Study On Green Supply Chain Management Innovation Diffusion Models Among Manufacturing Companies

Since the China's reform and opening-up, Chinese manufacturing industry has developed rapidly. Manufacturing enterprises have created enormous mankind's material wealth, but at the same time have brought many significant environmental issues. Seven of ten top serious global environmental problems are related to manufacturing enterprises, Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is an effective measure for promoting corporate environmental performance; therefore, it is of strategic importance to sustainable development of the manufacturing industry for manufacturing enterprises to carry out GSCM. Research on innovation diffusion models of GSCM diffusion among the enterprises plays a significant role in comprehending the situation on present status and future development trends. This study aims at understanding GSCM spread process in Chinese manufacturing enterprises, comprehensively understanding diffusion models of management innovation such as GSCM, as well as identifying important practice elements which affect whether a company will adopt GSCM. It provides a scientific basis for the Government to formulate the corresponding policies and regulations.Based on the literature review, this dissertation establishes GSCM innovation diffusion Bass model, heterogeneous population Bass innovation diffusion model and Probit model among manufacturing enterprises in China, considering characteristics of manufacturing companies. The statistical number of Japanese companies certified by ISO 14001 each year is used as our research data based on the especial relationship between environmental standards ISO14001 certification and GSCM. The main coefficients of innovation diffusion Bass model are obtained, followed by a detailed and general analysis as well as explanation. Meanwhile, using the questionnaire survey data of my supervisor collected in 2002 and in 2007 as the Probit model data, this study identifies explanatory variables, regress coefficients to determine the critical levels of explained variables, and the key practical elements which affect the company to adopt GSCM or not. And then this study supposes the critical level of each practical element by questionnaire. Based on the chasm theory, it recognizes the practical elements which show us chasm phenomenon by the probability distribution. Finally, some brief suggestions are given.The dissertation concludes that the performance of independent GSCM innovation is not obvious and the performance of imitative GSCM innovation is dominant for GSCM innovation diffusion among manufacturing companies. Now, three GSCM practice, namely, internal environmental management, eco-design and investment recovery have been successfully implemented by most manufacturing companies. However, green procurement and eco-design are the most important elements which affect whether a company will adopt GSCM. There exists a chasm phenomenon in the diffusion course of three practices which are green purchasing, customer cooperation including the environmental needs and investment recovery.