Small worlds within global supply chains: implications for multinational enterprises' environmental, social, and governance controversies

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chae, Sangho; Filatotchev, Igor; Kim, Seongtae; Son, Byung-Gak
• 署名单位: University of Warwick; University of London; King's College London; Aalto University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-025-00796-w
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 807-818
• 关键词: ESG controversies; Supplier geographical dispersion; Small-world networks; Global supply chain; Network analysis

摘要

With increasing public attention to corporate sustainability, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) controversies emerging in global supply chains present a growing problem for multinational enterprises (MNEs). This paper investigates whether MNEs with geographically dispersed suppliers are more likely to be exposed to supplier-related ESG controversies. It also explores structural characteristics of global supply chains that can mitigate MNEs' exposure to such controversies. Building on the literature on supply chain complexity and small-world networks, we suggest that the small-worldness of an MNE's supply chain network can mitigate the impact of the geographical dispersion of suppliers on supplier-induced ESG controversies. Our analysis of the Fortune 500 largest U.S. companies from 2010 to 2019 reveals that MNEs with geographically dispersed suppliers suffer from more supplier-induced ESG controversies, while small-worldness attenuates such impact. Our findings contribute to the international business literature by highlighting small-worldness as a network structural characteristic that can be deployed by MNEs to mitigate the negative impacts of supply chain spatial complexity. Avec l'attention grandissante du public port & eacute;e au d & eacute;veloppement durable des entreprises, les controverses environnementales, sociales et de gouvernance (ESG) qui & eacute;mergent dans les cha & icirc;nes d'approvisionnement mondiales constituent un probl & egrave;me croissant pour les entreprises multinationales (Multinational Enterprises - MNEs). Cet article examine si les MNEs dont les fournisseurs sont g & eacute;ographiquement dispers & eacute;s sont plus susceptibles d'& ecirc;tre expos & eacute;es & agrave; des controverses ESG li & eacute;es & agrave; ces derniers. Il explore & eacute;galement des caract & eacute;ristiques structurelles des cha & icirc;nes d'approvisionnement mondiales qui peuvent att & eacute;nuer l'exposition des MNEs & agrave; ces controverses. Nous appuyant sur les litt & eacute;ratures de la complexit & eacute; des cha & icirc;nes d'approvisionnement et des r & eacute;seaux de type petit monde, nous sugg & eacute;rons que la petitesse du r & eacute;seau de cha & icirc;ne d'approvisionnement d'une MNE peut att & eacute;nuer l'impact de la dispersion g & eacute;ographique des fournisseurs sur les controverses ESG induites par ces derniers. Notre analyse des plus grandes entreprises am & eacute;ricaines du Fortune 500 durant la p & eacute;riode 2010 - 2019 r & eacute;v & egrave;le que les MNEs dont les fournisseurs sont g & eacute;ographiquement dispers & eacute;s souffrent davantage de controverses ESG induites par ces derniers, tandis que la structure de type petit monde du r & eacute;seau att & eacute;nue cet impact. Nos r & eacute;sultats contribuent & agrave; la litt & eacute;rature des affaires internationales en mettant en & eacute;vidence le petit monde comme une caract & eacute;ristique structurelle du r & eacute;seau qui peut & ecirc;tre d & eacute;ploy & eacute;e par les MNEs pour att & eacute;nuer les impacts n & eacute;gatifs de la complexit & eacute; spatiale de la cha & icirc;ne d'approvisionnement. Con la creciente atenci & oacute;n p & uacute;blica hacia la sustentabilidad corporativa, las controversias ambientales, sociales y de gobernanza (ESG por sus iniciales en ingl & eacute;s) que emergen en las cadenas globales de suministro representan un problema creciente para las empresas multinacionales (EMN). Este art & iacute;culo investiga si las empresas multinacionales con proveedores geogr & aacute;ficamente dispersos tienen mayor probabilidad de estar expuestas a controversias ASG relacionadas con proveedores. Tambi & eacute;n explora las caracter & iacute;sticas estructurales de las cadenas globales de suministro que pueden mitigar la exposici & oacute;n de las empresas multinacionales a dichas controversias. Bas & aacute;ndose en la literatura sobre complejidad de cadenas de suministro y redes de mundo peque & ntilde;o, sugerimos que la caracter & iacute;stica de el mundo es un pa & ntilde;uelo de la red de cadena de suministro de una empresa multinacional puede mitigar el impacto de la dispersi & oacute;n geogr & aacute;fica de proveedores sobre las controversias ambientales, sociales y de gobernanza inducidas por proveedores. Nuestro an & aacute;lisis de las 500 empresas estadounidenses m & aacute;s grandes seg & uacute;n Fortune del 2010 al 2019 revela que las empresas multinacionales con proveedores geogr & aacute;ficamente dispersos sufren m & aacute;s controversias ambientales, sociales y de gobernanza inducidas por proveedores, mientras que la caracter & iacute;stica de mundo peque & ntilde;o aten & uacute;a dicho impacto. Nuestros hallazgos contribuyen a la literatura de negocios internacionales al destacar la caracter & iacute;stica de mundo peque & ntilde;o como una caracter & iacute;stica estructural de red que puede ser desplegada por las empresas multinacionales para mitigar los impactos negativos de la complejidad espacial de la cadena de suministro. Com o aumento da aten & ccedil;& atilde;o do p & uacute;blico & agrave; sustentabilidade corporativa, controv & eacute;rsias ambientais, sociais e de governan & ccedil;a (ESG) que surgem nas cadeias globais de suprimentos representam um problema crescente para empresas multinacionais (MNEs). Este artigo investiga se MNEs com fornecedores geograficamente dispersos t & ecirc;m maior probabilidade de serem expostas a controv & eacute;rsias ESG relacionadas aos seus fornecedores. Ele tamb & eacute;m explora caracter & iacute;sticas estruturais de cadeias globais de suprimentos que podem mitigar a exposi & ccedil;& atilde;o de MNEs a tais controv & eacute;rsias. Com base na literatura sobre complexidade da cadeia de suprimentos e redes do tipo pequeno mundo, sugerimos que o car & aacute;ter de pequeno mundo de uma rede de fornecimento de uma MNEs pode mitigar o impacto da dispers & atilde;o geogr & aacute;fica de fornecedores sobre controv & eacute;rsias ESG induzidas por eles. Nossa an & aacute;lise das 500 maiores empresas dos Estados Unidos, segundo a Fortune, entre 2010 e 2019, revela que MNEs com fornecedores geograficamente dispersos enfrentam mais controv & eacute;rsias ESG induzidas por fornecedores, enquanto o car & aacute;ter de pequeno mundo atenua esse impacto. Nossas descobertas contribuem para a literatura em neg & oacute;cios internacionais ao destacar o car & aacute;ter de pequeno mundo como uma caracter & iacute;stica estrutural de rede que pode ser utilizada por MNEs para mitigar os impactos negativos da complexidade espacial da cadeia de suprimentos. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (ESG) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (MNE) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)MNE(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) ESG (sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)MNE(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)MNE(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) ESG (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic) 2010 (sic) 2019 (sic)(sic)(sic) 500 (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)MNE(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) ESG (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)MNE(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).