Dear Colleagues,

While sustainable operations and supply chain management has been researched extensively, it has been observed that the preponderance of extant literature is focused on the environmental sustainability orientation, and there is limited use of a critical perspective on the social dimension of sustainability in this field. For instance, there are still limited efforts to understand the inclusion of marginalized people and minority development in the supply chain context, and the literature still over-relies on a Western perspective, with limited evidence from developing countries where serious social issues arise. We welcome studies focusing on socially sustainable supply chains (SSSC) to explore avenues of supply chain (re)design and (re)configuration for an improved social performance and practice, as well as those studies that demonstrate how current supply chain configuration can address social sustainability initiatives. 

Moreover, socially sustainable supply chain management fosters addressing social issues directed at the firm supply chains with the aim of having positive impacts on society. However, due to gaps in the current knowledge, we do not have a clear view of how social sustainability orientation will impact operational performance whilst improving the sustainability behavior of the firm and its suppliers. Therefore, we further invite submissions that investigate how social sustainability orientation in the context of operations and SCM impacts operational performance. In addition, we encourage the development of new constructs.

The presence of fast-emerging new technologies such as Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, big data and digital solutions is giving rise to new opportunities for more productive and efficient operations and SCM and their associated social challenges. With a view towards new technologies, we seek scholarly contributions that can help advance our understanding of social challenges and solutions aimed toward the so called “human–machine reconciliation”. This will set the stage for theoretical observations for undertaking new technologies in SSSC and the implications of their performance outcomes and/or trade-offs, which has not yet been emerged, extending the research development on the relationships among the man, the machine, and the labour.

We are interested in both quantitative and qualitative approaches and conceptual/theoretical contributions. We also welcome submissions using new research methods and designs. Possible examples of research topics that would be suitable for inclusion into this Special Issue include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Social sustainability in operations and SCM: meanings, motivations and drivers;
• Social sustainability in managing supply chains: performance outcomes, trade-offs and tensions;
• Monitoring social issues in multi-tier supply chains;
• The social dimension in circular supply chains and circular economy;
• The role of SCM in inclusiveness, equality, diversity and other social norms;
• The role of individuals in the process of adoption and diffusion of social practices within supply chains—Microfoundations of sustainability;
• The impact of supply chain digitalization—consequences for social, operational and financial performance;
• Managing trade-offs between social and operational performance with machine–man reconciliation;
• Applications of new technologies in socially sustainable supply chain management;
• Investigations on the potential synergies between supply chain 4.0 and SSSC to attain performance improvements;
• The drivers for individuals, firms and/or supply chains to use social media in support of SSSC;
• The impacts of using social media in SSSC on the performance of individuals, firms and/or supply chains.

Dr. Ali Esfahbodi
Dr. Yufeng Zhang
Guest Editors

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• social sustainability
• corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• operations and supply chain management
• socially sustainable supply chains (SSSC)
• digitalization
• SCM 4.0
• responsible business