Stakeholder influences and risks in sustainable supply chain management: a comparison of qualitative and quantitative studies

Stakeholder influences on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) are of increasing interest for researchers to take into account economic, environmental, and social risks. While extant literature on stakeholder influences or risks in SSCM concentrates on selected issues, a comprehensive review of both stakeholder and risk constructs is missing. Hence, this paper examines stakeholder influences and risks in SSCM, as addressed by conceptual frameworks, empirical studies, and formal models to shed light on the trends and gaps in qualitative and quantitative SSCM research. Based on a content analysis of systematically selected journal publications, the commonalities and differences between the research designs are identified. The findings suggest that the integration of economic risks prevails over the consideration of environmental and social risks. Qualitative studies frequently focus on customers or multiple stakeholders that trigger SSCM and relate to supply, demand, and particularly reputational risks. In contrast, quantitative models rather concentrate on formalizing governmental triggers and operational risks. Thus, mutual stimuli between conceptual, empirical, and model-based SSCM research and their implications for future research directions are derived.