RT Article
T1 The Influence of Network Exchange Brokers on Sustainable Initiatives in Organizational Networks
JF Journal of business ethics
VO 154
IS 3
SP 849
OP 868
A1 Saunders, Lance W.
A1 Tate, Wendy L.
A1 Zsidisin, George A.
A1 Miemczyk, Joe
LA English
PB Springer Science + Business Media B. V
YR 2019
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1785667629
AB Ethical sourcing and socially responsible purchasing is increasingly on the business agenda, but developing and implementing policy and practice across a global network of suppliers is challenging. The purpose of this paper is to expand theory on the nature of linkages between firms in a social network, specifically postulating how ties between organizations can be configured to facilitate development, diffusion, and adoption of sustainability initiatives. The theory development provides a lens with which to view the influence of a firm’s structural embeddedness in its organizational social network on developing, diffusing and adopting sustainability initiatives. The focus is on brokers who in various structural alignments help bridge the focal firm’s sustainability initiatives with distant or disconnected stakeholders the focal firm is trying to reach. The brokers help the focal firm engage these stakeholders by sharing knowledge and information regarding sustainability initiatives and by incorporating localized needs into the development of the initiatives to facilitate better diffusion and adoption. The theoretical contribution of this manuscript is a novel perspective on sustainability in organizational networks. This perspective allows for greater explanatory power regarding how organizations can achieve sustainable outcomes that meet a broad base of stakeholder needs and better facilitate sustainability initiatives across a diverse and expansive network.
K1 Network brokerage theory
K1 Structural embeddedness
K1 Social Networks
K1 Corporate Social Responsibility
K1 Sustainable supply networks
K1 Sustainable networks
DO 10.1007/s10551-017-3436-3