SUSTAINABLE VALUE CHAINS IN THE STAINLESS-STEEL INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

This dissertation presents how stainless-steel firms can implement sustainable value chains while balancing profitability. This research utilizes the Triple Bottom Line framework to explore the answers of increased conflict between economic competitiveness and sustainability goals. Semi-structured interviews with key industry stakeholders along the stainless-steel value chain highlight the strategy orientation, engagement and action taken by firms concerning sustainability in the industry’s value chain. Findings reveal that while companies are embracing sustainability in strategic decision-making, they are faced with challenges such as supply chain complexity, regulatory uncertainty and competing cost pressures. Despite such challenges, some businesses demonstrate how sustainability can be a driver for innovation, manager of risks, and market discriminator. The research shows that optimizing value chains for sustainability requires a departure from traditional models of efficiency to embrace systems which hold on to resilience, transparency, and co-creation with stakeholders. This research contributes to sustainable industrial strategy literature in terms of industry-specific data and conceptualizing a framework for measuring stainless-steel industry sustainable value chain maturity.