Is a multiple supply chain management perspective a new way to manage global supply chains toward sustainability?

Abstract

The imperative for building a sustainable future depends on how organizations manage their supply chains, which are responsible for processing raw materials into finished products. Recently, a new trend has been emerging in some companies, considering not only an entire supply chain but several supply chains inside the organization. This way of approaching sustainability, by focusing on several supply chains, can be called a multiple supply chain perspective, and professionals’ interest in this context has been growing. This study aims to explore essential components needed to manage multiple supply chains toward sustainability from a focal company perspective. Sustainability reports from 25 companies leaders in supply chain management are analyzed using content analysis and correspondence analysis. As a result, a conceptual model is proposed, considering four essential components: supply chain processes; relational mechanisms; monitoring and control mechanisms; and sustainability outcomes. Based on this conceptual model, six propositions are elaborated to be further empirically explored in the literature. The proposed conceptual model helps supply chain and sustainability managers to improve their efforts toward sustainability by revealing what components are needed to manage each different supply chain and by helping to create more focused strategies that are effective in different scenarios.