Abstract
This paper explores sustainability in supply network from a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) perspective. The paper provides a literature review of sustainability in supply chains and networks and defines related concepts and approaches. Two pilot case studies have been conducted in France exploring how large manufacturing companies engage SME suppliers in sustainability initiatives and the barriers and drivers for SME suppliers in becoming involved in such intitiatives. The results provide tentative support for previous studies that suggest that a mentoring approach rather than a control or monitoring approach is more effective in fully engaging SME suppliers in sustainability initiatives.References
Ammenberg, J. and Hjelm, O. (2003). “Tracing Business and Environmental Effects of Environmental Management Systems a Study of Networking Small and Medium- Sized Enterprises Using a Joint Environmental Management Systems”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 12, pp. 163-174.
Andersen, M. and Skjoett-Larsen, T. (2009). “Corporate social responsibility in global supply chains”. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 75- 86.
Baden, D.A., Harwood, I.A. and Woodward, D.G. (2009). “The effect of buyer pressure on suppliers in SMEs to demonstrate CSR practices: An added incentive or counter productive?”. European Management Journal, 27, pp. 429-441.
Cambra-Fierro, J., Hart, S. and Polo-Redondo, Y. (2008). “Environmental Respect: Ethics or Simply Business? A Study in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Context”. Journal of Business Ethics, 82: pp. 645-656.
Carter, C. and Easton, P. (2011). “Sustainable supply chain management: evolution and future directions”. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management,
Vol 41 No.1, pp. 46-62.
Darnall, N., Jolley, G. and Handfield, R. (2008). “Environmental Management Systems and Green Supply Chain management: Complements for Sustainability?”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 18, pp. 30-45.
Halldorsson, A., Kotzab, H., and Skjott-Larsen, T. (2009). “Supply chain management on the crossroad to sustainability: a blessing or a curse?”. Logist. Res. 1:83-94.
Hillary, R. (2004). “Environmental management systems and the smaller enterprise”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 12, pp. 561 -569.
Hitchens, D., Clausen, J., Trainor, M., Keil, M. and Thankappan, S. (2003). “Competitiveness, Environmental Performance and Management of SMEs”. Greenleaf Publishing, pp. 45-57.
Jenkins, H. (2009). “A ‘business opportunity’ model of corporate social responsibility for small- and medium-sized enterprises”. Business Ethics: A European Review, vol 18 No. 1 pp.21-36.
Lamming, R.C. and Hampson, J.P. (1996). “The Environment as a Supply Chain Management Issue”. British Journal of Management, Vol 7, (special issue), S45 – S62.
Lee, S. (2008). “Drivers for the participation of small and medium-sized suppliers in green supply chain initiatives”. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol 13, No 3, pp. 185-198.
Lee, S. and Klassen R.D. (2008). “Drivers and Enablers That Foster Environmental Management Capabilities in Small – and Medium-Sized Suppliers in Supply Chains”. Journal of Production and Operations Management, 17 (6), pp. 573 – 586.
Merritt, J. (1998). “EM into SME won’t go? Attitude, Awareness and Practices in the London Borough of Croydon”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 7, pp. 90-100.
Min, H. and Galle, W.P. (2001). “Green purchasing practices of US firms”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 21 No. 9, pp. 1222-1238.
Moore, S. B. and Manring, S. L. (2009). “Strategy development in small and medium sized enterprises for sustainability and increased value creation”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 17, pp. 276-282.
Pedersen, E. (2009). “The many and the few: rounding up the SMEs that manage CSR in the supply chain”. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol 14, No 2,
pp. 109 -116.
Rao, P. (2002). “Greening the supply chain: a new initiative in South East Asia”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 22 No. 6, pp. 632 – 655.
Rao, P. and Holt, D. (2005). “Do green supply chains lead to competitiveness and economic performance?”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management Vol. 25 No. 9, pp. 898-916.
Revell, A. and Blackburn, R. (2007). “The Business Case for Sustainability? An Examination of Small Firms in the UK’s Construction and Restaurant Sectors”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 16, pp. 404-420.
Seuring, S. and Müller, M. (2008). “From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16, pp. 1688-
1710.
Simpson, M., Taylor, N. and Barker, K. (2004). “Environmental Responsibility in SMEs: Does it Deliver Competitive Advantage?”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 13, pp.
156-171.
Talbot, S., Lefebvre, E. and Lefebvre, L. (2007). “Closed-loop supply chain activities and derived benefits in manufacturing SMEs”. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol.18 No. 6, pp. 627-658.
Vachon, S. (2007). “Green supply chain practices and the selection of environmental technologies”. International Journal of Production Research, vol 45, No 18-19, pp. 4357-4379.
Vachon, S. and Klassen, R. (2006). “Extending green practices across the supply chain. The impact of upstream and downstream integration”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 26 No. 7, pp. 795-821.
Williamson, D., Lynch-Wood, G. and Ramsay, J. (2006). “Drivers of Environmental Behaviour in Manufacturing SMEs and the Implications for CSR”. Journal of Business Ethics, 67, pp. 317 – 330.
Wooi, G. and Zailani, S. (2010). “Green Supply Chain Initiatives: Investigation on the Barriers in the Context of SMEs in Malaysia”. International Business Management, 4 (1), pp. 20-27.
Wycherley, I. (1999). “Greening supply chains: the case of the body shop international”. Business Strategy and the Ethics, 8, pp. 120-127.
Zhu, Q., Sarkis, J., Lai, K. and Geng, Y. (2008). “The role of Organizational Size in the Adoption of Green Supply Chain Management Practices in China”. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 15, pp. 322-337.
Andersen, M. and Skjoett-Larsen, T. (2009). “Corporate social responsibility in global supply chains”. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 75- 86.
Baden, D.A., Harwood, I.A. and Woodward, D.G. (2009). “The effect of buyer pressure on suppliers in SMEs to demonstrate CSR practices: An added incentive or counter productive?”. European Management Journal, 27, pp. 429-441.
Cambra-Fierro, J., Hart, S. and Polo-Redondo, Y. (2008). “Environmental Respect: Ethics or Simply Business? A Study in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Context”. Journal of Business Ethics, 82: pp. 645-656.
Carter, C. and Easton, P. (2011). “Sustainable supply chain management: evolution and future directions”. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management,
Vol 41 No.1, pp. 46-62.
Darnall, N., Jolley, G. and Handfield, R. (2008). “Environmental Management Systems and Green Supply Chain management: Complements for Sustainability?”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 18, pp. 30-45.
Halldorsson, A., Kotzab, H., and Skjott-Larsen, T. (2009). “Supply chain management on the crossroad to sustainability: a blessing or a curse?”. Logist. Res. 1:83-94.
Hillary, R. (2004). “Environmental management systems and the smaller enterprise”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 12, pp. 561 -569.
Hitchens, D., Clausen, J., Trainor, M., Keil, M. and Thankappan, S. (2003). “Competitiveness, Environmental Performance and Management of SMEs”. Greenleaf Publishing, pp. 45-57.
Jenkins, H. (2009). “A ‘business opportunity’ model of corporate social responsibility for small- and medium-sized enterprises”. Business Ethics: A European Review, vol 18 No. 1 pp.21-36.
Lamming, R.C. and Hampson, J.P. (1996). “The Environment as a Supply Chain Management Issue”. British Journal of Management, Vol 7, (special issue), S45 – S62.
Lee, S. (2008). “Drivers for the participation of small and medium-sized suppliers in green supply chain initiatives”. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol 13, No 3, pp. 185-198.
Lee, S. and Klassen R.D. (2008). “Drivers and Enablers That Foster Environmental Management Capabilities in Small – and Medium-Sized Suppliers in Supply Chains”. Journal of Production and Operations Management, 17 (6), pp. 573 – 586.
Merritt, J. (1998). “EM into SME won’t go? Attitude, Awareness and Practices in the London Borough of Croydon”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 7, pp. 90-100.
Min, H. and Galle, W.P. (2001). “Green purchasing practices of US firms”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 21 No. 9, pp. 1222-1238.
Moore, S. B. and Manring, S. L. (2009). “Strategy development in small and medium sized enterprises for sustainability and increased value creation”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 17, pp. 276-282.
Pedersen, E. (2009). “The many and the few: rounding up the SMEs that manage CSR in the supply chain”. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol 14, No 2,
pp. 109 -116.
Rao, P. (2002). “Greening the supply chain: a new initiative in South East Asia”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 22 No. 6, pp. 632 – 655.
Rao, P. and Holt, D. (2005). “Do green supply chains lead to competitiveness and economic performance?”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management Vol. 25 No. 9, pp. 898-916.
Revell, A. and Blackburn, R. (2007). “The Business Case for Sustainability? An Examination of Small Firms in the UK’s Construction and Restaurant Sectors”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 16, pp. 404-420.
Seuring, S. and Müller, M. (2008). “From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16, pp. 1688-
1710.
Simpson, M., Taylor, N. and Barker, K. (2004). “Environmental Responsibility in SMEs: Does it Deliver Competitive Advantage?”. Business Strategy and the Environment, 13, pp.
156-171.
Talbot, S., Lefebvre, E. and Lefebvre, L. (2007). “Closed-loop supply chain activities and derived benefits in manufacturing SMEs”. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol.18 No. 6, pp. 627-658.
Vachon, S. (2007). “Green supply chain practices and the selection of environmental technologies”. International Journal of Production Research, vol 45, No 18-19, pp. 4357-4379.
Vachon, S. and Klassen, R. (2006). “Extending green practices across the supply chain. The impact of upstream and downstream integration”. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 26 No. 7, pp. 795-821.
Williamson, D., Lynch-Wood, G. and Ramsay, J. (2006). “Drivers of Environmental Behaviour in Manufacturing SMEs and the Implications for CSR”. Journal of Business Ethics, 67, pp. 317 – 330.
Wooi, G. and Zailani, S. (2010). “Green Supply Chain Initiatives: Investigation on the Barriers in the Context of SMEs in Malaysia”. International Business Management, 4 (1), pp. 20-27.
Wycherley, I. (1999). “Greening supply chains: the case of the body shop international”. Business Strategy and the Ethics, 8, pp. 120-127.
Zhu, Q., Sarkis, J., Lai, K. and Geng, Y. (2008). “The role of Organizational Size in the Adoption of Green Supply Chain Management Practices in China”. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 15, pp. 322-337.
Copyright and licensing: The journal supports the principles contained in the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to scientific literature (2003), reiterated in the Italian CRUI Guidelines on Open Access journals. Copyright Notice: papers made open to the public are published under the CC BY--4.0 license.
Archiving : This journal uses the LOCKSS system to create an archiving system, which is distributed between participating libraries and enables them to search through the permanent archives of the journal for the purposes of conservation and restoration. All journal data and publications are also saved and stored directly on the platform