Social responsible supply chain and packaging - A conceptual framework

Purpose - To provide an integrative framework by developing a conceptual model of driving factors and outcomes of Socially Responsible Supply Chain-based orientation (SRSC) and the incorporation of this orientation to the Socially Responsible packaging.
Design/methodology/approach - By reviewing the literature in SCM, Packaging, marketing and CSR, appropriate constructs and related scale items were identified. Then, a panel of experts from academia and industry were consulted due to further improvements of the design of the study.
Findings - To this point, resources and capabilities as driving factors have been largely left unexplored and the effect of these forces on socially responsible supply chain-based orientation, packaging and competitive advantage are brought to surface as further fruitful perspectives for future research.
Research limitations/implications (if applicable) - This research mainly addresses the managerial issues and assists industrial managers to better steer theirs supply chain management and packaging decisions in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.
Practical implications - Pre-existence of strategic resources could trigger a socially responsible supply chain and packaging orientation that in fact affect the competitive advantage for the entire supply chain.
Social implications - Social responsibility can only yield positive benefits to competitive advantage as an opportunity and is truly embedded within the organization and developed according to the corporations and the supply chains characteristics.
Originality/value - This paper provides an inimitable conceptual model, which merges two areas and provide a comprehensible proposal for future multi-disciplinary research in CSR and Packaging.