The need for the integration of sustainability into Supply Chain Management has constantly increased over the last years. The simultaneous rise of the relevance of outsourcing of logistics activities emphasizes the need to put strong attention to sustainable aspects in the relationship between shippers and their logistics service providers (LSP). This thesis strives to answer the question how sustainability can be integrated into the LSP procurement process.
Thereto, a broad literature review is compiled by applying all relevant references into a comprehensive framework. One of the main revealed challenges of sustainable LSP procurement is the lack of overview on sustainable selection criteria.
In order to overcome this gap, a multi-dimensional model will be presented to improve comparability and organization of criteria by assigning them to a sustainable dimension, field of activity, field of action and time/ planning horizon. The following research on existing sustainable selection criteria results in a long list with 123 criteria. The statistical analyses of this list provide insights into current research directions on sustainability and both approve assumptions and unveil mismatches from the existing body of literature.
The development of an expert guidance based on the catalogue of sustainable selection criteria offers practical applications to foster the integration of sustainability into LSP-shipper relationships. It provides assistance for LSP procurement decisions of transportation and warehousing as well as for evaluation of sustainable certification standards.
Although the presented criteria catalogue offers an opportunity to compare different selection criteria by counting the number of contributions mentioning a specific criterion, quantitative measurability of sustainable selection criteria remains one of the most important open challenges.
Table of contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Background and problem definition
1.2 Purpose and research questions
1.3 Thesis outline
2 Conceptual framework
2.1 Sustainability
2.1.1 History and definition
2.1.2 Triple-Bottom-Line
2.1.3 The economic dimension
2.1.4 The environmental dimension
2.1.5 The social dimension
2.2 Supply Chain Management
2.2.1 Definition
2.2.2 Performance objectives
2.2.3 Sustainability as new goal of SCM
2.2.4 Latest developments of sustainability in the SCM industry
2.2.5 Logistics Service Providers (LSP)
2.3 Procurement
2.3.1 Definition
2.3.2 Integration of procurement in SCM and its relevance
2.3.3 Categories of procurement decisions
2.3.4 Trends and recent developments in procurement
2.3.5 Procurement of services
2.3.6 Procurement of transport and logistics services
2.4 Combination of Sustainability, SCM and Procurement - a gap in research
3 Theoretical Foundation
3.1 New Institutional Economics
3.2 Transaction Cost Theory
3.3 Agency theory
3.4 Coordination
3.5 Behavior science and the S-O-R model
3.6 Stakeholder Theory
4 Integration of sustainability in LSP procurement: research directions
4.1 Motivation for an extensive review and LSR as starting point
4.2 Sustainable procurement of LSP
4.3 Environmental procurement of transportation services
4.4 Environmental procurement of logistics services
4.5 Design of sustainable LSP-shipper relationships
4.6 Tools and methodologies for LSP selection
4.7 Further contributions broaching the topic
4.8. List of most important contributions
5 Development of a comprehensive model of sustainable selection criteria
5.1 The importance of sustainable criteria in LSP selection processes
5.2 A multi-dimensional framework for classification of sustainable criteria
5.2.1 Dimension: Sustainability
5.2.2 Dimension: Field of (SCM) activity
5.2.3 Dimension: Field of action
5.2.4 Dimension: Time/ planning horizon
5.3 Building an overall criteria catalogue
5.3.1 Sources of data collection
5.3.2 Findings of sustainable criteria from analyzed contributions
5.3.3 Further enlargement of the criteria catalogue by other relevant references
5.4 Statistical Findings
5.4.1. Single dimension analysis
5.4.2. Cross-dimensional analysis
5.4.3. Analysis of ranked criteria
6 Development of an expert guidance for sustainable procurement of LSPs
6.1 Limitations of the long list of sustainable LSP selection criteria
6.2 An expert guidance for procurement of transportation or warehousing services
6.3 An expert guidance to evaluate sustainable certifications of LSPs
7 Conclusion and outlook
7.1 Aggregation of research results
7.2 Limitations and future research
Objectives & research themes
The thesis aims to investigate how sustainability can be integrated into the procurement process of logistics services by identifying relevant criteria and providing a multi-dimensional model for their classification and application.
- Integration of sustainability into Supply Chain Management
- Sustainable procurement of logistics service providers (LSP)
- Development of a multi-dimensional classification model for selection criteria
- Empirical literature review and analysis of existing criteria
- Practical expert guidance for LSP selection and evaluation
Excerpt from the book
2.1.3 The economic dimension
The overall objective of the economic dimension is welfare maximization of all relevant groups in a society by generating long-term economic prosperity and therewith to ensure the maintenance of a society’s quality of living over time.26
In the concept of sustainability at the Triple-Bottom-Line, the economic dimension describes the idea of achieving traditional economic goals, like profit maximization or economic growth, but with consideration of restrictions and requirements of environmental and social aspects.27 Exemplary objectives are improvement of quality and efficiency, cost reductions and enhancement of responsiveness.28 Innovations in technology as well as new management strategies at all company levels and maintenance of the capital stock are crucial to achieve economic sustainability.29
Carter and Rogers emphasize the special integrative character of the economic dimension and claim that in the area of sustainability “at the intersection of social, environmental, and economic performance, there are activities that organizations can engage in which not only positively affect the natural environment and society, but which also result in long-term economic benefits and competitive advantage for the firm”.30
Summary of chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the rising importance of sustainability in supply chains and sets the primary research question regarding how sustainability can be integrated into the logistics service provider procurement process.
2 Conceptual framework: This chapter analyzes sustainability, Supply Chain Management, and procurement individually and in combination, identifying the research gap concerning the lack of sustainable selection criteria.
3 Theoretical Foundation: This chapter provides the theoretical basis for the thesis, utilizing new institutional economics, agency theory, coordination theory, behavior science, and stakeholder theory.
4 Integration of sustainability in LSP procurement: research directions: This chapter conducts a comprehensive literature review to identify existing research directions on the intersection of sustainability, logistics, and procurement.
5 Development of a comprehensive model of sustainable selection criteria: This chapter develops a multi-dimensional model to classify criteria based on sustainability dimension, field of activity, field of action, and time horizon, resulting in a catalog of 123 criteria.
6 Development of an expert guidance for sustainable procurement of LSPs: This chapter introduces a practical, Microsoft Excel-based guidance tool for shippers to apply the developed criteria in the selection and evaluation of logistics service providers.
7 Conclusion and outlook: This final chapter aggregates the research results, highlights the main challenges—particularly regarding measurability—and suggests directions for future research.
Keywords
Supply Chain Management, logistics service providers, sustainability, procurement of LSPs, sustainable selection criteria, Triple-Bottom-Line, green logistics, logistics social responsibility, interorganizational relationships, LSP selection, performance measurement, stakeholder theory, environmental management, procurement process, social responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on how sustainability can be systematically integrated into the procurement process of logistics service providers (LSPs) by developing a comprehensive catalog of selection criteria.
What are the central thematic fields?
The research intersects three main fields: sustainability, Supply Chain Management (SCM), and procurement, specifically applied to the relationship between shippers and LSPs.
What is the primary research question?
The primary research question asks what the sustainable criteria for logistics services are and how they can be effectively integrated into the procurement process of an LSP.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The thesis utilizes a broad literature review, the development of a multi-dimensional classification framework, and a statistical analysis of 123 identified sustainable selection criteria.
What does the main part cover?
The main part covers the conceptualization of the research framework, the theoretical foundation using various organizational theories, a detailed literature review, and the development of a classification model and practical expert guidance tools.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Supply Chain Management, logistics service providers (LSP), sustainability, procurement, and sustainable selection criteria.
Why are standard certifications like ISO or GRI often insufficient for LSP selection?
These certifications do not necessarily mean an LSP has better sustainable initiatives than competitors without them, and many relevant sustainable criteria are not covered by existing standards, making comparison difficult.
What role does the "Top 26" list of criteria play?
The "Top 26" list identifies the most frequently mentioned sustainable selection criteria in the literature, providing shippers with a prioritized set of indicators to evaluate their partners.
- Citation du texte
- Uwe Wobith (Auteur), 2013, Integration of sustainable criteria into a logistics service provider selection process, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/233540
