Purpose

Implementing sustainable practices in multi-tier supply chains (MTSCs) is a difficult task. This study aims to investigate why such endeavours fail and how MTSC partners can address them.

Design/methodology/approach

A single-case study of a global food retail company was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews with the case firm and its first- and second-tier suppliers were used to collect data, which were then qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Major barriers impeding the implementation of sustainability in multi-tier food supply chains were revealed such as the cost of sustainability, knowledge gap, lack of infrastructure and supply chain complexity. Furthermore, the findings reveal five possible solutions such as multi-tier collaboration and partnership, diffusion of innovation along the chain, supply chain mapping, sustainability performance measurement and capacity building, all of which can aid in the improvement of sustainability practices.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should investigate how specific barriers and drivers affect specific aspects of sustainability, pointing practitioners to specific links between the variables that can aid in tailoring sustainability oriented investment.

Practical implications

This research supports managerial comprehension of MTSC sustainability, pointing out ways to improve sustainability performance despite the complex multi-tier system of food supply chains.

Originality/value

The research on MTSC sustainability is still growing, and this research contributes to the debate about how MTSCs can become more sustainable from the perspective of the triple bottom line, particularly food supply chains which face significant sustainability challenges.

中文翻译：

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多层可持续供应链管理：全球食品零售商的案例研究

目的

在多层供应链 (MTSC) 中实施可持续实践是一项艰巨的任务。本研究旨在调查此类努力为何失败以及 MTSC 合作伙伴如何解决这些问题。

设计/方法论/途径

本研究采用了一家全球食品零售公司的单一案例研究。通过对案例公司及其一级和二级供应商的半结构化访谈来收集数据，然后利用主题分析对数据进行定性分析。

发现

揭示了阻碍在多层食品供应链中实施可持续发展的主要障碍，例如可持续发展的成本、知识差距、基础设施缺乏和供应链复杂性。此外，研究结果还揭示了五种可能的解决方案，例如多层协作和伙伴关系、沿链创新扩散、供应链映射、可持续绩效衡量和能力建设，所有这些都有助于改善可持续实践。

研究局限性/影响

未来的研究应该调查特定的障碍和驱动因素如何影响可持续发展的特定方面，为从业者指出变量之间的特定联系，以帮助调整可持续发展导向的投资。

实际影响

这项研究支持管理层对 MTSC 可持续性的理解，指出了尽管食品供应链存在复杂的多层系统，但仍可提高可持续性绩效的方法。

原创性/价值

关于 MTSC 可持续性的研究仍在不断增长，这项研究有助于从三重底线的角度讨论 MTSC 如何变得更加可持续，特别是面临重大可持续性挑战的食品供应链。