This paper aims to offer a comprehensive overview of social sustainability in global supply chains by reviewing the extant literature. It also identifies possible future research directions.
This review identifies, categorizes, and describes the main drivers, barriers, and structural changes that are needed to address the challenges of social sustainability adoption. The results also reveal the overall positive impact of social sustainability adaption.
When it comes to sustainability, most people’s first thought would be about the environmental perspective of sustainability. In fact, the environment is only one aspect of sustainability. The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) model is a framework that expands the traditional focus on economic performance by incorporating two additional dimensions: social and environmental impact. It encourages organizations to adopt a more holistic and balanced approach to business decision-making, i.e. profit, planet and people.
Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical background
3. Methodology
4. Findings
4.1 Descriptive analysis
4.2 Content analysis
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of social sustainability in global supply chains by synthesising existing peer-reviewed literature. It identifies the primary drivers, barriers, and necessary structural changes for organisations to address social sustainability challenges while mitigating operational risks and generating a positive impact.
- Theoretical foundation of the Triple Bottom Line model
- Systematic literature review (SLR) methodology and process
- Identification of key drivers and barriers for social sustainability adoption
- Structural changes and governance required for ethical supply chain practices
- Analysis of corporate impacts and case studies from global industry leaders
Excerpt from the book
Drivers for focal firms to adopt social sustainability practices in their supply chain
There are several reasons which trigger companies to increase their social sustainability efforts (Mani and Gunasekaran, 2018). One important factor being the role of stakeholders and society (Bubicz et al., 2021; Hannibal and Kauppi, 2019; Huq et al., 2016; Hussain et al., 2018; Mani et al., 2020; Mani and Gunasekaran, 2018; Popovic et al., 2018; Schaper and Pollach, 2021; Yoowattana et al., 2019). As a result of stakeholder pressure, business organizations become aware of sustainability concepts that will lead them to adopt them (Bubicz et al., 2021; Govindan et al., 2021; Hannibal and Kauppi, 2019; Sodhi and Tang, 2018). While different stakeholders influence the implementation of environmental or social sustainability differently, awareness and implementation become part of corporate culture overall (Govindan et al., 2021; Hussain et al., 2018; Sodhi and Tang, 2018). Companies believe that maintaining good relationships with stakeholders helps increase financial returns (stakeholder management capabilities). Others adopt social sustainability strategies to comply with stakeholders' (governments and other external stakeholders such as customers) expectations and norms (Hannibal and Kauppi, 2019; Huq et al., 2016; Hussain et al., 2018; Mani and Gunasekaran, 2018; Schaper and Pollach, 2021; Yoowattana et al., 2019). The two motivations are both seen as a competitive advantage to a company by allowing it to differentiate from its rivals while increasing stakeholders' satisfaction at the same time (Govindan et al., 2021; Lim et al., 2022; Mani et al., 2018a; Mani and Gunasekaran, 2018; Shoukohyar and Seddigh, 2020).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the relevance of social sustainability within the Triple Bottom Line framework and defines the core research questions.
2. Theoretical background: Explores the historical and societal evolution of social sustainability and why it is often overshadowed by environmental concerns.
3. Methodology: Details the systematic literature review (SLR) approach, including search strings and selection criteria used to filter relevant studies.
4. Findings: Provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of existing literature, categorizing definitions, drivers, and structural requirements.
5. Discussion: Evaluates the findings by addressing inconsistencies in the literature and highlighting the complexity of implementing sustainable practices across multi-tier supply chains.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s contributions, acknowledges research limitations, and offers future directions for academics and practitioners.
Keywords
Supply chain management, Social sustainability, Systematic literature review, SLR, Triple Bottom Line, Stakeholder pressure, Corporate social responsibility, Supply chain transparency, Ethical sourcing, Global supply chains, Sustainability barriers, Procurement, Multi-tier supply chains, Sustainability strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on social sustainability within global supply chains, analyzing why companies adopt these practices and what obstacles they face in implementation.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The themes include stakeholder expectations, competitive advantage, the role of structural governance, and the distinction between internal and external pressures in supply chain management.
What is the primary research question?
The paper asks: What are the main reasons for companies to strengthen their efforts regarding social sustainability and what key challenges do they face in order to generate a positive impact?
Which scientific method was applied?
The author conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) using SCOPUS and Web of Science, analyzing 32 high-quality peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2022.
What is analyzed in the main body (Findings section)?
The findings categorize definitions of social sustainability, drivers for focal firms, structural changes required, and barriers to adoption across supply chains.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Supply chain management, Social sustainability, SLR, Stakeholder pressure, and Ethical sourcing.
How does the Rana Plaza incident relate to the study?
The incident acts as a critical benchmark and turning point in 2013, highlighting the devastating consequences of failed social sustainability and driving global awareness for stricter supply chain laws.
Why is social sustainability often harder to implement than environmental sustainability?
Unlike environmental issues, social aspects are often perceived as more complex, vague, and harder to quantify, creating tension with short-term cost-reduction strategies.
What is the role of information asymmetry in supply chains?
Information asymmetry and a lack of transparency were identified as main barriers, making it difficult for focal firms to verify social compliance beyond their direct first-tier suppliers.
- Citation du texte
- Anonym (Auteur), 2023, A Global Perspective on Sustainability in Supply Chain and Logistics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1399944
