Extending Sustainability Objectives Across Supplier Networks: An Exploratory Study of the Agricultural Industry in Uganda
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Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AGRI-QUEST.
Abstract
This study aims to develop a better
understanding of how organizations within
agricultural supply chains extend sustainability
objectives across a network of suppliers. There
has been extensive focus in the literature on
sustainable supplier management practices
focusing on first-tier suppliers, but little is
known on how firms reach out to subsuppliers,
as one of the main challenges for
companies is the identification of its subsuppliers.
This study focuses first on the
activities of the focal firm, second on the
perception sub-suppliers have of these
activities and finally on the role of service
providers towards the implementation of
sustainable initiatives across suppliers in
multiple agricultural supply chains. The
findings suggest a lack of integration of subsuppliers
in the supply chain, and subsuppliers
stated a tendency for ‘mandated’
management practices when sustainability
efforts were extended to them. These
initiatives are characterized by high
participation costs for sub-suppliers and
uncertain benefits and resulted in not fully
committed sub-suppliers. A shared vision by all
parties within the supply chain relationship, is
developing collaborative management
practices that receives full support from all
parties involved. Especially the involvement of
service providers within the supply chains
exhibit these collaborative practices that
amplify the adoption of sustainable practices
by sub-suppliers. This study addresses the
management of sub-suppliers through a
sustainable supply chain perspective and
provides insights that enhance the
understanding of sub-supplier management
practices focused on sustainability initiatives
that can serve further research and
development of theory. Managerial
implications, limitations, and opportunities for
further research are detailed.
Description
Keywords
Supplier Networks, Agricultural Industry
Citation
Gronheid, M., Wickert, C., Katamba, D., & Seruma, A. (2016). AGRI-QUEST.https://knowledge4food.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Agri-Quest-Research-Paper-Series-No6_Gronheid-et-al_2016.pdf