Logistics service providers and corporate social responsibility: sustainability reporting in the logistics industry

Abstract

Sustainability reporting in the logistics industry AbstractPurpose -The aim of this paper is to present a content analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports published by Logistics Service Providers (LSPs), and to analyse factors influencing the level and scope of reporting. In order to address this objective, we show to what extent various social and environmental categories are covered in the CSR reports. We also investigate whether any differences in the use of CSR indicators can be found with regard to the use of a formal reporting framework, the size of a company, location of its headquarter, and ownership structure.Design/methodology/approach -The study begins with a comprehensive literature review on the CSR policies and practices in relation to the field of logistics. A database of 350 international LSPs is compiled based on independent rankings of top logistics companies. Applying a content analysis approach, corporate websites and CSR reports are examined in order to investigate how sustainability is reported and what CSR-related indicators are published. Statistical analysis is carried out to provide insight into whether any differences in the use of CSR indicators can be found with regard to four key factors identified in the literature review.Findings -Although aspects of sustainability are mentioned on corporate websites of most LSPs in the database (53%), only 13% publish formal CSR reports. This research identifies a variety of indicators used by LSPs and shows that the use of a formal reporting framework and the size of a company are the two main factors influencing the levels of CSR reporting in the sector.Practical implications -This paper provides an insight into how transparently LSPs report on the sustainability of their performance. LSPs can compare their own CSR reporting approaches to the body of scientific literature and the findings presented in this paper, in order to adapt more general concepts and best practice evidence to their needs.Social implications -By focusing on best practice in reporting of the environmental and social performance, this research can potentially improve the long-term sustainability of the logistics sector.Originality/value -This is the first study providing a comprehensive review of the CSR reporting practice in the third party logistics sector. As such, this paper provides an important basis for CSR-related research in the field of logistics and supply chain management. Several areas for future research are also identified.

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“…Corporate social responsibility is an important motivation for companies to exert efforts for social benefit [58]. To support the development of small agri-businesses, AF adopts the "online and offline model" to provide them with business loans.…”

Environmental Sustainability in Third-Party Logistics Service Providers: A Systematic Literature Review from 2000–2016

“…Impact of green actions on 3PLs' performance [3,38,40,41,56,61,[66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80].…”

Sustainability reporting of logistics service providers in Europe

“…With regard to sustainability, environmental issues, in particular, appear to be the most prominent focus of more recent academic papers (Piecyk and Björklund, 2015). Recent studies on procurement and subcontracting of logistics services have found that purchasing companies place high value on the environmental performance of LSPs (Large et al, 2013;Scholtens and Kleinsmann, 2011).…”

“…The activities of logistics providers have a significant environmental as well as an economic impact, which is indicative of significant potential as yet to be exploited. Indeed, companies are increasingly finding that sustainable outputs will be more sustainable if value-adding logistics activities become sustainable themselves (Wu and Dunn, 1995), although the potential of LSPs as 'enablers' of sustainable management of the supply chain has not yet been much debated in research carried out to date (Piecyk and Björklund, 2015;Kudla and Klaas-Wissing, 2012): "outsourcing has a significant potential to increase sustainability in the supply chain as third-party logistics providers focus on improving resource utilisation and making processes more efficient" (Facanha and Horvath, 2005).…”

“…The cross-functional nature of logistics makes it vital to every corporate strategy, particularly to actions and policies aimed at ensuring environmental and social sustainability of operations (Piecyk and Björklund, 2015). Sustainable performance becomes a significant element in what LSPs offer and a vital part of their strategic planning (Björklund and Forslund, 2013).…”