Driving Low-Carbon Supply Chain Integration in Youth Ventures: A Multiple-Case Study of Green Entrepreneurial Orientation and Human Capital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63808/ijyes.v2i2.442Keywords:
Youth entrepreneurship, Green entrepreneurial orientation, Green human capital, Low-carbon supply chain integration, Qualitative case studyAbstract
The paper explores how youth-managed manufacturing enterprises are engaged in the process of achieving supply chain integration through low-carbon processes under conditions of permanent uncertainty. While there is some empirical research evidence indicating the presence of relations between green entrepreneurial orientation, green human capital, and low-carbon supply chain integration effects, the literature provides almost no insight into mechanisms causing these results. Qualitative research based on multiple cases of green supply chains is used whereby six youth-managed enterprises representing three industry sub-sectors are examined by means of publicly available data and Gioia method. Thus, eighteen cases of low-carbon supply chain integration are identified and analyzed. As a result, three problems of supply chain management experienced by youth enterprises and a recursive process including three steps, namely (i) green opportunities recognition, (ii) low-cost carbon exploration, and (iii) environmental policy institutionalization, are identified. According to the results of the research, green entrepreneurial orientation and green human capital are activated sequentially rather than simultaneously, while environmental leadership acts as a catalyst shortening the duration of transition from one step to another. The presented research offers an explanation of a middle-range phenomenon contributing to the variance-based body of knowledge related to green supply chain management, while also providing the grounds for choosing those phases of low-carbon integration that appear to be the most vulnerable.
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