Factors Contributing Towards Sustainable Supply Chain: A Review of Literature

Author: Umme Khadija, Aiza Malik, Zakee Saadat

Abstract

As multiple factors affect the supply chain, sustainability is an increasingly important issue for organizations. A structured literature review methodology was adopted in this study to investigate sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices and to understand what factors are driving organizations towards sustainability. Finally, 20 peer-reviewed journal articles were chosen and analyzed from a total of 133 relevant articles obtained from major academic databases. Themes were identified using thematic coding. Themes from the studies reviewed were consolidated into the 5 dimensions: environmental, economic, technological, social and legal–governance. Percentages associated with each dimension are indicative of the frequency of the theme and its importance in the literature reviewed. Environmental factors represented 25%, such as resource efficiency, the reduction of emissions, waste management, and green logistics. Economic factors, primarily related to cost reduction, operational efficiency and competitiveness, made up 22%. Technological factors (20%) showed the importance of the use of AI, blockchain, IoT and digital tools in enhancing transparency. Social factors were 18%, including ethical sourcing, employee welfare, employee rights and community engagement. Legal and governance factors included 15% and were related to regulatory compliance, sustainability standards, governance mechanisms, etc. The overall study indicates that the integration of environmental responsibility, economic performance, technological innovation, social accountability and legal compliance is needed in the implementation of SSCM. The results provide valuable input for policymakers, researchers and business leaders to develop sustainable and resilient supply chain systems.

Keywords

Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Resilience, Circular Supply Chain, Environmental Sustainability, Green Supply Chain, Digital Technologies, Corporate Social Responsibility, Supply Chain Innovation.

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DOI: 10.52279/jlss.08.02.165181  | 165-181  PDF