scholarly journals Social Sustainability in Fashion Supply Chains—Understanding Social Standard Implementation Failures in Vietnam and Indonesia Using Agency Theory

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2159
Author(s):  
Deniz Köksal ◽  
Jochen Strähle
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Capacity Planning ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Order Continuity ◽  
Social Standards

This paper explores why and how dominant international social standards used in the fashion industry are prone to implementation failures. A qualitative multiple-case study method was conducted, using purposive sampling to select 13 apparel supply chain actors. Data were collected through on-site semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The findings of the study are interpreted by using core tenets of agency theory. The case study findings clearly highlight why and how multi-tier apparel supply chains fail to implement social standards effectively. As a consequence of substantial goal conflicts and information asymmetries, sourcing agents and suppliers are driven to perform opportunistic behaviors in form of hidden characteristics, hidden intentions, and hidden actions, which significantly harm social standards. Fashion retailers need to empower their corporate social responsibility (CSR) departments by awarding an integrative role to sourcing decisions. Moreover, accurate calculation of orders, risk sharing, cost sharing, price premiums, and especially guaranteed order continuity for social compliance are critical to reduce opportunistic behaviors upstream of the supply chain. The development of social standards is highly suggested, e.g., by including novel metrics such as the assessment of buying practices or the evaluation of capacity planning at factories and the strict inclusion of subcontractors’ social performances. This paper presents evidence from multiple Vietnamese and Indonesian cases involving sourcing agents as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers on a highly sensitive topic. With the development of the conceptual framework and the formulation of seven related novel propositions, this paper unveils the ineffectiveness of social standards, offers guidance for practitioners, and contributes to the neglected social dimension in sustainable supply chain management research and accountability literature.

scholarly journals Transparency for Multi-Tier Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Case Study of a Multi-tier Transparency Approach for SSCM in the Automotive Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain J. Fraser ◽  
Martin Müller ◽  
Julia Schwarzkopf
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Automotive Industry ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sustainability Problems

Sustainability in supply chain management (SSCM) has become established in both academia and increasingly in practice. As stakeholders continue to require focal companies (FCs) to take more responsibility for their entire supply chains (SCs), this has led to the development of multi-tier SSCM (MT-SSCM). Much extant research has focused on simple supply chains from certain industries. Recently, a comprehensive traceability for sustainability (TfS) framework has been proposed, which outlines how companies could achieve MT-SSCM through traceability. Our research builds on this and responds to calls for cases from the automotive industry by abductively analysing a multi-tier supply chain (MT-SC) transparency case study. This research analyses a raw material SC that is particularly renowned for sustainability problems—the cobalt supply chain for electric vehicles—and finds that the extant literature has oversimplified the operationalisation of transparency in MT-SSCM. We compare the supply chain maps of the MT-SC before and after an auditing and mapping project to demonstrate the transparency achieved. Our findings identify challenges to the operationalisation of SC transparency and we outline how FCs might set to increase MT-SC transparency for sustainability.

Supply chain typology for configuring cost-efficient tracking in fashion logistics

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Hinkka ◽  
Maiju Häkkinen ◽  
Jan Holmström ◽  
Kary Främling
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Radio Frequency Identification ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
And Function

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a typology of radio frequency identification (RFID)-based tracking solution designs to fit differing fashion supply chains. The typology is presented as principles of form and function contributing toward a design theory of configurable RFID tracking for fashion logistics. Design/methodology/approach – The typology is developed based on a case study of a logistics service provider (LSP) interested in designing a tracking solution for different customers in fashion logistics. In addition to the LSP, four fashion retailers were involved in the study. The case study was carried out using a review of existing RFID tracking implementations in the fashion industry, analysis of an RFID tracking pilot conducted by the case company, and interviews with representatives of the retailers. Findings – By varying three design parameters (place of tagging, place of tracking start and place of tracking end) a tracking solution can be configured to fit the requirements and constraints of different fashion supply chains. In the fashion logistics context under investigation, such parameterization addresses retailer requirements, brings concrete and quantifiable benefits to both LSP and its customers, and enables incremental adoption of RFID tracking. Research limitations/implications – Although the typology is developed in the specific setting of a case company developing RFID tracking solutions for fashion logistics, the design parameters identified in the study can be used when considering configurable tracking solutions also in other domains and settings. However, further research is needed to evaluate the proposed typology in those settings. Practical implications – The proposed typology enables fashion companies to consider which configuration of RFID tracking best fits the requirements and constraints imposed by their particular supply chain. For fashion companies, who find adoption of RFID tracking difficult despite the obvious benefits, the proposed typology enables incremental implementation of supply chain-wide tracking. Originality/value – The developed typology, describing how RFID-based tracking solutions can be adjusted to fit the needs of fashion companies with differing supply chains and requirements, is novel. The typology is generalizable to most fashion logistics settings and probably to numerous other logistics domains.

scholarly journals Sustainable Supply Chain and Innovation: A Review of the Recent Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Letizia Tebaldi ◽  
Barbara Bigliardi ◽  
Eleonora Bottani
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Social

Increasingly, the effects of supply chains on environmental issues have been a focal point in discussions involving stakeholders, authorities, and customers. The aim of this paper is to inspect how innovation and sustainability are integrated into the wider context of the supply chains. To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out with a particular focus on papers published in recent years (2015–2017) so as to continue from a previous review on the sustainable supply chain innovation topic covering the time span of 1996–2014. The descriptive aspects of the published papers are firstly examined, i.e., the year of publication, journal, research methodology, industry field and country of the study, followed by the thematic ones, i.e., key themes of the innovation process, the types of innovation found, their newness, dimensions, and main theories that emerged. The analysis shows an upward trend of literature in numerical terms and a wider spread of sustainable innovations. Additionally, the research highlights further areas of research that are deserving of attention. These areas include analyses of specific industrial sectors which have been less covered in the published literature; research activities in the less developed countries; more attention on the social dimension of sustainability; a more general contribution from some nations that turned out to be less productive or even inactive on the sustainable supply chain innovation topic. Finally, a framework is developed which could constitute the basis for further developments and research on this issue.

scholarly journals Challenges in extending sustainability across a transport supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Forslund ◽  
Maria Björklund ◽  
Veronica Svensson Ülgen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Information Asymmetries ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transport Supply

Purpose Sustainability approaches across product supply chains are well-known, while similar knowledge on transport supply chains (TSC) is limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore sustainability approaches and managerial challenges in extending sustainability across a TSC. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case study of a TSC with a shipper, a third-party logistics firm and a hauler. Each actor’s views on sustainability-related communication and relations with other TSC actors are analyzed through the lens of agency theory. Findings Each dyad in the TSC reveals different, more or less collaboration-based approaches. Challenges are revealed, including the lack of shipper understanding for the TSC context and the use of immature contracts, which disincentivizes sustainability compliance. The multi-tier study object reveals the silencing of distant actors and the need for actors to take on mediating roles to bridge information asymmetries. Research limitations/implications Combining literature perspectives (relations, communication and agency theory) provides a deeper understanding of the approaches applied and identifies different challenges. The inclusion of agency theory reveals principal problems such as information asymmetries between agents and less-informed principals and suggests complementary labels of supply chain actors. Practical implications Practical contributions include the highlighting of managerial challenges, which can aid managers in extending sustainability across TCSs. Social implications The case study method offers insights into collaboratively improving sustainability in supply chains (such as using contracts), thus having social and environmental implications. Originality/value The paper narrows knowledge gaps about managing sustainability among logistics service providers and analyzes data from multi-tier actors.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Based on Digital Platform

2020 ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Nowicka
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Transport ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Digital Platform ◽  
Multimodal Network ◽  
Transport Management

The aim of the chapter is to analyze transport management (mainly planning, but also monitoring and executing) of the international supply chains based on digital platform model. This case study analyzes platform that supports the information sharing on different modes of the transport available mainly within Europe area. It should be underlined that multimodal network accessed by the platform supports both sustainable transport development within the company and its supply chains and meets requirements of digital economy. This subject of analysis is part of the ChemMultimodal project implemented under Interreg Central Europe Programme between 2016 and 2019. The analyses are done on the case of chemical sector supply chain and its ability to response for challenges of sustainability within logistics activities. The developed platform (Intermodal Links) helped supply chains being more sustainable by supporting usage of multimodality and—as a consequence—decreasing CO2 emissions caused by transport by more than 50%.

Supply chain collaboration for sustainability: a qualitative investigation of food supply chains in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natália Rohenkohl do Canto ◽  
Marilia Bonzanini Bossle ◽  
Luciana Marques Vieira ◽  
Marcia Dutra De Barcellos
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Supply Chain Collaboration ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Capital Perspective

PurposeThis paper investigates how chain members collaborate to ensure the sustainability of supply chains through the social capital perspective.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a case study design, three social capital mechanisms – reach, richness and receptivity – were used as a lens with two eco-innovative food companies and their respective supply chains in Southern Brazil. Data consisted of interviews and other sources of evidence obtained from multiple stakeholders.FindingsResults highlight the importance of a managerial orientation for sustainability and that sustainable chains presuppose a network that is closely linked and with great affinity. Not only does the management of operations improve the green performance of companies for environmental benchmarking but it also expands to include the supply chain. Social capital mechanisms can encourage partners to develop strategic initiatives for sustainability, especially if managers share key drivers for adopting eco-innovations and overall chain sustainability.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to research on collaboration within sustainable supply chain management. Empirical data were gathered from different stakeholders in two food chains in a developing country. Through the lens of social capital mechanisms, the paper shows how different types of companies collaborate in their supply chain for sustainability.

scholarly journals Transformation of the Innovative and Sustainable Supply Chain with Upcoming Real-Time Fashion Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1081
Author(s):  
Yoon Kyung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Manufacturing Planning ◽  
Fashion Products ◽  
Aided Design

Technologies that are ready-to-use and adaptable in real time to customers’ individual needs are influencing the supply chain of the future. This study proposes a supply chain framework for an innovative and sustainable real-time fashion system (RTFS) between enterprises, designers, and consumers in 3D clothing production systems, using information communication technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual environments. In particular, the RTFS is targeted at customers actively involved in product purchasing, personalising, co-designing, and manufacturing planning. The fashion industry is oriented towards 3D services as a service model, owing to the automation and democratisation of product customisation and personalisation processes. Furthermore, AI offers referral services to prosumers or/and customers and companies, and proposes individual designs with perfect styles and measurements using new 3D computer aided design and AI-based product design technologies for fashion and design companies and customers. Consequently, 3D fashion products in the RTFS supply chain are entirely digital, saving time and money with sampling and tracking capabilities, secured, and trusted with personalised service delivery.

Applying Industry 4.0 technologies in the COVID–19 sustainable chains

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Acioli ◽  
Annibal Scavarda ◽  
Augusto Reis
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Chain Process ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Research

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is 1) to investigate the effects on the crucial Industry 4.0 technological innovations that interact between the real and virtual worlds and that are applied in the sustainable supply chain process; 2) to contribute to the identification of the opportunities, the challenges and the gaps that will support the new research study developments and 3) to analyze the impact of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators of the sustainable supply chain performance in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).Design/methodology/approachThis research is performed through a bibliographic review in the electronic databases of the Emerald Insight, the Scopus and the Web of Science, considering the main scientific publications on the subject.FindingsThe bibliographic search results in 526 articles, followed by two sequential filters for deleting the duplicate articles (resulting in 487 articles) and for selecting the most relevant articles (resulting in 150 articles).Practical implicationsThis article identifies the opportunities and the challenges focused on the emerging Industry 4.0 theme. The opportunities can contribute to the sustainable performance of the supply chains and their territories. The Industry 4.0 can also generate challenges like the social inequalities related to the position of the man in the labor market by replacing the human workforce with the machines. Therefore, the man-machine relationship in the Industry 4.0 era is analyzed as a gap in the literature. Therefore, as a way to fill this gap, the authors of this article suggest the exploration of the research focused on the Society 5.0. Also known as “super-smart society,” this recent theme appeared in Japan in April 2016. According to Fukuda (2020), in addition to the focus on the technological development, the Society 5.0 also aims at the quality of life and the social challenge resolutions.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the analysis of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators in the sustainable supply chain performance. It addresses the impacts of the Industry 4.0 technologies applied to the supply chains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it analyzes the research gaps and limitations found in the literature. The result of this study can add value and stimulate new research studies related to the application of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators in the supply chain sustainable performance. It can encourage the studies related to the COVID-19 impacts on the sustainable supply chains, and it can promote the research development on the relationship among the man, the machine and the labor in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document