Ain't Misbehavin': Leveraging Supplier Codes of Conduct in Pursuit of Supply Chain Choreography

Abstract

Supplier codes of conduct (SCOCs) are widely used in sustainable supply chain management. Yet, many of the targeted issues (e.g., child labor, poor working conditions) remain persistent concerns. We present a multi-method study that explores SCOC history and the barriers and enablers to implementation. Section A of our study examines the history of SCOCs through a longitudinal content analysis spanning a quarter century, from 1999 to 2024. We find that SCOCs have generally remained legal contracts with zero-tolerance bans on specific practices. The scope of SCOCs has expanded over time, while enforcement has varied in response to macroeconomic trends. Section B of our study presents insights from 20 interviews with managers to better understand barriers and enablers of SCOC implementations across supply chains. We develop a maturity framework for SCOC content and implementation. Our theoretical lens is Supply Chain Choreography (SCC), a derivative of Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT). We conclude that “traditional” SCOCs are instruments of orchestration and do not lead to successful deployment beyond tier-1 suppliers. Therefore, we propose that “collaborative” SCOCs, informed by SCC, be developed and implemented with a choreographic approach. We establish four propositions for future research and further develop SCC as a theoretical perspective.