Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Reza Soleymani-Damaneh* Associate Professor of Industrial Management, Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran r.soleymani@vru.ac.ir
2
M.Sc. Student in Industrial Management, Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran Hamidpour1@vru.ac.ir
Abstract
EXTENDED ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: In recent years, sustainable development and the management of the environmental impacts of industrial activities have become major concerns for policymakers and organizational managers. In this context, green productivity has emerged as a modern approach that integrates economic, environmental, and social objectives while seeking to improve productivity and efficiency and simultaneously reduce the environmental impacts of production activities. The ceramic tile industry, due to its high energy consumption, intensive use of natural resources, and generation of various pollutants, is considered one of the environmentally impactful industries. Therefore, identifying and evaluating the factors influencing green productivity in this industry can play a significant role in improving its sustainable performance. The present study aims to develop a decision-making model for evaluating green productivity and determining the relative importance of its influencing criteria in the ceramic tile industry.
Materials and Methods: This study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of methodology. In the first stage, a comprehensive review of the literature on green productivity was conducted to identify the relevant evaluation criteria. The extracted criteria were then reviewed by academic experts and industry specialists, and after refinement, nine final criteria were selected: access to financial resources, production efficiency, energy efficiency, economic development, environmental quality, reduction in natural resource consumption, green innovation, sustainable development, and environmental justice. Subsequently, the required data were collected through the Best–Worst Method (BWM) pairwise comparison questionnaire. After examining the consistency of expert judgments, the valid responses were analyzed using the mathematical model of BWM and LINGO software to determine the weights and priorities of the criteria.
Results: The findings revealed that environmental quality (weight = 0.260) is the most important criterion for evaluating green productivity in the ceramic tile industry. This was followed by reduction in natural resource consumption and green innovation, each with a weight of 0.156, ranking second. Energy efficiency and sustainable development, each with a weight of 0.104, were identified as moderately important criteria. Economic development, production efficiency, and access to financial resources ranked next, while environmental justice (weight = 0.026) received the lowest priority from the experts. Overall, the results indicate that experts place the greatest emphasis on environmental protection, efficient resource management, and the development of green technologies and innovations, whereas economic considerations are assigned lower priority.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that improving green productivity in the ceramic tile industry primarily depends on enhancing environmental quality, reducing natural resource consumption, and promoting green innovation. Accordingly, investing in clean technologies, optimizing energy and raw material consumption, developing environmentally friendly production processes, and supporting innovative activities can substantially improve green productivity. The decision-making model proposed in this study provides a practical framework for prioritizing managerial actions and formulating sustainable development policies in manufacturing industries. It can assist managers, planners, and policymakers in allocating resources more effectively and making informed strategic decisions.
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