A conceptual framework for adopting sustainability in the supply chain

Environmental concerns are intricately linked to various aspects of the supply chain. Awareness of such concerns is reflected in the contemporary business environment and in government legislation. The sustainable supply chain is an emerging trend in industrial development, where it is positioned as business innovation in this research. Based on the research gap identified in a literature map, a conceptual framework was developed using Rogers’ [30] Innovation Diffusion Theory; with emphasis on the rate of adoption and implementation of sustainability within a supply chain context. The objective of this work is to strengthen supply chain enterprises’ commitment to using this emerging practice in the future. Six research propositions were identified from Innovation Diffusion Theory, Supply Chain Operations Reference model and Life Cycle Management approach.