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Managing Information Processing Needs in Global Supply Chains: A Prerequisite to Sustainable Supply Chain Management

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  • Christian Busse
  • Jan Meinlschmidt
  • Kai Foerstl

Abstract

Sustainability is an important topic in supply chain management research and practice. For buying firms, one of the most pressing challenges associated with sustainable supply chain management is that they frequently do not possess sufficient information on what is occurring in their complex supply chains, as demonstrated by numerous incidents lacking sustainability. Using eight in†depth case studies across four industries and elaborating on information processing theory, we identify three forms of sustainability†related uncertainty that each firm is facing in its supply chain. We refer to them as task uncertainty, source uncertainty, and supply chain uncertainty. The study shows that the extent to which these uncertainties translate into information processing needs depends on a newly identified boundary condition labeled uncertainty intolerance. With respect to the management of such information processing needs, prior research has pointed primarily at matching information processing needs with fitting information processing capacity and secondly at mitigating information processing needs with corrective measures. This study illuminates how some innovative firms occasionally employ a more radical sustainability†driven supply chain modification mechanism. In doing so, this research exemplifies how sustainable supply chain management may eventually turn from an amendment to a firm's daily business to a decisive factor for shaping future supply chains. In addition, the study constitutes a nascent step to elevate information processing theory to the supply chain level.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Busse & Jan Meinlschmidt & Kai Foerstl, 2017. "Managing Information Processing Needs in Global Supply Chains: A Prerequisite to Sustainable Supply Chain Management," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 53(1), pages 87-113, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jscmgt:v:53:y:2017:i:1:p:87-113
    DOI: 10.1111/jscm.12129
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    Cited by:

    1. Gold, Stefan & Schleper, Martin C., 2017. "A pathway towards true sustainability: A recognition foundation of sustainable supply chain management," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 425-429.
    2. Sener, Abdurrezzak & Barut, Mehmet & Oztekin, Asil & Avcilar, Mutlu Yuksel & Yildirim, Mehmet Bayram, 2019. "The role of information usage in a retail supply chain: A causal data mining and analytical modeling approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 87-104.
    3. Hannibal, Claire & Kauppi, Katri, 2019. "Third party social sustainability assessment: Is it a multi-tier supply chain solution?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 78-87.
    4. Wagner, Stephan M. & Grosse-Ruyken, Pan Theo & Erhun, Feryal, 2018. "Determinants of sourcing flexibility and its impact on performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 329-341.
    5. Jia, Fu & Blome, Constantin & Sun, Hui & Yang, Yang & Zhi, Bangdong, 2020. "Towards an integrated conceptual framework of supply chain finance: An information processing perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 18-30.
    6. Simon Norris & Julia Hagenbeck & Stefan Schaltegger, 2021. "Linking sustainable business models and supply chains — Toward an integrated value creation framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3960-3974, December.
    7. Frederik Dahlmann & Jens K. Roehrich, 2019. "Sustainable supply chain management and partner engagement to manage climate change information," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(8), pages 1632-1647, December.
    8. David Berlepsch & Fred Lemke & Matthew Gorton, 2024. "The Importance of Corporate Reputation for Sustainable Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review, Bibliometric Mapping, and Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(1), pages 9-34, January.
    9. Jongjin Sohn & Jongseon Lee & Nami Kim, 2020. "Going Green Inside and Out: Corporate Environmental Responsibility and Financial Performance under Regulatory Stringency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-23, May.
    10. Madduma Kaluge Chamitha Sanjani Wijewickrama & Nicholas Chileshe & Raufdeen Rameezdeen & Jose Jorge Ochoa, 2022. "Information Processing for Quality Assurance in Reverse Logistics Supply Chains: An Organizational Information Processing Theory Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-31, May.
    11. Madduma Kaluge Chamitha Sanjani Wijewickrama & Nicholas Chileshe & Raufdeen Rameezdeen & Jose Jorge Ochoa, 2021. "Minimizing Macro-Level Uncertainties for Quality Assurance in Reverse Logistics Supply Chains of Demolition Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-35, November.
    12. Ghazi M. Magableh & Mahmoud Z. Mistarihi, 2023. "Global Supply Chain Nervousness (GSCN)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-24, August.
    13. McLaren, Josie & Appleyard, Tony, 2022. "Social movements, identity and disruption in organizational fields: Accounting for farm animal welfare," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    14. Doetzer, Mathias, 2020. "The role of national culture on supply chain visibility: Lessons from Germany, Japan, and the USA," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    15. Xiaodong Wang & Jianfeng Cai & Jichang Xiao, 2019. "A Novel Decision-Making Framework for Sustainable Supplier Selection Considering Interaction among Criteria with Heterogeneous Information," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-24, May.
    16. Doan, Ngoc Thang, 2023. "Cultural proximity and global value chains," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 106-120.
    17. David C. Hall & Tracy D. Johnson-Hall, 2021. "The value of downstream traceability in food safety management systems: an empirical examination of product recalls," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 61-77, June.
    18. Sharma, Amalesh & Pathak, Surya & Borah, Sourav Bikash & Adhikary, Anirban, 2022. "Collaboration strategies in buyer-supplier relational (BSR) networks and sustainable firm performance: A trade-off story," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    19. Njomane, Linda & Telukdarie, Arnesh, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 food supply chain: Comparing the use of IoT in three South African supermarkets," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    20. Jinliang Chen & Kangkang Yu & Jiaowei Gong, 2022. "Supply chain slack and sustainable development performance: The “fit–adjust” effect of objective and perceived environmental uncertainties," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1595-1604, September.
    21. Cheng, Colin C.J. & Shiu, Eric C., 2020. "What makes social media-based supplier network involvement more effective for new product performance? The role of network structure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 299-310.
    22. Iain J. Fraser & Martin Müller & Julia Schwarzkopf, 2020. "Transparency for Multi-Tier Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Case Study of a Multi-tier Transparency Approach for SSCM in the Automotive Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-24, February.
    23. Rong, Ke & Sun, Hui & Li, Dun & Zhou, Di, 2021. "Matching as Service Provision of Sharing Economy Platforms: An Information Processing Perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).

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