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The paper aims to capture the nuances of two client–supplier relationships to offer new insights on the influences of transactional, knowledge and social elements in outsourcing partnerships.

The study has used descriptive case studies with narrative storylines. Interviews were conducted with three relationship managers (boundary gatekeepers) to understand preferred governance practices between clients and suppliers in diverse economic markets.

Experiences of three real-life cases engaged in offshore outsourcing have helped to identify the market, operational knowledge and social influences in a relational exchange. Findings reveal that offshore partnerships are first constituted with service-level agreements, which set control measures and layout business expectations from both partners. Boundary gatekeepers bring further accountability across firms by designing social networks for capturing and sharing of knowledge, thereby reducing each partner’s perception of risk. As firms evaluate transactional, knowledge and social elements for building a futuristic relational exchange, more disaggregated and dispersed enterprises evolve as new opportunities are explored in foreign markets.

The retrospective nature of the client–supplier partnership is a limitation in this research study. However, retrospection adds to experience, and to practice perspectives made in hindsight, and therefore has a positive influence in this study.

This paper shares real-world experiences that can be used by scholars and practitioners to better understand how relational governance practices operate in a global socio-economic setting.

The concept of lean and ISO 14001 as a combined approach is an evolving strategy for streamlining operational processes and attaining environmental sustainability in the manufacturing context. This paper explores the critical success factors (CSFs) for a combined lean and ISO 14001 implementation in the manufacturing industry for achieving the operational and environmental benefits.

A systematic literature review (SLR) based on Scopus and Web of Science databases is conducted to present peer-reviewed articles on the CSFs for lean and ISO 14001 implementation in manufacturing operations. This article applies the CSF theory to classify the CSFs for a joint lean and ISO 14001 adoption.

Numerous CSFs are synthesised from the SLR across seven theoretical contexts of industry, competitive strategy, managerial position, environmental, temporal, internal/external, monitoring and building/adapting factors for a combined lean and ISO14001 implementation.

Numerous CSFs are synthesised from the SLR across seven theoretical contexts of strategic direction, competitive strategy, leadership and management, environmental, temporal, internal/external, monitoring and continuous process improvement factors for a combined lean and ISO 14001 implementation.

This paper contributes to academic scholarship by providing a theoretical perspective through classification of CSFs for a combined lean and ISO 14001 implementation to achieve operational and environmental performance. This paper also contributes to practitioners and policymakers who can use the emergent theoretical framework for application in practice for a more efficient and effective deployment of both strategies in the manufacturing industry.

To the best of author's knowledge, this study is the first to propose a theoretical framework of CSFs for a combined lean and ISO 14001 implementation based on the CSF theory and SLR findings in the manufacturing industry.

This paper attempts to explore the green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) practices in the continuous process industry particularly in the flexible packaging (FP) industry in an emerging economy for addressing environmental sustainability issues.

The authors have employed a qualitative multiple-case approach to examine managerial perspectives on GLSS adoption in the flexible packaging industry. Semi-structured interviews with senior corporate managers in two large FP organizations in Pakistan were conducted as the primary source of data collection.

Drawing on the natural resource-based view (NRBV), the analysis revealed that organizations are implementing key GLSS practices such as environmental management system (ISO 14001), cause–effect analysis, renewable energy sources, total productive maintenance, and statistical process control to effectively manage waste, conserve resources, control air emissions, and improve environmental and workplace safety.

The authors argue that this is one of the first research studies that has utilized NRBV to investigate the application of the GLSS approach in the process industry, specifically in the FP industry in an emerging economy.

The aim of this paper is to explore the implementation of an integrated lean and ISO 14001 approach in meat industry for environmental performance and examine a proposed conceptual framework by capturing insights from lean and ISO 14001 experts in New Zealand (NZ).

Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with a group of consultants (lean and ISO 14001) to evaluate the suitability of an integrated lean and ISO 14001 approach in the meat industry for environmental performance. A conceptual framework from literature has guided this study leading to its further development based on the empirical evidence collected.

Findings have illustrated a synergistic positive impact of lean and ISO 14001 implementation as an integrated approach for sustaining environmental performance in the meat industry. A joint implementation program provides more clarity in aligning ISO 14001 operational procedures with lean tools and techniques for an enhanced environmental performance outcome.

The application of an integrated lean and ISO 14001 framework is proposed in this paper, which can help industry practitioners and academia in developing a joint implementation strategy and conducting future research.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to assess the effective implementation of lean and ISO 14001 as an integrated approach in the NZ meat industry.

Despite differing strategies towards environmental sustainability in developed and developing nations, the manufacturing sector in these regional domains faces substantial environmental issues. The purpose of this study is to examine the green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) enablers and outcomes for enhancing environmental sustainability of manufacturing firms in both, a developed and developing country context by using an environment-centric natural resource-based view (NRBV).

First, a framework of GLSS enablers and outcomes aligned with the NRBV strategic capabilities is proposed through a systematic literature review. Second, this framework is used to empirically investigate the GLSS enablers and outcomes of manufacturing firms through in-depth interviews with lean six sigma and environmental consultants from New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PK) (developed and developing nations).

Analysis from both regional domains highlights the use of GLSS enablers and outcomes under different NRBV capabilities of pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development. A comparison reveals that NZ firms practice GLSS to comply with environmental regulatory requirements, avoid penalties and maintain their clean-green image. Conversely, Pakistani firms execute GLSS to reduce energy use, satisfy international customers and create a green image.

This paper provides new insights on GLSS for environmental sustainability which can assist industrial experts and academia for future strategies and research.

This is one of the early comparative studies that has used the NRBV to investigate GLSS enablers and outcomes in manufacturing firms for enhancing environmental performance comparing developed and developing nations

Organizations invest in enterprise systems (ESs) with an expectation to share digital information from disparate sources to improve organizational effectiveness. This study aims to examine how organizations realize digital business strategies using an ES. It does so by evaluating the ES data support activities for knowledge creation, particularly how ES data are transformed into corporate knowledge in relevance to business strategies sought. Further, how this knowledge leads to realization of the business benefits. The linkage between establishing digital business strategy, utilization of ES data in decision‐making processes, and realized or unrealized benefits provides the reason for this study.

This study develops and utilizes a transformational model of how ES data are transformed into knowledge and results to evaluate the role of digital business strategies in achieving benefits using an ES. Semi‐structured interviews are first conducted with ES vendors, consultants and IT research firms to understand the process of ES data transformation for realizing business strategies from their perspective. This is followed by three in‐depth cases (two large and one medium‐sized organization) who have implemented ESs. The empirical data are analyzed using the condensation approach. This method condenses the data into multiple groups according to pre‐defined categories, which follow the scope of the research questions.

The key findings emphasize that strategic benefit realization from an ES implementation is a holistic process that not only includes the essential data and technology factors, but also includes factors such as digital business strategy deployment, people and process management, and skills and competency development. Although many companies are mature with their ES implementation, these firms have only recently started aligning their ES capabilities with digital business strategies correlating data, decisions, and actions to maximize business value from their ES investment.

The findings reflect the views of two large and one medium‐sized organization in the manufacturing sector. Although the evidence of the benefit realization process success and its results is more prominent in larger organizations than medium‐sized, it may not be generalized that smaller firms cannot achieve these results. Exploration of these aspects in smaller firms or a different industry sector such as retail/service would be of value.

The paper highlights the importance of tools and practices for accessing relevant information through an integrated ES so that competent decisions can be established towards achieving digital business strategies, and optimizing organizational performance. Knowledge is a key factor in this process.

The paper evaluates a holistic framework for utilization of ES data in realizing digital business strategies. Thus, it develops an enhanced transformational cycle model for ES data transformation into knowledge and results, which maintains to build up the transformational process success in the long term.

Previous research on supply chain integration (SCI) enablers has primarily focussed on interorganizational relationships, the purpose of this paper is to broaden the discussion to include interpersonal relationships (IPRs).

Based on a comprehensive literature review, a series of propositions are postulated and synthesized into a conceptual model of how IPRs maintain and enable SCI, which is decomposed into strategic alliance, information sharing, and process coordination.

The authors find that IPRs including personal affection, communication, and credibility, have a positive influence on SCI, and these links are mediated by interorganizational relationships including trust, commitment, and power.

The framework developed in this study provides new insights into the role of interpersonal networks in interorganizational relationships, which lead to SCI.