A systematic literature review on barriers in green supply chain management

Abstract

Green supply chain management has emerged as a trending topic of discussion for organisations thriving for enhanced competitive advantages, increased customer satisfaction, improved brand image, and of course minimum adverse impacts on the environment. The primary objective of this research is to perform literature analysis on the green supply chain barriers and propose a classification framework to prioritise the most impactful ones. Six different categories of classification are proposed to analyse the barriers namely multiple Ms (eight Ms), supply chain processes (design, purchasing, production, testing and inspection, packaging, transportation, warehousing, after sales service, and recycling), stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, government/regulatory, and non-government organisations), sustainability areas (societal, economic, environmental, technical), organisational hierarchy (top management/executive level, middle management/departmental level, worker/supervisory level) and others (psychological, technological, knowledge, and strategical). Classification of barriers using the proposed categories will assist decision makers in prioritising actions and channelling resources in the right direction for achieving sustainability objectives for green supply chain management.