Does agility foster sustainability: development of a framework from a supply chain perspective

Abstract

Supply chains need to possess agile and sustainable characteristics to achieve competitive advantage. Currently there is very little knowledge about how these two approaches interact within a supply chain. Drawing on the dynamic capability perspective, social capital theory and the related literature, this paper develops a conceptual framework depicting how agility and sustainability are related in manufacturing supply chains. We argue that agility as a dynamic capability strengthens the social capital of firms and enables social, environmental and economic sustainability within the supply chain. The paper concludes with describing the methodological approach and empirical analysis to be undertaken, as well as explaining the theoretical and practical implications of the proposed study.