Drivers and barriers for implementation and improvement of Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Abstract

Abstract Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) is a strategic concern for organizations to achieve a sustainable future. Various organizations seek to implement SSCM to achieve their competitive advantage. One of the important implementation activities is the identification of drivers and barriers of strategy implementation, which has been a focus area for scholars. The purpose of this paper is to identify key drivers and barriers to creating and improving sustainability in the Iranian oil and gas supply chain. However, a distinct focus on the oil industry has been the subject of limited previous attention. This study is planned to recognize and prioritize the drivers and barriers for implementation of SSCM in Iranian oil context. These drivers and barriers are presented in a form of a conceptual framework. A comprehensive literary review using metasynthesis is used to identify a number of drivers and barriers that identifies 112 drivers and 41 barriers and then evaluates using the Delphi three‐round study. The evaluation process involves 30 supply chain management experts from oil companies, and the analysis showed the important drivers and barriers for consideration in SSCM implementation. The proposed drivers and barriers enable the oil supply chain manager to identify appropriate strategies for deploying and improving SSCM implementation in the company. This study would expand the scope of SSCM research in the context of oil. In addition, the identification of drivers and barriers would be useful for industrial decision makers, policy planners, and strategic managers to recognize a set of related hurdles for effective SSCM implementation.