Proposal for a Maturity Model in Sustainability in the Supply Chain

Abstract

Sustainability has become a relevant element for organizations due to several motivators: companies adopt sustainability practices in need for regulatory compliance, anticipation of regulatory changes, understanding of limited natural resources, and a desire to limit expenditure associated with resource consumption and waste disposal. Thus, this article aims to identify the gaps present in maturity models, present an integrator theoretical model that considers the characteristic elements of the models present in the literature and affects the level of maturity in sustainability. The construction of the integrator theoretical model was based on the following stages: research questions; theoretical framework on Supply Chain Management; sustainability and concept of maturity model; maturity models and performance measurement systems; interpretation/analysis of research; and construction of the integrator theoretical model. The literature review was carried out in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The main conclusions: maturity models focus on only one aspect or are excessively broad and do not include in detail the elements necessary to measure the level of maturity in sustainability. The proposed model aims to mitigate these gaps with the addition of the cross-sectional dimension, which offers an integrated and holistic view in relation to the other dimensions.