Framing sustainability performance of supply chains with multidimensional indicators

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Varsei ◽  
Claudine Soosay ◽  
Behnam Fahimnia ◽  
Joseph Sarkis
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Trade Offs

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a framework which can assist focal companies in the development of sustainable supply chains. Sustainable development from an industrial perspective has extended beyond organisational boundaries to incorporate a supply chain approach. Design/methodology/approach – The literature related to sustainable supply chain management is reviewed by incorporating concepts from four organisational theories, including the resource-based, institutional, stakeholder and social network perspectives, to illustrate key drivers and enablers of sustainability initiatives in the supply chain. A conceptual multidimensional framework is then developed that can be used for the initial assessment of supply chain sustainability. Findings – Development and assessment of sustainability in supply chains are being increasingly incorporated as part of supply chain management today. This paper presents a multidimensional framework which can serve as a tool for research scholars and supply chain practitioners in identifying and assessing various economic, environmental and social performance indicators. Research limitations/implications – The framework and approach presented are conceptual, and require additional and broader validation. Additional theories, at differing levels, such as individual behaviour theory, should be utilised to further enhance and evaluate the framework. Developing and integrating analytical models for prescriptive and practical supply chain solutions can enhance the applicability of the framework. Practical implications – The framework adopts a multidimensional approach to assessing and designing sustainable supply chains, as it not only incorporates economic and environmental dimensions but also provides a practical approach to quantifying and embedding the social dimension into decision-making. The framework helps industry practitioners in initial exploration of trade-offs among economic, environmental and social performance of supply chains, which, in turn, could assist them in creating a business case for sustainability. Originality/value – The paper is one of few studies that incorporates some of the key aspects of all three dimensions of sustainability in a single overarching framework for supply chains and offers significant theoretical contribution and implications for sustainable supply chain management.

The missing links of sustainable supply chain management and green radical product innovation between sustainable entrepreneurship orientation and sustainability performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Afum ◽  
Kassimu Issau ◽  
Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah ◽  
Charles Baah ◽  
Essel Dacosta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Radical Product ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainability Performance

Purpose Anchored on the natural resource-based view and stakeholder theories, this study aims to investigate the mediating roles of sustainable supply chain management and green radical product innovation (GRPI) in the link between sustainable entrepreneurial orientation (SEO) and sustainability performance. Design/methodology/approach The comprehensive research model developed in this study is empirically tested by using data garnered from 248 managers of Ghanaian small and medium-sized enterprises. Partial least square structural equation modeling is applied as the methodological technique to test all the hypothesized relationships. Findings Results of the study indicate that SEO has a direct significant positive impact on environmental performance and social performance but not financial performance. However, through sustainable supply chain management and GRPI (both mediating variables), SEO tends to have significant impact on all sustainability performance dimensions (environmental, financial and social performance). Originality/value This study offers fresh empirical evidence by developing a unified research model that validates the specific mediation role of sustainable supply chain management between SEO and green radical product innovation, as well as the mediating roles of both sustainable supply chain management and GRPI between SEO and sustainability performance dimensions.

Squaring the circle

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanne Grosvold ◽  
Stefan U. Hoejmose ◽  
Jens K. Roehrich
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Tightly Coupled

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationships between management, measurement and performance of sustainability in supply chains. The authors develop a framework which explores these links through decoupling as articulated by the institutional theory. They draw on a conceptual continuum of reactive-proactive sustainable supply chain practices and identify clusters of companies along these dimensions and evaluate the theoretical and managerial implications of this for sustainability performance. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses primary and secondary datasets from 12 inductive, multiple case studies across different industries. This method ensures that we are better able to encapsulate a broader and more diverse set of practices and settings which in turn adds robustness to the theory we induced from our findings. Findings – The authors find varying degrees of alignment between management practices and measurement systems of sustainable supply chains. Some firms better align their sustainable supply chain management and measurement practices than others, resulting in tighter coupling and ultimately improved sustainability performance in the supply chain. Research limitations/implications – Further research may explore the conditions under which firms decouple their practices and the contextual settings that are associated with decoupling, loosely and tightly coupled alignment. Additionally, the conceptual framework should be tested across countries, industries and different relationships between public and private organisations. Originality/value – This is one of the first empirical explorations of the decoupling theory and the reactive-proactive continuum in sustainable supply chain management.

The thematic landscape of literature in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM)

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 1091-1124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Roy ◽  
Tobias Schoenherr ◽  
Parikshit Charan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Specific Objective ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
Multiple Levels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively review the vast literature on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), with the specific objective of a thematic exploration of the literature in order to explicate the principal facets of SSCM development. Design/methodology/approach This comprehensive review follows the systematic literature review approach. Findings The authors find SSCM to develop around five principal facets. The first facet is adoption, which accounts for the development of preparatory grounds – for facilitating the generation of a SSCM philosophy to gradually seep into the frame of traditional supply chain management (SCM). The second facet of implementation accounts for the manifestation of a SSCM-oriented transformation for producing gradual upgrades in the traditional SCM environment. The third facet of extension signifies the broadening of the scope of implementation at a more wider (supply chain) level. The fourth facet of maintenance outlines the need for ensuring the continuity of progress in the course of SSCM development. The fifth facet of outcomes focuses on the yields of SSCM’s pursuit. Originality/value These principal facets are built across the multiple levels and unique conceptual standpoints as propagated by 13 themes and 34 sub-themes. These themes are generated based upon 419 articles (2000-2017) from more than 40 leading journals. The authors discuss the facet-specific key implications for guiding the literature in its further advancement, and thus propose a rigorous thematic landscape of the SSCM literature with a unique approach. Overall, the outcomes of this review provide a fundamental organization of the SSCM literature – from the perspective of a journey involved in the transition from traditional to sustainable supply chains.

Toward a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management: the role of media attention

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Complete Theory ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Media Attention

Purpose To contribute to the development of a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), this study aims to focus on media attention as an under-researched antecedent. Media transmit information about (good or bad) business practices and information recipients often adjust their behavior accordingly. Although media often uncover scandals in supply chains, no systematic understanding explicates how they shape lead firms’ reactions to scandals. This empirical study investigates how media attention to a major supply chain scandal influences buying companies’ SSCM. Design/methodology/approach The research setting is the fashion industry, five years after the Rana Plaza building collapse. Matched SSCM data from 73 fashion lead firms and news articles collected from major outlets were analyzed using ordinary least squares regression analyzes. Findings This study generates nuanced insights into the role of the media in triggering SSCM. Certain facets of media attention (direct media exposure and negative framing) result in higher levels of SSCM, others have no significant effect (media visibility) and some result in less SSCM (positive framing). Research limitations/implications The varying effects of different facets of media attention on SSCM have not been established previously. Both media and supply chain researchers should address these unique effects in their continued assessments. Social implications External stakeholders can use these findings to devise more effective ways to influence lead firms and improve social and environmental conditions in supply chains. Originality/value This study is the first empirical investigation of the effects of various facets of media attention on SSCM.

Social sustainability in supply chains: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1125-1148
Author(s):  
Patricio Javier Chiesa ◽  
Wojciech Przychodzen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
New Research

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review the development of the socially sustainable supply chain management field. Design/methodology/approach The 112 most cited papers in the field until 2017 are analysed using a state-of-the-art structured literature review model borrowed from the accounting field. Findings This study highlights the increasing number of publications across the years, the diversity of journals and the type of authors addressing the topic. It reveals that qualitative studies focused on large companies in the garment, food and electronics sectors and on private regulations capture most of the attention, with Asia, Europe and North America being the most scrutinised locations. Drivers and barriers for socially sustainable supply chain management are summarised, clustered and confronted. This study also evaluates how the sustainability and corporate social responsibility concepts are used in the above field and analyses the existing definitions of social sustainability. Research limitations/implications This study incites researchers to broaden their studies to diverse sectors and locations, addressing different levels of supply chains with quantitative techniques and clearer conceptual foundations. Practical implications This study incites practitioners to further contribute to this scholars-dominated research field, offering their practical insights and perspectives. Originality/value This study offers original insights and critiques of the literature, highlighting its gaps and proposing new research avenues for the future.

scholarly journals IMPLICATIONS OF SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT LITERATURE TO MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-219
Author(s):  
Asuman Atik ◽  
◽  
Iva Kovacevic ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Keyword Search ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Management Literature

The main purpose of this article is to make an extensive review on the sustainable supply chain management literature in order to find some implications to management accounting. It also aims to explain sustainability in supply chain management, the needs of a sustainable supply chain, historical development and importance of sustainable supply chains. As the first step, a keyword search was conducted in the well-known databases, and then, sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) studies, which have connections to and implications for management accounting are evaluated and summarized separately. Although SSCM literature is very rich, the number of SSCM studies which have implications to management accounting is scarce. They point out that management accountants may take parts especially in determining cost and profitability of sustainable products, cost and quality evaluation of input materials and risk evaluation of suppliers, developing costing models for sustainable production, measuring performance in economic, environmental and social areas, and making cost-benefit analysis in the implementation and adoption of sustainability in each steps of sustainable supply chains.

scholarly journals Development of a Strategic Framework for Sustainable Supply Chain Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 532-552
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yao Hsu ◽  
◽  
Ming-Hon Hwang ◽  
Yuan-Shyi Peter Chiu ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Strategic Framework ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains

<abstract> <p>It is widely agreed that properly establishing a sustainable supply chain strategy to yield competitive advantages is essential for business enterprises, and a number of research papers on sustainable supply chains have been produced over the last two decades. However, many past studies on sustainable supply chain strategies emphasized either classification schemes or various coordination mechanisms, and few of them have focused on an integrated framework for sustainable supply chains. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a strategic framework for the sustainable supply chain management. The study is based on the abductive reasoning process through literature review to establish a strategic framework which is ranked through grey relational analysis (GRA). The weighted data of various strategies collected from the elite interview prove to be comprehensive and evaluable, so it can create values for supply chain members in practice. The results further suggest that each sustainable supply chain in different fields can select the best combination of strategies through GRA to constantly facilitate performance of sustainability. The main contribution is the submission of a strategic framework which makes up the insufficiency of past research papers lacking an integrated strategic framework. At the same time, the proposed strategic framework has also been illustrated through a case study.</p> </abstract>

Expect the unexpected: toward a theory of the unintended consequences of sustainable supply chain management

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 1857-1871
Author(s):  
Craig R. Carter ◽  
Lutz Kaufmann ◽  
David J. Ketchen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Trade Offs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a theorization of the unintended consequences of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).Design/methodology/approachThe authors integrate extant theory of unintended consequences, sustainable supply chain management and paradox theory to develop a typology of the unintended consequences of SSCM initiatives and a conceptual model of the antecedents of these unintended consequences.FindingsThe authors advance a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive typology of the unintended consequences of SSCM initiatives. These unintended consequences include trade-offs as well as synergies in the form of positive spillover. The authors’ conceptual model identifies multiple levels of stakeholders, multiple performance dimensions, multiple time horizons and the interplay with social construction as antecedents to the unintended consequences of SSCM initiatives.Practical implicationsThe authors’ typology suggests that managers must move beyond simply assessing whether the intended consequences of an SSCM initiative have been achieved. Managers must also, to the extent they can, assess the potential for unintended consequences to arise. The authors’ typology provides an initial roadmap for managers to continue, discontinue or further consider an SSCM initiative, based on the resulting unintended consequences. The authors’ theorization also provides guidance about how managers can more successfully bring SSCM initiatives to fruition and start cycles of learning.Originality/valueThere largely has been a focus in the operations and supply chain management literature on trade-offs between economic performance on the one hand and social or environmental performance on the other. The authors advocate that this focus needs to shift to interactions within and between social and environmental performance. Further, trade-offs are only one type of unintended consequence. By developing a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive typology, the authors introduce a much clearer conceptualization of the unintended consequences of an SSCM initiative and a much better understanding of how to manage SSCM initiatives, both prior to and postimplementation.

scholarly journals Adaptations to first-tier suppliers’ relational anti-slavery capabilities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Emberson ◽  
Silvia Maria Pinheiro ◽  
Alexander Trautrims
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
Sectoral Differences

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how first-tier suppliers in multi-tier supply chains adapt their vertical and horizontal relationships to reduce the risk of slavery-like practices. Design/methodology/approach Using Archer’s morphogenetic theory as an analytical lens, this paper presents case analyses adduced from primary and secondary data related to the development of relational anti-slavery supply capabilities in Brazilian–UK beef and timber supply chains. Findings Four distinct types of adaptation were found among first-tier suppliers: horizontal systemisation, vertical systemisation, horizontal transformation and vertical differentiation. Research limitations/implications This study draws attention to the socially situated nature of corporate action, moving beyond the rationalistic discourse that underpins existing research studies of multi-tier, socially sustainable, supply chain management. Cross-sector comparison highlights sub-country and intra-sectoral differences in both institutional setting and the approaches and outcomes of individual corporate actors’ initiatives. Sustainable supply chain management theorists would do well to seek out those institutional entrepreneurs who actively reshape the institutional conditions within which they find themselves situated. Practical implications Practitioners may benefit from adopting a structured approach to the analysis of the necessary or contingent complementarities between their, primarily economic, objectives and the social sustainability goals of other, potential, organizational partners. Social implications A range of interventions that may serve to reduce the risk of slavery-like practices in global commodity chains are presented. Originality/value This paper presents a novel analysis of qualitative empirical data and extends understanding of the agential role played by first-tier suppliers in global, multi-tier, commodity, supply chains.

Interactions in sustainable supply chain management: a framework review

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gawon Yun ◽  
Mehmet G. Yalcin ◽  
Douglas N. Hales ◽  
Hee Yoon Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Dyadic Interactions ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the research conducted among the interim, dyadic interactions that bridge the stand-alone measures of economic, environmental and social performance and the level of sustainability, as suggested in the Carter and Rogers (2008) framework.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducts a systematic literature review based on the Tranfieldet al.(2003) method of the articles published in 13 major journals in the area of supply chain management between the years 2010 and 2016. Results were analyzed using an expert panel.FindingsThe area of research between environmental and social performance is sparse and relegated to empirical investigation. As an important area of interaction, this area needs more research to answer the how and why questions. The economic activity seems to be the persistent theme among the interactions.Research limitations/implicationsThe literature on the “environmental performance and social performance (ES)” interactions is lacking in both theoretical and analytical content. Studies explaining the motivations, optimal levels and context that drive these interactions are needed. The extant research portrays economic performance as if it cannot be sacrificed for social welfare. This approach is not in line with the progressive view of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) but instead the binary view with an economic emphasis.Practical implicationsTo improve sustainability, organizations need the triple bottom line (TBL) framework that defines sustainability in isolation. However, they also need to understand how and why these interactions take place that drive sustainability in organizations.Originality/valueBy examining the literature specifically dedicated to the essential, interim, dyadic interactions, this study contributes to bridging the gap between stand-alone performance and the TBL that creates true sustainability. It also shows how the literature views the existence of sustainability is progressive, but many describe sustainability as binary. It is possible that economic sustainability is binary, and progressive characterizations of SSCM could be the reason behind the results favoring economic performance over environmental and social.

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