Work

Promoting Sustainability in Supply Management Through Proactive Contracting and Legal Design

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As the number of sustainability laws and regulations increase and stakeholders become increasingly concerned about the sustainability impacts of commercial activities, companies need to integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations not only in their own operations but also in their relationships with suppliers and throughout their value chains. Contracts will play a key role in promoting sustainability as they contribute to holding together the links and nodes in global supply chains. A key question, then, is how to integrate sustainability mechanisms into supply contracts and contracting processes. This article proposes proactive contracting and legal design as approaches to promoting sustainability in supply management. It uses a “jigsaw puzzle” metaphor to outline key elements at the intersection of the literature streams on proactive contracting and legal design and purchasing and supply (chain) management and proposes routes for further research to fill the identified gaps.

Source: International Journal of Commerce and Contracting

DOI: 10.1177/29768829251369371

Authors: Isabell Storsjö, Piia Kaave

Institutions: University of Turku, University of Lapland

Language: English

Topic: Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Suomen Ympäristökeskus