دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی بررسی مدیریت زنجیره تامین پایدار: چشم انداز شبکه اجتماعی - امرالد 2018

Abstract

Purpose – The implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SCM) calls for an acknowledgement of uncertainty inherent in complex environment. Confucianist society forms social networks in Confucianist society, called guanxi networks, influence economic behaviours and business practices in the workplace. The purpose of this study is to explore how these social networks influence the implementation of sustainable SCM. In doing so, this study aims to critically investigate the constructs of guanxi networks, their impact on flow of supply chain capital and how this leverages the implementation of sustainable SCM. Design/methodology/approach – Two systematic literature reviews are conducted to understand the constructs of social networks in Confucianist culture and their impacts on the flow of supply chain capitals. The reviews also analyse evidence related to the economic, social and environmental practices to reveal the current state of the literature and research gaps. Propositions and a framework are developed to support future research in this area. Findings – The constructs of ganqing, renqing, xinren and mianzi in guanxi networks have expanded the contexts of social networks in Western literature. Guanxi networks increase the flow of supply chain capital and generate trust between players, thus enhancing capabilities to implement sustainable SCM. Guanxi networks also create the mechanism of network governance with which to increase sustainable SCM implementation under the institutional logics of sustainability. Research limitations/implications – The conceptual framework and justification are based on the reviews of current studies in the field. Future empirical study is encouraged to test the propositions, both in Confucianist culture and other countries with culture of social networks. Originality/value – Social networks are socially constructed concepts. The constructs of guanxi networks revealed in this study have developed the knowledge of Western-based social network theory. Besides, arguments from a social network perspective provide an alternative answer to explain increased behavioural commitment and companies’ investment in sustainable SCM. This study helps practitioners understand the logic of this social norm and to use it to maximise their operation outputs, including sustainable SCM implementation.

7. Conclusions

By reflecting the social network perspective put forward by Grannovetter (1973, 1992) and Burt (1992), this paper considers how social networks can support the implementation of sustainable SCM. Social networks are socially constructed and, while found in many cultures, there has been a focus on Confucian cultures, and specifically guanxi networks. The systematic literature reviews have provided insights into the current state of the art in the constructs of guanxi networks and their influence on the flow of supply chain capital and sustainable SCM. The constructs of social networks in Confucius cultures are reflected as ganqing, renqing, xinren and mianzi, which affect supply chain practices substantially. Regarding to the research topic, there is a good range of research that address the influence of guanxi networks on the flow of supply chain capital, namely, social, financial and human capital, but a paucity of work that considers sustainable SCM explicitly. General works cover some aspects of sustainable SCM, but opportunities remain for exploring these aspects in more depth.

The proposed theoretical framework and propositions give awareness of how formal institution and personal ties affect the implementation of environmental and social practices in a supply chain. Institutional forces for sustainability have provided the logic of sustainable practices in SCM, whereas implementations in different regions are socially embedded. Research calls for the acknowledgement of the uncertainty adhered in a complex environment (Alexdander et al., 2015). The framework is inherent with this complexity, finding ways to increase network economics, trust and network governance for companies and their supply chains to implement environmental and social practices.