Ethics in Logistics

Running head: ETHICS IN LOGISTICS
ETHICS IN LOGISTICS
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1ETHICS IN LOGISTICS
Introduction
As opined by Avelar (2018), the perception of the customers regarding a brand greatly
depends on the ease with which the services or the products manufactured by a business
enterprise are being delivered to them. Nurmala, de Leeuw and Dullaert (2017) are of the
viewpoint that the resultant effect of this is that the business enterprises are increasingly
taking the help of the framework of logistics for the purpose of delivering the commodities or
the services manufactured by them in a timely manner to the markets or for that matter at the
doorsteps of the customers. However, the major problem arises because the contemporary
business enterprises are increasingly resorting to the usage of kind of logistics services which
are not only unethical in nature but at the same time detrimental from the perspective of the
planet as well (Fernandes, Moori & Filho, 2018). It is precisely here that the need on the part
of the business enterprises to use the concept of ethics within the spectrum of the logistics
system used by them. This paper will undertake an analysis of the concept of ‘ethics in
logistics’ through the usage of two articles, namely, “Logistic service quality as a mediator
between logistics capabilities and customer satisfaction” by Fernandes, Moori and Filho
(2018) and “Application of structural equation modelling to analyse the impacts of logistics
services on risk perception, agility and customer service level” by Avelar (2018).
Logistics services and its importance
Nurmala, De Leeuw and Dullaert (2017) have articulated the viewpoint that the
process of logistics can be defined as the effective management of the flow or the transfer of
the commodities or the services from their point of origin or manufacture to the point of their
consumption or for that matter to the customers or the markets. On the other hand, Fernandes,
Moori and Filho (2018) have stated that the construct of logistics requires the business
enterprises to integrate the diverse aspects of their business processes like information flow,

2ETHICS IN LOGISTICS
warehousing, packaging, production, transportation, inventory and others. On the basis of the
different actions which the process of logistics entails, the entire process of logistics is being
categorised into two sections, namely, outbound logistics and inbound logistics. In this
regard, Gruchmann and Seuring (2018) have stated that the process of outbound usually
entails the storing of the finished goods or services, their transportation and thereby
distribution in the markets or to the customers. On the other hand, the process of inbound
logistics includes the process which enables the business enterprises to procure raw materials,
store them and thereby use them for the manufacture of the goods or the services. More
importantly, as discussed by Avelar (2018) an important trend seen within the modern-day
business world is the fact that the business enterprises are increasingly resorting to the usage
of different disruptive technologies like automation, robotics and others for the enhancement
of the effectiveness or the efficiency of the logistics system or the processes that they use and
also for the reduction of their operations cost. However, as noted by Fernandes, Moori and
Filho (2018) the major problem arises because of the fact that these innovative logistics
processes which are being used by the business enterprises although beneficial from the
perspective of the business enterprises yet from the environmental perspective they prove to
be unethical or detrimental because of the damage that they cause.
Ethics in logistics
Chell et al. (2016) are of the viewpoint that the business activities or the actions of the
different business enterprises should be guiding by the concepts of ethics or morals and their
business activities should seek to create the maximum benefit for the stakeholders or the
planet. However, Avelar (2018) has suggested that the primary focus of the logistic systems
used by the different business enterprises is to maximise their profitability and thereby they
often disregard the concept of ethics. The resultant effect of this is that the logistics systems
used by the business enterprises are putting an ever-increasing pressure on the environment