Einfluss institutioneller Konventionen auf das Produktqualitätsmanagement in globalen Wertschöpfungsketten. Das Beispiel der Importe von Bio-Nahrungsmitteln in Deutschland und Australien (ImPOrt).
Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse
More and more products in western consumer markets today are imported, increasingly from the Global South. Yet, as geographical and institutional distances to suppliers increase, monitoring and tracing product and process qualities along supply chains back to the source have become increasingly challenging tasks for companies at the downstream end of the chain. Particularly importers risk legal sanctions or negative media coverage in case products are non-compliant with local requirements. The problem of uncertainty becomes even more urgent as highly specific quality designations come into play. The aim of this project was to provide an improved understanding of how formal and informal institutions – analysed in particular through a Convention Theory lens – are employed by importers of highly sensitive products in mitigating uncertainties in cross-border relations with their suppliers. This was achieved through a comparative empirical case study of firms importing certified organic food into Germany and Australia. Overall, the empirical results affirm that formal institutions such as standards and third-party certification have gained increasing significance over the past two decades. Simultaneously, however, this study argues that these are not sufficient to overcome uncertainties in trade. Informal institutions like trust, reputation, values related to social and environmental welfare as well as business mentality and culture are likewise approaches that are employed. It was further shown that standards do not necessarily lead to reduced differences in product quality perceptions between suppliers and importers. Also, there seem to be changes in the interpretation of the organic designation, as particularly newer firms reduce respective process standards more and more to product quality characteristics. At the same time, ‘dedicated’ companies with intensive holistic supplier relation management, unlike some decades ago, are not restricted to those that focus only on organic products. Conceptually, it is concluded that CT is a very useful complementary approach to other frameworks for value chain and production network analyses, particularly due to its strengths to underscore the existence of a differentiated picture of uncertainty as well as quality designations. Moreover, our findings may provide interesting insights to relevant actors in the (organic) food industry, also outside of Germany and Australia.
Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)
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(2012): Ein "Visum" für Obst. Umwelt- und Sozialstandards im internationalen Lebensmittelhandel. Geographische Rundschau 64(3), 44-52
Bernzen, A. & P. Dannenberg
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(2012): Organic Standards and Global Value Chain Governance: The EU and Australian Situation Compared. In: Farmar-Bowers, Q., Higgins, V. and J. Millar (eds.): Food Security in Australia. New York (Springer): 281-296
Bernzen, A.
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(2013): Staatliche Regulierung von Bio-Standards – Fluch oder Segen für Handel und Vermarktung? Ein deutsch-australischer Vergleich. In: Franz, M. (ed.): Liefernetzwerke im Einzelhandel. Reihe Geographische Handelsforschung 18. Mannheim (Metagis Verlag): 37-60
Bernzen, A.
