CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY IN SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS: EXTENDED ROLES AND IMPLICATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68302/std2026.vol1.182Keywords:
Corporate social responsibility, Sustainable supply chains, Responsible supply chain management, ESGAbstract
The concept of extended corporate social responsibility is explored in the context of increasing demands on companies to manage not only their own activities, but also the effects along the entire supply chain. The analysis focuses on the role of organizations in ensuring sustainable practices, including compliance with social and environmental standards by suppliers and partners. The study is based on a survey conducted among 137 respondents in the period December 2025 - February 2026. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis methods were used to process the data. The results show a moderate positive relationship between transparency and control in supply chains, as well as between the perception of CSR as an extended responsibility and the degree of integration of social and environmental criteria in supplier management. The results obtained outline both the main challenges and opportunities for organizations in implementing extended corporate social responsibility in modern supply chains.
Supporting Agencies
The publication is funded by the University of National and World Economy (Sofia, Bulgaria) under the project NID NI-32/ 2025 on the topic: “Aspects of CSR implementation in Bulgarian conditions”.Downloads
References
[1] M. A. Camilleri, The rationale for responsible supply chain management and stakeholder engagement, Journal of Global Responsibility, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 111-126, ISSN 2041-2568, https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-02-2017-0007.
[2] V. Roy, B. S. Silvestre, S. Singh, Reactive and proactive pathways to sustainable apparel supply chains: Manufacturer's perspective on stakeholder salience and organizational learning toward responsible management, International Journal of Production Economics, Volume 227, 2020, 107672, ISSN 0925-5273, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107672.
[3] M. Damert, L. Koep, E. Guenther, J. Morris, Stakeholders and socially responsible supply chain management: the moderating role of internationalization, Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Volume 12, Issue 4, 2020, Pages 667-694, ISSN 2040-8021, https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-03-2019-0092.
[4] J. Chikwana, L. Alinaghian, K. Razmdoost, Exploring sustainable purchasing and supply chain management through an institutional change lens: A systematic literature review, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 2026, 101127, ISSN 1478-4092, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2026.101127.
[5] S. U. Hoejmose, J. K. Roehrich, J. Grosvold, Is doing more doing better? The relationship between responsible supply chain management and corporate reputation, Industrial Marketing Management, Volume 43, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 77-90, ISSN 0019-8501, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.10.002.
[6] B. Al-Esmael, F. Talib, M. N. Faisal, F. Jabeen, Socially responsible supply chain management in small and medium enterprises in the GCC, Social Responsibility Journal, Volume 16, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 369-386, ISSN 1747-1117, https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-09-2017-0174.
[7] C. M. Both, M. Wilhelm, Supply chain sustainability risk management in the era of mandatory due diligence: A literature review, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Volume 32, Issue 2, 2026, 101083, ISSN 1478-4092, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2025.101083.
[8] I. Duarte, B. Mota, T. Pinto-Varela, A. Amaro, S.Moniz, A. P. Barbosa-Povoa, Socially responsible pharmaceutical supply chains for equitable access, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Volume 105, 2026, 102493, ISSN 0038-0121, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2026.102493.
[9] S. A. Qazi, S. Seuring, R. U. Khalid, Bridging digital features and sustainability, through social capital in supply chain management: insights from X analytics, The International Journal of Logistics Management, Volume 37, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 500-519, ISSN 0957-4093, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-03-2025-0172.
[10] J. Qiao, A. Appolloni, M. Wu, Y. Cai, Z. Cui, Integrating transparency and circular economy principles into data-driven agrifood supply chains for environmental management, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 404, 2026, 129230, ISSN 0301-4797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129230.
[11] M. Ziari, A. Soheyli, A. A. Taleizadeh, An intelligent analytics framework for supplier selection and delay risk management in sustainable supply chains, Supply Chain Analytics, Volume 14, 2026, 100208, ISSN 2949-8635, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sca.2026.100208.
[12] M. B. Shishehgarkhaneh, R. Moehler, Y. Fang, A. A. Hijazi, H. Aboutorab, A. J. Dhamankar, Application of recommender systems in supply chain management: A state-of-the-art review, Intelligent Systems with Applications, Volume 30, 2026, 200661, ISSN 2667-3053, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswa.2026.200661.
[13] I. Dimitrov and R. Gigov, Increasing the Supply Chain Competitiveness of Bulgarian Companies by Applying Blockchain Technology, 2022 V International Conference on High Technology for Sustainable Development (HiTech), Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/HiTech56937.2022.10145534.
[14] E. H. Karlsen, R. Mubeen, M. Khan, Responsible AI in Project and Supply Chain Management: A Scoping Review of Governance Mechanisms and Ethical Guidelines (2010–2025), Procedia Computer Science, Volume 278, 2026, Pages 1760-1767, ISSN 1877-0509, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2026.03.167.
[15] L. Li, R. Shi, R, Zhang, L. Chen, How can firms leverage responsible artificial intelligence to build competitive advantages? The role of supply chain justice and complexity, International Journal of Production Economics, Volume 297, 2026, 110010, ISSN 0925-5273, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2026.110010.
[16] M. J. Park, Generative AI and responsible supply chains: When sustainability gains undermine social legitimacy, Technology in Society, Volume 85, 2026, 103240, ISSN 0160-791X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103240.
[17] M. Angelova, Ethical and Legal Implications of Algorithmic Management, 2025 13th International Scientific Conference on Computer Science (COMSCI), Sozopol, Bulgaria, 2025, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/COMSCI67172.2025.11225221.
[18] M. Angelova, Algorithmic Management in the Gig Economy: ICT Infrastructures and Ethics, 2025 13th International Scientific Conference on Computer Science (COMSCI), Sozopol, Bulgaria, 2025, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/COMSCI67172.2025.11225162.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kiril Anguelov, Philip Stoyanov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
