http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/11095 Tue, 10 Nov 2026 23:25:45 GMT 2026-11-10T23:25:45Z http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27646 Title: Leveraging Normative Control for Embedding Sustainability in Supply Chains: A Strategic Approach to Green Purchasing and Supplier Engagement. Abstract: Audits, certifications and codes of conduct remain central to sustainable procurement, yet their capacity to produce lasting change in supplier practices appears limited. This thesis asks how normative control which is governance through shared values, trust and socialisation might extend supplier engagement beyond compliance. Semi-structured interviews with procurement, sourcing and sustainability professionals, across seven organisations and six sectors, were analysed through a grounded theory-inspired coding process yielding three aggregate dimensions. Formal governance emerges as a necessary but insufficient foundation. Relational and developmental practices (trust, dialogue, diagnosis before sanction, supplier capability development) build on it and may support engagement beyond the minimum. How far they do so depends on context: supplier importance, buyer leverage, resources, business logic and external pressure. Notably, normative and commercial motivations coexisted in participants' accounts rather than competing. The thesis proposes an empirically grounded framework in which normative engagement complements formal governance, its reach conditioned by the buyer–supplier relationship. It contributes to understanding how normative control travels across organisational boundaries, and offers practical guidance for procurement. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27646 2026-08-30T22:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27519 Title: Analyse de la gestion des flux de patients en hospitalisation classique en Wallonie : comparaison des différentes pratiques et identification des axes d'amélioration Abstract: Patient flow management is a major challenge for hospitals, which must respond to high demand for care while facing limited resources and capacity. In this context, better coordination of patient pathways is essential to ensure the quality of care and optimize the use of available resources. This thesis analyses patient flow management in conventional inpatient care across eight hospitals in Wallonia. It aims to compare current practices, identify the main barriers and facilitators affecting patient flow and the implementation of improvement strategies, and propose areas for improvement adapted to the realities observed in practice. To achieve these objectives, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals involved in patient flow management. The results show that all hospitals have coordination mechanisms in place, although their organization, level of centralization and use of data vary. Several common difficulties also emerged, including delayed discharges, siloed working practices, inefficient processes and resistance to change. At the same time, hospitals already have several facilitating factors in place, such as structures dedicated to patient flow management, coordination meetings, structured processes and support from hospital management. Based on these findings, four main areas for improvement are proposed, strengthening collaboration between departments, improving discharge planning, making better use of data to manage patient flows, and providing greater support for change. This study therefore shows that improving patient flow does not depend solely on the number of available beds, but also on the overall and coordinated management of capacity, processes, information and the various stakeholders involved in the patient pathway. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27519 2026-08-30T22:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27505 Title: Are sustainable food supply chains really sustainable? A critical examination of short and long food networks Abstract: This thesis examines the sustainability of food supply chains, questioning whether supply chains labelled or perceived as “sustainable” are actually sustainable when their environmental, economic, and social impacts are considered. A major focus is a critical examination of short/local and long food supply chains. The thesis challenges the common assumption that food produced and sold locally or through fewer intermediaries is automatically more sustainable. It examines how factors such as production methods, transportation, labour conditions, economic viability, consumer behaviour, price, governance, subsidies, and sustainability labels influence the actual sustainability of food supply chains. The research particularly looks at Wallonia, combining consumer perceptions with the perspectives of food-system professionals. It therefore explores the potential gap between what consumers and companies consider sustainable and what sustainability actually requires in practice. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27505 2026-08-30T22:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27478 Title: To what does sustainable sourcing enhance supply chain resilience and enviromental conservation? A focus on small and medium enterprises. Abstract: This study examined the extent to which sustainable sourcing practices contribute to supply chain resilience and environmental conservation in SMEs, along with the main barriers and opportunities shaping their adoption. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants across different sectors in France and Belgium, analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis using an abductive approach. Sustainable sourcing practices were applied unevenly and rarely followed a deliberate strategy, while supplier verification remained largely passive. Sustainable sourcing supported resilience mainly when it aligned with other priorities such as cost or risk management, and some resilience strategies worked against sustainability rather than reinforcing it. Cost emerged as the most consistent barrier, alongside a lack of dedicated staff and structure, while opportunities such as regulation, client demand, and collaboration were experienced unevenly. Read through the Resource-Based View (Barney, 1991), adoption depended less on intent than on whether the resources needed were already available. Five recommendations are proposed, grounded in the findings and the literature: targeted financial support, training programmes, clearer regulation, inter-company collaboration, and stronger regulatory requirements. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/27478 2026-08-30T22:00:00Z