When reading the available literature in the area of CLSC products, a gap was found concerning the relationship between CLSC characteristics and CBI with customer perception about environmental responsibility as potential moderator. The main contribution of this research is that it found significant evidence of the relation between CLSC characteristics (real product quality) and customer behavioral intentions, though previous research from Hazen et al. (2011) stated that perceived quality of green products may not have a competitive advantage. It also found that customer perception about environmental responsibility moderates this relationship. When customers have a bad perception about the focal company concerning environmental responsibility, the link between CLSC characteristics and CBI is weaker than when the customers have a good perception about the focal company concerning environmental responsibility.
Our results have important implications for management. Good green supply chain management is worthwhile for companies. First of all, improved product quality of CLSC products affects CBI positively. Jacobson & Aaker (1987) found that product quality is positively associated with higher market share and the ability to charge a higher price. If companies can improve product quality of CLSC products, advantages lay behind the corner. If companies organizes green initiatives to obtain a CLSC product, customers will perceive a good environmental responsibility of the focal company, which makes green initiatives worthwhile if communication to the customer is organized well.
Starting up green initiatives, or even working on the green aspect, seems to pay off for companies. In that way, green supply chain management may not be seen as a negative and useless aspect. Closing the loop of the supply chain can create advantages in terms of positive CBI.
References
Bagozzi, R. P. & Youjae, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16 (1), pp 74-94.
Bagozzi, R.P., Youjae, Y. & Phillips, L.W. (1991). Assessing construct validity in organizational
research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36 (3),pp 421–458.
Baron, R.M. & Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social
psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), pp 1173–1182.
Beamon, B.M. (1999). Designing the green supply chain. Logistics Information Management, 12 (4), pp 332 –342.
Blumberg, D.F. (2004). Reverse Logistics and Closed Loop Supply Chain Processes. CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Bowen, J.T. & Shoemarker, S. (1998). Loyalty: A strategic commitment. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 39 (1), pp 12-25.
Braungart, M., McDonough, W. & Bollinger, A. (2007). Cradle-to-cradle design: Creating
healthy emissions – A strategy for eco-effective product and system design. Journal of
Cleaner Production, 15 (13-14), pp 1337-1348.
Brown, T.J., Barry, T.E., Dacin, P.A. & Gunst, R.F. (2005). Spreading the word: Investigating
antecedents of consumers’ positive word-of-mouth intentions and behaviors in a retailing context. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 33 (2), pp 123-38.
Cassel, M. C., Hackl, P., & Westlund, A. H. (2000). On measurement of intangible assets: A
study of robustness of partial least squares. Total Quality Management, 11, pp 897-907.
Chin, W. W., & Newsted, P. R. (1999). Structural equation modeling analysis with small
samples using partial least squares. Hoyle, R. H. (Ed.), Strategic for Small Sample Research.
Sage, Thousands Oaks, pp 307-341.
Chin, W.W., Marcolin, B.L. & Newsted, P.R. (2003). A partial least squares latent variable
modeling approach for measuring interaction effects: results from a Monte Carlo simulation study and an electronic-mail emotion/adoption study. Information Systems Research, 14 (2),
pp 189–217.
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., Leona, A. & West, S. (2003). Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation
Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Hillsdale NJ: Erlbaum.
Cronin, J., Brady, M. & Hult, T. (2000). Assessing the effects of quality, value and customer
satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of Retailing,
76 (2), pp 193-218.
De Bakker, F. & Nijhof, A. (2002). Responsive chain management: A capability assessment
framework. Business Strategy and the Environment, 11 (1), pp 63–75.
De Koster, R., De Brito, M.P. & Van de Vendel, M. (2002). Return handling: An exploratory
study with nine retailer warehouses. International Journal of Retail & Distribution
Management, 30 (8), pp 407-21.
Dickstein (2011). Airline purchasing conference investigates support for out of production
aircraft. Consulted on the 24th of October 2012,
http://pmaparts.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/airline-purchasing-conference-investigates- support-for-out-of-production-aircraft/.
Dunn, S. C., Seaker, R. F., & Waller, M. A. (1994). Latent variables in business logistics
research: Scale development and validation. Journal of Business Logistics, 15, pp 145-172.
Ferrer, G. & Whybark, D.C. (2003). The economics of remanufacturing. In Guide, V.D.R. Jr and Van Wassenhove, L.N. (Eds), Business Aspects of Closed-Loop Supply Chains: Exploring the Issues, Carnegie Mellon University Press, Pittsburgh, PA, pp 317-53.
Fishbein, M. & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to
Theory and Research. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Fleischmann, M., Beullens, P., Bloemhof-Ruwaard, J. & Van Wassenhove, L.N. (2001). The
impact of product recovery on logistics network design. Production and Operations
Management, 10 (2), pp 156-73.
Foxall, G. R. (2007). Explaining consumer choice: Coming to terms with intentionality. Behavioural Processes, 75 (2), pp 129-145.
Garvin, D. (1987). Competing on the Eight Dimensions of Quality. Harvard Busines Review, November – December, pp 101-109.
Green, K., Zelbst, P., Meacham, J. & Bhadauria, V. (2012). Green supply chain management
practices: Impact on performance. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 17
Guide, V.D.R. Jr (2000). Production planning & control for remanufacturing: Industry practice
and research needs. Journal of Operations Management, 18 (4), pp 467-83.
Guide, V.D.R. Jr & Van Wassenhove, L.N. (2003). Business Aspects of Closed-Loop Supply
Chains: Exploring the Issues. Carnegie Mellon University Press, Pittsburgh, PA.
Gupta, M. C. (1995). Environmental management and its impact on the operations function. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 15 (8), pp 34–51.
Haenlein, M., & Kaplan, A. M. (2004). A beginner's guide to partial least squares analysis. Understanding Statistics, 4 (3), pp 283-297.
Hazen, B., Cegielski, C. & Hanna, J. (2011). Diffusion of green supply chain management:
Examining perceived quality of green reverse logistics. The International Journal of Logistics
Management, 22 (3), pp 373 –389.
Heese, H., Cattani, K., Ferrer, G., Gilland, W. & Roth, A. (2005). Competitive advantage
through the take-back of used products. European Journal of Operational Research, 164 (1),
pp 143-157.
Hulland, J. (1999). Use of partial least squares (PLS) in strategic management research: A
review of four recent studies. Strategic Management Journal, 20 (2), pp 195–204.
Inderfurth, K & Teunter, R. H. (2003). Production planning and control of closed-loop supply
chains. In: Business Aspects of Closed-Loop Supply Chains. Carnegie Mellon University Press,
Pennsylvannia, pp 149-174.
Jack, E.P., Powers, T.L. & Skinner, L. (2010). Reverse logistics capabilities: Antecedents and
cost savings. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 40 (3),
pp 228-46.
Jacobson, R. & Aaker, D. (1987). The strategic role of product quality. Journal of Marketing, 51, pp 31-44.
Jang, S., & Namkung, Y. (2009). Perceived quality, emotions, and behavioral intentions:
Application of an extended Mehrabian–Russell model to restaurants. Journal of Business
Research, 62, pp 451-460.
Keh, H. & Xie, Y. (2009). Corporate reputation and customer behavioral intentions: The roles
of trust, identification and commitment. Industrial Marketing Management, pp 732-742.
Klassen, R. D. & Whybark, D.C. (1999). The impact of environmental technologies on
Krikke, H. (2001). Recovery strategies and reverse logistics network design. In: Sarkis, J. (Ed.), Greener Manufacturing and Operations: From Design to Delivery and Back, Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, pp 256-71.
Krikke, H.R., Blanc, I., & van de Velde, S. (2004). Product modularity and the design of closed-
loop supply chains. California Management Review, 46 (2), pp 23-39.
LaLonde, B. J., & Zinszer, P. H. (1976). Customer Service: Meaning and Measurement. National Council of Logistics Management.
Lee, J., Hsu, L-T, Han, H. & Kim, Y. (2010). Understanding how consumers view green hotels:
How a hotel's green image can influence behavioral intentions. Journal of Sustainable
Tourism, 18 (7), pp 901-914.
Lemer (2011). Spare parts: Where old aircraft go for a course in recycling. Consulted on the 23th of October 2012, http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8ae401da-988f-11e0-94d7-
00144feab49a.html#axzz29a178Lwv.
Lemmink, J. & Kasper, H. (1994), Competitive reactions to product quality improvements in
Industrial markets. European Journal of Marketing 28 (12), pp 50 - 68.
Longenecker, J. G., Moore, C. W. & Petty, J. W. (1997). Small Business Management: An
Entrepreneurial Emphasis. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing.
Marsh, S. (1994). Competitive communication strategies. Logistics Information Management 7 (2), pp 25 – 31.
Murray, G. (2000). Effects of a green purchasing strategy: The case of Belfast City Council. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 5 (1), pp 37-44.
Markley, M.J. & Davis, L. (2007). Exploring future competitive advantage through sustainable
supply chains. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 39, pp.
763-774.
McAdam, R. & Leonard, D. (2003). Corporate social responsibility in a total quality
management context: Opportunities for sustainable growth. Corporate Governance, 3 (4), pp
36-45.
McGaan, L. (2012). Communication and perception. Consulted on the 20th of November 2012, http://department.monm.edu/cata/mcgaan/classes/cata101/Perception-101.htm. MJ Kyj (1987). Customer service as a competitive tool. Industrial Marketing Management, 16, pp 225–230.
Murphy, P. R., Poist, R. F. & Braunschweig, C. D. (1995). Role and relevance of logistics to
corporate environmentalism: An empirical assessment. In: International Journal of Physical
Distribution and Logistics Management, 25 (2), pp 5–19.
Narasimhan, R. & Carter, J.R. (1998). Environmental supply chain management. Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies, Tempe, AZ.
Nunnally, J.C. (1978). Psychometric Theory. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Pappis, C.P., Daniel, S.E. & Tsoulfas, G.T. (2004). LCA as a tool for the evaluation of end-of-life
options of spent products. In: Dekker, R., Fleischmann, M., Inderfurth, K. & Van Wassenhove,
L.N. (Eds), Reverse logistics: Quantitative models for closed-loop supply chains, Springer- Verlag, Heidelberg, pp 333-56.
Peterson, R.A. (1994). A meta-analysis of Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Journal of Consumer Research, 21 (2), pp 381–391.
Pil, F.K. & Rothenberg, S. (2003). Environmental performance as a driver of superior quality. Production and Operations Management, 12 (3), pp 404-415.
Rao, P. & Holt, D. (2005). Do green supply chains lead to competitiveness and economic
performance? International Journal of Operations & Production Management,25 (9), pp 898
– 916.
Reichheld, F. & Sasser, W.E. Jr (1990). Zero defections: Quality comes to service. Harvard Business Review, 68 (5), pp 105-11.
Ringle, C. M., Wende, S., & Will, S. (2005). Smart PLS 2.0 (M3) Beta. Retrieved from Hamburg: http://www.smartpls.de.
Rogers, D. & Tibben-Lembke, R. (2001). An examination of reverse logistics practices. Journal of Business Logistics, 22 (2), pp 129-148.
Rogers, D. & Tibben-Lembke, R. (1999). Going Backwards: Reverse Logistics Trends and
Practices. RLEC Press, Pittsburgh, PA.
Sarkis, J. & Rasheed, A. (1995). Greening the manufacturing function. Business Horizons, 38 (5), pp 17–27.
Tenenhaus, M., Vinzi, V. E., Chatelin, Y.-M., & Lauro, C. (2005). PLS path modeling. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 48, pp 159-205.
Thierry, M., Salomon, M., van Nuene, J. & van Wassenhove, L. (1995). Strategic issues in
Treacy, M. & Wiersema, F. (1992). Customer intimacy and other value disciplines. Harvard Business Review, pp 84-93.
Ullmann, A. A. (1985). Data in search of a theory: A critical examination of the relationships
among social performance, social disclosure and economic performance of U. S. firms.
Academy of Management Review, 10 (3), pp 540–557.
Van der Laan, E., Salomon, M., Dekker, R. & Van Wassenhove, L. (1999). Inventory control in
hybrid systems with remanufacturing. Management Science, 45 (5), pp 733-747.
Varki,S. & Colgate, M. (2001). The role of price perceptions in an integrated model of
behavioral intentions. Journal of service research, 3 (3), pp 232-240.
Walley, N. & Whitehead, B. (1994). It’s not easy being green. Harvard Business Review, 72 (3), pp 46-52.
Winston, A. (2010). IBM’s green supply chain. Consulted on the 26th of November 2012,
http://blogs.hbr.org/winston/2010/07/ibms-green-supply-chain.html.
Yin, R.K. (1994). Case Study Research Design and Methods. Second ed., Applied Social Research Methods Series, 5, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.
Zeithaml, V.A., & Bitner, M.J., (1996). Services Marketing. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Zeithaml, V.A., Berry, L.L. & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service