A research framework of sustainable supply chain management

In recent years, the interdisciplinary research of supply chains and sustainability has received extensive, yet gradual, attention; when compared to the rapid economic growth of the service industry, however, sustainable supply chain management has not been systematically explored yet. It has not only great theoretical significance, but also positive practical significance to provide a framework for the operation of a sustainable service supply chain from a sustainable development point of view. Based on the triple bottom line (TBL), we have analyzed related sustainable supply chain management research between 2006 and 2015, reviewed papers involving two or three bottom lines as well, and then introduced some classical frameworks for manufacturing supply chain management and service supply chain management. Afterward, by analyzing the differences between the manufacturing and service industries, we propose a framework of sustainable service supply chain management (SSSCM). Based on the impacts of sustainable development TBL on service supply chain participants, we have finally made a framework for sustainable operation facing triads service supply chain and proposed a future research agenda.

Purpose This paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of the impact of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) practices on sustainable performance and the further impact of sustainable performance on food safety assurance in Chinese food firms. The paper also aims to provide a new way to avoid the occurrence of food safety problems from the perspective of SSCM and so help food firms to achieve sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach This paper developed a conceptual model to investigate the impact of food firms SSCM practices on the firm performances while firm performances on food safety assurance. The primary data were collected from 162 Chinese food firms. The research models were tested using structural equation modeling on PLS smart 3.0. Findings The results show that SSCM practices have a positive impact on firm environmental performance and social performances. The environmental and social performance positively related to financial performance. Moreover, the sustainable performance positively affects the food safety assurance. Research limitations/implications Our results suggest that SSCM practices have a positive impact on a firm’s environmental and social performance, which in turn improves financial performance. Moreover, sustainable performance positively affects food safety assurance. Originality/value An SSCM practices model is proposed to empirically evaluate Chinese food firms. The results of this investigation support the hypotheses that SSCM practices are environmentally and socially friendly and are good to business, and the food safety assurance can be promoted by a food firm’s sustainability performance. We carried out a survey and research of SSCM in food industry and gave insights to food safety management.

Purpose This study aims to provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) by integrating environmental, social, economic and technological dimensions to bridge theoretical and practical gaps. Design/methodology/approach Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology, a systematic review of 133 articles from the Scopus database was conducted, with qualitative analysis examining criteria such as SSCM, emerging technologies and sustainability. Findings The results reveal that SSCM drivers include government policies, stakeholder pressure, environmental concerns and managerial commitment, while challenges encompass high costs, technological complexity and data scarcity. Technologies like blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) enhanced transparency and efficiency. Practical implications The study offers industry-specific solutions and support for small and medium-sized enterprises in developing economies, though future research on resilience and social sustainability metrics is needed. Originality/value The study enriches the SSCM literature by emphasizing the triple bottom line approach, circular economy principles and models like 6 Rs and GreenSCOR.

Does bad press help or hinder sustainable supply chain management? An empirical investigation of US-based corporations

The study explores the impact of ecological supply chain management practices such as Green Supply Chain, environmental and operational management practices of organizational performance in Ghana. The organizational performance was measured based upon three parameters constituting Sustainable Environmental Performance (SENP), Sustainable Economic Performance (SECP), and Competitiveness (COMP). Exogenous factors included the constructs of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) practices and the single-item construct voluntary adoption of SSCM practices, while endogenous variables included the three aspects of firm performance. The relationship between sustainable management practices and organizational performance was ascertained using Structural Equation Modeling. A few significant results are presented as follows; (1) Environmental Management Practices (EMP) results in enhanced Sustainable Environmental Performance (SENP) and Sustainable Economic Performance (SECP); (2) Organizational Performance has a strong correlation with SECP and COMP; (3) SECP has a substantial and favorable relationship with both competitiveness and sustainable environmental performance, as well as sustainable economic performance. The positive relationship between SSCM practices and firm performance demonstrates that continual sustainable management principles eventually improve community capacity. This ultimately results in an organization’s competitiveness. Additionally, the managerial implications of the results are addressed.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to identify key categories of Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and related practices that are required to fulfill the demands of sustainability and, therefore, contributing to sustainability performance. As part of this, the authors will identify different approaches in practice implementation in SSCM and supply chain management (SCM). SSCM has become a topic of great interest and is linked to the assumption that a more sustainable performance for businesses would be achieved on its implementation. Such performance has to be achieved with respect to all three dimensions of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual in nature. The authors draw from literature on SSCM and examine frameworks and critical accounts on the topic. This allows identifying key aspects of SSCM and pointing out differences and overlaps with SCM. Findings – The authors identify five key categories which are of high importance for the sustainable management of supply chains: orientation toward SCM and sustainability, continuity, collaboration, risk management and proactivity. In a second step, the authors describe distinctive practices which allow organizations to follow the goals formulated in the five key categories. Finally, they highlight issues preventing companies that follow a rather “conventional” approach to SCM to reach the level where it can be called SSCM, i.e. how to reach sustainability performance in SCM. Research limitations/implications – The work presented is conceptual in nature. It would be required to operationalize respective categories and, therefore, test them in empirical research. Practical implications – The categories and practices identified within the framework can be used for guiding managers toward the implementation of SSCM. This is the case when management takes performance implication into account without solely considering rather simplistic indicators. At the same time, differentiating a company based on the implementation of sustainability practices has become more difficult, due to the proliferation of sustainability in a wider field. Social implications – Social aspects are integrated into the framework on the same level as environmental and economic aspects, emphasizing the triple bottom line orientation. Originality/value – While all practices applied in SSCM have originally been identified and described by researchers for the case of “conventional” SCM, their particular interrelation and joint implementation makes up SSCM and ensures a contribution to sustainability performance.

How Stakeholder Pressure Influence Corporate Sustainability, and Financial Performance in Manufacturing Industries of Pakistan: The Mediatory Role of Sustainable Supply Chain Management

The negative impacts of the oil and gas (O&G) industry on the environment and society wellbeing necessitate research on the integration of sustainability in its supply chain management practices. However, the research on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in the O&G industry context are still lacking in terms of understanding the factors that facilitates or hinders its implementation. Therefore, this paper aims at addressing the gap by assessing the importance of the external forces within the O&G operating environment that could affect its SSCM strategy. A literature review was conducted where we identified six external forces namely economic stability, political stability, stakeholder pressure, competition, energy transition and regulations. A multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) method called Best Worst Method (BWM) was used to assess the importance of the forces based on data collected using a questionnaire sent to academic experts in the fields of SSCM and O&G. It is found that economic stability followed by competition and political stability are the most important external forces and regulations and energy transition are the least important forces influencing the SSCM of the O&G companies. The outcome of this study could help O&G companies to identify external forces that can drive (hinder) their SSCM implementation. Consequently, it enable them to develop a strategy that take into account their resources and capabilities to address the external forces as they strive to make their supply chains more sustainable.

Supply chain management (SCM) increasingly needs to address both climate change mitigation and adaptation issues. While mitigation aims at sustainability by reducing the environmental impact of supply chains (SCs), adaptation entails improving resilience by increasing the ability to cope with climate-induced disruptions. Although sustainable SCM (SSCM) and resilient SCM (RSCM) are of increasing importance, there has been little effort to conceptually connect SSCM and RSCM. Our study explores the interconnections between both concepts by outlining theoretical elements and conducting a case study of four companies in the automotive SC based on company documents and interviews. Results show that SSCM is prioritised over RSCM. We furthermore highlight trade-offs and overlaps between the elements of SSCM and RSCM, which can be valuable for decision-makers, and introduce two enabling factors: transparency and diversity. We present a novel theoretical SCM framework that integrates both resilience and sustainability perspectives and make propositions for future research.

This study reviews the existing approaches and frameworks on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). Theories from other fields including quality management, supply chain management, and management (stakeholder theory and institutional theory) are explored to identify their contribution to theory development in SSCM. Drawing upon these theories an organizational framework for SSCM is developed with an integrated theoretical perspective. Based on the developed framework and supporting theories, testable research models are proposed for future testing and theory building. The proposed organizational framework integrates a quality management framework and SSCM practices within the umbrella of the organizational profile emphasizing instrumental motives, relational motives, and moral motives. The proposed organizational framework provides a comprehensive overview on the functioning mechanism at an organizational level. The proposed organizational framework results in positive research models that provide future research directions and suggestions relevant to industry.

Supply chain management has become more complex due to recent disruptions in business ecosystems. With these disruptions, supply chains now face a greater number of risk sources, particularly with the adoption of sustainability measures. Thus, this chapter aims to deepen the understanding of risk management practices within sustainable supply chain management. Resource orchestration theory is utilized as a theoretical lens to conceptualize risk management practices in sustainable supply chains through dynamic and relational capabilities. Theory synthesis and an integrative review are employed for the conceptualization in the chapter. The findings and discussion demonstrate that the resource orchestration perspective can guide managers and researchers in developing capabilities to understand and address challenges related to risks within sustainable supply chain management. If these capabilities are properly orchestrated by managers in a sustainable supply chain, they enable organizations to survive in a rapidly changing environment.

It is of great importance to gain a better understanding of the impact of external stakeholder groups on an organization’s supply chain management strategies and practices. The greater challenge is to know how the two constructs affects organization’s sustainability and performance. This study aims to investigate the relationship between stakeholder pressure (SP), sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), corporate sustainability performance (CSP) & financial performance (FP). For this we proposed a theoretical framework, modifying Wolf (2014) model, to incorporate the mediating role of sustainable SCM. Stakeholder pressure is captured by environment issues, and social supply chain issues. Sustainable SCM was measured by waste reduction (WR), green purchasing (GP) and social supply chain standards (SSCS). Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using close ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 310 employees and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. Findings shows that environmental issues have significant effect on CSP, FP & SSCM, sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) except green purchasing (GP) has significant effect on CSP, FP hence green purchasing has insignificant results. Social supply chain issues have not a significant effect on CSP, FP and waste reduction (WR). There is a mediating effect of SSCM on environmental issues leads to CSP & FP, but not on supply chain issues. This study will add to the existing knowledge of sustainability in by different firms of a developing country like Pakistan. This will also help in understanding that how stakeholder’s pressure effects the reputation of organizations in result firms mount their strategies and tactics, and can better understand that what measures they should take for environmental and social standards by focusing on employee safety, suppliers’ engagement, and safety programs.

Evaluation of the external forces affecting the sustainability of oil and gas supply chain using Best Worst Method

Understanding different aspects of sustainability, supply chain management (SCM), and decision making policies and relating them to performance measurement have been increasingly investigated in the last decade. In contrast to traditional SCM, which typically focuses on economic and financial business performance, sustainable SCM (SSCM) is characterized by explicit integration of environmental or social objectives which extend the economic dimension. For evaluating the sustainability of SCM as well as its greenness, we have to consider many and different index and criteria. One of the best tools for assessing the SSCM and GSCM is multicriteria decision making (MCDM) techniques. Many studies have been conducted in this area. Moreover, there are many uncertainty factors which may reduce the accuracy of MCDM result. Actually, Uncertainty is always a worsening factor in any decision support models, and dilutes the planned objectives of such models. For decreasing this uncertainty, fuzzy logic has been combined with MCDM approach. In fact, the main purpose of this chapter is considering the recent studies in area of SSCM and GSCM regarding to applications of fuzzy MCDM techniques. At the end of this chapter, based on out investigations in applications of fuzzy MCDM in SSCM and GSCM and regarding to research gaps, some suggestions for future studies have been proposed.

Sustainable supply chain management: Confirmation of a higher-order model