Special Issue "Supply Chain Sustainability"

Guest Editor
Dr. Benita M. Beamon
Industrial and Systems Engineering, Box 352650, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2650, USA
Website: http://faculty.washington.edu/benita/
E-Mail: benita@u.washington.edu
Phone: +1 206 543 2308
Fax: +1 206 685 3072
Interests: analysis, design and performance of supply chain systems with special emphasis in sustainability, humanitarian relief and food supply networks

Dear Colleagues,

Classical supply chain management focuses on profit-driven design and operation of a one-way flow of materials. However, regulatory pressure, public pressure, and increasingly scarce inputs have led to increased focus on ecological supply chain considerations. Such considerations must work in concert with profit-making, and range from directly reducing toxic inputs and waste streams to designing products, processes, and supply networks for efficient and effective remanufacturing, recycling, and reuse.

In the face of an increasing global population, the rise of new economies, and looming energy uncertainties, the supply chain is facing some of its most serious challenges. However, the modern supply chain also has unprecedented access to methodological and technological resources, which may help to mitigate risk. The challenge to supply chain management is to supply the ever-increasing and ever-demanding global population, while protecting the very environment that sustains us, today and for generations to come. This special issue of Sustainability focuses on supply chain sustainability, with particular interest in some of our most critical supply chain products: food, water, and energy. With this special issue, we seek to address some of the most pressing questions surrounding sustainable supply, including but not limited to: (1) the potential for the coexistence of environmental sensitivity, adequate supply, and profit-making, (2) strategies and tactics for achieving sustainability, and (3) sustainable supply chain design. Multi-disciplinary submissions addressing policy and technological/methodological aspects of supply chain sustainability are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Benita M. Beamon
Guest Editor

• supply chain
• sustainability
• environment
• energy
• food
• water

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Expanding the Boundaries of Supply Chain Management: People, Planet, and Profit
Authors: Maria Björklund , Maria Huge Brodin
Affiliation: Department of Logistics Management, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden; E-Mails: Maria.Bjorklund@liu.se (M.B.); Maria.huge-brodin@liu.se (M.H.B.)
Abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a concept growing in importance due to trends towards more global and outsourced supply chains, and to investors’ increased interest in socially responsible businesses etc. The purpose of the paper is to investigate actions taken by Swedish companies to increase the social responsibility in their supply chains. This paper also introduces a model that will support and increase the understanding of the potential effects of CSR on SCM, and of SCM on CSR. Data regarding the social responsibility work in companies was obtained from companies’ homepages and sustainability reports. Most companies studied have taken some initial steps towards CSR. However, the degree of CSR varies widely among the companies studied. Identification of good examples, different approaches towards CSR within logistics etc can be used as inspiration and guidance for supply chain managers in their work towards social responsible supply chains. Most studies within the field focus on only one aspect of CSR, such as the environment or humanitarian aspects. This study tries to encompass all dimensions within the sustainable development concept as defined by i.e. UN e.g. including aspects such as environmental responsibility, economic responsibility, ethics etc..
Keywords: corporate social responsibility; supply chain management; logistics; logistic social responsibility; sustainable development