Essays on sustainable supply management

The growing concern for organizations’ social responsibility and sustainable behavior has been accompanied by considerable awareness of how organizations manage their supply chains. For many organizations, a large proportion of their sustainability impact comes from their inbound supply chain, an area that is addressed by Sustainable Supply Management (SSM). SSM aims to integrate the triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic elements in supply management processes. Advances in SSM have mainly been realized through self-regulation, which refers to the commitment of organizations to control their own conduct beyond what is required by law. The merits and effectiveness of self-regulation are the subject of debate, since a potential downside of self-regulation is that too much freedom can tempt firms to opportunistically choose to change as little as possible. This dissertation consists of three different studies, each of which aims to provide deeper insights into the mechanisms that operate between SSM self-regulation and the incorporation of sustainability in supply management processes. Drawing on research on, among others, dynamic capabilities, management innovation and institutional theory, these studies represent a further contribution to the existing SSM knowledge base.