The Limited Influence of Voluntary Environmental Partnerships on Increasing the Saliency of Freight Emissions in Corporate Sustainability Strategy

IF 1.1 4区工程技术 Q4 MANAGEMENT

Transportation Journal Pub Date : 2023-09-11 DOI:10.5325/transportationj.62.3.0269

Wendy L. Tate, L. Ellram, Lance W. Saunders

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract:Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transportation is important for organizations. Transportation emissions are rapidly increasing in developing countries and are the second greatest source of emissions after electricity generation globally. Reducing freight transportation emissions is not a priority on the corporate sustainability agenda for many companies despite their significant impact on climate change. This research explores the paradox between the significant negative impact of freight transportation on climate change and its lack of saliency in corporate strategy using data from in-depth interviews with 12 organizations that are shipper members of SmartWay, a voluntary environmental partnership (VEP). Using mid-range theory (MRT) building beginning with legitimacy theory, this research explores how transportation functions and corporations measure and report freight transportation emissions reduction as part of the environmental sustainability agenda. The results provide insight into how an operationally focused VEP is challenged in gaining strategic organizational importance for its mission of freight emissions reduction and why the current approach of focusing on freight emission issues in transportation has limited traction.

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自愿环境伙伴关系对提高企业可持续发展战略中货运排放显著性的有限影响

摘要：减少货运中的温室气体排放对组织来说很重要。发展中国家的交通排放量正在迅速增加，是全球仅次于发电的第二大排放源。减少货运排放并不是许多公司可持续发展议程上的优先事项，尽管它们对气候变化有重大影响。这项研究利用对自愿环境伙伴关系SmartWay的12个托运人成员组织的深入采访数据，探讨了货运对气候变化的重大负面影响与其在企业战略中缺乏显著性之间的矛盾。本研究从合法性理论开始，利用中等理论（MRT）构建，探讨了运输职能部门和企业如何衡量和报告货运减排，将其作为环境可持续性议程的一部分。研究结果深入了解了以运营为重点的VEP在实现其货运减排使命的战略组织重要性方面是如何受到挑战的，以及为什么目前关注运输中货运排放问题的方法吸引力有限。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Transportation Journal Multiple-

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

4.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Transportation Journal is devoted to the publication of articles that present new knowledge relating to all sectors of the supply chain/logistics/transportation field. These sectors include supply chain/logistics management strategies and techniques; carrier (transport firm) and contract logistics firm (3PL and 4PL) management strategies and techniques; transport economics; regulation, promotion, and other dimensions of public policy toward transport and logistics; and education.