IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v20y2011i7p471-484.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Supply chain management for sustainable products – insights from research applying mixed methodologies

Author

Listed:
  • Stefan Seuring

Abstract

The significant growth in the academic literature on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) can best be seen by the fact that three review papers have been published since 2007. In line with this, the question emerged – what distinguishes sustainable supply chain management from ‘conventional’ supply chain management? Here, the strategy of supply chain management for sustainable products proposed by Seuring and Müller (2008a) will be discussed. Against this background, this paper aims to develop a theory for sustainable supply chain management. While other contributions are taken into account, this will be primarily based on our own research spanning about 10 years and using multiple research methods. The empirical methods employed include: (1) case studies, (2) action research, (3) Delphi study, (4) survey research, and (5) literature reviews based on content analysis. The paper will provide insights into what was learned from the different research projects and how this has helped to gain a better and wider understanding of the field. This is discussed further by presenting hypotheses which should help to further advance the theory of supply chain management for sustainable products. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Seuring, 2011. "Supply chain management for sustainable products – insights from research applying mixed methodologies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(7), pages 471-484, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:20:y:2011:i:7:p:471-484
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.702
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.702
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.702?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter Teuscher & Beat Grüninger & Niels Ferdinand, 2006. "Risk management in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM): lessons learnt from the case of GMO‐free soybeans," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, February.
    2. Walter J. V. Vermeulen & P. J. Ras, 2006. "The challenge of greening global product chains: meeting both ends," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(4), pages 245-256.
    3. Steven Tadelis & Oliver E.Williamson, 2012. "Transaction Cost Economics [The Handbook of Organizational Economics]," Introductory Chapters,, Princeton University Press.
    4. Mark P. Sharfman & Teresa M. Shaft & Robert P. Anex, 2009. "The road to cooperative supply‐chain environmental management: trust and uncertainty among pro‐active firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Cecilia Solér & Kerstin Bergström & Helena Shanahan, 2010. "Green supply chains and the missing link between environmental information and practice," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 14-25, January.
    6. Stefan Seuring & Maria Goldbach & Julia Koplin, 2004. "Managing time and complexity in supply chains: two cases from the textile industry," International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(2), pages 180-198.
    7. Michael Maloni & Michael Brown, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility in the Supply Chain: An Application in the Food Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 68(1), pages 35-52, September.
    8. Claribel Müller & Walter J. V. Vermeulen & Pieter Glasbergen, 2009. "Perceptions on the demand side and realities on the supply side: a study of the South African table grape export industry," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(5), pages 295-310.
    9. R. J. Welford, 1998. "Editorial: Corporate environmental management, technology and sustainable development: postmodern perspectives and the need for a critical research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, February.
    10. Hans Haake & Stefan Seuring, 2009. "Sustainable procurement of minor items - exploring limits to sustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(5), pages 284-294.
    11. Peter Lund‐Thomsen & Khalid Nadvi, 2010. "Global value chains, local collective action and corporate social responsibility: a review of empirical evidence," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, January.
    12. Jörn‐Henrik Thun & Andrea Müller, 2010. "An empirical analysis of green supply chain management in the German automotive industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(2), pages 119-132, February.
    13. Lutz Preuss, 2005. "Rhetoric and reality of corporate greening: a view from the supply chain management function," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 123-139, March.
    14. Martin Mueller & Virginia dos Santos & Stefan Seuring, 2009. "The Contribution of Environmental and Social Standards Towards Ensuring Legitimacy in Supply Chain Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 89(4), pages 509-523, November.
    15. Friederike Albersmeier & Holger Schulze & Achim Spiller, 2009. "Evaluation and reliability of the organic certification system: perceptions by farmers in Latin America," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(5), pages 311-324.
    16. Thomas Dyllick & Kai Hockerts, 2002. "Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 130-141, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Romy Morana & Stefan Seuring, 2011. "A Three Level Framework for Closed-Loop Supply Chain Management—Linking Society, Chain and Actor Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Stefan Gold & Stefan Seuring & Philip Beske, 2010. "Sustainable supply chain management and inter‐organizational resources: a literature review," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), pages 230-245, July.
    3. Francesco Rizzi & Irene Bartolozzi & Alessandra Borghini & Marco Frey, 2013. "Environmental Management of End‐of‐Life Products: Nine Factors of Sustainability in Collaborative Networks," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(8), pages 561-572, December.
    4. Beske, Philip & Land, Anna & Seuring, Stefan, 2014. "Sustainable supply chain management practices and dynamic capabilities in the food industry: A critical analysis of the literature," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 131-143.
    5. Vermeulen, W.J.V. & Kok, M.T.J., 2012. "Government interventions in sustainable supply chain governance: Experience in Dutch front-running cases," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 183-196.
    6. Oguz Morali & Cory Searcy, 2013. "A Review of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices in Canada," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 635-658, October.
    7. Christina W.Y. Wong & Chee Yew Wong & Sakun Boon‐itt, 2018. "How Does Sustainable Development of Supply Chains Make Firms Lean, Green and Profitable? A Resource Orchestration Perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 375-388, March.
    8. Walter J.V. Vermeulen, 2015. "Self‐Governance for Sustainable Global Supply Chains: Can it Deliver the Impacts Needed?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 73-85, February.
    9. Olga Chkanikova, 2016. "Sustainable Purchasing in Food Retailing: Interorganizational Relationship Management to Green Product Supply," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(7), pages 478-494, November.
    10. Philip Beske & Julia Koplin & Stefan Seuring, 2008. "The use of environmental and social standards by German first‐tier suppliers of the Volkswagen AG," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 63-75, March.
    11. Vivek Soundararajan & Jill A. Brown, 2016. "Voluntary Governance Mechanisms in Global Supply Chains: Beyond CSR to a Stakeholder Utility Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 83-102, March.
    12. Kudla, Nicole & Stölzle, Wolfgang, 2011. "Sustainability Supply Chain Management Research," Die Unternehmung - Swiss Journal of Business Research and Practice, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 65(3), pages 263-301.
    13. Mengying Feng & Wantao Yu & Xingyu Wang & Chee Yew Wong & Maozeng Xu & Zhi Xiao, 2018. "Green supply chain management and financial performance: The mediating roles of operational and environmental performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 811-824, November.
    14. Nelly Oelze & Tim Gruchmann & Marcus Brandenburg, 2020. "Motivating Factors for Implementing Apparel Certification Schemes—A Sustainable Supply Chain Management Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-15, June.
    15. Simon Norris & Julia Hagenbeck & Stefan Schaltegger, 2021. "Linking sustainable business models and supply chains — Toward an integrated value creation framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3960-3974, December.
    16. Hans Haake & Stefan Seuring, 2009. "Sustainable procurement of minor items - exploring limits to sustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(5), pages 284-294.
    17. Aurélien Acquier & Bertrand Valiorgue & Thibault Daudigeos, 2017. "Sharing the Shared Value: A Transaction Cost Perspective on Strategic CSR Policies in Global Value Chains," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 139-152, August.
    18. Sadaat Ali Yawar & Stefan Seuring, 2017. "Management of Social Issues in Supply Chains: A Literature Review Exploring Social Issues, Actions and Performance Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 621-643, March.
    19. Mohammad Najjar & Michael H. Small & Mahmoud M. Yasin, 2020. "Social Sustainability Strategy across the Supply Chain: A Conceptual Approach from the Organisational Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Hsueh, Che-Fu, 2014. "Improving corporate social responsibility in a supply chain through a new revenue sharing contract," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 214-222.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:20:y:2011:i:7:p:471-484. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.