ABSTRACT. The textile industry has often made news for poor social and environmental practices in recent years. Various clothing brands often face criticism because of this. However, most of the time, these unsustainable activities occur in the textile industry's upstream manufacturing and supplier units. These manufacturing industries and suppliers are usually based in developing countries, and due to turbulent business environments, these industries often face various types of uncertainties in their business. Thus, supplier behavior and psychological perceptions are important in tackling these uncertainties and making sustainability-related decisions. Therefore, our study aims to understand how supplier behavior is influenced by other stakeholders like buyers, consumers, certification agencies, government, etc., and how these stakeholders change supplier behavior and, ultimately, their sustainable practices/decisions. With the help of a literature review and qualitative study, we have identified important behavioral factors like uncertainty aversion (risk aversion and ambiguity aversion) of suppliers and actions of other stakeholders, such as certification agencies, as crucial for the sustainable practices of suppliers. To establish and test the relationship between the above constructs and the supplier's sustainability practices, we propose a cross-sectional survey experiment with a large number of textile suppliers to generalize the findings. Further, to elicit and measure the aversion attitudes of the supplier, we propose a scenario-based experiment.

ABSTRACT. A focus on sustainable business practices—a balance of social, environmental, and governance practices (ESG)—has become an important aspect of a company’s long-term strategy and competitive advantage. Firms are implementing sustainability into their supply chains by nurturing buyer-supplier relationships and holding their suppliers accountable in maintaining specific ESG criteria. As part of these sustainability efforts, perceived reciprocal obligations between an individual—the buyer—and an organizational entity—the supplier—develop into psychological contracts. This would mean that when ESG goals or criteria are unmet, a psychological contract breach may occur and potentially lead to a dissolution of the buyer-supplier relationship. Based on a series of scenario-based experiments, the impacts of two conditions of psychological contract breach are explored—intention and type of sustainability breach (environmental versus social)—on a buyer’s willingness to continue working with a supplier. Participants in the experiment assumed the role of a purchasing manager for a sustainability-driven firm and underwent purchasing scenarios with a supplier that included an ESG-oriented psychological contract breach. Through these experiments, the role of organizational commitment to sustainability and its impact on buyer-supplier relationships is better understood.

ABSTRACT. Purpose: The development of low-carbon supply chains (LCSCs) is strongly influenced by the buyer-supplier relationship (BSR) between two actors. Analyzing BSRs in the supply chain management domain, the social exchange theory (SET) has been applied throughout numerous studies, showing trust, commitment, power and reciprocity as the major relationship influences. However, recent research indicates that BSRs in LCSCs are influenced by factors such as carbon transparency, external pressure and others. Therefore, this study aims to review and picture the peculiarities of dyadic relationships between buyer and supplier in LCSCs. In addition, this research aims to elaborate the SET by influential low-carbon relationship factors, discussing and advancing its applicability within the mentioned academic domain.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper applies an embedded multiple case study design and semi-structured interviews investigating dyadic BSRs within LCSCs containing context, cases and embedded unit of analysis. Therefore, context is represented through different component/material supply chains aiming to mitigate carbon emissions. The dyadic relationship between buyer and supplier shows the different cases, further investigated by conducting semi-structured interviews with responsible persons employed in the purchasing and selling firm.

Originality/value: The contribution of this paper is manifold. First, this research adds value in showing influential factors in developing dyadic BSRs when aiming to mitigate carbon emissions. Second, this review advances the applicability of the SET within LCSCs in adding major relationship influences that represent the peculiarities of LCSCs. Third, practitioners may benefit when strategically developing relationships within their supplier network, benefiting the evolution of LCSCs. Finally, this research sets the foundation for future research for analyzing dyadic relationships within the mentioned academic domain.

ABSTRACT. The goal of the study is to determine whether and to what extend implementing a digital supply chain system can enhance operational excellence and increase supplier satisfaction. The study focuses on a digital supply chain system that an automotive customer firm has implemented for its global suppliers. The study will be conducted in two phases: (1) before the implementation of the digital supply chain system to understand suppliers' current perceptions of operational excellence and supplier satisfaction levels conducted in 2022, and (2) one year after the implementation of the digital supply chain system to understand how suppliers' perceptions have changed as a result of using the digital system. 329 suppliers completed the first phase of the survey. The second phase survey will be deployed in the beginning of 2024. Comparison of both survey results will be done to answer the research question if digitalisation of supply chain can improve operational excellence and satisfy supplier based on this practical case study.

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ABSTRACT. In this study, we develop the approach of critical supplier segmentation and public information assessment for sustainable supply chain management building on the nexus supplier and institutional theories. This approach captures heterogeneity in lower-tier suppliers based on differences in their structural embeddedness and explains how buyers can reduce risk by relying on information disclosure from critical suppliers. We gathered supply network data, up to tier three suppliers from Bloomberg SPLC. Our results provide evidence of how buyers can benefit from information disclosure from critical suppliers to prevent ESG risk exposure, and we discuss appropriate governance mechanisms toward different nexus suppliers.

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