A TISM based study of SSCM enablers: an Indian coal- fired thermal power plant perspective

Organizations need to focus more on sustainability practices because of the increasing impacts of the supply chain activities of the power industries that are negatively affecting the ecosystem and quality of life through the depletion of natural resources. Moreover, energy demand in India is growing fast, which not only necessitates preservation of natural resources but also demands sustainability in the energy sector, mainly, thermal power sector. However, the crucial fact is that it is not easy to incorporate sustainable practices in the prevalent supply chain activities of organization because of their reliance on different interconnected factors. It is vital to understand the influential factors along with their interplay that affect the sustainability efforts throughout the supply chain for accomplishing the desired achievements. Considering the importance of sustainability in the thermal power sector, this study has identified 14 relevant influential factors that initiate the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) for representing the possible interrelation among the identified factors. Total Interpretive Structural Modelling, an advance version of Interpretive Structural Modelling methodology, has been employed and their logical interpretation has also been explored from the group of experts. This study indicates that organisations in India perceive ‘Establishment of company’s green image’ to be the least influencing enabler of SSCM, while ‘Corporate social responsibilities’, ‘Government policies’, ‘Increasing scarcity of resources’, and ‘Avoidance of negative media attention’ are considered as the key factors for SSCM adoption.