Exploring the Potential Challenges of Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Supply Chains: South Asian Perspective

Abstract:Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been the subject of research in many disciplines. However, its application to the supply chain domain is scant and limited. In particular, extant literature is mute on how BRI may potentially impact sustainable supply chains. Given that BRI is a large-scale project focusing on building large-scale logistics infrastructure, it can have serious implications for sustainable supply chains from environmental and social perspectives. This study attempts to address this gap. Using a phenomenological approach and conducting 36 semi-structured interviews with senior managers from five South Asian countries (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and China), this study reveals that BRI can potentially harm organizations' supply chains from environmental, social, and governance perspectives. The study contextualizes the findings in the extant literature and further articulates its implications for theory and practice. It finally concludes by discussing its limitations and future research directions.