Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices Research Articles

Supply Chain Social Sustainability: Unveiling Focal Firm’s Archetypes under the Lens of Stakeholder and Contingency Theory

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners. Despite its importance, we know little about critical aspects of it, as some important gaps are highlighted in the SSCM literature: deepening social dimension, exploring governance mechanisms, and strengthening theoretical development. This research aims to analyze how stakeholder salience and contingency factors influence the extent to which focal firms implement governance mechanisms to address social issues in supply chains. We conduct a multiple case study in six focal firms operating in Brazil. We intend to reduce the shortage of empirical evidence on emerging economies by focusing on a leading emerging country. This study contributes to the literature in three main aspects: (1) We classify social issues into central, peripheral, and remote, based on their priority within SSCM practices from emerging economy cases; (2) We outline three archetypes of social-SCM, namely elementary, selective, and extensive, to reflect the extent that focal firms incorporate social issues within their practices; (3) We also provide a typology to assess the extent to which focal firms address social issues, therefore contributing to reducing the gap regarding the social dimension within SSCM scholarship, combining the stakeholder theory and contingency theory.

The Relationship Between Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices and The Product Quality in The Pharmaceutical Companies in Egypt

The Relationship Between Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices and The Product Quality in The Pharmaceutical Companies in Egypt

Evaluation of parameters for the sustainable supply chain management: a Taiwanese fresh-fruit sector

<abstract> <p>Numerous sustainability initiatives have been discussed and widely adopted in various sectors worldwide. This research aims to identify which essential parameters affect sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practice through the case of the Taiwanese fresh-fruit sector. An industry has great importance to the households of indigenous people, significantly contributing to the sustainable development in rural areas of Taiwan. A total of twelve SSCM parameters have been verified, and then the authors conducted the TOPSIS approach process to determine the importance level of these SSCM parameters. The analysis results suggested that "Collaboration", "Distribution and Logistics service", "Customer" have supreme importance, respectively. On the contrary, at the bottom of the prioritized list is three variables consisting of "Warehouse/Storage", "Organizational social responsibilities", and "Processing and packaging". This is the unique study to consider SSCM practice through the case of the Taiwanese fresh-fruit chain; hence, these key findings could be a valuable reference for the top managers to make decisions.</p> </abstract>

Explicating the sustainable supply chain management practices: a systematic literature review approach

Explicating the sustainable supply chain management practices: a systematic literature review approach

Driving Forces towards the Adoption of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices: Empirical Evidence from Manufacturing Industries in Ethiopia

The purpose of this study is to identify the major driving forces and to examine their effect on SSCM practices. Both inferential and descriptive research designs were used for this paper. The sample firms were selected by a proportional stratified sampling technique and from each sample firm, three respondents were selected purposively. Accordingly, valid data were collected via questionnaires from 420 respondents of 146 large-scale manufacturing firms. The findings signified that the major internal driving forces are social responsibility, interest to manage reputation and environmental-related risk, and desire to cut down costs, whereas; pressure from customers, government regulation and legislation, pressures from competitors, and international standards are the major external driving forces. Both internal and external driving forces have a positive and significant effect on SSCM practices. Among SSCM practices, sustainable packing practices were found highly adopted by large-scale manufacturing firms in Ethiopia.

A Managerial Perspective on Sustainable Supply ChainManagement Practices and Performance in the Indian DairyIndustry of Maharashtra and NCR

A Managerial Perspective on Sustainable Supply ChainManagement Practices and Performance in the Indian DairyIndustry of Maharashtra and NCR

Impact Of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices On Organizational Performance In Ghana

The study explores the impact of ecological supply chain management practices such as Green Supply Chain, environmental and operational management practices of organizational performance in Ghana. The organizational performance was measured based upon three parameters constituting Sustainable Environmental Performance (SENP), Sustainable Economic Performance (SECP), and Competitiveness (COMP). Exogenous factors included the constructs of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) practices and the single-item construct voluntary adoption of SSCM practices, while endogenous variables included the three aspects of firm performance. The relationship between sustainable management practices and organizational performance was ascertained using Structural Equation Modeling. A few significant results are presented as follows; (1) Environmental Management Practices (EMP) results in enhanced Sustainable Environmental Performance (SENP) and Sustainable Economic Performance (SECP); (2) Organizational Performance has a strong correlation with SECP and COMP; (3) SECP has a substantial and favorable relationship with both competitiveness and sustainable environmental performance, as well as sustainable economic performance. The positive relationship between SSCM practices and firm performance demonstrates that continual sustainable management principles eventually improve community capacity. This ultimately results in an organization’s competitiveness. Additionally, the managerial implications of the results are addressed.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices and Performance of Humanitarian Organizations in Nairobi County, Kenya

Humanitarian supply chain disaster response is core to alleviating communities economically, socially and in the environmental dimension. Stakeholders including donors, governmental and non-governmental organization, and supply aid beneficiaries in the past decade have witnessed a transformation in the humanitarian sector, despite the increased frequency and magnitude of disasters. These have been evident through the increased scholarly works together with collaboration of international agencies to respond to the needs and develop the sub-Saharan Africa region. Humanitarian supply chain sustainability, therefore, is at the forefront of effective and efficient disaster response. Studies done on impact of sustainable supply chain measures in Kenya have put the humanitarian organizations under strict scrutiny for accountability of donor aid and need for improved performance. These situations formed the foundation of the research study. The main objective of research was to determine sustainable chain management practices and the performance of humanitarian organizations in Nairobi County Kenya. The specific objectives adopted were to assess the effect of green procurement, green inventory management, green logistics and corporate social responsibility on the performance of humanitarian organizations in Nairobi County Kenya. Theories relevant to the study were reviewed and included supply chain operations reference model (SCOR), contingency theory, resource-based view theory and social network theory. The target population was employees of the 30 selected humanitarian organizations within Nairobi County Kenya. The study employed stratified random sampling and sample size was 162 respondents. The study employed the use of questionnaires for data collection which were self-administered by research assistants. Quantitative and qualitative data was sorted, coded and entered in Statistical Package for Social Sciences for analysis. Descriptive statistics were generated with tables and graphs used to present the outcomes. Correlation analysis was applied to test the relationship between variables where all the independent variables were positively correlated and significant association with the dependent variable. The study established that green procurement, green inventory management, green logistics, corporate social responsibility had a significant and positive effect on performance of humanitarian organizations in Nairobi County Kenya. The study recommends environmental policy should be a criterion during supplier selection and monitoring of the procurement processes; smart pre-selection of suppliers that are reliable to make supplier engagement manageable; organization put emphasis on adoption of sustainable logistical practices such as consolidation, fleet and fuel management. Finally, the study recommends setting of CSR policy and channels to communicate the policy on corporate social responsibility activities of the organization.

The Impact of Sustainable Upstream Supply Chain Practices on Financial Performance: Lessons from Moroccan industrial companies

The relationship between sustainable supply chain management practices and companies’ performances has been the subject of many research studies in the past few years. Some authors showed that sustainable supply chain management doesn’t contribute to the financial performance, while others found the opposite. This research paper is fully in line with this debate and aims to investigate the relationship between the financial performance and the supply chain’s sustainability of Moroccan industrial companies listed on the stock exchange and belonging to three different sectors. A statistical analysis was carried out using the database of Vigeo Eiris, an international environmental, social and corporate governance research and rating agency founded in 2002, and companies’ annual reports. Results show that sustainable relationships with partners in the upstream supply chain impact the financial performance of companies in different ways, depending on the characteristics of each sector. The findings of this research have financial, ecological and social implications as they can help companies understand the importance of having an efficient supply chain while being environmentally and socially responsible.

Analysis of core risk factors and potential policy options for sustainable supply chain: an MCDM analysis of Saudi Arabia's manufacturing industry.

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has been a tough challenge for developing economies like Saudi Arabia. Implementation of SSCM practices in the manufacturing industry has been prone to multiple risk factors that need to be identified, evaluated, and prioritized especially considering the dynamics of the manufacturing industry in a developing economy. Moreover, it is also imperative to trace out feasible and sustainable strategies to overcome the risks to SSCM practices adoption. This study serves this purpose and identifies, evaluates, prioritizes the risk factors, sub-factors, and strategies to overcome these risk factors in the implementation of SSCM practices in the manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia. An integrated multi-criteria decision analysis approach by combining fuzzy AHP and fuzzy WASPAS methods is employed for the analyses. The fuzzy AHP analysis results show that economic risks are dominant risks followed by the managerial policy risks and environmental risks in implementing SSCM. Industrial emissions are the leading risk factors in the overall ranking of the sustainable supply chain sub-risk factors followed by market dynamics, management policy failures, financial constraints, and credit uncertainty. While evaluating the sustainable supply chain strategies using fuzzy WASPAS, it is concluded that commitment and support of top, middle, and lower level management is the most pivotal strategy to deal with the risks to SSCM in Saudi Arabia followed by establishing environmental policies and goals to adopt SSCM, and provision of the financial resources and subsidies.

Approaching Sustainability Transition in Supply Chains as a Wicked Problem: Systematic Literature Review in Light of the Evolved Double Diamond Design Process Model

Transition from the status quo to more sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices is a highly complex and non-linear process with multiple drivers, but also obstacles, on the way. The impending strict regulatory framework, particularly in terms of the environmental dimensions of sustainability development (SD), is single-handedly opening the door to rapid and potentially disruptive change. The research literature on SSCM has increased exponentially over the last decade to meet the mounting demand for information on how to tackle often conflicting sustainability-related requirements while satisfying all internal and external stakeholders. Due to the continuously evolving and wicked nature of SSCM, a limited number of scholars have approached the issue with design thinking problem solving methodologies (DTPSMs). The results of a systematic literature review (SLR) were mirrored with the Evolved Double Diamond (EDD) design process model to formulate a design thinking overview and trace potential research gaps of selected frameworks and models regarding the sustainability transition (ST) of supply chains (SCs). The research results demonstrate that modelling the ST in SC as a wicked problem can contribute to the creation of more structured and novel SSCM models and frameworks, which take into deeper consideration the evolving nature of the issue and improve facilitation practices of stakeholder engagement.

Environmental differentiation from a supply chain practice view perspective

Differentiation can play an important part in helping managers develop and implement supply chain-wide sustainable practices. While differentiation is widely accepted as a key performance outcome of supply chain management (SCM) and logistics, its strategic role may help explain performance outcomes, something that has not been well explored in the SCM literature. In this research, we investigate one instance of supply chain differentiation, that of environmental differentiation (differentiation through innovative environmentally friendly products and processes), and its role as a strategy rather than as an outcome. We apply the Supply Chain Practice View (SCPV) to propose a theoretical model that highlights the strategic role of environmental differentiation in the relationship between a series of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices and performance outcomes. Structural equation modeling and survey data from over 300 U.S.-based companies are used to test the research hypotheses. Empirical results confirm the critical, mediating role of environmental differentiation in the link between SSCM practices and performance outcomes. Our findings suggest that implementing an environmental differentiation strategy led by integrative SSCM exchange relationships across members of the supply chain can be beneficial to firm performance.

Sustainable supply chain practices with reverse innovation in healthcare start-ups – A Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach

Healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. To mitigate the challenges of COVID-19, the small healthcare start-ups have changed the pave for rethinking their existing SCM practices by implementing sustainable Supply Chain Management (SCM) practices, introducing the awareness and advantages of adapting reverse innovation and provide the same to global SCM giants. This strategic approach has helped the manufacturers to optimize their network agile supply chain to provide a value based healthcare products or services to various supply chain partners. Thus in this paper we have made an attempt to propose a conceptual framework of the impact of the three interventions in manufacturing namely sustainable SCM practices, implementing Reverse innovation at plant level and to figure out the swiftness of using agile supply chain during the various pandemic waves. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 56 respondents which include the middle level Professionals or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in start-ups located in the clusters of Tamil Nadu. The data was analyzed using SPSS 19.0 and Smart-PLS software. The findings have concluded that the practices of sustainable SCM, structuring supplier parners using reverse innovation practices along with network agile SCM thriving the end customer in the supply chain led to offer value based health care products or services as resulted in analysis.

Sustainability supplier scorecard assessment tools: A comparison between apparel retailers

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study is to evaluate and compare eight sustainability supplier scorecard assessment tools in use among five major international apparel retailers, Walmart, Eileen Fisher, Nike, H&M, and Gap. Inductive content analysis was used to study the raw textual data and make evidence-based inferences. Results showed that the field of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is subject to inefficiencies because there are inadequate standards for reporting information which would expose these inefficiencies. The investigated tools varied in terms of scope, performance measurements, and scoring methodologies, which had negative effects on their comparability. This obstacle, however, does not invalidate the major findings, which revealed an evident and concerning lack of information to support the practical application of the tools investigated. Because no retailer disclosed information about its lower tier suppliers’ assessments, it is uncertain whether and how suppliers in lower tiers are engaged in sustainability assessments. Because sustainability violations occur at a higher rate within fragmented supply chains, it is critical to communicate supplier engagement throughout the value chain. The findings of this study urge the application of standardized and comprehensive scorecard assessments which would help to enhance the credibility of SSCM practice, its assessment, and its communication.

Examining the Relationship between Information Systems, Sustainable SCM, and Competitive Advantage

Sustainability, information systems (IS), and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) are the main research areas of this study. In an era where environmental and social responsibility is becoming increasingly more important, SSCM is very significant for the survivability and competitiveness of organizations. Information systems may facilitate sustainable practices, as they support supply chain processes, decrease costs, and enable the control and monitoring of operations. The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between information systems and SSCM and explain under what circumstances they could lead to competitive advantage or increase internal business performance. To analyze the above, the methodology comprises a literature review enabling the understanding and conceptualization of the main research constructs and revealing the gaps of previous research. It also comprises qualitative research based on a single-case study allowing an in-depth examination of the subject of study. The findings reveal that the use of information systems, combined with strong interorganizational relationships and collaboration, can support SSCM practices. They can bring important business advantages, such as improved business performance and increased customer loyalty, but not necessarily competitive advantage. The results of this research show that SSCM is a promising field of study, with prospects for future research.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Insights from Australia’s Firms

While the sustainable supply chain is an emergent area of interest, the literature provides little guidance on how best to carry out sustainable supply chain management. The purpose of this paper is to provide hints to businesses on how best to approach the challenge of developing a sustainable supply chain. Hence, the case studies method is undertaken to explore how Australia’s companies that are prominent worldwide for their sustainability performance have approached the challenge of managing sustainability in their supply chain. This study finds that sustainability action plans and governance tools that rightly reflect requisites for suppliers, diverse evaluation means to measure the suppliers’ performance, and regular reviews of sustainable supply chain management practices and policies enable businesses to manage sustainability in their supply chain. The study contributes to the literature by providing a best practice model from the findings to provide practical guidance to businesses.

Supply Chain Integration as a Predictor of SSCM Practices on Operational Performance

There is no denying the fact that operations of manufacturing organisations have had adverse impact on the global environment and Ghana is no exception. Factors such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution and increase in carbon footprint as well as violation of human rights which have characterized the activities of these organisations over decades have led to a growing call by key stakeholders on manufacturing companies to have a paradigm shift in their approach to manufacturing in ways that meet environmental, economic, and social needs. It appears that an integration of manufacturing activities among channel members within the supply chain is a good approach in reducing the harmful effects of their operations, create value and wealth out of such activities and improve upon their operational performance. This paper is purposed to extend and strengthen theory building on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) concept and supply chain integration to foster improved operational performance based on resource dependence theory.

Sustainable food supply chains: overcoming key challenges through digital technologies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a consolidative approach in exploring the potential contribution of digital technologies in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) for the sustainable performance of food supply chain business, through the circular economy concepts.Design/methodology/approachAs a single case study, this qualitative, interpretivist research was based on one of the largest food producers in the United Kingdom. The research utilises semi-structured interviews and applies thematic analysis to offer rich insights into SSCM challenges and their relationship with the business performance, through ten in-depth interviews.FindingsFindings derived from thematic analysis of the interview transcripts suggest four main critical success factors underpinning SSCM practices and businesses performance – i.e. business continuity, waste reduction, performance measurement approach, and organisational learning, which could use the help of digital technologies to improve. This led to seven propositions to be addressed in the future research.Originality/valueThis research offers real, practical insights into SSCM challenges, within the context of food supply chain and explores the potential of digital technologies in overcoming them. Accordingly, the primary contribution of this work is grounded in the identification of critical success factors in SSCM for food supply chains (FSC). Hence, this work contributes further to the literature on SSCM, as well as circular economy, by providing a study of a business in the context of the highly pertinent and valuable food industry.

Green and low carbon matters: A systematic review of the past, today, and future on sustainability supply chain management practices among manufacturing industry

Climate change has arisen as one of human beings' most significant threats. A higher proportion of carbon dioxide emissions are produced from developing countries as manufacturing globalization requires more and more emerging nations. The predicament between carbon reduction and fast industrial development makes firms in developing countries reluctant to take thoughtful commitment and actions in carbon dioxide emission reduction in their global manufacturing practices. Sustainability, green, and low-carbon supply chain networks research is still also in its infant stage from a theoretical perspective and requires further research and development. Therefore this research aims to address the research question: “Why and how organizations are adopting sustainable strategies in developing countries to increase sustainable supply chain management practices in the manufacturing?“. In order to thoroughly analyse the literature, this paper used ATLAS.ti 9 software tools to save, identify, and assess the data for this study. We reviewed, compiled, and sorted papers from 326 publications for this article and then recognized 141 as critical to the work scope. The results reveal that the organization's current concentration is on improving internal environmental efficiency related to its mid-stream SCM activities. The introduction of environmental practices at the external level (downstream and upstream) is relatively limited, and few organizations are collaborating effectively with supply chain partners to improve their SSCM performance. The results also show that organizational performance, reputation/risk management, customer pressure, and top management support are primary motivators for organizations to embrace SSCM practices. The typology suggests that companies need to consider and recognize their key sustainability risk in the past, current, and future to have a simple organizational design to innovative management methods to handle their sustainable supply chain practices.

Achieving sustainability in food manufacturing operations and their supply chains: Key insights from a systematic literature review

Managing sustainability in the food supply chain is critical given the very large environmental and social footprint that the food industry has globally. Food industry players have also become increasingly involved in these issues due to stakeholder pressures, and this highlights the importance in understanding what sustainability practices and best practices are being utilised. This review identifies the current state of knowledge of how food manufacturing companies implement sustainability in their operations and across their supply chains. A thematic analysis was conducted on 130 papers that were published over a 21-year time frame from 1999 to 2020 to identify eight key sustainability themes in the literature. These themes included – life cycle assessments, drivers, barriers and incentives to sustainability, waste and recycling management, food chain logistics, sustainability practices in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), supplier management, partnerships and relationships and “other” sustainable supply chain management practices. Through examining the extant literature, it is clear that there remains substantial scope for research on the role of SMEs and food logistics, as there is scant research on both areas despite their critical role within sustainable supply chain management. It is also clear that large multinational companies have a critical role in supporting supply chain practices through not only driving practices but also in providing critical resources and collaboration for partners across the supply chain. Circular economy is emerging as a key research area that is experiencing increasing focus in recent years, although it is argued that future research should focus on digitisation efforts such as through Internet of Things and blockchain that has been highlighted as a major disruptive and supportive element in increasing sustainability across supply chains.