From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management

Purpose – The authors perform a large‐scale literature review and use conceptual theory building to introduce the concept of sustainability to the field of supply chain management and demonstrate the relationships among environmental, social, and economic performance within a supply chain management context.Design/methodology/approach – Conceptual theory building is used to develop a framework and propositions representing a middle theory of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).Findings – The authors introduce the concept of sustainability – the integration of environmental, social, and economic criteria that allow an organization to achieve long‐term economic viability – to the logistics literature, and position sustainability within the broader rubric of SSCM. They then present a framework of SSCM and develop research propositions based on resource dependence theory, transaction cost economics, population ecology, and the resource‐based view of the firm. The authors conclude by discussing manageri...

A framework of sustainable supply chain management: moving toward new theory

An Organizational Theoretic Review of Green Supply Chain Management Literature

The supply chain has been traditionally defined as a one‐way, integrated manufacturing process wherein raw materials are converted into final products, then delivered to customers. Under this definition, the supply chain includes only those activities associated with manufacturing, from raw material acquisition to final product delivery. However, due to recent changing environmental requirements affecting manufacturing operations, increasing attention is given to developing environmental management (EM) strategies for the supply chain. This research: (1) investigates the environmental factors leading to the development of an extended environmental supply chain; (2) describes the elemental differences between the extended supply chain and the traditional supply chain; (3) describes the additional challenges presented by the extension; (4) presents performance measures appropriate for the extended supply chain; and (5) develops a general procedure towards achieving and maintaining the green supply chain.

Designing the green supply chain

Both supply chain management (SCM) and marketing in general have been moving from models and purposes narrowly focused on goods to more general models and purposes associated with partnerships, value networks, service provision, and value creation. Some of this movement has been captured in what has become known as service–dominant (S–D) logic. This article applies S–D logic to thinking about SCM in terms of service provision, in which goods are seen as service distribution or provisioning mechanisms, explores and elaborates on the concept of a value network, and develops a model of the firm as an essential service provisioning agent in a complex and adaptive value network. Research and managerial opportunities are also explored.

Service, value networks and learning

The present paper adds to the relatively limited empirical literature involving green logistics by comparing US and non‐US firms with respect to select propositions regarding environmental issues, practices, and strategies. For a majority of propositions evaluated, the study results indicate that US and non‐US firms tend to share similar perspectives and practices regarding the management of environmental logistics. The study results also tend to confirm literature suggestions that green concerns will broaden the scope of logistics as well as influence the way logistics managers do their jobs.

Green perspectives and practices: a “comparative logistics” study

Third-party logistics: some user versus provider perspectives.

Environmental issues affect many logistical decisions throughout the value chain. This paper identifies strategies that are the most and least popular for managing and responding to these issues, and provides evidence of relationships between select company characteristics and the specific strategies employed in managing logistics-related environmental impacts. Data was collected from companies in the U.S., Canada, and the European Union. Results suggest that the green logistics strategies of recycling/reusing materials and reducing consumption are universally popular among western industrialized nations. Firms that exhibit more intense commitment to environmental concerns than their peers augment use of these universal strategies with various specialized thrusts, such as environmental audits.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/20713450.pdf

Green logistics strategies: An analysis of usage patterns

Public concern over resource depletion, congestion, waste disposal, and various types of pollution has focused increased attention on environmental issues. These environmental issues are expected to broaden the scope of logistics and influence the way in which logistics managers do their jobs. To date, there has been relatively limited empirical research looking at the relationship between environmentalism and logistics management. Reports the findings of a survey of US manufacturers and merchandisers dealing with the role and relevance of logistics to corporate environmental efforts.

Role and relevance of logistics to corporate environmentalism

Here is a recent paper that may be of interest for managers that are considering the transition of logistics into supply chain management. This paper reports the results of a survey of senior-level CSCMP members about perspectives on logistics vs. supply chain management. Executives seem to prefer a broad, multiple function perspective on SCM, implication of which is that the process of implementation can be both difficult, expensive and slow.

Richard F. Poist

Papers

Green perspectives and practices: a “comparative logistics” study

Third-party logistics: some user versus provider perspectives.

Green logistics strategies: An analysis of usage patterns

Role and relevance of logistics to corporate environmentalism

Perspectives on logistics vs. scm: a survey of scm professionals