Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of supply chain integration (SCI) in improving sustainability management practices (SMPs) and performance.Design/methodology/approach: Based on data collected from 931 manufacturing firms in multiple countries and regions, the authors conducted a structural equation modeling analysis to test the proposed hypotheses.Findings: The findings suggest that supplier and customer integration are vital enablers for both intra- and inter-organizational SMPs. The results also reveal that both intra- and inter-organizational SMPs are significantly and positively associated with sustainability performance (i.e. economic, environmental and social performance) and function as complements to jointly enhance environmental and social performance.Originality/value: This study incorporates SCI into the sustainability literature, providing a new perspective on sustainability and supply chain management research.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the performance effects of supply chain risk management (SCRM). Besides financial performance, two aspects of operational performance are examined: operational efficiency and flexibility. Moreover, the authors explore the moderating role of supplier integration in the relationship between SCRM and operational performance. Design/methodology/approach: A survey-based methodology was adopted. Based on the data from an international survey, this study applied the structural equation modeling and latent moderated structural equations approach to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results indicate that SCRM positively influences both operational efficiency and flexibility, and has an indirect effect on financial performance. In addition, supplier integration enhances the impact of SCRM on operational flexibility, but does not moderate the relationship between SCRM and operational efficiency. Originality/value: This study extends the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the performance effects of SCRM. It also provides managerial insights on both risk management and supplier integration.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how clarity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation of Japanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) achieves constructive firm performance outcomes.Design/methodology/approach: On the basis of the literature review, the authors present a research model that defines key constructs and provide propositions that explain the interrelationships with theoretical rationale and practical implications. Using careful selection criteria, the authors have further conducted the in-depth interviews of the executives of two prominent Japanese SMEs.Findings: The results suggest that CEOs with strong CSR orientation are more likely to influence their firms to achieve effective firm performance. If CSR philosophy is strategically formulated, clearly communicated, and widely accepted, then such firm is more likely to attain desirable business performance outcomes for larger stakeholders. Furthermore, CSR implementation of SMEs is not necessarily too costly; in fact, the long-term rate of return on SMEs’ CSR investment, with proper priority and prudent focus, is quite competitive.Research limitations/implications: In spite of the specificity of the two case studies, the research model and the study findings give valuable insight on the role of CEO’s philosophy on CSR implementation in the international market. The linkage mechanism between business operation and CSR by these SMEs is applicable to many innovative entrepreneurial firms that target beyond domestic markets.Originality/value: The authors highlight how the clarity of CSR philosophy in terms of firm orientation and linkage mechanism aids SMEs in overcoming their resource constraints. Furthermore, well-implemented CSR activities may become instrumental in achieving long-term desirable performance in the form of customer loyalty, employee’s sense of pride, and corporate socio-economic reputation.

In this paper, we consider the impact of COVID-19 on Korean cosmetics firms. The research framework (i.e. OEM/ODM Business Model) shows sensing customer requirements, translating them through a fusion complex design lab, digital technologies (e.g. Big Data, AI, Supply Chain Technologies), and applying manufacturing capabilities for achieving sustainable competitive outcomes. It examines how digital technologies influence the ODM business model. The research methods include a literature review, an analysis of internal documents, and field interviews with top executives. It also focuses on the model’s response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution opportunities such as the IoT/AI. The case study covers both prior to the COVID-19 and post pandemic world contexts. We propose propositions based on our research model and discuss relevant lessons to other industries in terms of designing cross-functional creativities, implementing organizational flexibility, and achieving market expansion through operational speed and network partnerships.

The Digital Transformation (DX) megatrend is fundamentally disrupting and changing the nature of work, business, and industry at a rapid pace. Although the notion of DX has garnered much research interest from practitioners, scholarship on this topic is somehow lagging behind, possibly because of the lack of theoretical frameworks on DX. Recently, most Japanese firms have begun to use diverse digital technologies to sustain their competitive advantages. However, the return of investment on digital technologies has not been as high as expected for some firms. Furthermore, as the visions of Industry 5.0 describe sustainable, resilient, and human-centered future factories that will require smart and resilient capabilities both from next-generation manufacturing systems and human operators, it is necessary to design resilient human–machine collaborations within factories. To this end, this paper presents a research model between DX technologies and scientific problem-solving in terms of deduction, induction, and abduction inference structures as an approach to resilient human–machine collaborations. The purpose of this research is to analyze the difference in the utilization pattern of the digital technology of American, German, and Japanese firms based on three types of decision-making methods. Next, we apply this framework in a comparative case study of two Japanese firms and one German firm, where we find that there is a difference in DX technologies utilization among the Japanese and German firms. We assert that the utilization of IoT technology in the United States and Germany is pursuing IoT with the aim of autonomous control, whereas Japanese firms prioritize robot–human collaboration. Finally, we discuss how our findings contribute to the burgeoning field of resilient human–machine collaborations by showing the distinct roles of deduction, induction, and abduction inference structures. Furthermore, our research contributes to international comparative studies to identify the difference in national IT utilization. Lessons and implications are discussed.

Today’s competitive and highly volatile environment calls for a new kind of flexibility and adaptability. Limited studies are available that examine how firms achieve both speed and creativity requirements in this digital era. In view of the rare empirical studies on real-world cases that apply rigorous research methods for sustainable digital innovation (SDI), this research investigates the key strategic requirements of organizational agility and flexibility for SDI. The research framework defines four types of innovators. This study used the benchmark tool to assess the status of their innovation effectiveness. This research framework is useful for firms to classify, assess, and evaluate their innovation type. The study’s findings also suggest the road map for future strategic goals. This theoretical framework illustrates the causal relationship between Japanese-style digital innovation and the firms’ sustainable competitive advantage. This model might be extended to other firms in different contexts (e.g., Korea, India, USA, Brazil, and a host of other countries). The theoretical and practical implications are discussed for future research.