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The Wicked Character of Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Evidence from Sustainability Reports

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  • Johann Meckenstock
  • Ana Paula Barbosa‐Póvoa
  • Ana Carvalho

Abstract

Supply chains are changing their business paradigm as they strive for sustainability and not just for increasing profits. Sustainability, however, is a concept that is open to interpretation since it is based on societal and organizational values. Little is known about what companies actually mean when referring to sustainability, and how this contrasts with the understanding at different echelons of the supply chain. Diverging interpretations and translations of sustainability among stakeholders, termed wicked problems, affect the progress of sustainable supply chain management. This paper aims to contribute to closing the gap between our common sense expectations and the actual evidence from sustainability reports of how sustainability evolves from abstract ideas to operational practices across the supply chain. To this end, this study employs a computer‐aided content analysis of 142 corporate sustainability reports across 12 industries. Building on the findings, and using the lens of wicked problems, this paper provides guidance to practitioners on how to develop strategies that are effective across the whole supply chain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Johann Meckenstock & Ana Paula Barbosa‐Póvoa & Ana Carvalho, 2016. "The Wicked Character of Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Evidence from Sustainability Reports," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(7), pages 449-477, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:25:y:2016:i:7:p:449-477
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1872
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    Cited by:

    1. Iain J. Fraser & Julia Schwarzkopf & Martin Müller, 2020. "Exploring Supplier Sustainability Audit Standards: Potential for and Barriers to Standardization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-31, October.
    2. Adolfo Carballo‐Penela & Ingrid Mateo‐Mantecón & Sergio Alvarez & Juan Luis Castromán‐Diz, 2018. "The Role of Green Collaborative Strategies in Improving Environmental Sustainability in Supply Chains: Insights from a Case Study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 728-741, September.
    3. Matthias Kalverkamp & Alexandra Pehlken & Thorsten Wuest, 2017. "Cascade Use and the Management of Product Lifecycles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Nancy E. Landrum & Brian Ohsowski, 2018. "Identifying Worldviews on Corporate Sustainability: A Content Analysis of Corporate Sustainability Reports," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 128-151, January.
    5. Yasmim Maia Pederneiras & Johann Meckenstock & Ana Isabel Cerqueira Carvalho & Ana Paula Barbosa‐Póvoa, 2022. "The wicked problem of sustainable development in supply chains," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 46-58, January.
    6. Bruna Alexandra Elias Mota & Ana Isabel Cerqueira de Sousa Gouveia Carvalho & Maria Isabel Azevedo Rodrigues Gomes & Ana Paula Ferreira Dias Barbosa‐Povoa, 2020. "Business strategy for sustainable development: Impact of life cycle inventory and life cycle impact assessment steps in supply chain design and planning," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 87-117, January.
    7. Gianluca Elia & Alessandro Margherita & Claudio Petti, 2020. "Building responses to sustainable development challenges: A multistakeholder collaboration framework and application to climate change," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2465-2478, September.
    8. Milind Kumar Jha & K. Rangarajan, 2020. "The approach of Indian corporates towards sustainable development: An exploration using sustainable development goals based model," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1019-1032, September.
    9. Fabien Martinez & Ken Peattie & Diego Vazquez‐brust & Diego Vazquez-Brust, 2019. "Beyond win–win: A syncretic theory on corporate stakeholder engagement in sustainable development," Post-Print hal-02887685, HAL.

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