Drivers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Identification and Classification

Muhammad Saeed,Wolfgang Kersten

doi:10.3390/su11041137

Muhammad Saeed, Wolfgang Kersten

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041137

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Abstract

With the increase in awareness of environmental and social issues associated with the development and the use of products, stakeholders—especially consumers—are showing more concern regarding these issues. To address new developments and changing trends, organizations are now compelled to identify and implement innovative and sustainable solutions, not only within their organizations’ boundaries, but also across the whole supply chain network. The primary goal of this paper was to identify and analyze drivers of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) that influence or encourage organizations to undertake sustainability initiatives and implement sustainable solutions throughout their supply chains. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was conducted and 1559 drivers of SSCM were identified from 217 journal articles. Precise interpretation, clear definitions, restructuring, and classification into external and internal driver categories produced a list of 40 unique drivers of SSCM. The results revealed that regulatory and market pressures, with reference to the number of citations, are the most prevailing drivers of SSCM for the implementation of sustainability practices. Classification of the drivers of SSCM into primary and secondary driver categories may assist practitioners and decision makers in prioritizing sustainability-related initiatives and adopting sustainability practices across the whole supply chain network.

Highlights

Trends in supply chain management (SCM), such as the globalization of market economies, shorter product life cycles, digitalization, and multifaceted customer expectations, along with developments such as resource scarcity, stricter regulatory requirements, and a more long-term focus, have led to the evolution of highly complex supply chains
The adoption of sustainability practices improves the environmental and social performance of organizations and their supply chains, and provides an opportunity for organizations to acquire a new set of competencies, which can help them to achieve a competitive advantage by undertaking sustainability initiatives within and outside of the organizational boundaries [2]
The aim of this study was to conduct a detailed analysis of the scientific literature to identify, define, and categorize drivers of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM)

Summary

Introduction

Trends in supply chain management (SCM), such as the globalization of market economies, shorter product life cycles, digitalization, and multifaceted customer expectations, along with developments such as resource scarcity, stricter regulatory requirements, and a more long-term focus, have led to the evolution of highly complex supply chains. The adoption of sustainability practices improves the environmental and social performance of organizations and their supply chains, and provides an opportunity for organizations to acquire a new set of competencies, which can help them to achieve a competitive advantage by undertaking sustainability initiatives within and outside of the organizational boundaries [2]. Responses to various stakeholders’ requirements can affect the relationship between adopting sustainability initiatives and their effectiveness on the sustainability performance of the supply chain [4]. The focal organization within the supply chain network needs to give stakeholders value and extend its focus beyond conventional financial goals to the indispensable sustainability issues highlighted by different stakeholders to adopt sustainability practices across the whole supply chain. Identification of the important sustainability issues emphasized by various internal and external factors to the supply chain ( described in the literature as the drivers of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM)) promotes extensive stakeholder engagement, and contributes to the achievement of overall supply chain sustainability goals

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