MSc Operations, Project and Supply Chain Management / Course details

This unit will provide an overview of the different aspects of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) within the global context, explore the ethical concerns surrounding multinational corporations and globalization and illustrate the key concepts and theories within SSCM.

BMAN73692 Programme Req: BMAN73692 is only available as an elective to students on MSc Operations Project and Supply Chain Management

• To provide an introduction to the manner in which social and environmental problems are incorporated into corporate strategy and illustrate the strategic importance of various SSCM decisions.
• To equip students with an in-depth knowledge of the sustainability-related challenges and problems within SCM, and suggests some tools and concepts for managing these challenges.
• To provide an understanding of long-term sustainability issues facing managers in contemporary organisations and the skills to identify and analyse the implications of current organisational practices for a sustainable future.
 

At the completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the importance of SSCM within business organizations.
• Have a clear understanding of how SSCM theory can be applied in practice (e.g. thorough analysis and evaluation of case studies).
• Be able to critically evaluate and apply tools and techniques of SSCM best practice in the workplace.
 

Group coursework podcast (40%)
Individual written assignment (60%)

Please note we will use a formal peer assessment process for the group work assessment. Where deemed appropriate by the course unit leader(s), the peer assessment will be summative.
 

Informal advice and discussion during a lecture, seminar, workshop or lab.

Responses to student emails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum.

In-class Feedback: Feedback will be given during lectures and in-class discussions related to student questions and queries.

Case Study Feedback: As part of most lectures, students will be required to read a case study and answer related questions. Additionally, they must also come to each lecture prepared to discuss their managerial recommendations. During the lecture, students will be provided with feedback on their answers to the case study questions as well as their recommendations.

 

To date, no comprehensive text book on Sustainable Supply Chain Management exists, thus there will no core text book. Literature recommendations will be provided on a session-by-session basis. The reading list will usually be divided into: Essential, Recommended and Optional. It is preferred that students read the essential articles/book chapters ahead of the lecture, which tend to be more specific and recent (apart from articles identified as being seminal or classic).

Preliminary list of readings:

Fahian Anisul Huq, Mark Stevenson and Marta Zorzini (2014), "Social Sustainability in Developing Country Suppliers: An Exploratory Study in the Ready Made Garments Industry of Bangladesh", International Journal of Operations & Production Management (Special issue on Sustainable Operations Management), Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 610-638. DOI: 10.1108/IJOPM-10-2012-0467
Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R. (2011), "The Big Idea: Creating Shared Value",Harvard business review, Vol. 89 No. 1-2, pp. 63-77.
Marta Zorzini, Linda Hendry, Fahian Anisul Huq and Mark Stevenson (2015), "Socially Responsible Sourcing: Reviewing the Literature and Its Use of Theory", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp.60 - 109.
Carter, C.R. and Easton, P.L. (2011) Sustainable supply chain management: Evolution and future directions, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 41, 1, 46 - 62.
Pagell, M. and Wu, Z. (2009) Building a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management using case studies of 10 exemplars, Journal of Supply Chain Management, 45, 2, 37 - 56.
Lee, S.-Y. and Klassen, R. D. (2008), "Drivers and Enablers That Foster Environmental Management Capabilities in Small- and Medium-Sized Suppliers in Supply Chains", Production and Operations Management, Vol. 17 No. 6, pp. 573-586.
Bansal, P., & McKnight, B. 2009. Looking forward, pushing back and peering sideways: analyzing the sustainability of industrial symbiosis. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 45: 26-37.
Bunse, K., Vodicka, M., Schönsleben, P., Brülhart, M., & Ernst, F. O. 2011. Integrating energy efficiency performance in production management: Gap analysis between industrial needs and scientific literature. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19: 667-679. Carter, C. R., & Ellram, L. M. 1998. Reverse logistics: A review of the literature and framework for future investigation. Journal of business logistics.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. 2010. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization: Oxford University Press. Halldórsson, Á., & Kovács, G. 2010. The sustainable agenda and energy efficiency: Logistics solutions and supply chains in times of climate change. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 40: 5-13.
Hofmann, H., Busse, C., Bode, C., & Henke, M. 2014. Sustainability-related supply chain risks: Conceptualization and management. Business Strategy and the Environment, 23: 160-172
Linton, J. D., Klassen, R., & Jayaraman, V. 2007. Sustainable supply chains: An introduction. Journal of Operations Management, 25: 1075-1082.
Miemczyk, J., Johnsen, T. E., & Macquet, M. 2012. Sustainable purchasing and supply management: a structured literature review of definitions and measures at the dyad, chain and network levels. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 17: 478-496.
Oehmen, J., De Nardo, M., Schönsleben, P., & Boutellier, R. 2010. Supplier code of conduct-state-of-the-art and customisation in the electronics industry. Production Planning & Control, 21: 664-
Plehn, J., Züst, R., Kimura, F., Sproedt, A., & Schönsleben, P. 2012.
 

Informal Contact Methods

Office Hours