History
The Responsible Supply Chains Working Group was formed in response to escalating social, environmental, and ethical risks across global supply chains that demand urgent attention from management education. Heightened regulatory expectations, intensified stakeholder scrutiny, geopolitical instability and accelerating climate impacts exposed critical gaps between responsible business commitments and supply chain realities. Through sustained dialogue within the PRME community, faculty members, researchers and institutional leaders recognized the need for a dedicated, action-oriented platform that integrates rigorous research, innovative pedagogy and practitioner engagement. To address this need, the Working Group was established to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, build educator capacity and advance responsible supply chain governance in alignment with the Principles for Responsible Management Education.
Purpose
The Responsible Supply Chains Working Group advances responsible management education, research, and practice with a focused commitment to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of business schools and future leaders to design, govern and transform supply chains that minimize environmental and social harm while promoting resource efficiency, transparency and accountability. The Working Group addresses key challenges central to SDG 12, including unsustainable production practices, lack of supply chain traceability, weak supplier accountability, excessive resource use, waste generation and misalignment between corporate sustainability commitments and operational realities. It also examines the role of digital technologies, circular economy models and responsible procurement in enabling sustainable consumption and production systems. Aligned with PRME Principles, the group integrates values-based education, rigorous research, innovative pedagogy and thought leadership to embed SDG 12 into supply chain and operations management education and practice.
Goals
The Responsible Supply Chains Working Group pursues the following goals in support of SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, aligned with the following Principles of PRME:
Research: Advance research on responsible supply chains: At least 3–5 peer-reviewed publications or policy briefs per year; special sessions or panels at major academic or PRME events.
Share: Develop high-quality educational resources: Creation of 5+ teaching cases, curriculum modules or toolkits within two years; adoption by PRME Signatory institutions across regions.
Teach: Build educator and institutional capacity: 4–6 workshops, webinars or knowledge-sharing sessions annually with participation from multiple regions.
Partner: Strengthen academia practice–policy engagement: Formal collaborations or projects with industry, policymakers or UN Global Compact initiatives; documented practice-oriented outputs.
Research
The Working Group undertakes collaborative research on topics such as sustainable supply chain management, human rights due diligence, resilience and risk management, digital traceability, circular supply chains and climate-aligned logistics. Members collaborate on journal articles, policy briefs and edited volumes and actively engage with international academic conferences and PRME-supported research initiatives. The group encourages interdisciplinary and cross-regional research, particularly research that links theory with real-world supply chain challenges.
Engagement Opportunities
The Working Group offers regular engagement opportunities including virtual meetings, research seminars, practitioner dialogues and capacity-building workshops for educators. Members are invited to participate in thematic working sessions, joint research projects and collaborative teaching initiatives. The group also facilitates networking among academics, students and industry stakeholders to foster peer learning and collective impact. Engagement activities are designed to be inclusive and accessible to PRME Signatories across regions.
Resource Development
The Working Group develops educational and practical resources to support responsible management education, including teaching case studies, curriculum modules, best-practice guides, and implementation toolkits on responsible supply chains. These resources aim to help educators integrate sustainability, ethics and human rights considerations into supply chain and operations management courses.
Additional activities include policy engagement, contributions to PRME and UN Global Compact initiatives, collaborative events with other PRME Working Groups, and outreach to industry and civil society partners. The group also supports doctoral and early-career researchers working on responsible supply chain topics.
Stay tuned for resources to be uploaded in the resources tab!
