Supply chains – a study of collaborations for eco-labeling

Sammanfattning: Some companies have chosen to differentiate their products by labeling them environmentally friendly, or “green”. Green products sends the message to the market that a particular company is caring for the environment, however the processes involved in making the product can be the reasons for a product being labeled green. The production processes of the final stage company in a supply chain may not be the reason for a green label, but rather its suppliers’ processes. As such, by looking into the integration, collaboration and development in supply chains of green labeled products, one can identify where in the production processes the products or components gain the green label. This research focuses on the collaboration aspects of eco-labeling in the hotel and restaurant industry. The problem formulation and research questions are built on a pilot study, as is the theoretical framework. Using the theories and mindsets of established researchers such as Håkansson, Snehota, Ford, Hines, Usherwood and Lammings, the researchers investigates the eco-labeling processes of the hotels- and restaurant industry in the south of Sweden.