Critical Success Factors for Safer Food Supply Chains: Qualitative Evidence from Chinese and Vietnamese Fishery Manufacturers

Food manufacturers must monitor food safety along the supply chain until it reaches the final customers, necessitating a successful food safety management system (FSMS). Underpinned by critical success factors (CSFs) theory, the context of Asian fishery supply chains is employed in this study to investigate manufacturers’ in-depth knowledge of CSFs for FSMS implementation. Various CSFs from three levels, including organization, market, and food-safety governance, are qualitatively identified and explained how they contribute to FSMS implementation through semi-structured interviews, numerous field trips and cross-national case analyses. Among 18 identified CSFs, human resource is the most concerning component among the organizational-level CSFs, especially, employees’ commitment, awareness, knowledge, and involvement. Supplier management and external market support from stakeholders play essential roles in ensuring high-quality and safer inputs for food businesses. Interestingly, food-safety governance affects FSMS as evidence to authorities that enterprises comply with requirements and offer competitive advantages for firms in international trading. The study findings broaden the understanding of CSF theory in food safety management and explain their impacts in the natural setting. Multiple study directions are suggested for a more proactive approach enabling food managers to identify improvement opportunities, as highlighted and exhibited by field study insights from practitioners.