Innovation in Sustainable Supply Chains: A Reflection on Resources and SME Collaboration with Supply Chain Stakeholders

Supply chain management is increasingly challenged to integrate environmental (e.g. recyclability of products) and social issues (e.g. sound working conditions), that is, establish sustainable supply chains. If small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) view these sustainability issues as an opportunity to develop sustainability-oriented innovations and, at the same time, engage in supply chain innovation they can realize competitive advantages. To do so SMEs may collaborate with supply chain stakeholders (e.g. customers, NGOs) whereby they gain access to additional resources such as material, capital and information. Little research, however, has been dedicated to the question with which stakeholders SMEs can collaborate to innovate for sustainability while taking the entire supply chain into account. For this purpose this research presents a framework that discusses types of resources and partners in and related to sustainable supply chains. To take an SME perspective is important as they make out the majority of companies worldwide and as a group play an important role to realize sustainable development. This conceptual paper contributes to still preliminary research on an SME’s role as a focal company in sustainable supply chains and is informed by the resource based view. From the literature study propositions for future research are put forward.