The COVID-19 pandemic, social sustainability and global supply chain resilience: a review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aymen Sajjad
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Global Supply Chain ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Stakeholder Collaboration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Employee Protection

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global supply chain sustainability and provide an important pathway to develop an initial understanding of how organizations can develop more resilient and socially sustainable supply chains in a post-COVID world. Design/methodology/approach To gain fresh insights on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chain social sustainability and resilience issues, an extensive literature review was conducted. To this end, recent scholarly research articles, articles from practitioner journals, magazine articles and policy documents and reports, as well as blogs and briefings published by international organizations were critically reviewed. Findings The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a major shake-up of global supply chain operations and has contributed to varied sustainability outcomes. While the pandemic caused reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, it has had serious social implications for the livelihoods and well-being of workers and their families. The findings further suggested that it is imperative for companies to build resilience in their global supply chain operations to better respond to future shocks and disruptions by adopting strategies such as employee protection schemes, advanced digital technologies, diversification, localization and regionalization and stakeholder collaboration. Originality/value This review paper contributes to emerging global supply chain sustainability literature and practice by synthesizing and explicating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chain social sustainability and resilience. In addition, this paper offers some practical recommendations to enhance the social sustainability impacts and resilience of global supply chains in a post-COVID world.

Additive manufacturing in the apparel supply chain — impact on supply chain governance and social sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene M. Hohn ◽  
Christian F. Durach
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Governance

PurposeFocusing on the apparel industry, this study extends current knowledge on how additive manufacturing (AM) may impact global supply chains regarding structures of interorganizational governance and the industry's social-sustainability issues.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an exploratory research design, two consecutive Delphi studies, with three survey rounds each, were conducted to carve out future industry scenarios and assess AM's impact on supply chain governance and social sustainability.FindingsThe implementation of AM is posited to reinforce existing supply chain governance structures that are dominated by powerful apparel retailers. Retailers are expected to use the increased production speed and heightened market competition to enforce faster fashion cycles and lower purchasing prices, providing a grim outlook for future working conditions at the production stage.Social implicationsAgainst the common narrative that technological progress increases societal well-being, this study finds that new digital technologies may, in fact, amplify rather than improve existing social-sustainability issues in contemporary production systems.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the nascent research field of AM's supply chain impact as one of the first empirical studies to analyze how AM introduction may impact on interorganizational governance while specifically addressing potential social-sustainability implications. The developed propositions relate to and extend the resource dependence and stakeholder perspectives on governance and social sustainability in supply chains. For managers, our results enrich the discussion about the potential use of AM beyond operational viability to include considerations on the wider implications for supply chains and the prevailing working conditions within them.

Pressures in implementation of circular supply chain management for sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1091-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manju Saroha ◽  
Dixit Garg ◽  
Sunil Luthra
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Laws And Policies ◽  
Hierarchy Process

PurposeBusiness organisations are under serious threat to sustain their business due to globalisation, challenging market and recent economic competitiveness. The aim of this study is to address various pressures to circular supply chain management (CSCM) implementation for sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThe present study is based on two research levels. Initially, extensive literature review has been made to identify 31 pressures to CSCM, and eight categories of pressures have been identified. At the second level, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) has been applied to rank the identified pressures to CSCM implementation for sustainability.Findings“Financial Pressures (FP)” has been identified as most significant pressure to CSCM implementation for sustainability. Further, “Lack of support of top management (MP1)”, “Lack of implementation of laws and policies (GP2)” and “Lack of vision for CSCM (GP1)” have been found most critical sub-pressures CSCM implementation for sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThe final results give the prioritised list of all identified 31 sub-pressures and eight main pressure heads, which will be helpful in their removal for achieving the goal of CSCM implementation. It will be helpful for managers to take decisions promoting circular practices in supply chains to achieve truly sustainable supply chains. It will also be help for SC managers to understand the flow of activities and materials in CSC to get good results and remove pressures.Originality/valueThe present study plays an important role in circular activities implementation in supply chain for profit gain, and their pressure ranking may help the mangers to implement the CSCM effectively.

An analysis of keywords used in the literature on green supply chain management

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amulya Gurtu ◽  
Cory Searcy ◽  
M.Y. Jaber
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Green Supply Chain Management ◽  
Green Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Green Supply Chains

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the keywords used in peer-reviewed literature on green supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach To determine the keywords that were used in this area, an analysis of 629 papers was conducted. The papers were identified through searches of 13 keywords on green supply chains. Trends in keyword usage were analyzed in detail focusing on examining variables such as the most frequently used journals/keywords, their frequencies, citation frequency and research contribution from different disciplines/countries. Findings A number of different terms have been used for research focused on the environmental impacts of supply chains, including green supply chains, sustainable supply chains, reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains, among others. The analysis revealed that the intensity of research in this area has more than tripled in the past six years and that the most used keyword was “reverse logistics”. The use of the terms “green supply chains” and “sustainable supply chains” is increasing, and the use of “reverse logistics” is decreasing. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to 629 papers from the Scopus database during the period of 2007 and 2012. Originality/value The paper presents the first systematic analysis of keywords used in the literature on green supply chains. Given the broad array of terms used to refer to research in this area, this is a needed contribution. This work will help researchers in choosing keywords with high frequency and targeting journals for publishing their future work. The paper may also provide a basis for further work on developing consolidated definitions of terms focused on green supply chain management.

A multi-stakeholders view of the barriers of social sustainability in healthcare supply chains

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matloub Hussain ◽  
Mehmood Khan ◽  
Mian Ajmal ◽  
Karim Sajjad Sheikh ◽  
Amiruddin Ahamat
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Care Supply ◽  
Health Care Supply Chain ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the identification, categorization and prioritization of social sustainability barriers in health-care supply chains. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory survey tool is used to identify barriers that are relevant to a health-care supply chain. The identified barriers are grouped into five main categories and experts’ opinions were applied to validate the content. Finally, an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) is used to prioritize the main categories and sub-categories of the barriers. Findings The exploratory phase identified 34 barriers that are relevant to a health-care supply chain. These barriers were grouped into the following categories: poor infrastructure, organizational culture, poor coordination, stakeholder disparity, and uncertainty. Organizational culture and poor coordination were assigned the highest priority through the AHP. Overall, lack of management support, lack of commitment and lack of coordination were found to be the top relevant barriers to a health-care supply chain. Research limitations/implications This study only explored and prioritized the barriers of social sustainability. Future research should explore the impact of the identified barriers on the overall performance of the hospital supply chain. Practical implications The findings of this study may be of value to the local health-care industry in achieving their objectives by overcoming social sustainability barriers, which would in turn facilitate the implementation of social sustainability programs that can positively contribute to the overall supply chain performance. Social implications Social sustainability has grown in importance as a pressurizing issue to push supply chain managers to assess their social impacts on the communities. This is especially important in service supply chains such as health care, where human element is a part of every stage. Originality/value Despite practitioners’ and academics’ growing emphasis on the social dimension of sustainability, the categorization and prioritization of social sustainability practices across health-care supply chains and general service care supply chains have not been addressed. This study aims to cover this gap by contributing to both the academic literature and the practical health-care environment.

scholarly journals Corona virus, tariffs, trade wars and supply chain evolutionary design

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1649-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Handfield ◽  
Gary Graham ◽  
Laird Burns
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Bullwhip Effect ◽  
Global Supply Chain ◽  
Global Supply Chains ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Constructal Law ◽  
The Usa

PurposeUsing the constructal law of physics this study aims to provide guidance to future scholarship on global supply chain management. Further, through two case studies the authors are developing, the authors report interview findings with two senior VPs from two multi-national corporations being disrupted by COVID-19. This study suggests how this and recent events will impact on the design of future global supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors apply the constructal law to explain the recent disruptions to the global supply chain orthodoxy. Two interviews are presented from case studies the authors are developing in the USA and UK – one a multi-national automobile parts supplier and the other is a earth-moving equipment manufacture. Specifically, this is an exploratory pathway work trying to make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on supply chain scholarship.FindingsAdopting the approach of Bejan, the authors believe that what is happening today with COVID-19 and other trade disruptions such as Brexit and the USA imposing tariffs is creating new obstacles that will redirect the future flow of supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsIt is clear that the COVID-19 response introduced a bullwhip effect in the manufacturing sector on a scale never-before seen. For scholars, the authors would suggest there are four pathway topics going forward. These topics include: the future state of global sourcing, the unique nature of a combined “demand” and “supply shortage” bullwhip effect, the resurrection of lean and local production systems and the development of risk-recovery contingency strategies to deal with pandemics.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers tend to be iterative and focused on making small and subtle changes to their current system and way of thinking, very often seeking to optimize cost or negotiate better contracts with suppliers. In the current environment, however, such activities have proved to be of little consequence compared to the massive forces of economic disruption of the past three years. Organizations that have more tightly compressed supply chains are enjoying a significant benefit during the COVID-19 crisis and are no longer being held hostage to governments of another country.Social implicationsAn implicit assumption in the press is that COVID-19 caught everyone by surprise, and that executives foolishly ignored the risks of outsourcing to China and are now paying the price. However, noted scholars and epidemiologists have been warning of the threats of pandemics since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. The pundits would further posit that in their pursuit of low-cost production, global corporations made naive assumptions that nothing could disrupt them. Both the firms the authors have interviewed had to close plants to protect their workforce. It was indicated in the cases the authors are developing that it is going to take manufacturers on average one month to recover from 4–6 days of disruption. These companies employ many thousands of people, and direct and ancillary workers are now temporarily laid off and face an uncertain future as/when they will recover back to normal production.Originality/valueUsing the constructal law of physics, the authors seek to provide guidance to future scholarship on global supply chain management. Further, through two case studies, the authors provide the first insight from two senior VPs from two leading multi-national corporations in their respective sectors being disrupted by COVID-19. This study is the first indication to how this and recent disruptive events will impact on the design of future global supply chains. Unlike the generic work, which has recently appeared in HBR and Forbes, it is grounded in real operational insight.

scholarly journals Blockchain-integrated technologies for solving supply chain challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-97
Author(s):  
Dhruman Gohil ◽  
Shivangi Viral Thakker
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Successful Execution ◽  
Barriers And Challenges ◽  
Smart Technologies

PurposeBlockchain technology was developed to synchronize the data and transactions over the supply chain network and connected nodes. This paper aims to show how blockchain technology can enhance flexibility and agility in supply chain operations. The integration of blockchain and other recently developed technology can help deal with supply chain uncertainties and other challenges being faced by the industry.Design/methodology/approachThrough an extensive literature review of existing research papers and conversation with supply chain managers, barriers and challenges in the supply chain were identified. Some elements were researched of blockchain technology that can be used to resolve some challenges. Blockchain technology and other technologies integration is developed for implementation in supply chain for better visibility and efficiency of supply chain.FindingsThe challenges in the supply chain are categorized, and the solution is given through the integration of blockchain and other technologies like Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. The integration shows the execution of tasks through blockchain and various technologies in supply chain.Research limitations/implicationsBlockchain in supply chain is finding its strong place in India when compared to developing nations. There is a need for technology experts, supply chain managers and consumers to understand blockchain’s importance. Challenges faced by industries to use blockchain may be analyzed further with real-life industry case studies.Practical implicationsThis research helps enterprises in successful execution of smart technologies in their supply chains. This research helps enterprises in successful execution of smart technologies in their supply chains. Managers and practitioners may use the models developed in real-time implementation. The technologies are described in detail to help the practitioners select the best suitable for their organization.Social implicationsDigital supply chains are finding the way in industries due to lean and efficient nature. It is beneficial to use the smart technologies to make supply chain green and sustainable.Originality/valueThe implementation of the digital supply chain and its challenges are discussed in the research paper. This will work as a platform for research in the area of technologies for supply chain.

Development of a supply chain risk index for manufacturing supply chains

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aswin Alora ◽  
Mukesh K. Barua
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Fuzzy Topsis ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Supply Chain Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Risks

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify, classify and prioritize supply chain risks faced by Indian micro small and medium manufacturing companies and to develop a comprehensive supply chain risk index.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data has been collected from 354 Indian micro small and medium enterprises on the different supply chain risks faced by them. An extensive literature review followed by expert's interview has been carried out in order to finalize the supply chain risks. A hybrid methodology consists of AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS is applied for the data analysis. A sensitivity analysis has been done to check the robustness and consistency of the results.FindingsResults depict the importance of supply side and financial side risks faced by manufacturing supply chains, thus adding to the ongoing academic debate on the importance of supply chain finance solutions.Research limitations/implicationsStudy is limited to the scope of an emerging market. Generalization of results needs more systematic studies around the world in different supply chains.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers can consider the benchmark framed in this study in order to identify the health of their supply chain and to efficiently employ supply chain risk management strategies.Originality/valueThe current study is novel in developing a supply chain risk index using a hybrid AHP-Fuzzy TOPSIS methodology with a comprehensive list of 26 supply chain risks under 5 categories for an MSME supply chain. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study incorporating financial risks in the development of a supply chain risk index.

scholarly journals Supply chain inclusion in base of the pyramid markets

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 575-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenia Rosca ◽  
Guido Möllering ◽  
Arpan Rijal ◽  
Julia Christine Bendul
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Global Supply Chain ◽  
Global Supply Chains ◽  
Base Of The Pyramid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Supply ◽  
Bop Markets

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore mechanisms of supply chain inclusion in Base of the Pyramid (BOP) settings. It distinguishes micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSME)-led local supply chains on the one hand and multinational enterprises (MNEs)-led global supply chains on the other hand. This paper aims to answer the following research question: Which mechanisms of supply chain inclusion are employed empirically by MSMEs and how can these mechanisms influence social impact creation in MNE-led global supply chains? Design/methodology/approach A large-scale empirical study of MSMEs operating in BOP markets is performed and a cluster analysis conducted to systematically categorize supply chain inclusion. The cluster analysis and current literature yield theory-based implications for MNE-led global supply chains. Findings The cluster analysis reveals three meaningful clusters of supply chain inclusion in BOP markets and highlights two main aspects. They include direct vs indirect mechanisms of inclusion and diversity in supplier relationships with local organizations aimed at either “sourcing” local capabilities needed for inclusion or “outsourcing” the inclusion. Based on these aspects, two scenarios are proposed and evaluated for local-global supply chain symbiosis. Research limitations/implications This study aims to contribute to the existing literature with a more fine-grained understanding of the inclusion of BOP actors in local supply chains and by proposing alternative trajectories for global supply chain inclusion. Practical implications The findings outline several important decisions that managers need to make to include BOP actors in supply chain activities. Originality/value This paper contributes a novel, combined perspective of local supply chains (MSMEs) and global supply chains (MNEs).

Sustainable supply chains based on supplier selection and HRM practices

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noura Yassine ◽  
Sanjay Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Optimal Policy ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Emission Taxes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inspection Errors ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Human Inspection

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a supply chain consisting of a producer and multiple suppliers of a type of component needed for the production of a certain product. The effects of carbon emission taxes, quality of components and human inspection errors as well as the collaboration among the supply chain members are considered.Design/methodology/approachA mathematical model is formulated for a non-collaborative supply chain, and the optimal policy is shown to be the solution of a constraint optimization problem. The mathematical model is modified to the case of a collaborative supply chain and to account for inspection errors. Algorithms are provided, and a numerical example is given to illustrate the determination of the optimal policy.FindingsThis study offers a new conceptual and analytical model that analyzes the production problem from a supply chain perspective. Human resource management practices and environmental aspects were incorporated into the model to reduce risk, optimally select the suppliers and properly maximize profit by accounting for human inspection error as well carbon emission taxes. Algorithms describing the determination of the optimal policy are provided.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical results that can be useful to researchers and managers aiming at designing sustainable supply chains that incorporate economic, environmental and human factors.Originality/valueThis study can be useful to researchers and managers aiming for designing sustainable supply chains that incorporate economic and human factors.

Performance measurement of sustainable supply chains: a review and research questions

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 744-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Tajbakhsh ◽  
Elkafi Hassini
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Performance Measurements ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Measurement Framework ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems

Purpose – One of the hurdles to the adoption of sustainable practices across supply chains is the lack of pan-chain performance measurements and their related information and organizational structures. The authors review the literature on performance measurement of sustainable supply chains with a focus on comprehensive measures that include multiple supply chain partners as well as different sustainability aspects. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reviewed literature and propose some research questions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed 140 journal articles, cases and reports that appeared since 1994. Findings – The authors classify the reviewed literature according to seven sustainability dimensions (economical, environmental, social, reputable, valuable, equitable and sustainable) as well as the type of industry and methodology used. In addition the authors synthesize the available performance measurements into a comprehensive framework that incorporates different stages of the supply chain operations and decision-making processes. Social implications – The results of this study can be used by researchers to focus on research that may have more implications on supply chains. Practitioners can use the authors proposed performance measurement framework for developing practical and comprehensive measures for their respective industries. Originality/value – The work is original in the way the authors integrate sustainability (seven dimensions) across the supply chain taking into account the type of operational decisions. The framework can be used by researchers and practitioners to develop practical sustainability performance measurement systems for supply chains.

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