IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i12p5264-d1419103.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Practices in Manufacturing SMEs: The Importance of Technological Collaboration between Supply Chain Partners

Author

Listed:
  • Cristina López-Cózar-Navarro

    (ETSIAAB, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Tiziana Priede-Bergamini

    (School of Social Sciences and Communication, Department of Economy and Business Analytics, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain)

  • Diego Cuello-de-Oro-Celestino

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Communication, Department of Business Organization and Marketing, Universidad de Valladolid, 40005 Segovia, Spain)

Abstract

The development of new technologies within Industry 4.0 (I4.0) may serve as a catalyst in the development of sustainable practices (SP), particularly in the case of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper contributes to the literature by examining the development of technological collaboration agreements between supply chain partners as an influence factor that may impact the environmental commitment of SMEs. Specifically, we study whether the type of partner within the supply chain impacts a firm’s spending or its investment decision toward SP. To that end, we propose an analysis model that considers supplier and customer relationships separately, and the SP measure to be taken distinguishing between expenses and investments. Additionally, empirical research comprising descriptive statistics and econometrics using the regression technique has been conducted on a sample of 1808 Spanish industrial firms. Our results confirm that there are significant differences between SMEs and large companies when developing SP, and that these SP in SMEs depend on the chosen partner and measure. Finally, we offer our main conclusions, as well as relevant recommendations for managers, public administrators, suppliers, and customers, who are essential players in the I4.0 revolution and are under social pressure to promote sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina López-Cózar-Navarro & Tiziana Priede-Bergamini & Diego Cuello-de-Oro-Celestino, 2024. "Sustainable Practices in Manufacturing SMEs: The Importance of Technological Collaboration between Supply Chain Partners," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:5264-:d:1419103
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/12/5264/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/12/5264/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Manjot Singh Bhatia & Saurabh Kumar, 2022. "Linking stakeholder and competitive pressure to Industry 4.0 and performance: Mediating effect of environmental commitment and green process innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 1905-1918, July.
    2. Lia Tirabeni & Paola De Bernardi & Canio Forliano & Mattia Franco, 2019. "How Can Organisations and Business Models Lead to a More Sustainable Society? A Framework from a Systematic Review of the Industry 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-23, November.
    3. Francesco Testa & Olivier Boiral & Fabio Iraldo, 2018. "Internalization of Environmental Practices and Institutional Complexity: Can Stakeholders Pressures Encourage Greenwashing?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 287-307, January.
    4. Kate V. Lewis & Sue Cassells & Hernan Roxas, 2015. "SMEs and the Potential for A Collaborative Path to Environmental Responsibility," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 750-764, December.
    5. Donghyuk Jo & Chulhwan Kwon, 2021. "Structure of Green Supply Chain Management for Sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Francesco Perrini & Angeloantonio Russo & Antonio Tencati, 2007. "CSR Strategies of SMEs and Large Firms. Evidence from Italy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 285-300, September.
    7. Cristina Lopez-Cozar-Navarro & Tiziana Priede-Bergamini & Sonia Benito-Hernandez, 2023. "How Family Character Affect the Financing of Environmental Protection Strategies and Energy-Saving Measures," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 25(63), pages 503-503, April.
    8. Sreejith Balasubramanian & Vinaya Shukla & Sachin Mangla & Janya Chanchaichujit, 2021. "Do firm characteristics affect environmental sustainability? A literature review‐based assessment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1389-1416, February.
    9. Khaled Elsayed, 2006. "Reexamining the Expected Effect of Available Resources and Firm Size on Firm Environmental Orientation: An Empirical Study of UK Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 297-308, May.
    10. Jacint Balaguer & Ana Cuadros & Jose García-Quevedo, 2023. "Does foreign ownership promote environmental protection? Evidence from firm-level data," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 227-244, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Clementino, Ester & Perkins, Richard, 2020. "How do companies respond to environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings? Evidence from Italy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103046, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Efthymia Iliopoulou & Aspasia Vlachvei & Eirini Koronaki, 2024. "Environmental Drivers, Environmental Practices, and Business Performance: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-27, June.
    3. Fabio Caputo & Simone Pizzi & Lorenzo Ligorio & Rossella Leopizzi, 2021. "Enhancing environmental information transparency through corporate social responsibility reporting regulation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3470-3484, December.
    4. Ester Clementino & Richard Perkins, 2021. "How Do Companies Respond to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings? Evidence from Italy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(2), pages 379-397, June.
    5. Linda Westman & Christopher Luederitz & Aravind Kundurpi & Alexander Julian Mercado & Olaf Weber & Sarah Lynne Burch, 2019. "Conceptualizing businesses as social actors: A framework for understanding sustainability actions in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 388-402, February.
    6. Han, Myat Su & Ma, Shuang (Sara) & Wang, Yonggui & Tian, Qinghong, 2023. "Impact of technology-enabled product eco-innovation: Empirical evidence from the Chinese manufacturing industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    7. Fabien Martinez, 2021. "Ecological responsiveness and business performance: Four scenarios of compatibility and a multi‐faceted strategies framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3606-3625, December.
    8. Leyva-de la Hiz, Dante I. & Bolívar-Ramos, María Teresa, 2022. "The inverted U relationship between green innovative activities and firms’ market-based performance: The impact of firm age," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    9. Francesco Testa & Ivan Miroshnychenko & Roberto Barontini & Marco Frey, 2018. "Does it pay to be a greenwasher or a brownwasher?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 1104-1116, November.
    10. Jörn H. Block & Pramodita Sharma & Lena Benz, 2024. "Stakeholder Pressures and Decarbonization Strategies in Mittelstand Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 193(3), pages 511-533, September.
    11. Alexander Bergmann & Peter Posch, 2018. "Mandatory Sustainability Reporting in Germany: Does Size Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, October.
    12. Sreejith Balasubramanian & Vinaya Shukla & Sachin Mangla & Janya Chanchaichujit, 2021. "Do firm characteristics affect environmental sustainability? A literature review‐based assessment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1389-1416, February.
    13. Luis Enrique Valdez-Juárez & Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez & Elva Alicia Ramos-Escobar, 2018. "CSR and the Supply Chain: Effects on the Results of SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-27, July.
    14. Alexandra ZBUCHEA & Florina PÎNZARU, 2017. "Tailoring CSR Strategy to Company Size?," Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, College of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, vol. 5(3), pages 415-437, September.
    15. David Talbot & Olivier Boiral, 2021. "Public organizations and biodiversity disclosure: Saving face to meet a legal obligation?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2571-2586, July.
    16. Xiaodong Teng & Kun-Shan Wu & Lopin Kuo & Bao-Guang Chang, 2023. "Investigating the double-edged sword effect of environmental, social and governance practices on corporate risk-taking in the high-tech industry," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 14(2), pages 511-549, June.
    17. Francesca Gennari, 2023. "The transition towards a circular economy. A framework for SMEs," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(4), pages 1423-1457, December.
    18. Presley K. Wesseh & Boqiang Lin & Yixuan Zhang & Preslyn Sharon Wesseh, 2024. "Sustainable entrepreneurship: When does environmental compliance improve corporate performance?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3203-3221, May.
    19. Salina P. Siddique & Nick Sciulli, 2018. "Sustainable development of small companies: Investors' perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1258-1271, December.
    20. Angélique Catharina Elford & Claus-Heinrich Daub, 2019. "Solutions for SMEs Challenged by CSR: A Multiple Cases Approach in the Food Industry within the DACH-Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-31, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:5264-:d:1419103. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.