Many nations have committed to achieving carbon neutrality to combat climate change, but little is known about its drivers at the micro level and implications for firm performance and supply chain management. To address the knowledge gap, this research conducts case studies of seven early movers in the initiative by exploring the key drivers, influential stakeholders and effects of institutional pressures. We find four major drivers: ‘customer enforcement’, ‘sustainable business value’, ‘environmental legitimacy’ and ‘competitive pressures’. Customers and competitors were the most influential external stakeholders. Shareholders and top management with intrinsic environmental values, being internal stakeholders, played pivotal roles in a proactive move to carbon neutrality when there was limited regulatory pressure. The early movers believed in the long‐term economic benefits of transitioning to carbon neutrality. We also identify the implications of carbon neutrality initiatives for supply chain management. Based on the research findings, we develop a decision support framework to guide firms in transitioning towards carbon neutrality in a multi‐tier supply chain context.

Purpose: Lean is considered as a major management approach for improving operational productivity and organizational performance. It is a systemic philosophy that emphasizes on fulfilling customer needs, waste minimization, and a commitment to a culture of continual improvement. In recent years, many higher education institutions (HEIs) have leveraged on the use of technology to provide flexibility in learning and just-in-time training for learners in the efforts to improve both the internal processes of course delivery and enhance the provisions of education quality. In recognizing these trends in HEIs, the purpose of this paper is to identify the key factors that facilitate the conversion of printed learning resources to e-learning resources in a HEI. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a qualitative exploratory case study approach and examined a unique case of a HEI that is undergoing the transformation process from printed learning resources to digital sources to simplify the processes involved in educational service delivery and operational complexity. Data sources include semi-structured interviews with key personnel directly involved in the project of converting printed learning resources to digital sources, notes taken from informal discussions, and secondary data such as minutes of meetings, learning resource archives, and relevant literature. A retrospective perspective was adopted in the case analysis since the HEI has already completed 50 percent of the conversion phase when this study was carried out. Findings: Abductive reasoning approach and well-established lean principles were used to make sense of the digital transformation process of the HEI. Based on the retrospective case analysis, the authors found evidence that characterizes lean management principles and identifies the critical factors (CFs) that have facilitated the HEI to achieve the key milestones in the conversion journey. These include common vision, top management support and leadership, timely information sharing, and relationship management with key stakeholders in the transformation processes. Research limitations/implications: Since this research is an exploratory case study, the results obtained cannot be generalized. Future research can be conducted to provide an impact analysis of the potential risk factors of a system that employs only the use of e-study materials. In addition, future studies can also assess the quality of the learning services that is supported by the e-resources by gathering student feedback on their e-learning experience that is supported by the online digital learning resources and learning management system. Practical implications: This study provides managerial insights into the levers to engender the transformation from a traditional print learning resources model to leaning with digital e-learning resources. The insights into the CFs aid education managers to introduce process innovations and encourage behavioral changes that will benefit learners, instructors, and administers. Originality/value: The study is one of the first to apply lean management principles in making sense of the transformation processes involved in the use of digital innovation in higher education context. The findings provide a holistic view of the process transformations.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the lessons learned from two kaizen events for productivity improvement in a printing company. The paper suggests how to organize lean tools to improve productivity through the use of organized kaizen events in the printing industry to meet defined targets. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a field study involving participant observations. The relationships among the three specific tools, line balancing, standardized work and standardized layout that are used in a kaizen event of a printing factory, are examined. Findings: Application of a mix of lean tools resulted in significant productivity improvements of 10-30 percent in the assembly area of the printing company. Based on the outcomes of the lean tools that are applied in various work areas, the best combinations of lean tools are identified and several key considerations are discussed. Practical implications: This paper shows that a combined set of lean tools such as line balancing, standardized work and standardized layout can be applied to improve productivity in the printing operations, which is identifiable with a mix of processes that are both labor intensive and equipment flexible. Originality/value: The paper fills the literature gap on the use of specific lean tools: line balancing, standardized work and standardized layout in the printing industry. The findings from this research can be applied to other assembly systems that are similar to the printing industry.

Purpose. The disaster management cycle (DMC) is often considered part of the essential efforts to handle disaster risk and consists of four key phases, namely preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. The purpose of this conceptual article is two‐fold. The first is to identify dominant risks, and the second is to propose risk mitigation strategies for these four phases in the DMC. Design/Methodology/Approach. The study uses primary and secondary data to identify the dominant risks in each DMC phase. The primary data sources include responses from an online questionnaire and transcripts from three semi‐structured interviews with stakeholders in the humanitarian supply chain. The secondary data sources include practitioner reports and archival data triangulation. Findings. The findings reveal five dominant risk factors in the DMC and classify them within the DMC phases, which are (1) demand risk, (2) supply risk, (3) operational risk, (4) infrastructure risk, and (5) disruption risk. The severity and frequency of each risk vary in each DMC phase. We found that several supply chain strategies (SCSs), such as raising risk awareness and horizontal and vertical collaboration and coordination among the key stakeholders in the DMC, can be essential risk mitigation strategies that apply across the four DMC phases. Research Limitations/Implications. The study highlighted dominant risks and the appropriate SCSs for mitigating the risk factors within each DMC phase. These findings are encapsulated in a conceptual framework for guiding risk prioritisation, decision‐making, and policy‐making. Our study has several limitations. First, although we followed a systematic process in computing the risk scores based on the likelihood of occurrences and impacts, the scores are nonetheless considered subjective perceptions of the respondents. Second, the number of respondents was limited. Broader coverage of respondents across geographical regions will provide further insights into the perspectives on the relevant risk factors in the DMC phases. This leaves possibilities for future research, comparison with other risk computation methods, and evaluation. Originality/Value. This study is one of the few that collected multiple data to extend the knowledge of risk identification and mitigation within the DMC.

Purpose: Outsourcing logistical activities have become a widely used approach for firms to avoid high fixed costs and heavy investment requirements and to achieve competitive advantages. Lean six sigma (LSS) has been accepted globally across sectors as a management strategy for achieving process excellence. The purpose of this paper is to feature the application of LSS for improving the supplier selection process (SSP) of outsourced logistics services in a multinational health-care company. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on an action research case study conducted on the SSP of the freight and distribution department in a multinational health-care company. This paper reports on the application of the LSS define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) approach for reducing supplier selection lead time. Findings: The study features a real-world case study of the LSS DMAIC application to improve the supplier selection process of a large health-care company. The key issues that were identified are lack of information visibility, top-down changes and unclear communication lines. To counteract these three root causes, the lean six sigma techniques that are implemented are the 5S, stakeholder analysis and standard operating procedure. Research limitations/implications: This research provided empirical evidence of how practical challenges in SSP can be managed with the use of LSS. It further proposed plausible solutions for reducing and sustaining improved outcomes. As the study is limited to one case, the validity of the results can be improved by including more organisations and more case studies from other similar organisations. Originality/value: Research in supplier selection processes rarely links continuous improvement ideology such as LSS to support strategic selection and procurement of logistics services. This paper could serve as a resource for both practitioners to derive useful implications and to academicians as it contributes to the LSS body of knowledge for further theory testing.