Doctoral Dissertation Research: Supply Chain Governance in Supermarkets' Localized Sourcing Strategies

这个研究将治理理论应用到沃尔玛公司？作为目前可持续发展计划的一部分，美国正在努力增加本地化的农产品采购。作为世界上最大的零售商，沃尔玛的企业政策无论是对其内部供应链还是对零售业的外部影响都有着深远的影响。治理理论概述了用于管理供应链的具体机制，以及私营企业在规范农业食品系统中发挥的日益重要的作用。这一理论视角强调了资源、风险和利益如何在实际供应链和更广泛的社会层面上分配的影响。本研究提出了三个相互关联的问题：1)哪些显性和隐性规则和实践被框定为“可持续的”？在沃尔玛本地化的农产品供应链中？2)这些规则和实践是如何作为供应链治理的一种形式来实施的，包括帮助协调任何新的供应链关系的网络？3)这些本地化农产品采购框架和实施的转变如何影响农民？作为供应商参与的能力和消费者获得可负担农产品的能力？本研究将采用定性研究方法，对沃尔玛在美国东南部和洪都拉斯中部的当地农产品采购工作进行比较区域案例研究。该方法包括分析沃尔玛公开文件中可持续性的框架和定义；与参与的生产商和组织网络进行访谈，以促进本地化采购倡议；并进行空间分析，以评估对研究区域内消费者获取当地农产品的影响。更广泛的影响。本研究通过关注企业话语如何与实地过程相互作用，以确定本地化供应链的治理，推进了关于农业食品系统中变革和重组的驱动因素、过程和影响的社会学知识。通过为各种各样的生产者提供更多的市场机会，提供运输效率带来的环境效益，并改善低收入消费者的获取渠道，超市可能处于促进向更可持续的当地食品系统过渡的理想位置。本研究的分析结果将阐明大型私营公司采购新的本地农产品的实际利弊，从而为教育、干预和政策提供更广泛的信息，以提高农业食品系统的可持续性

SES-1103078Cynthia HinrichsJessica BloomThe Pennsylvania State UniversityThis research applies theories of governance to the Wal-Mart corporation?s efforts to increase localized produce sourcing as part of its current sustainability initiative. As the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart's corporate policies have far-reaching consequences, both in terms of its internal supply chains and external influence within the retail sector. Theories of governance outline the specific mechanisms that are used to manage supply chains, as well as the increased role that private corporations play in regulating the agri-food system. This theoretical lens highlights the effects of how resources, risks and benefits are distributed both within actual supply chains and at a wider societal level. This research poses three inter-related questions: 1) What explicit and implicit rules and practices are framed as ?sustainable? in Wal-Mart's localized agri-food supply chains?, 2) How are these rules and practices implemented as a form of supply chain governance, including the networks that emerge to help coordinate any new supply chain relationships?, and 3) How do these shifts in the framing and implementation of localized produce sourcing affect farmers? ability to participate as suppliers and consumers' ability to access affordable produce? This research will use qualitative research methods to develop comparative regional case studies of Wal-Mart's local produce sourcing effort in the Southeast United States and Central Honduras. The approach includes analysis of how sustainability is framed and defined in Wal-Mart's publicly available documents; interviews with participating producers and the networks of organizations that form to facilitate the localized sourcing initiative; and spatial analyses to assess implications for consumer access to local produce in the study regions. Broader Impact. This research advances sociological knowledge about the drivers, processes and impacts of change and restructuring in the agri-food system by focusing on how corporate discourse interacts with on-the-ground processes to determine the governance of localized supply chains. By opening up increased market opportunities for a diverse range of producers, providing environmental benefits because of transportation efficiencies and improving access for low-income consumers, supermarkets may be ideally positioned to facilitate a transition to a more sustainable local food system. The analysis that results from this research will illuminate the actual benefits and drawbacks of new local produce sourcing by large private corporations, thereby informing education, interventions, and policy more broadly directed at enhancing the sustainability of the agri-food system