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Exploring the Role of Technology in Enhancing Supply Chain Innovation for Sustainability
Thesis   Open access

Exploring the Role of Technology in Enhancing Supply Chain Innovation for Sustainability

Anuradha Colombage
Southern Cross University
Masters by Thesis, Southern Cross University
2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.570
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Colombage A Masters by Thesis 20253.34 MBDownloadView
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Abstract

Traceability Sustainability Supply chain Interpretive case study Grounded theory
Global supply chains are under growing pressure to operate responsibly amid increasing concerns over environmental degradation, social inequity, and governance failures. Despite significant advances in digital technologies, many organisations continue to struggle with implementing comprehensive traceability systems that provide extended visibility across the supply chain. As a result, transparency remains fragmented, hindering the achievement of sustainability goals. This study investigates how traceability, attained through technologies, enhance transparency to support sustainability in supply chain management, with particular focus on the tensions between profitability and sustainability. A qualitative, interpretive research design was adopted, combining a systematic literature review of 122 peer-reviewed articles with two embedded case studies, an apparel manufacturer and a pharmaceutical technology provider. Grounded Theory guided the data analysis process through Open, Axial, and Selective coding, while Strategic Duality Theory was used as a sensitising device to interpret the strategic tensions identified. The findings reveal multiple validated constructs that highlight key challenges in traceability implementation including fallacies in chain-of-custody, selective transparency, and organisational stalemates. The cross-case analysis demonstrates that supply chain depth and technological complexity shape the intensity of tensions and the likelihood of achieving transformative outcomes. Technology-enabled strategies such as platformatisation, authentication and verification, benchmarking, and data-driven decision-making emerged as key strategies for navigating these competing pressures. The study contributes a validated conceptual model that reframes traceability as a dynamic mediator of strategic dualities in supply chains. The research introduces the notion of a constructive stalemate, where sustainability is institutionally acknowledged yet not fully realised, offering new theoretical and practical insights into managing the interplay between economic imperatives and ethical responsibilities. Ultimately, the research underscores that the transformative potential of traceability technologies depends on strategic alignment, cross-stakeholder collaboration, and the ability to reconcile persistent tensions between profit and purpose.

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