Written by Chengcheng Zhai and Vinit Tipnis

On October 19th, 2022, Kelley School of Business welcomed over 60 attendees to the first Symposium on Environmental and Social Responsibility in Supply Chains. Academic and industry leaders held panels at the event.

Inaugural Symposium on Environmental and Social Responsibility in Supply Chains, October 19, 2022

“Establishing the Center for Responsible Supply Chains is driven by two main facts,” said Professor Owen Wu, the Center’s director, “First, environmental and social issues are often across companies’ boundaries and thus are best addressed from a supply chain perspective. Supply chain is one of the defining phrases of our community, and we are responsible for advancing research and education in the environmental and social responsibility of supply chains.”

Owen Wu, Director of the Center for Responsible Supply Chains

“Second, both academics and industry professionals are currently charting the next phase of ESG and supply chains. How did we do in the past? What should we do next? We need a forum to discuss, exchange ideas, and let the best brains learn from each other.”

Four industry experts were invited to speak about ESG (environmental, social, and governance) issues in various industries, such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and energy. The experts included Kelly Alonzo from Deloitte Consulting LLP, Tim Gawne from Rio Energy International, Inc., Jim Greffet from Eli Lilly & Company, and Mark Lemon from Grant Thornton LLP. The four panelists discussed the past, present, and future of sustainable operations in their respective industries. The panelists further shared their professional experiences working on sustainable operations and the challenges they think the industry is facing, as well as potential solutions to address them.

“It is important to conduct research that is both academically rigorous and practically relevant,” emphasized Professor Jay Swaminathan, from University of North Carolina. In addition to industry leaders, four university professors who conduct highly impactful research in the areas of sustainability and supply chain lead a panel discussion.  Professors Serguei Netessine from University of Pennsylvania, Jamal El Baz from Ibn Zohr University, Beril Toktay from Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as Professor Swaminathan answered a range of questions from the audience. The professors shared their unique experiences working with industry partners, from startups in Africa to large organizations such as UNICEF. Data related to ESG metrics is sparse and such collaborations can not only create value for industry practitioners, but also extend responsible and sustainable research tremendously. Apart from research and industry collaborations, the panel emphasized the need to teach responsible operations management at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

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Written by Chengcheng Zhai, Vinit Tipnis, and Donggyu Jeon

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Operations Management
Jay Swaminathan, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In 2015, The United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to bring awareness to the economic, socio-political, and environmental issues around the world. Professor Swaminathan highlights the importance of conducting both academically rigorous and practically relevant research. He discussed several operations management research opportunities where academics can contribute to achieving the SDGs: research on carbon tax and carbon footprint reduction, renewable energy, energy distribution, and smart grid technology can reduce carbon emissions. Research on food and agriculture that covers innovative models around collaboration and sharing equipment, farming subsidies, and financial incentives can reduce food disparity in emerging countries. Healthcare research, including vaccine development and nutrition programs for malnourished children, can help achieve an inclusive healthcare system. Professor Swaminathan further highlighted the tremendous opportunity of research in business process innovation, such as community solar system, and online marketplace for social good and new technologies, such as blockchain and telemedicine.

Professor Jayashankar (Jay) Swaminathan

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Written by Iman Attari and Jing Wang

What motivates businesses to initiate their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) movements? What are current practices? What can we learn by considering the past, present, and future of ESG? Four industry leaders, Kelly Alonzo, James Greffet, Tim Gawne, and Mark Lemon, answer these questions through the lenses of food and beverage, energy, accounting disclosure, and pharmaceuticals. Their conversation provides insights into the inherent motivations for the ESG movement and analyzes challenges in the process from different perspectives.

Discussion on environmental and social responsibility: past, present, and future, with panelists (from left): Kelly Alonzo, Jim Greffet, Tim Gawne, Mark Lemon

Kelly Alonzo, Deloitte Consulting LLP

The food and beverage industry is one of the first sectors to readily adopt ESG frameworks. As Kelly Alonzo explains, that initiation is driven by consumers’ desires to know the production process and their concerns about its environmental impact. The food and beverage industry is a major contributor to global emissions, and it is also one of the least digitalized industries. Rather than framing this sector as the villain, we might recognize the unique possibility for improvement and advancement. The success or failure of the food and beverage industry lies in its ability to cooperate and invest in digital technology in an intelligent way that is geared not only toward making money, but creating value for the entire value chain. To that end, the FDA has begun efforts to improve traceability in the supply chain. Traceability is a useful tool for making some of the more invisible attributes of the supply chain visible. While this tool has been effective in improving other industries, its implementation within the food and beverage sector has its own unique challenges that companies will have to overcome. Additionally, we must look to more sustainable agricultural practices, such as soil sequestration and regenerative agriculture programs. The issues surrounding sustainability are complex and multi-faceted, so the solutions will need to be too.

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Written by Ling Li and Vinit Tipnis

Professors Serguei Netessine from University of Pennsylvania, Jay Swaminathan from University of North Carolina, Jamal El Baz from Ibn Zohr University, and Beril Toktay from Georgia Institute of Technology took part in the inaugural Symposium on Environmental and Social Responsibility in Supply Chains held at the Kelley School of Business on October 19, 2022. Their panel covered various topics in the operations management community, and the scholars answered a range of questions from the audience. The panel discussed the position of sustainable operations management and emphasized the importance of taking a multidisciplinary perspective. The professors shared their unique experience of working with industry partners, from startups in Africa to large organizations such as UNICEF. Currently, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics are sparse, but creating a unique measurement scale not only contributes to improved industry practices, but also supports responsible and sustainable research. In addition to academic and industry collaborations, the panel stressed the value of teaching responsible operations management to MBA students and other broad groups. The panel collectively expressed the need for more impactful and inclusive research in the future.

Discussion on research and teaching in environmental and social responsibility, with panelists (from left): Serguei Netessine, Jay Swaminathan, Jamal El Baz, Beril Toktay

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