Incorporating supply chain sustainability practices through end customer engagement

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how a multinational cosmetics company engages end customers with sustainability practices in the supply chain (SC). Using a case study, data were collected from different downstream SC members and examined by an inductive content analysis. The results show managerial activities transformed into a bundle of sustainability practices to identify how to translate changes developed from upstream to downstream SC (i.e. to engage end customers in the SC). This bundle includes cognitive (informing and training), emotional (involving, respecting, and protecting) and behavioural (changing mindset) practices. For instance, through advertising, the company informs (i.e. a cognitive element) end customers regarding its focus on local sourcing by showing both the raw material used and the supplier selection, and consequently, awakens a new market behaviour. Beyond mapping current end customer engagement practices, this study contributes to scholars and practitioners with a multidimensional approach to increase stakeholder engagement in SC sustainability practice.