Sustainable Supply Chain Management—A Conceptual Framework and Future Research Perspectives

Marcus Brandenburg, Tim Gruchmann and Nelly Oelze
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Marcus Brandenburg: School of Business, Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, 24943 Flensburg, Germany
Tim Gruchmann: Institute of Management and Tourism (IMT), Westcoast University of Applied Sciences, 25746 Heide, Germany
Nelly Oelze: School of Business, Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, 24943 Flensburg, Germany

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: Sustainable operations and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) have become a highly relevant topic for scientific research and management, as well as policy-making practice. Despite surging growth in extant research, the need for theoretical and conceptual substantiation persists, and large opportunities for further research remain unexploited. This paper responds to the need for a conceptual foundation and, therefore, aims at providing a structured agenda for future research areas in SSCM. Based on an abductive reasoning approach, SSCM constructs and concepts are gathered from existing literature and recombined into a comprehensive conceptual SSCM framework. Areas and directions for future SSCM research, as suggested in earlier studies, are summarized, positioned in the framework, and outlined to stimulate further SSCM research activities. To overcome the lack of holistic research in the field, sophisticated techniques and integrated systems to support decision-making are required to tackle related issues’ complexity. Therefore, this paper’s contribution lies in the synthesis of state-of-the-art literature to provide a more comprehensive view of SSCM. Researchers may find promising recommendations and a suitable foundation for future studies, while practitioners may find helpful orientation and guidance for decision- and policy-making.

Keywords: supply chain management; operations management; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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