Sustainable value creation through information technology-enabled supply chains in emerging markets
The International Journal of Logistics Management
ISSN: 0957-4093
Article publication date: 24 September 2021
Issue publication date: 9 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
While the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on logistics and supply chain management (SCM) is recently much discussed, this is hardly linked to emerging economies and base of the pyramid (BoP) settings. The paper aims as offering a framework linking different conceptual elements to each other for explaining how ICT enables sustainable value creation in emerging economy supply chains (SCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper builds on conceptual reasoning linking constructs from the different fields to each other.
Findings
Using conceptual reasoning linking constructs, six elements are identified: (1) SC flows, (2) BoP challenges and (3) ICT services as starting points, and environmental conditions driving sustainable value creation. The application of ICT within BoP SC operations drives the process of sustainable value creation by enabling new ways of (4) electronic business (e-business) transactions and (5) SSCM behaviors. This leads to (6) sustainable value for businesses using ICT applications and their respective stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
Empirical testing by collecting field data in emerging economy contexts would be demanded to address the limitation of building on conceptual reasonings.
Practical implications
The framework provides various SC-related measures driving e-business value creation for managers of businesses, charity organizations and policymakers in emerging communities.
Social implications
Understanding the use of smartphones and other mobile devices for businesses and their supply chains in emerging markets would have wide ranging social implication addressed in the sustainable value creation of the framework offered.
Originality/value
The conceptual framework brings different elements together offering insights into ICT applications in BoP SCs. Linking SCM, ICT and BoP to each other is a novel contribution having wider implications for the future development of emerging economies.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper forms part of a special section “Impact of technology on supply chains in emerging and informal markets”, guest edited by Raja Usman Khalid, Muhammad Shakeel Sadiq Jajja, Philip Beske-Janssen and Daiane Mülling Neutzling.
Funding: This research has received funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under the Germany-Pakistan research cooperations (Grant numbers 57459038 and 57567483).
Citation
Schilling, L. and Seuring, S. (2022), "Sustainable value creation through information technology-enabled supply chains in emerging markets", The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 1001-1016. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-04-2021-0206
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited