TY - CHAP

T1 - Innovative Supplier Management Processes for Sustainability

T2 - EURAM 2011

AU - Harms, Dorli

AU - Hansen, Erik G.

AU - Schaltegger, Stefan

N1 - Conference code: 11

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Companies which have to manage global supply chains face a high level of complexity in that there is a large number of suppliers in diverse socio-economic contexts as well as a growing demand for control of social and environmental criteria in these supply chains. Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) therefore argues for the need to consider social and environmental next to economic aspects in the management of supply chains. This integration can only be achieved by process innovations, in the way that sustainability criteria areintegrated into the key processes of supplier management (evaluation, selection, and development). The presented survey-based exploratory study focuses on these processes in large German stock corporations. The results show that some companies are already considering sustainability aspects in their supplier management processes. Moreover, processes which are easier to implement, such as written requirements and standards, are more often implemented than resource-intensive processes of evaluation and audits. At the same time, the increasing importance of supplier development and related innovativeapproaches become apparent, as supplier development can lead to long term partnerships with suppliers and can cause a reduction of transaction costs.

AB - Companies which have to manage global supply chains face a high level of complexity in that there is a large number of suppliers in diverse socio-economic contexts as well as a growing demand for control of social and environmental criteria in these supply chains. Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) therefore argues for the need to consider social and environmental next to economic aspects in the management of supply chains. This integration can only be achieved by process innovations, in the way that sustainability criteria areintegrated into the key processes of supplier management (evaluation, selection, and development). The presented survey-based exploratory study focuses on these processes in large German stock corporations. The results show that some companies are already considering sustainability aspects in their supplier management processes. Moreover, processes which are easier to implement, such as written requirements and standards, are more often implemented than resource-intensive processes of evaluation and audits. At the same time, the increasing importance of supplier development and related innovativeapproaches become apparent, as supplier development can lead to long term partnerships with suppliers and can cause a reduction of transaction costs.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

KW - Supplier management

KW - Process innovation

KW - Sustainable supply chain management

KW - Entrepreneurship

M3 - Article in conference proceedings

SN - 978-9985-9824-7-1

T3 - EURAM Conference

BT - EURAM 2011 Management Culture in the 21st Century: European Academy of Management (EURAM)

A2 - Alas, Ruth

A2 - Bessant, John

PB - Estonian Business School

CY - Tallinn, Estonia

Y2 - 1 June 2011 through 4 June 2011

ER -