AN INVESTIGATION INTO SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

The purpose of this paper is to study current practices on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in a developing country. To this end, five research questions that focus on the motivations for implementing SSCM initiatives, the level of awareness on SSCM issues, obstacles to implementing SSCM, best practices in SSCM, and responsibilities in SSCM are proposed. The research questions were investigated through four case studies, including automotive, electronics, white goods, and furniture companies. All four companies were based in Turkey. The findings show that SSCM is still in its embryonic stages in the case companies. The findings also suggest that the case companies are somewhat hesitant to launch an initiative to implement full-fledged SSCM practices due to the costs associated with setting up a SSCM system. In addition to research specific to the Turkish context, the paper provides a needed reference point on the application of SSCM in developing nations.