A framework for supply chain sustainability in service industry with Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Abstract

Supply chain sustainability has attracted less attention in the Arab world compared to the westerncountries. There is dearth in existing research on this topic, particularly in service organizations, andtechniques of sustainability are in the development stages compared to manufacturing companies. Thetypical challenge that is faced by organizations in this regard is how to be productive and profitablewhile being sustainable. This study identifies and consolidates various relevant factors to develop aSustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) construct conducive to service supply chains. To this end,a comprehensive framework of sustainability measurement has been developed through successivestages of data collection, analysis and refinement. Data has been collected from major service companiesin the Abu Dhabi area. The outcome of this research is a set of reliable, valid andunidimensionalfirstorder measurements that can be subsequently used in conceptualization and measurement of thesustainability of supply chains in service industries. This contributes to the continuing research of supplychain sustainability and provides supply chain managers with a practical approach for measuring andimplementing sustainability practices across service supply chains.