Sustainable supply chain coordination: extant literature, trends, and future research directions

Sustainability has garnered significant attention from both academia and practice in recent decades. While the term "sustainable supply chain" (SSC) was uncommon in the early 2000s, there has been a surge in literature on SSC since 2010. This study aims to review critical concepts of sustainable supply chain coordination (SSCC) problems, identify research gaps, and highlight main research streams and future directions. Recent studies in SSCC can be categorized into five areas: (1) consumer environmental awareness, (2) corporate social responsibility, (3) carbon legislation, (4) coordination of reverse and closed-loop supply chains, and (5) governmental intervention in SSCC. The existing literature is analyzed and evaluated based on the triple bottom line of sustainability to provide a comprehensive critical survey of the problem. While the existing literature primarily focuses on the economic aspect of sustainability, current review of SSCC drivers and barriers reveals an increasing trend in the application of different coordination mechanisms and contracts. Such strategies aim to enhance supply chain profitability while promoting environmental and social performance improvement. This review presents an up-to-date overview of recent progresses, emerging trends, and research gaps in the area of SSCC. Finally, it explores future research avenues by focusing on emerging topics, novel theoretical approaches, and multidisciplinary perspectives.