Social and environmental initiatives are often not considered “profit-compatible”, making them a hard sell for businesses in a supply chain.

In their research, Misty Blessley and her co-authors deliver seven propositions about how communication and network structure can play a vital role in convincing partners upstream to adopt sustainable supply chain initiatives.

For example, firms can level the playing field by asking competitors to be involved in the sustainability initiative and connecting the benefits of the initiative to department goals.

Blessley’s research encourages managers to overcome their concerns about initial expenses by leveraging communication and networking to convince supply chain partners of the benefits of implementing sustainable supply chain practices.