An investigation of the drivers, adoption and outcomes of sustainable supply chain management practices in supply chain organisations

Abstract

The imperative for firms to embrace sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices has become increasingly urgent. Previous studies have indicated that firms adopt SSCM practices differently, some more proactive than others. However, the factors influencing such disparities in SSCM practices adoption remain less understood. Moreover, recent literature has suggested that SSCM practices adoption can yield unintended outcomes, beyond the expected and widely examined outcomes. This research adopts diffusion of innovation and institutional theory as theoretical lenses to explore why firms adopt SSCM practices differently. Specifically, it investigates internal and external factors that drive the more or less proactive SSCM practices adoption while incorporating social capital theory to examine the conditions that inhibit or enable such adoption. The study also investigates the outcomes of more or less proactive SSCM practices adoption. Through a qualitative research design, the study conducts multiple case studies on organisation’s supply chains in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews with multiple participants in organisations illuminate a nuanced understanding of SSCM practices adoption. The findings uncover a spectrum of SSCM practices adoption patterns, ranging from more to less proactive, shaped by a complex interplay of internal and external factors. In addition, the study elucidates the enabling (organisational commitment, social capital and collaborative networks and relationships) and inhibiting conditions (external and contextual challenges, organisational factors and lack of strategic alignment and culture and mindset) that influence the extent of more proactive SSCM practices adoption. Furthermore, the research underscores that varying levels of proactive SSCM practices adoption may be associated with different intended and unintended outcomes. The study establishes the link between the adoption of SSCM practices and innovativeness of firms (sustainability-innovation). This study contributes to the field by proposing a comprehensive framework elucidating SSCM practices adoption dynamic and presents several propositions for further exploration.