INTEGRATING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT WITH SUSTAINABILITY

The 1990s were marked by profound transformations due to the fall of the communist regimes from Central and Eastern Europe. On the one hand, the globalization process expanded all over the world at a rapid pace. On the other hand, new concepts and techniques were designed and implemented in the business processes. The ever-changing business environment imposed new approaches to logistics which led to the emergence of supply chain management, a revolutionary managerial method that provides a distinct perspective on the entire supply chain. Later, the rising concern for sustainability highly influenced the evolution of supply chain management. The purposes of this study are to briefly define the concepts of supply chain management and sustainability, and to present their relationship. To achieve the aims of the research, the author used a qualitative research method. In this sense, he deployed an extensive literature review. The last decades have witnessed the emergence of a growing body of literature related to the relationship between supply chain management and sustainability. The findings show that the worldwide increasing concern for sustainability led to the emergence of a new concept entitled sustainable supply chain management. Sustainable supply chain management integrates sustainable practices and sustainability dimensions alongside the entire supply chain.