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This study aims to investigate focal firms' business sustainability relationships in connection with their stakeholders in supply chain networks. A questionnaire survey was sent to a sample consisting of large Swedish firms, with 107 usable questionnaires returned. The results reveal which stakeholders are of interest for firms in sustainability efforts. The results are compared with earlier findings from Norway and Spain in a triangular approach. The former is a similar country, while the latter is different to Sweden in several ways. In addition, the study uncovers which stakeholders in the supply chain network should be considered. The study also demonstrates how firms can implement business sustainability in their supply chain networks and shows the extent to which different stakeholders are considered in sustainability efforts. The study contributes to sustainability research and stakeholder theory in supply chain networks. Opposite to earlier findings, this study showed only minor influences from national culture and institutions on firms' sustainable business practices in supply chain networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the future direction of sustainable development in the healthcare industry. This study aims to reveal general similarities and specific differences between private hospitals and enabler or hinders of sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach: Based on an inductive approach, judgmental sampling was applied to select relevant healthcare organizations. Informants were identified according to their knowledge of their organizations' sustainability initiatives. Findings: In the context the homogeneity that could be expected, the studied hospitals range from having a very strong organizational conviction as to the future direction of sustainable development to a very weak one. There are some general similarities and specific differences between them reported. Research limitations/implications: There is no common formula applicable across private hospitals to determine the future direction of their sustainable development. Although hospitals benchmark best practices, others use them only as a general frame of reference. This scenario offers opportunities for further research. Practical implications: The economic, social and environmental sustainable development across private hospitals may evolve from general principles or guidelines, but the specific sustainable development at each hospital may well evolve along tailored economic, social and environmental actions. Originality/value: Developing a framework considering similarities and differences between the sustainability actions of each hospital in the healthcare industry is important for understanding future directions. This study provides insights into factors that could enable success or constitute hinders of sustainable development. They can also guide the industry toward a common objective which improves the hospitals sustainability actions in the future, also minimizing the effort required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the similarities and differences relating to sustainability initiatives between health-care organizations. The aim is to provide a framework of factors and their determinants to enable a profiling of organizational sustainability initiatives. Design/methodology/approach: Based on an inductive approach, judgmental sampling was applied to select relevant health-care organizations. Informants were identified according to their knowledge of their organizations' sustainability initiatives. Findings: Several factors and their determinants for characterizing differences and similarities were found. The results also reveal that organizational sustainability initiatives are either value-driven or business-driven. Research limitations/implications: The reported framework of factors and their determinants serves the purpose of profiling organizational sustainability initiatives. Opportunities for further research are provided. Practical implications: This paper provides managerial guidance for characterizing the differences and similarities with respect to organizational sustainability initiatives in relation to other organizations. Originality/value: This study establishes a framework for characterizing organizational sustainability initiatives. It also contributes to reveal whether organizational sustainability initiatives are value – or business-driven and considers intrinsic-oriented differences and extrinsic-oriented similarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main objective is to test and assess a research model through time and across contexts in which satisfaction is a mediator between quality constructs in manufacturer–supplier relationships. Satisfaction is positioned as a mediator between trust and commitment (i.e., causes) on the one hand, and cooperation, coordination and continuity expectancy (i.e., outcomes) on the other. The objective is also to provide a substantiation and contribution through time and across contexts, to business theory of supplier-manufacturer relationships Methodology/approach: One out of eight samples selected for additional empirical substantiation for this study comprises a total of 600 small and medium-sized Spanish enterprises from various industrial sectors. A total of 259 usable questionnaires were returned, generating a response rate of 43.2%. The study is positioned (and compared) in relation to seven other samples that have been tested within the same research model in Canada, Finland, Norway (twice), South Africa, Sweden, and Taiwan. The total number of useable questionnaires is 1641, the average number of useable questionnaires per study is 205 and the average response rate is 37.4% in the studies assessed of this article. Findings: The research model tested and assessed in the eight studies meets the requirements for satisfactory convergent, discriminant and nomological validity, as well as for construct reliability. The measurement and structural metrics support validity and reliability over time and across contexts, which is rare in marketing research. Research implications: The theoretical framework contributes, through time and across contexts, to the business theory of supplier–manufacturer relationships. The tested research model demonstrates properties of validity and reliability across countries and company sizes. Implications and suggestions for further research are provided. Practical implications: The empirical findings indicate key factors that contribute to satisfaction in manufacturer–supplier relationships in different countries and companies. Originality/value: The article makes a contribution to theory relating to supplier–manufacturer relationships, providing evidence that the tested, hypothesized relationships are generally applicable. The validation or falsification of empirical findings in previous research is crucial in building valid and reliable theory over time and across contexts. Otherwise, theory becomes fragmented and undermines the credibility of marketing research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test a research model in which trust and commitment are mediators between economic and non-economic satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The sample for this study comprises a total of 600 small and medium-sized Spanish enterprises from various industrial sectors. A total of 259 usable questionnaires were returned, generating a response rate of 43.2 per cent. The research model is tested with structural equation modeling using AMOS-software. Findings – The empirical findings regarding the studied business relationships confirm the independence between economic and non-economic satisfaction, and the mediating role of trust and commitment. Furthermore, the findings confirm that there is no direct cause–effect relationship between economic and non-economic satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – Numerous inter-organizational studies have tested satisfaction as two separate constructs (economic and non-economic satisfaction). This study goes further by positioning economic satisfaction as a precursor to other more relationship-oriented constructs and outcomes (trust–commitment and, in turn, non-economic or relational satisfaction). Practical implications – Managers should consider economic and non-economic satisfaction as two separate aspects of relationship quality in business relationships. Furthermore, although these aspects appear to be connected, managers should take them into consideration with respect to the levels of trust and commitment involved in business relationships. Managers should be aware that the level of economic satisfaction is an influential precursor to the levels of trust and commitment that in turn impact on the level of non-economic satisfaction as an outcome. Originality/value – This study makes a threefold contribution to existing theory and research. First, it tests the constructs of economic and non-economic satisfaction, indicating satisfactory validity and reliability. Second, it provides empirical support that there is no direct relationship between economic and non-economic satisfaction. Third, the empirical findings also indicate satisfactory validity and reliability, indicating that the constructs of trust and commitment are moderators between economic and non-economic satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the future direction of sustainable development in public hospitals, focusing on their short- versus long-term time horizons, top-down versus bottom-up paths, and intra-organizational versus inter-organizational actions., Design/methodology/approach: The selection of significant health care organizations was based on judgmental sampling. This study applied an inductive approach. The interviewees were identified according to their knowledge of the future direction of their organizations' sustainable development., Findings: The sustainable development of the studied public hospitals is aimed at the synchronization of actions with other hospitals in the public healthcare system. The public hospitals studied differ in their interconnected elements of time (short- versus long-time horizons), paths (top-down versus bottom-up) and specific actions (intra-organizational versus inter-organizational). RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/: implications Offers insights into how to assess the direction of sustainable development in public hospitals. We stress the importance of time, path and action in conjunction. Furthermore, this study provides a three-dimensional framework to assess the future direction of sustainable development in organizations as well as in industries. Both the former and latter characteristics are shaped by the elements of time, path and action., Managerial Implications: Provides a three-dimensional framework of criteria to assess the direction of sustainable development in organizations. The assessment criteria may be used by organizations to assess the direction of other organizations in their industry. Industry associations or authorities may look into the status and future direction of sustainable development in industries or sectors as a whole. The assessment criteria provide an opportunity and foundation to benchmark against others in the same industry and insights to face pandemic as Covid-19., Originality/value: First study to consider a three-dimensional framework based on time, path and action to assess the future direction of sustainable development in an organization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the previous and the current efforts and the priorities of sustainability initiatives in the public sector., Design/methodology/approach: This study has been conducted in one industry, overcoming contextual bias as a judgmental sampling was used to select the public hospitals that were studied. Only knowledgeable key informants were approached and used., Findings: The examination of the previous and the current efforts and the priorities of the sustainability initiatives revealed in this study indicate the existence of different trends in the public hospitals studied., Research Limitations/implications: The results report the key trends that were disclosed in the public hospitals studied in their efforts towards sustainability. In particular, the results show that there appears to be a lack of guidelines and homogeneity in sustainability planning in public hospitals in Spain, accompanied by the near universal absence of the evaluation phase in respect to the outcomes of the sustainability initiatives that have been put in place in these organizations., Managerial Implications: The multi-dimensional factors of sustainability initiatives provide managerial guidance to assess the previous and the current efforts and priorities. These factors also provide organizational guidance to assess the trends of an organization through time., Originality/value: This study contributes to a selection of factors regarding the previous and the current efforts and the priorities of sustainability initiatives applicable in public hospitals. It provides a multi-dimensional framework of factors that can be used in order to describe sustainability trends., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)