State-of-the-art literature review of sustainable supply chain management: A developing countries perspective

Abstract

Sustainability is an important principle in business operations, including in the supply chain. The objective of the present study was to critically examine the literature on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), with a focus on developing nations in order to reveal gaps and novel avenues for research. SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant papers published in the past ten years. Based on relevant criteria, 32 articles were subjected to descriptive and content analysis. The content analysis revealed five main areas: barriers to SSCM, sustainable supply chain implementation, supply chain transparency, social sustainability in supply chains and emerging issues in SSCM. The literature review revealed several gaps, particularly the need for studies into SSCM within the large public-sector oil and gas companies in the Gulf region, especially given the economic importance of these companies at the global and national level. The findings were used to propose a model for future research.