Organizational designs for sharing environmental best practice between manufacturing sites

Abstract

Development and sharing of environmental best-practice manufacturing has been studied extensively in the literature. Most studies have focused on areas such as: inter-/intra-organizational relationships, supply chain collaborations and networking capabilities. However, little attention has been paid by academia and practitioners to the concept of system designs that enable these intended functions. The research gap is quite evident in the case of energy efficiency, especially in multi-site manufacturing operations. This paper explores organizational models that can facilitate the development and sharing of best practice (DSBP) for energy efficiency and the conditions that enable these to be more effective vehicles of improvement. As part of a larger research project on practice maturity for eco-efficiency, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with industrial practitioners that are directly involved with energy efficiency improvements in two large multi-site organizations. The authors recognize two DSBP organizational models: (a) networks of practice (a decentralized approach) and (b) model-factories (more linear approach). This study aims to demonstrate the challenges and opportunities that each model brings and narrates the enabling conditions of their adoption.