Measuring the Sustainability of Global Supply Chains

Researchers and practitioners alike have become increasingly interested in the environmental performance of global supply chains. Does improving the environmental performance of a single link of a supply chain improve the entire chain’s sustainability — that is, economic, social, and environmental outcomes? Answering this question is impossible without a way to measure performance, and this paper seeks to answer the question: What are the goals, requirements, and challenges of an overall measure of supply chain sustainability? In the process of answering this question, three things are accomplished. First, more than 70 articles and books are reviewed to give an overview of current methods used to improve business sustainability and measure performance. Second, a new framework of supply chain sustainability is introduced. Third, three research propositions related to global supply chain sustainability measurement are presented. This research has implications for scholars who can use the framework and propositions to direct new theoretical and empirical analyses. The research also has implications for practitioners — managers, policy makers, and community stakeholders with an interest in making global supply chains more sustainable.