In recent years, numerous approaches have been proposed to improve operations performance. Three in particular, just in time, supply chain management, and quality management, have received considerable attention. While the three are sometimes viewed and implemented as if they were independent and distinct, they can also be used as three prongs of an integrated operations strategy. This study empirically examines the extent to which just in time, supply chain management, and quality management are correlated, and how they impact business performance. Results demonstrate that at both strategic and operational levels, linkages exist between how just in time, total quality management, and supply chain management are viewed by organizations as part of their operations strategy. Results also indicate that a commitment to quality and an understanding of supply chain dynamics have the greatest effect on performance.

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Purpose -This study examines the deployment of pro-active and re-active practices in the implementation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) and analyzes their impact on environmental, economic, and intangible performance by considering business strategy as organizational focus.Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected from a sample of 190 ISO 14001 certified manufacturing companies in Thailand and used to test the research hypotheses. Factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity while multivariate linear regression was usedd to test criteria validity.Findings -The threat of Legislation and regulation (re-active practices) was a consideration that resulted in companies enhancing their environmental, economic, and intangible performance.Reverse logistics practices (pro-active practices) had low levels of adoption and do not have a significantly impact on GSCM performance.Research limitations -This study did not consider some aspects of organizational culture interaction between key customers/suppliers in the supply chain.Practical implications -The results of this study suggest that organizations need to be aware that pursuing a low cost strategy may impact negatively on their ability to invest in GSCM.Originality/value -This study is the first attempt to explore GSCM implementation by considering business strategy and institutional drivers in the same context.

Purpose-Sustainability and environmental issues are among the most pressing concerns for modern humanity, governments and environmentally conscious business organizations. Green supply chain management has been acknowledged as a key factor to promote organizational sustainability. Green supply chain management is evolving into an important approach for organizations in emerging economies to manage their environmental responsibility. Yet, despite their importance for easing environmental degradation and providing economic benefits, study of the drivers that influence green supply chain initiatives in an emerging economy is still an under-researched area. Using survey data collected from ISO 14001 certified organizations from Malaysia, the purpose of this paper is to propose that the drivers that motivate firms to adopt green supply chain management can be measured by a second-order construct related to the implementation of the firm's green supply chain initiatives. Design/methodology/approach-Structural equation model was used to analyze a set of survey data to validate the research hypotheses. Findings-The research reveals four crucial drivers of green supply chain adoption that collectively affect a firm's green purchasing, design-for-environment and reverse logistics initiatives. This study uncovers several crucial relationships between green supply chain drivers and initiatives among Malaysian manufacturers. Originality/value-The role of the drivers is crucial in motivating these firms to adopt green supply chain initiatives and facilitate their adoption. Firms in emerging countries need to realize that green supply chain initiatives can result in significant benefits to their firms, environment, and the society at large which gives them additional incentives to adopt these initiatives.

SUMMARY Increasingly, firms are allocating more resources to their core competencies and encouraging the outsourcing of non‐core activities, which increases their reliance and dependence on suppliers. This increases the importance of effective supplier selection and assessment. Sparse evidence exists regarding the impact of supplier selection and assessment on a buying firm's business performance. This research describes an empirical study of the importance of supplier selection and assessment criteria of American manufacturing companies for items to be used in products already in production. Moreover, it identifies relationships between criteria and a buying firm's business performance. Results indicate that soft, non‐quantifiable selection criteria, such as a supplier's strategic commitment to a buyer, have a greater impact on performance than hard, more quantifiable criteria such as supplier capability, yet are considered to be less important. Assessment of a supplier's willingness and ability to share information also has a significant impact on the buying firm's performance, yet is again considered to be relatively unimportant.

SUMMARY The advent of information technology and intense global competition has enticed many world‐class manufacturers and service providers into adopting an integrated strategic approach to supply chain management. Although many supply chain management efforts have failed to achieve the desired results, it has become a significant strategic tool for firms striving to achieve competitive success. Using a survey of senior supply and materials management professionals in the United States, this study investigates the contemporary practices and concerns of supply chain management. This study also relates the practices and concerns to firms' performance by means of bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. A general conclusion is that all of the significant supply chain management practices positively impact performance.

The current study uses mediated regression analysis and structural equation modelling to test the proposition that supply chain management practices mediate the relationship between operations capability and firm performance. Operations capability is defined in terms of a firm's new product design and development, total quality management and just-in-time capabilities. Results support the research model and also suggest the existence of a direct relationship between operations capability and performance.

SUMMARY The term “supply chain management” has been used to denote the integration of logistics and physical distribution activities by wholesalers and retailers and manufacturers' efforts to effectively integrate purchasing and supply with other functions in the firm. The concept is still evolving. There is no generally accepted definition of supply chain management or general understanding of how supply chain management impacts organizational characteristics and practices. This article presents exploratory findings from a comprehensive survey regarding supply chain management. The objectives of this study were to study the impact of supply chain management on purchasing practices, to further define and develop the supply chain model from various perspectives, and to identify problems associated with supply chain management, particularly from the purchasing perspective.