Subject & Research Guides: PRME: Articles, Papers & Reports

Management Science Articles, Papers and Reports

Operations
Supply Chains

Addressing the climate change and poverty nexus (2019)
Climate change threatens our ability to ensure global food security, eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. About 736 million people live in extreme poverty, and the global response to climate change today will determine how we feed future generations. By 2030, UN member countries have committed to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger for people everywhere. As ending poverty and hunger are at the heart of FAO’s work, the organization is helping countries develop and implement evidence-based pro-poor policies, strategies and programmes that promote inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods, as well as to increase the resilience, adaptive and coping capacity of poor and vulnerable communities to climate change. In order to achieve this, FAO encourages an integrated Climate-Poverty Approach to support policy development and action by policymakers, government officials, local-level institutions, communities, researchers, and development and humanitarian agencies worldwide. The Approach has been developed with insights from many perspectives, and includes not only climate and poverty aspects, but also indigenous, gender, food security, disaster response, resilience, SIDS and coastal community perspectives, among others. With a series of policy recommendations and tools to improve the design, delivery, and results of synergies and linkages between climate mitigation and adaptation, poverty reduction and food security actions, these synergies and linkages can make significant contributions towards achieving both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement targets.
SDG Topics: No Poverty / Zero Hunger / Gender Equality / Climate Action / Life Below Water.
Guidance on Responsible Business in Conflict-Affected & High-Risk Areas: A Resource for Companies and Investors (2010)
This publication aims to assist companies in implementing responsible business practices in conflict-affected and high-risk areas consistent with the Global Compact Ten Principles. Available in English, Mandarin and Spanish.
SDG Topics: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions / Partnerships for the Goals.
How Business Can Encourage Governments to Fulfil their Human Rights Obligations (2010)
Businesses are increasingly being called upon to raise human rights concerns with the governments of countries in which they operate, most often by local or international civil society organisations. Businesses leaders may wonder whether and how they might address such human rights concerns, as an increasing number of companies accept the business case for integrating human rights into their core operations and into their engagement with stakeholders, including with governments. This Good Practice Note aims to bring greater clarity to this sensitive topic and provides an initial orientation to an under-explored, but increasingly pressing topic in responsible business practice.
SDG Topics: Decent Work and Economic Growth / Reduced Inequalities.
Water As a Casualty of Conflict: Threats to Business and Society in High-Risk Areas (2012)
This publication examines the unique nature of water challenges in conflict-affected or high-risk areas and how the management of water resources can in turn affect business operations and society – particularly through its potential to exacerbate conflict.
SDG Topics: Clean Water and Sanitation / Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Distelhorst, G.; Hainmueller, J. & Locke, R. M. (2016). "Does Lean Improve Labor Standards? Management and Social Performance in the Nike Supply Chain". Management Science, Vol. 63(3), p707-728.
This study tests the hypothesis that lean manufacturing improves the social performance of manufacturers in emerging markets. We analyze an intervention by Nike, Inc., to promote the adoption of lean manufacturing in its apparel supply chain across 11 developing countries. Using difference-in-differences estimates from a panel of more than 300 factories, we find that lean adoption was associated with a 15 percentage point reduction in noncompliance with labor standards that primarily reflect factory wage and work hour practices. However, we find a null effect on factory health and safety standards. This pattern is consistent with a causal mechanism that links lean to improved social performance through changes in labor relations, rather than improved management systems. These findings offer evidence that capability-building interventions may reduce social harm in global supply chains.
SDG Topics: Good Health & Wellbeing / Decent Work & Economic Growth / Responsible Consumption & Production.
Li, D.; Wang, X.; Chan, H. K. & Manzini, R. (2014). "Sustainable food supply chain management". International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 152, pp 1-8.
While the food industry still battles with food security, waste, farming, and public health, new challenges have emerged such as climate change, oil dependency, fair trade and localism. There is a growing concern about social and environmental sustainability of the food industry. Basic questions that had once receded from everyday life are becoming more crucial to debate – whether food can be supplied, distributed and consumed in a more sustainable way without compromising costs; how should standards be set and technologies be used to improve sustainable development, minimise food waste and reduce operating costs together; what will be the impacts of standards and technologies on the way food supply chains are operating? In this editorial article, key issues and research challenges in sustainable food supply chain management are reviewed.
SDG Topics: Zero Hunger / Good Health & Wellbeing / Reduced Inequalities / Sustainable Cities & Communities / Responsible Consumption & Production.
Community Engagement and Investment to Advance Human Rights in Supply Chains (2012)
Community engagement has arisen as a mutually beneficial way to advance human rights in supply chains. In community engagement, companies familiarize themselves and develop relationships with the stakeholders of the communities in which they operate in order to minimize any negative externalities and offer aid and other initiatives that will benefit community members. This Good Practice Note aims to explain some of the critical advantages, pitfalls and good practices related to engaging with and investing in suppliers’ communities.
SDG Topics: Decent Work and Economic Growth / Reduced Inequalities / Responsible Consumption and Production.
Supporting Worker Empowerment - Including Support for Workers’ Assertion of their Human Rights - in the Supply Chain (2012)
In recent years, companies have ramped up their efforts in the area of sustainable supply chain management. This Good Practice Note is focused on what businesses can do to better support workers in their supply chain, including through supporting workers’ assertion of their human rights. This Note explores some of the good practices, advantages and pitfalls related to working with suppliers and other stakeholders, especially trade unions, to support workers in the supply chain, including in assertion of their human rights.
SDG Topics: Decent Work and Economic Growth / Reduced Inequalities / Responsible Consumption and Production.
A Structured Process to Prioritize Supply Chain Human Rights Risks (2015)
This Global Compact Good Practice Note provides guidance on how to identify, prioritize, and respect supply chain human rights risks in a way that aligns with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Sometimes effective prioritization is needed when companies face a host of potential adverse human rights impacts to which they cannot respond simultaneously.
SDG Topics: Reduced Inequalities / Responsible Consumption and Production.