Call for papers: Sustainable Supply Chain Design and Practice

A special issue of International Journal of Agile Systems and Management

In this special issue, we aim to explore contemporary supply chain designs and practices that can achieve longevity and sustainability despite ever-increasing market volatility, global competitive pressures, and events such as the current global economic crisis. Here we adopt a holistic perspective of sustainability in the supply chain context to gain insights into new approaches to current and future supply-side and demand-side issues.

We invite theoretical and empirical research submissions relating to contemporary supply chain issues that address one or more of the subjects listed below. In so doing, the special issue will provide a roadmap to developing future research into designing supply chains for sustainable supply and developing adaptable, agile management practices that will outlast short- and long-term shifts in supply and demand.

The following topics are recommended but not limited to:

• The adaptation of global supply chain structures/designs in the light of the global economic crisis
• The adoption of agile management practices/systems for supply chain longevity and sustainability
• Supply chain systems and practices for sustainable long-term supplier relationships
• Supply chain spanning work organisations
• Supply chain spanning knowledge management
• Information sharing and supply chain integration
• Virtual supply chains
• Managing product complexity and supply chain complexity
• Collaborative product design and development
• Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment
• Supplier collaboration
• Global supply network design and structures
• Outsourcing and offshoring
• The role of logistics in contemporary global supply chains
• Trends in supply chain design
• Supply chain resilience
• Changing global markets and supply bases
• Sustainable procurement and fair trade
• Greening the supply chain
• Contemporary critiques of supply chain theory and/or practice

Important Dates
Full paper due: 28 February, 2011
Notification of acceptance: 31 May, 2011
Final version of the paper due: 31 July, 2011