Creative Supply Chain Reconfiguration in a Socially Responsible Era: Analysis of Supplier's Side Relationship

This study analyzes the competitive results improvement deriving from the management of operations and R&D areas and the way of making sustainable innovation is especially highlighted in the redesign of production systems and in new product development (NPD) processes related to fashion collections. Knowledge resources are increasingly being made available by supply chain (SC) operators (manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, start-uppers, etc.): relational skills on social responsibility are communicated and substantially open to the interested entry-participation of a plurality of stakeholders (economic actors and not). This paper stresses that open innovative relations help to redesign sustainability and social responsiveness in a fashion supply chain. Sustainable orientation includes social and business targets, environmental stewardship, and responsible processes. An interpretative, qualitative approach, utilizing selected multi-case study interviews, is chosen. The findings indicate that from an innovative sustainable economic perspective, knitwear firms perform best when suppliers and buyers exceed their social responsibility expectations. These findings have important managerial implications for sustainability governance in innovative supply chain relationships.