Craig R. Carter

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

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...

Sustainable supply chain management: evolution and future directions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) literature in the principal logistics and supply chain management journals, across a 20‐year time frame.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a systematic literature review methodology. This methodology allows for the minimization of researcher bias and the maximization of reliability and replicability. The studys empirical validity is further enhanced by demonstrating high levels of inter‐coder reliability across families of codes.Findings – The field of SSCM has evolved from a perspective and investigation of standalone research in social and environmental areas; through a corporate social responsibility perspective; to the beginnings of the convergence of perspectives of sustainability as the triple bottom line and the emergence of SSCM as a theoretical framework. While the SSCM research has become more theoretically rich and methodologically rigorous, there are numerous oppo...

Environmental purchasing and firm performance: an empirical investigation

Much debate has occurred in the extant literature as to whether socially responsible actions undertaken by firms result in improved financial performance. One key dimension of social responsibility is environmental initiatives and programs. While the purchasing function can create value and significantly affect the environmental actions of a firm and its upstream supply chain, no research to date has explored the effect of environmental purchasing on firm performance. Our research provides an initial examination of this relationship. We combine survey and archival data to show that environmental purchasing is significantly related to both net income and cost of goods sold, after controlling for firm size, leverage, and primary earnings per share.

Social responsibility and supply chain relationships

Abstract We use the term purchasing social responsibility (PSR) to describe the involvement of purchasing managers in socially responsible activities. The purpose of the research is to examine the potential impact that PSR might have on supply chain relationships. Our findings suggest that PSR has a direct and positive impact on supplier performance, as well as an indirect, mediated effect through improved trust and cooperation. These findings hold important implications not only for purchasing managers but also logistics managers in the areas of customer service, distribution, and business-to-business marketing.

Purchasing social responsibility and firm performance: The key mediating roles of organizational learning and supplier performance

– This paper aims to examine how socially responsible supply management activities, a term labeled purchasing social responsibility (PSR) in the extant literature, affect a firms costs. There has been much debate, and mixed empirical findings, regarding whether socially responsible behavior on the part of companies improves or reduces firm performance., – A survey methodology and structural equation modeling are used to assess the relationship between PSR and supplier performance, including the mediating role of organizational learning. The theoretical scope is developed through an integration of literature from logistics, corporate social responsibility, the resource‐based view of the firm, and organizational learning., – No direct relationship is found between PSR and costs; however, organizational learning and supplier performance act as key, mediating variables between PSR and costs, with PSR leading to organizational learning, improved supplier performance, and ultimately reduced costs., – The significant mediating roles of organizational learning and supplier performance provide one possible explanation for the past, conflicting findings of studies that have investigated the direct relationship between corporate social responsibility and firm performance., – The findings suggest that PSR not only is the “right thing to do”, but also can lead to significant improvements in supplier performance and costs., – This is the first study to suggest and test the possibility of mediation between social responsibility and firm performance. The research also extends the integration of organizational learning and supply chain management.

Ethical issues in international buyer-supplier relationships: a dyadic examination

The author combines extant literature with findings from focus group interviews and a set of surveys to identify the ethical issues involved in relationships of US purchasing managers and their non-US suppliers. Survey data from matched .

JIT purchasing and performance: an exploratory analysis of buyer and supplier perspectives

In this exploratory analysis, a model is developed and tested to determine whether the use of JIT purchasing reduces logistics costs for both suppliers and buyers. The results indicate that JIT purchasing directly reduces costs only for buyers. An indirect path, however, was found between JIT purchasing and logistics costs for suppliers. To the extent that JIT purchasing may result in suppliers adopting JIT manufacturing techniques, then suppliers too can benefit, at least indirectly, from JIT purchasing.

Behavioral supply management: A taxonomy of judgment and decision-making biases

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and integrate the extensive literature base which examines judgment and decision‐making biases, to introduce this literature to the field of supply management, to create a valid, mutually exclusive, and exhaustive taxonomy of decision biases that can affect supply managers, and to provide guidance for future research and applications of this taxonomy.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a qualitative cluster analysis, combined with a Q‐sort methodology, to develop a taxonomy of decision biases.Findings – A mutually exclusive, and exhaustive taxonomy of nine decision biases is developed through a qualitative cluster analysis. The Q‐sort methodology provides initial confirmation of the reliability and validity of the cluster analysis results. The findings, along with numerous examples provided in the text, suggest that supply management decisions are vulnerable to the described biases.Originality/value – This paper provides a comprehensive review of ...

Research Opportunities in Purchasing and Supply Management

Purchasing and supply management (PSM) are crucial for the effective and efficient operation of manufacturing firms, now more than ever. The PSM function has evolved from being routine and mechanical to a function that can deliver true competitive advantage. The trend toward increased globalisation and outsourcing, along with a focus on innovation- and capability-driven supply management, has led to an increased reliance on suppliers. This has significantly enhanced the importance of PSM for manufacturing companies. The heightened significance in practice has been paralleled by an increasing attention of researchers in developing theories and chronicling best practices. At the same time, the rapid rate of change represents both daunting challenges and exciting opportunities for research in PSM. It is the goal of this article to highlight such challenges and discuss ensuing opportunities in PSM research. This objective is accomplished via the nominal group technique involving a panel of leading scholars in the purchasing and supply management field. As such, the article presents a synthesis and discussion of important research themes, poses a set of intriguing research opportunities, and serves as a motivation for future investigation.

Product‐process‐supply chain: an integrative approach to three‐dimensional concurrent engineering

Purpose – The primary purposes of this paper are to add support to the existing three‐dimensional concurrent engineering (3DCE) theoretical framework and to identify issues that currently hinder the adoption of 3DCE.Design/methodology/approach – While 3DCE has been suggested as a way to improve new product development success and supply chain performance, the research on 3DCE is in its infancy, largely conceptual, or based on two, rather than all three aspects of 3DCE. To help bridge the gap between concept and theory for 3DCE, this paper provides a cross‐disciplinary perspective, incorporating literature from supply chain management (SCM) and logistics, operations management, marketing channels, and general management and strategy, to help ground the theory of 3DCE. Based on this literature, testable research propositions are developed.Findings – Based on the review of the literature, there is substantial theoretical grounding for 3DCE and evidence that it should provide beneficial outcomes to organizati...