Conceptualizing a circular framework of supply chain resource sustainability

Abstract

Purpose In response to calls for conceptual frameworks and generic theory building toward the advancement of sustainability in supply chain resource utilization and management, the purpose of this paper is to advance a circular framework for supply chain resource sustainability (SCRS), and a decision-support methodology for assessing SCRS against the backdrop of five foundational premises (FPs) deduced from the literature on resource sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Taking a conceptual theory-building approach, the paper advances a set of SCRS decision-support criteria for each of the theoretical premises advanced, and applies the theory of constraints to illustrate the conceptual and practical applications of the framework in SCRS decision making. Findings This study uses recent conceptualizations of supply chains as “complex adaptive systems” to provide a robust and novel frame and a set of decision rules with which to assess the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and social capital of supply chain resources from pre-production to post-production. Research limitations/implications The paper contributes to theory building in sustainability research, and the SCRS decision framework developed could be applied in tandem with existing quantitative hybrid life-cycle and input-output approaches to facilitate targeted resource sustainability assessments, with implications for research and practice. Originality/value The novel SCRS framework proposed serves as a template for evaluating SCRS and provides a decision-support methodology for assessing SCRS against the five theorized FPs.

Sustainability Initiatives in Emerging Economies: A Socio-Cultural Perspective

“…External Environmentally Friendly Practices 1-4 Green product design [27] Environmentally friendly sourcing [19,28] Green manufacturing [29] Auditing suppliers [30] Green logistics [31] Supplier collaboration [12] Reverse logistics [32] Environmental collaboration with customers [33] Green warehousing [34] External Socially Responsible Practices Reduce, recover, reuse [35] Buying local [36] Effective use of by products [37] Stakeholder safety Social inclusion and contributions to community [38] [8] Life-cycle analyses [39] Adopting certification and standards [23] Resource Optimization…”

Who is in charge? A review and a research agenda on the ‘human side’ of the circular economy

“…This topic is currently of interest throughout the world, both in terms of sustainability in general, and more specifically in environmental and economic concerns (Murray et al, 2017). CE-related initiatives and policies have been adopted in national contexts such as China (Geng et al, 2013;Schroeder et al, 2018), in supply chains in Europe (Koh et al, 2017) and at the organizational level through the development of new business models to further the progression of the circular economy (Tse et al, 2015;. These policies are popular since they can help to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, which is a prerequisite for sustainability (Geng et al, 2016).…”

Towards a contribution to sustainable management of a dairy supply chain

“…This paper focuses on the environmental dimension, which is not a limitation. We can conclude that sustainable resource practices in a supply chain must be economically viable, but also socially and environmentally responsible for all stakeholders (Koh et al, 2017).…”

“…Since supply chains are also sub-systems of production economies, managers could apply the supply chain resource sustainability (SCRS) framework to aid in the translation of macro-level sustainability targets into actionable productions and operations objectives that are measurable and manageable (Koh et al, 2017). Seles et al (2016) concluded that environmental pressures were found to propagate across a supply chain from tier to tier.…”