Title: Supplier relations and sustainable operations: the roles of codes of conduct and human resource development

Authors: Muratcan Erkul; Hale Kaynak; Ivan Montiel

Addresses: College of Business Administration, The University of Texas-Pan American, 1201 W. University Drive, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA ' College of Business Administration, The University of Texas-Pan American, 1201 W. University Drive, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA ' College of Business Administration, LMU College of Business Administration, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659, USA

Abstract: Although significant research has been undertaken on sustainable and green supply chain management, the investigation of the roles of two important sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices - codes of conduct and human resource management practices - in improving a buyer's and a supplier's sustainability performance is almost absent in the sustainability literature. Using multiple theories and drawing from the literature on sustainability, corporate social responsibility, supply chain management, operations management, and human resource management, this study offers a research model and relevant propositions that show how the implementation of these practices can result in sustainability performance for both suppliers and buyers. The paper concludes with further research implications of the study.

Keywords: supplier relations; sustainable operations; codes of conduct; sustainable HRD; human resource development; sustainability performance; resource-based view; RBV; relational view; knowledge transfer; transaction cost economics; TCE; institutional theory; sustainable SCM; supply chain management; SSCM; corporate social responsibility; CSR; operations management; human resource management; HRM; green SCM; GSCM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISM.2015.068111

International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, 2015 Vol.9 No.3, pp.225 - 249

Received: 20 Jun 2014
Accepted: 20 Nov 2014
Published online: 17 Mar 2015 *

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