How are the barriers of social sustainability perceived in a multi-tier supply chain? A case of textile and clothing industry

Social sustainability plays a significant role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially in emerging economies. Textile and clothing is a labour-intensive industry and presents serious challenges to adopting social sustainability at various stages of the supply chain. The objective of this research is to analyse the perspectives of brands, clothing manufacturers (tier-1) and textile manufacturers (tier-2) on the barriers to social sustainability in multitier textile and clothing supply chains operating in India. Twenty barriers have been shortlisted through an exhaustive search of extant literature followed by a survey among textile and clothing supply chain practitioners. Seven barriers related to consumers, regulation and norms, and financial aspects are found to be common cause-group barriers for all three stages of the supply chain. Lack of top management commitment, lack of competitive pressure and lack of policy on social sustainability are omnipresent as effect-group barriers. However, the relational barriers between the partners (low price offered and pressure for further cost reduction from the brands) reveal the existence of conflicting perceptions at different stages of the textile and clothing supply chain. This implies a lack of synergy and symbiotic dependence, which has been analysed through the lenses of three different organisational theories. This article contributes by underpinning the tire-wise perspectives of barriers to social sustainability in the textile and clothing supply chain. The policymakers and supply chain managers would find the results helpful for making strategies to adopt and implement social sustainability leading to achieving SDGs.