Stakeholder engagement in a sustainable sales and operations planning process

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to understand how companies can transition to a sustainable sales and operations planning process to improve economic, environmental, and social performance. Data are collected from a survey of 120 managers in China's manufacturing sector and analyzed using partial least square-based structural equation modeling. Drawing on life cycle theory and stakeholder theory, we argue that the conventional sales and operations planning (S&OP) process is internally focused and myopic, which over time leads to path dependencies and structural inertia. We find that firms can break free from this structural inertia by engaging external stakeholder groups that challenge the status quo and prompt organizational change. The paper contributes to theory by combining the key tenets of life cycle theory and stakeholder theory to explain how companies can transition to a sustainable S&OP process.

Stakeholder management in sustainable supply chains: A case study of the bioenergy industry

“…However, the results indicate that learning from and with stakeholders is an essential component of stakeholder management in SSCM (see Table 7); this is in line with, for example, Roscoe et al (2020). The focal firm can exchange knowledge and information with stakeholders to close knowledge gaps or extend the knowledge base (PE1E, PE6B, and S3).…”

Stakeholder Influence on Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Case Study of a German Apparel Frontrunner

“…As a solution for low transparency in SCs and identifying possible risks in the apparel industry (e.g., Hasan, 2019), the results indicate that cooperating with different stakeholders at different stages of the SC provide more insights in several steps and improve the transparency of their own SC. For example, the analyzed company use knowledge and resources gained from cooperation with foundations and NGOs, in line with current papers in the field (Pagell and Wu, 2009;Roscoe et al, 2020;. In deeper SCs, they even cooperate with competitors in the form of alliances and with governments and further NGOs to implement standards like Codes of Conducts and training as well as possibilities to control implemented standards with audits.…”

“…However, the cooperation with non-traditional SC members such as NGOs, competitors or research institutes, and universities with a broad knowledge about different topics might be a suitable strategy to solve these complex issues (Rodríguez et al, 2016;Roscoe et al, 2020;. Liu et al (2018) state that stakeholders can contribute to sustainable SCs as drivers, facilitators or inspectors within the process of supplier development at least.…”

Extended contextual validation of stakeholder approach to firm technology adoption: moderating and mediating relationships in an innovation eco-system

“…Sustainable development was previously seen as having an opposing interest to the basic business interest of innovation and profit but has been gaining momentum in business strategies over the past few decades (Bouglet et al , 2012). This is due to the realization that with the firm’s economic interest (profit through exchanges), the societal interest (ensuring access to healthcare, education, as well as good working conditions) and environmental interest (protecting biodiversity and natural resources) are best achieved if it is done with the stakeholder approach (Roscoe et al , 2020). This sustainable development of an organization can also be achieved through the adoption of technological innovation (Yuan and Zhang, 2020).…”