, has become increasingly important to multinational corporations (MNCs). Environmental and social sustainability are no longer mere voluntary initiatives, but are becoming essential to international operations. Despite its importance for the functioning of MNCs, only little attention has been paid to the facilitators of sustainability on an operational level. This thesis addresses this gap by focusing on the purchasing function and addressing the question: "What influences sustainability in the MNC purchasing function?". This question is further divided into four research questions, which are individually addressed in the essays. The introductory part of this thesis builds a theoretical framework explaining sustainability in MNCs' purchasing through various theoretical lenses. These are applied in the essays using quantitative (structural equation modeling on 305 companies) and qualitative (case study of two MNCs) methods. New insights have emerged through three critical aspects: the operational level examination, different theoretical lenses, and mixed methodology. First, Essay 1 reviews extant research on sustainability in MNCs' purchasing and finds that studies draw upon a limited set of theories, where operational sustainability comprises of the sustainability focus, industry, and location. The following two essays build on this finding in applying two different theoretical lenses and viewing MNCs in comparison to other companies, non-MNCs. Second, in studying the relationship between institutional pressures and triple bottom line sustainability performance, Essay 2 finds that institutional pressures affect environmental and social sustainability, but not economic performance. Third, in examining the impact of absorptive capacities on environmental and social sustainability practices and economic performance, Essay 3 finds that only realized absorptive capacities affect social sustainability practices in MNCs. These essays find clear differences between external factors influencing sustainability (institutional pressures) and internal factors (absorptive capacities) in MNCs and non-MNCs. Finally, Essay 4 examines mechanisms of and reasons for the adoption of sustainability policies and practices by purchasing function actors. It finds the process to be headquarter driven; further, distance, in terms of geography and role, mainly influences differences in the sustainability policy and practice adoption. This thesis contributes to international business research in several ways. It finds differences between sustainability on an operational level in MNCs, as opposed to other companies. Sustainability within MNCs is externally driven and its performance is impacted by institutional pressures. Absorptive capacities do not affect all aspects of MNCs' operational sustainability, which is in contrast to the pivotal role of individual actors within MNCs' purchasing. - Trends and Shifts in Global Sourcing and Manufacturing Patterns - The changing roles of Chinese and African firms in global value chains
School of Business | Doctoral dissertation (article-based)(2018) You, WeimuEver since the emergence of the global sourcing and manufacturing phenomenon, numerous firms have expanded their sourcing and manufacturing efforts to low-cost countries to increase their competitive advantage. However, as costs are drastically rising in previously cost-efficient countries, firms in both low-cost and high-cost countries are experiencing continental shifts in global sourcing and manufacturing patterns. On the one hand, firms from developed economies are gradually leaving previously cost-efficient sourcing destinations, such as China, to search for suppliers in alternative low-cost locations, such as the African continent, or reshoring to their home countries. On the other hand, firms from relatively low-cost economies, such as China, are also increasingly starting to source from other destinations, such as the African continent, and offshore their manufacturing activities to high-cost environments. To facilitate a scientific treatment of the continental shifts in global sourcing and manufacturing, this dissertation focuses on the topic from the perspectives of China and Africa. Specifically, this dissertation investigates the challenges faced by Chinese manufacturing suppliers, and their responses, in supplying to global buyers, and the factors motivating Chinese firms to offshore their manufacturing to high-cost environments. Additionally, this dissertation takes a deeper look into the gaps in extant literature on sourcing from Africa and suggests future research avenues. Finally, yet importantly, this dissertation identifies the roles of African suppliers in global value chains as well as the motives of firms from both developed and developing economies in sourcing from Africa and the common obstacles met. The overall findings of this dissertation reveal that the roles of Chinese and African firms have changed in global value chains, with China moving up the value ladder and Africa becoming more integrated. The findings also indicate that there are no overarching "etic" theories (i.e. general theories which everyone can transpose and adapt for their specific conditions, as opposed to "emic" theories which are contextual and suitable only for specific situations (Revilla and Sáenz, 2014)) in the purchasing and supply management discipline that can be applied regardless of national and cultural contexts, as it has been found that extant knowledge of theories and frameworks on global sourcing and manufacturing cannot necessarily be applied in the Chinese and African contexts.