Ethics and Social Responsibility in Marketing Channels and Supply Chains: An Overview

The purpose of this overview is to present a framework that provides the context for understanding corporate social responsibility and ethics in marketing channels and supply chains. First, definitions of ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability are provided from a supply chain perspective. Next, an overview of the International Organization for Standardization is provided as an important benchmark to manage ethics, compliance, and social responsibility. In addition, there is an overview of the five articles that have been included in this special issue that address contemporary issues. These issues include the need for private governance in the supply chain, following up on audit results, a theoretical model to demonstrate how sustainable supply chain management influences consumers' brand evaluations and intended behaviors, nonprofit franchising to achieve a social purpose, and the integral role of corporate social responsibility in apparel retail supply chains.