Supply chains play an integral role in today's globalized economy. Hence, in order to truly pursue sustainable business development, the underlying dynamics and influential themes for sustainability in supply chains have to be understood. However, this area remains characterized by limited theoretical knowledge and practical application. A literature review was conducted first in order to gain an overview of available theory and to develop initial categorizations. In the next step, the insights of supply chain and sustainability experts were gathered via an exploratory Delphi study conducted online over three rounds. A set of key themes (planning, execution, coordination, and collaboration) and associated research opportunities (within the categories of governance, risk, compliance, performance management, and the sustainability dimensions) were synthesized and evaluated according to their relative importance based on the experts' opinions. By relating these results to existing literature, this study confirms, questions and extends knowledge on sustainable supply chain management. The identified themes are integral for the management and performance of sustainable supply chains. They provide structure to the field and offer a prioritisation of sustainability initiatives that can be applied prescriptively by the practitioner. The future research opportunities are further enfolded in a categorised research agenda, driving the theoretical as well as practical development of the field.

The prospects of zero-packaging grocery stores to improve the social and environmental impacts of the food supply chain

Purpose -Supply chains (SCs) are integral to the globalized economy and offer many business opportunities but can also lead to unintended social and environmental impacts. Accurate performance assessments are crucial for SC control and are also a cornerstone for sustainable development. Hence, procedural, technological, and operational support is needed to facilitate a balanced approach to performance measurement for sustainable SCs. Design/methodology/approach -The paper combines concepts derived from literature on performance measurement in SCs and sustainability with the balanced scorecard (BSC). Synthesis of these related approaches leads to the proposal of a customized scorecard design and development processes which are further elaborated through illustrations and practical examples. Findings -A scorecard design customized for sustainable SCs is proposed along with development and implementation processes.Research limitations/implications -The organization and synthesis of related performance measurement approaches advances the theoretical understanding of how a BSC can be operationalized in sustainable SCs. Research opportunities are derived based on the presented findings. The results are limited due to their mainly conceptual development. Practical implications -The BSC is illustrated by practical examples in an attempt to demonstrate the feasibility and practical value of the conceptual approach. Originality/value -The field of sustainable supply chain management continues to be beset by little guidance in terms of principles and applicable tools for performance assessment. The paper provides structure in this regard, integrates concepts central to the performance of sustainable SCs, and supports the practical application of a BSC approach.

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of geopolitical disruptions on the manufacturing supply chain (SC) location decision of managers in UK multinational firms. The context of study is the UK manufacturing sector and its response to the UK's decision to leave the European Union (EU), or Brexit.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts an abductive, theory elaboration approach and expands on Dunning's eclectic paradigm of international production. A Delphi study over four iterative rounds is conducted to gather and assess insights into manufacturing SC location issues related to Brexit. The panel consisted of 30 experts and managers from a range of key industries, consultancies, governmental organisations, and academia. The Delphi findings are triangulated using a focus group with 38 participants.FindingsThe findings indicate that the majority of companies planned or have relocated production facilities from the UK to the EU, and distribution centres (DCs) from the EU to the UK. This was because of market-seeking advantages (being close to major centres of demand, ease of access to local and international markets) and efficiency-seeking advantages (costs related to expected delays at ports, tariff and non-tariff barriers). Ownership and internalisation advantages, also suggested by the eclectic paradigm, did not play a role in the location decision.Originality/valueThe study elaborates on the OLI framework by showing that policy-related uncertainty is a primary influencing factor in the manufacturing location decision, outweighing the importance of uncertainty as an influencer of governance mode choices. The authors find that during geopolitical disruptions managers make location decisions in tight time-frames with incomplete and imperfect information, in situations of high perceived uncertainty. The study elaborates on the eclectic paradigm by explaining how managerial cognition and bounded rationality influence the manufacturing location decision-making process.

Supply chains are complex systems, and the decision making and support processes for the development and management of such multifaceted entities are quite challenging. In order to become sustainable, supply chains are well advised to improve their business processes continuously and strive for strategic as well as functional alignment between their member organizations. Current supply chain practices are often ad hoc and lack end-to-end support for the gradual transformation towards supply chain sustainability. This article specifies high-level decision-making stages of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and proposes a multi-layered SSCM maturity model. This proposed model leverages a roadmap for sustainable business transformation and is further developed using a sustainability modelling and reporting (SMART) system.