Towards responsible conflict minerals supply chain management: A systematic literature review and a supply chain governance framework

Abstract

Abstract Purpose –Literature on conflict minerals supply chain management issues has witnessed a significant surge during the last decade. The authors review how CM research addressed supply chain issues over the last decades and present a critical assessment of such literature based on supply chain governance theory. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review approach was adopted and a sample of 122 papers was identified in relevant journals. A descriptive, thematic and content analysis of the papers is presented to delineate the structure and the main research clusters of the literature. Findings – The authors provide a comprehensive assessment of CMSC literature and identify four main research clusters. Most research has focused on operational practices and adopted a fragmented approach to CMSC issues. Accordingly, the authors provide research propositions related to under-explored aspects in extant literature. Implications – This study has a number of implications. Practitioners and researchers will gain a greater understanding of specific CMSC issues have been addressed in current literature, and how responsible CMSC actions can be implemented. Originality/value – This study is one of the first literature reviews of publications on CMSC from a supply chain governance perspective. This review presents an overarching map of CMSC literature and a series of propositions to inform future research. Keywords –conflict minerals, literature review, supply chain due diligence, responsible supply chain management, supply chain governance, conflict resources