Integrating Human Factors into Green Logistics

The logistics industry is considered as a large consumption of energy, fuel as well as a huge source of noise and emissions. This fact has created uncontrolled environmental problems, both to meet the customers’ needs and creating a commodity effectiveness utility in time and space, at the same time, which goals are conflict with the emphasis on maintaining the natural ecological balance and protection of natural resources. As a result green logistics have become an important approach in the modern logistics industry to improve and enhance the environmental performance and satisfy the organization and social purpose. In accordance with the ultimate goal of green logistics, this study aims to examine factors that will influence the willingness to adopt green logistics innovations by Palestinian logistics companies. The determinate factors include technological, organizational and environmental dimensions. It also aims to investigate the factors that influence the impact of logistics service activities on environment such as vehicle, human factors, route planning and orders aggregation. Considering the need for the evaluation of green practices in Palestinian logistics companies, this thesis reports the development of green logistics framework, theoretical framework about human factors that influence the driver's performance and a conceptual green logistics model that incorporates several factors such as human factors in term of driver’s performance, vehicle selection, route planning and orders aggregation in order to support environmental sustainability and company’s goals by lowering the cost, saving fuel, reducing carbon emission and maintaining high service level throughout their operations. The model has been developed following the main aspects reported in the literature and from insights gathered from interviews. Such interviews allowed the assessment of which are the green measures adopted by each company and what procedures and policies are essential to conduct a greener logistics. Mixed methodology of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches are used to conduct the study. Qualitative data were collected via interviews with administrative and operational managers. Besides, two questionnaires are designed to gather the pertinent quantitative data from a random sample of both employees and drivers in the targeted companies. The analysis of collected data from the first questionnaire indicates that organizational support, governmental support, attitude and perceived usefulness are the most significant factors influencing the willingness of Palestinian logistics companies to adopt green logistics innovations. On the other hand, compatibility, quality of human resources, customer pressure and regulatory pressure are influencing the willingness in less degree. However, the complexity and the work environment have negative influence on the willingness to adopt GLI for Palestinian logistics companies. The second questionnaire analysis shows that most of the human factors whether they are individual, environmental, organization or job factors influencing the driver’s performance, which in turn with vehicle, aggregate planning and orders aggregation exhibit an influence on cost minimization, carbon emission reduction and service level maximization. Based on the research findings, the adoptions of green logistic innovations present an opportunity for Palestinian logistics companies to competently respond to the escalating expectation for environmental protection and to achieve environmental performance profitability. Using GL model, logistics companies can assess, monitor their activities and make improvement for future development.