Social Responsibility in Supply Chains

We start with four questions facing managers and researchers regarding how social responsibility can or should be incorporated into supply chains. These questions pertain to (1) delineating the scope and context of supply chain operations, (2) dealing with many definitions and objectives of social responsibility, (3) figuring out how to work with the “poor,” and (4) developing an overarching framework across the company or supply chain. We outline the views in the literature culminating with the stakeholder resource-based view (Sodhi. Prod Oper Manag 24(9):1375–1389, 2015) and how it helps address these questions. We report the findings regarding how organizations work with the poor and the implications for companies wishing to fulfill their social responsibility using their supply chains. Finally, we describe potential areas for application and further research.