Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Supply Chain Management: A Normative Perspective

Abstract

Integrated supply chains are becoming an integral part of the competitive landscape as firms seek to create strategic advantages. Yet, along with the economic benefits derived from these more coordinated supply chains come certain social obligations. Many buying firms are developing codes of conduct as a way of managing a number of partner behaviors within the supply chain. The issues addressed here converge on the extent to which buyers ought to be responsible for the ethical behaviors of their suppliers. While the management of partner-corporate social responsibility is an important issue for firms, extant research offers little guidance. This paper develops a framework for considering the obligations of the more powerful supply chain member to the other members of the supply chain. We examine the extent to which one supply chain member should exert governance as it relates to social responsibility on the members of the extended supply chain. We provide both managerial and theoretical insight.