Supply Chain Social Sustainability: A Comparative Case Analysis in Indian Manufacturing Industries

Sustainability is viewed as possessing economic, environmental and social aspects of business. Firms are increasingly under pressure from stakeholders and social organizations to incorporate all three dimensions of sustainability. Though, the companies have started adopting economic and environmental (green) measures in their activities, the social sustainability aspects are yet to gain momentum. This research aims at studying social sustainability practices of two Indian manufacturing companies that are operating out of two different industries. Two companies one from Oil and gas, and the other from Tyre manufacturing industries were chosen to explore the different social sustainable practices. Particularly, care is paid to the drivers of such business practices and new lessons which can be unearthed from them. This study uses a comparative case study method, thereby first the author identifies various social dimensions based on an extant literature available, subsequently social sustainability practices of two different companies were compared under various social dimensions. A comparison of social sustainability business practices unearths the similarities and differences which led them to different approaches to sustainability. The important outcome of this research is emergence of many social dimensions related to the Indian manufacturing supply chain. Further, it has been found that there were differences and similarities exist between oil and gas, and tyre manufacturing companies. This research is much helpful for the supply chain managers, policy makers to understand diverse patterns of social sustainability and in turn, it can act as a key tool for decision making in sustainability. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.