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Implementing Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Literature Review on Required Purchasing and Supply Management Competences

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Social and Environmental Dimensions of Organizations and Supply Chains

Part of the book series: Greening of Industry Networks Studies ((GINS,volume 5))

Abstract

Implementing social and environmental dimensions in global supply chains remains a major challenge in practice. While processes and actions needed to implement sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) have been subject to more research in the last years, the question who implements these in practice is much less understood. Purchasing and supply management (PSM) stands out as a function with particular influence on the global supply base. Thus, there is a central connection between SSCM implementation and PSM as a function. While the organizational level has usually been in focus of research on sustainability issues in PSM, it is ultimately the individual buyer who implements specific processes and performs specific actions. Therefore, this chapter seeks to shed light on the relationship between SSCM implementation requirements and PSM competences needed on an individual buyer level. Based on a literature review, the current coverage of PSM competences in relation to SSCM is presented in order to discuss further avenues for research.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In line with that, both “supplier selection and evaluation” and “supplier development” have been discussed in previous research as key processes to achieve sustainable global supplier management (Reuter et al. 2010, 54f.).

  2. 2.

    That is, that there can be very differing configurations of how far companies address the three sustainability dimensions

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Applied Sciences Mainz, Lucy-Hillebrand-Str. 2, 55128, Mainz, Germany

    Heike Schulze & Lydia Bals

  2. London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE10AA, UK

    Heike Schulze

  3. Department of Strategic Management and Globalization (SMG), Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Kilevej 14, 2. Floor, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Lydia Bals

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  1. Heike Schulze
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  2. Lydia Bals
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Correspondence to Lydia Bals .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, Flensburg, Germany

    Marcus Brandenburg

  2. Chair of Supply Chain Management, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany

    Gerd J. Hahn

  3. German Graduate School of Management and Law, Heilbronn, Germany

    Tobias Rebs

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Schulze, H., Bals, L. (2018). Implementing Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Literature Review on Required Purchasing and Supply Management Competences. In: Brandenburg, M., Hahn, G., Rebs, T. (eds) Social and Environmental Dimensions of Organizations and Supply Chains. Greening of Industry Networks Studies, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59587-0_11

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