Quantitative Modeling of Sustainability in Interorganizational Supply Chains

The consideration of environmental and social aspects has become essential for the management of supply chains where decision-making is particularly supported by formal models. This chapter reviews interorganizational quantitative models for sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) by employing content and cluster analyses. The paper sample consists of 62 formal models that meet the selection criteria for this literature review. The selected articles are analyzed with regard to sustainability and supply chain management constructs derived from related conceptual literature. In pursuit of greater insight into model types in conjunction with stakeholder triggers for SSCM and sustainable risk management, this review confirms the preponderance of deterministic approaches focusing on the interplay of economic and environmental aspects while social indicators are broadly omitted. It is detected that stochastic approaches to model all factors of the triple bottom line of sustainability are missing so far. Moreover, the operationalization of stakeholder pressures and incentives as well as sustainability-related risks is underrepresented, which calls for further research in this respect.