Although the importance of integrating different Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) activities has been highlighted in the literature, the potential interdependencies between these practices and their performance impacts have not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to examine the collective impact of internal and external GSCM practices on two aspects of environmental performance: environmental impact and environmental cost savings. GSCM is proposed as a collective competency, combining four distinct, but interrelated, sets of practices: environmental management systems, eco design, source reduction and external environmental practices. Using survey data from 138 Omani manufacturing firms and Structural Equation Modelling, we find strong empirical support for the complementarity of GSCM practices. We find a strong positive relationship between the level of collective GSCM competency and the environmental impact achieved. Our findings support the belief that complementarities between GSCM practices lead to better performance. Managers should therefore focus on implementing bundles of GSCM practices rather than searching for individual best practices. We find an indirect, mediated influence on environmental cost savings, which is consistent with previous results in other emerging market contexts.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the interaction of tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy dimensions of the service quality (SERVQUAL) and student satisfaction (SS), and second, to explore the mediating role of cross-functional collaboration (CFC) on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe structural equation modelling was used to examine the direct and mediated effect models using data collected through a survey of 352 students from 18 higher education institutes (HEIs) in Oman.FindingsThe statistical analysis confirms our main hypotheses. First, the centrality of tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy dimensions of the service quality was established in the direct effect model, while the importance of tangibles and responsiveness was not confirmed in the mediated effect model. Second, it approved the partial mediation effect of CFC on the five dimensions of SERVQUAL and satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsService quality, level of CFC and relative SS in higher education could be subjected to contextual verification and evaluation of these internal and external contextual factors should be considered.Practical implicationsSeveral implications are highlighted for the effective development of the service quality of student affairs departments (SADs), the development of CFC for effective management, development and deployment of various student affairs initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper satisfies the need to validate the SERVQUAL model in different contexts such as SADs, and the need to investigate the possible mediating effect of other factors on SERVQUAL dimensions and satisfaction to show how the latter can be achieved.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how e-business (EB) practices and performance are directly and indirectly related, and to examine the complementary effects of adopting various types of EB practices on both business and operational performance, where the latter is conceptualized as a mediator between EB practices and business performance.Design/methodology/approachThe structural equation modelling was used to examine the conceptual model using data collected through a survey of 108 Omani manufacturing firms. EB was conceptualized as a second-order factor resulted from a production of a simultaneous adoption of three distinct groups of EB practices to examine the complementarity effect of EB practices on performance.FindingsControlling for the variations of firm size and age effects, the empirical analysis of this study found support for the superior effects of the complementarities amongst various EB practices on business performance, but this effect will be indirect through the operational performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings may lack generalisability due to the possible effects of other contextual factors which should be considered by future research studies.Practical implicationsSeveral implications are highlighted for the effective deployment of collective EB competencies, and for the role of operational performance on achieving higher business benefits.Originality/valueThis paper satisfies the need to validate the complementarity effects model in different contexts such as EB, and the need to investigate the mediating effect of other factors on EB practices and business performance.

The literature has widely recognized the influence of e-business tools on business and operational performance. Some recent studies, however, suggested that researchers need to focus on exploring specific conditions that enable organizations to effectively translate their investment in developing e-business tools and practices into positive business performance and achieve up-normal return on investment. Using the contingency perspective of the firm, this paper argues that the link between e-business practices and organizational performance is influenced to a large extent by the internal and external environment within which an organization operates. That is, e-business tools and/practices does not per se lead to positive performance and rather the effectiveness of these tools/practices will improve if certain internal and external factors are satisfied. This theoretical believe is discussed, theoretically, in this paper using findings of previous studies on the relationship between e-business and performance. Some theoretical and practical implications are highlighted at the end of the paper to provide researchers and decision makes new insights on how and/or when e- business tools can lead to good performance.

No abstract