Structural framework for evaluating drivers and barriers to green supply chain management in chemical industry

Abstract

Green supply chain management (GSCM) is managing the supply chain of an organization with an emphasis on environmental considerations and impacts of the supply chain activities. GSCM has become one of successful business strategies in modern business environment for improving performance of the whole supply chain, including the environmental performance. The chemical industry of Bangladesh is expanding rapidly and implementation of GSCM is essential in this sector to sustain global competition. Considering the importance of GSCM in modern business ecosystem, this thesis proposes two structural frameworks that aimed to enhance the probability of successful implementation of GSCM in the chemical industry of Bangladesh. One framework evaluates the contextual relationships among the drivers of GSCM in the chemical industry while the other framework captures the interrelationships among the barriers to GSCM. To develop the frameworks, the identification of the drivers and the barriers to GSCM in the chemical industry of Bangladesh is crucial. In total, eight drivers and eight barriers were finalized through a survey of related literature and by taking expert inputs via the Delphi methodology. The Delphi rounds were conducted among a number of supply chain professionals belonging to a diverse range of chemical companies in Bangladesh. The structural frameworks for both the drivers and the barriers were developed using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique. The driving power and the dependence for all the drivers and the barriers were determined with the help of Matriced' Impacts Croise's Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (MICMAC ) analysis. The structural frameworks were validated using an expert panel of supply chain analysts. The findings indicate that the most significant driver was supplier pressure and willingness and the most significant barrier was high cost. The outcomes of this research are expected to help industrial managers to understand the critical areas where they should focus on to implement GSCM in the chemical industry.