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An empirical examination of the relationship between business strategy and socially responsible supply chain management

Stefan Hoejmose (School of Management, University of Bath, Bath, UK)
Stephen Brammer (Warwick Business School, Coventry, UK)
Andrew Millington (School of Management, University of Bath, Bath, UK)

International Journal of Operations & Production Management

ISSN: 0144-3577

Article publication date: 19 April 2013

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effect of business strategy on socially responsible supply chain management (SR‐SCM).

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws on data from 178 UK‐based companies, and 340 buyer‐supplier relationships. A novel data collection approach is used, which minimizes social desirability and common methods bias, to capture socially responsible supply chain management. The data are analysed through a set of OLS regressions.

Findings

Business strategies significantly influence socially responsible supply chain management. Low‐cost producers largely neglect their social responsibilities in the supply chain. In contrast, firms pursuing differentiation strategies are considerably more engaged with these issues, partly because they have better supply chain processes.

Practical implications

Practitioners should carefully consider the fit between strategic position and level of engagement with SR‐SCM, since our results emphasise the relationship between SR‐SCM and business strategy. Proactive engagement with SR‐SCM, however, also implies sound supply chain processes, which must also be aligned with business strategy. Policy‐makers should consider the low engagement with SR‐SCM of low‐cost producers and the implications for SR‐SCM in cost sensitive and competitive global markets.

Originality/value

This is the first systematic cross‐sectional study of the relationship between business strategy and socially responsible supply chain management (SR‐SCM). These results suggest that there is a clear relationship between the strategic position of the firm and their SR‐SCM practices. These results contribute to the on‐going debate on relationships between strategy and supply chain management, and the emerging debate on the relationships between strategy and SR‐SCM.

Keywords

Citation

Hoejmose, S., Brammer, S. and Millington, A. (2013), "An empirical examination of the relationship between business strategy and socially responsible supply chain management", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 589-621. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443571311322733

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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