The role of supply chain leadership in the learning of sustainable practice: toward an integrated framework

Abstract

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is a topic that has become increasingly important in recent years. However, very few papers focus on studying SSCM from both leadership and learning perspectives. In this research, we carry out a content-based literature review on the intersections of Supply Chain leadership, Supply Chain Learning and SSCM; we propose a conceptual framework on how focal companies assuming a leadership role initiate and disseminate sustainable practices in their supply chains. Three types of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) strategies (i.e., reactive, contributive and proactive) have been identified in this research based on four dimensions of SSCM governance, supply chain learning, supply chain leadership and SSCM performance. It is argued that two new constructs of supply chain learning and supply chain leadership are an integral part of the SSCM conceptual framework developed from the literature and have significant implication to our understanding of SSCM.