World class logistics - south of the border: an analysis of Mexican maquiladora environmentally responsible practices

This research is an analysis of Mexican maquiladoras' (factories in a free trade zone) status toward achieving world class logistics. The hypotheses are predictors of these firms' adaptation toward environmentally‐responsible logistics using the typology of positioning, integration, ability and measurement. Statistical testing uses a survey of Mexican maquiladora manufacturing firms from central Mexico and the Texas‐Mexico border. The results of the updated literature and statistical testing suggest several conclusions. First, the findings demonstrate that environmentally‐responsible logistics (ERL) is a key component of logistics performance in Mexico. The implication is that ERL is not restricted to select countries but is spreading across borders. Second, this research provides a reliable scale for use in Spanish‐speaking countries enabling research in most of Latin America. Third, at least two components should be added to the framework construction, corporate social responsibility and reverse logistics.