Adherence to responsibility in organic dry food supply chains

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the sharing of sustainability and social responsibility-centric values along the export-oriented organic dry food supply chain (ODFSC) using an institutional lens.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the perceptions of the shared ethos of the organic food industry along the entire supply chain, the research employed a multi-tier qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews and observations. The study focussed on supply chain actors including farmers and traders from the Indian sub-continent, and traders and retailers based in Europe and North America.FindingsIsomorphism, brought about by the vertical channelling of consumer preferences and values resulted in a higher degree of responsibility within the industry. The responsibility-centric ethos of the supply chain affected the responsibility-orientation of the supply chain actors and their operations.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focused mainly on the ODFSC actors in Kerala, a state in India, and this focus of the research could be a significant limitation in generalizing the findings to the rest of the emerging economy context because of cultural and educational differences.Originality/valueLiterature lacks in the studies of sharing of responsibility-centric values in supply chains through an institutional lens and this investigation contributes to the scant literature on isomorphism, shared values and responsible supply chain management.