The supply-side of environmental sustainability and export performance : the role of knowledge integration and international buyer involvement
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
International Business Review
Publication Date
8-2017
Volume
26
Issue
4
First Page
724
Last Page
735
Publisher
Pergamon Press
Keywords
Market-oriented environmental sustainability, Knowledge integration, International buyer involvement, Buyer-supplier relationships, Export performance
Abstract
Most of previous studies seek to understand buyer perspectives in green supply chain relationships and devote inadequate attention to the strategic role of upstream suppliers. Drawing on a market-oriented approach to sustainability, this paper examines the enabling factors and processes that underpin how export suppliers from emerging economies leverage their strategic intent to develop knowledge integration capacity for achieving improved export performance. The results from a sample of Chinese exporters show that the relational capacity of knowledge integration mediates the performance impact of market-oriented environmental sustainability, and such a mediating process of leaning is further enhanced by international buyer involvement. We reveal that relationship efforts should be directed at developing integrative capacity involving key partners for implementing proactive environmental strategy in international business-to-business (B2B) markets. This study contributes to the research of supply chain sustainability in a global context.
DOI
10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.01.002
Print ISSN
09695931
E-ISSN
18736149
Funding Information
Financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC, 435-2016-1690). {435-2016-1690}
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Li, E. L., Zhou, L. & Wu, A. (2017). The supply-side of environmental sustainability and export performance: The role of knowledge integration and international buyer involvement. International Business Review, 26(4), 724-735. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.01.002