{"title":"Sustainable Supply\u0000 Chain Management","authors":"F. Wiengarten, C. F. Durach","doi":"10.4324/9781003152651-27","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003152651-27","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose – The implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SCM) calls for an acknowledgement of uncertainty inherent in complex environment. Confucianist societies form social networks (guanxi networks) into which people are born and continuously develop their social activities. These then influence economic behaviours and business practices in the workplace. The objective of this study is to explore how these social networks influence the implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SCM). In doing s , this study critically investigates 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 cultures and to investigate the flow of supply chain capitals in guanxi networks. The review also analyses recorded evidence related to the economic, social and environmental responsibilities of sustainability to reveal the current state of the literature and research gaps. Propositions and a framework are developed to guide 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 – The conceptual framework and justification are based on the review of current studies in the field. Future empirical study is encouraged to test the propositions, both in Confucian cultures and other countries with culture of informal social networks. Originality/value – Social networks are socially constructed concepts. Therefore, the constructs of guanxi networks have developed the knowledge of Western-based social networking theory. Arguments from a social network perspective provide an alternative answer to explain increas ed behavioural commitment and compan ies’ investment in sustainable SCM. This study helps practitioners understand the logic of this social norm and to use it to maximis e operation outputs, including sustainable SCM implementation.","PeriodicalId":130428,"journal":{"name":"The Routledge Companion to Corporate Social Responsibility","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120944242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}