Responsible Supply Chain Management in Selected Slovak Chain Stores

Responsible management of supply chains is little researched in Slovakia, despite the prevalence of the concept of social responsibility. Considering the interconnectedness of countries, their markets, and the length of supply chains, this area of social responsibility can be regarded as significant. The paper aims to examine the current state of responsible supply chain management in Slovakia in the trade sector through the analysis of selected chain stores, to identify feasible activities in the responsible management of supply chains and to contribute to the development of the discussion on the given issue. The paper presents selected results of the primary research conducted from November 2023 to April 2024 through a semi-structured interview conducted in the four store chains studied. The results show that responsible behaviour as an entry criterion for suppliers is required more by foreign store chains than by Slovak chain stores, which is partly due to their regional operation. All the chains surveyed carry out stricter checks on private label products than those sold under suppliers’ brands. The difference lies in the support given to introducing responsible practices among suppliers, where one of the foreign chains does not provide this support and the others, including the Slovak chain, do. The chains surveyed agree on senior management’s importance in promoting social responsibility, and they also agree on the main obstacle to responsible supply chain management, which is the high cost. The difference lies in the perception of the benefits, with each chain seeing something different: image, savings, and employment in the region.