Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]

Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect

Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pursup

Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network

Florence Crespin-Mazet a, Emmanuelle Dontenwill b,n
a
Euromed Management Toulon, Campus de la Grande Tourrache, F-83000 Toulon, France
b
EMLYON Business School, 23 avenue Guy de Collongue, F-69130 Ecully, France

a r t i c l e i n f o abstract

The challenges introduced by sustainable development deeply affect purchasing and supply manage-
Keywords: ment practices and therefore foster a change in the rms supply network. After a literature review on
Sustainable procurement supply network management, sustainable sourcing and legitimacy, this paper presents the results of an
Sustainable supply network in-depth case study of a gardening distributor which adopted a sustainable strategy. The analysis
Non-business actors illustrates how the rm conquers its legitimacy in sustainable development through the evolution of its
Legitimacy supply network. The paper highlights three types of legitimacy product legitimacy, corporate
legitimacy and cause legitimacy and reveals the different roles of business and non-business actors
in the rms extended sustainable supply network.
& 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction an increasing body of research and publications on sustainable

Based on the Brundtland Commissions rst denition, sustain-
able development is dened as development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs (WECD, 1987: 8). In the eld of business, it
requires the conciliation of prot objectives; respect for the envir-
onment and the satisfaction of all the rms stakeholders i.e. the
actors affected by the activities of the organizationcustomers,
employees, suppliers, subcontractors and the local community
(Freeman, 1984). The pressure exerted by the general public and
by customers (Klosterman and Cramer, 2006; Campbell, 2007), the
new government regulations and legislation (Boiral, 2006) as well as
the desire to gain a competitive advantage drive rms to position
themselves towards social and environmental stakes (Walke et al.,
2008) in an effort to improve their image and to gain increased
legitimacy (Schrivastava, 1995). Apart from these external drivers,
two main internal factors push rms to implement green supply
practices: the personal commitment of managers and investors and
the desire to reduce costs by minimizing waste and pollution
(Walker et al., 2008). In this context, De Burgos Jimenez and
Cespedes Lorente (2001) suggest adding sustainable development
to the rms competitive priorities. As mentioned by Savitz and
Weber (2006:14): sustainability is now a fundamental principle of
smart management.
The purchasing function plays a strategic role in helping a rm
reach its sustainable development objectives as acknowledged by
n
Corresponding author. Tel.: 33 4 78 33 78 06; fax: 33 4 78 33 79 26.
E-mail addresses: orence.crespin-mazet@euromed-management.com
(F. Crespin-Mazet), dontenwill@em-lyon.com (E. Dontenwill).
procurement (Walker and Phillips, 2009). As mentioned by Krause
et al. (2009: p. 18), a company is no more sustainable than its
supply chain. A recent study carried out by Ernst and Young
(Saviac et al., 2010) based on the interviews of 100 major
companies highlights the central role of the purchasing function
in the integration of sustainable development principles across all
the rms functions. Similarly, a study carried out by Orse and
Ecovadis (Daudin and Kadjar, 2010) with 125 international
companies reveals that 64% of the rms interviewed rank sustain-
able procurement as a strategic priority in their global responsible
and sustainable strategy. The choice of suppliers appears critical
in the implementation of a sustainable sourcing strategy as new
supply chains and new coordination modes with suppliers are
required to develop innovative solutions. In most sectors, the
integration of sustainable development stakes thus calls for a
deep change of practice in the supply chain and fosters a change
in the rms supply network (Pagell et al., 2010).
This is not an easy process as the implementation of sustain-
able procurement raises new risks and practical paradoxes (Carter
and Rogers, 2008). As a consequence, not all rms respond
similarly to the need for sustainable development. Several stra-
tegies can be identied (Handeld et al., 1997) ranging from
green washing practices to more in-depth practices based on
stronger convictions and values (Greer and Bruno, 1996). This
paper focuses on this second type of authentic strategy and raises
the central issue of legitimacy. In spite of an increasing amount of
research work and articles, there is still a strong need to
empirically study the implications of the integration of such a
strategy on the rms practices and supply network (Carter
and Rogers, 2008). Using the theoretical framework of supply
networks developed by the IMP School of Thought (Gadde and

1478-4092/$ - see front matter & 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002

Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
2 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
Hakansson, 2001), this paper aims at understanding how a rm
developing a sustainable development strategy manages to build
its legitimacy in this eld through its procurement strategy and
practices. It highlights the relevance of the network approach of
sustainable purchasing integrating not only direct and indirect
suppliers in the rms value creation processes but also non-
business actors (Hadjikhani and Thilenius, 2005) such as labeling
organizations, technical experts, ecological foundations, the gov-
ernment, the media, as well as standardization and regulatory
agencies. Developing cooperative ties with these non-business
actors comes across as a key success factor to develop the rms
resources and legitimacy in sustainable development. The paper
suggests analyzing this strategic legitimating process (Sine et al.,
2007) at three levels: the technical level (offer legitimacy), the
rm level (corporate legitimacy) and the societal level (cause
legitimacy). It concludes on the evolution of the purchasers role
in the context of sustainability, which might increasingly involve
identifying and engaging with these new stakeholders.
This paper is structured as follows: presentation of the con-
ceptual framework based on the existing literature, methodology,
presentation of the case study, case ndings, discussion and
concluding comments informing a future research agenda.
2. Literature review
2.1. From procurement and purchasing to supply network
management
Over the last decades, the importance of purchasing as a eld
of strategic interest has been growing due to several factors:
increased market globalization, escalation of purchasing costs,
total quality management (Sheth and Sharma, 1997), as well as
the growth of outsourcing strategies (McIvor, 2000). As a con-
sequence, the traditional emphasis on optimizing single transac-
tions has progressively shifted towards a long term view of
procurement relying more heavily on suppliers as value genera-
tors able not only to provide resources and technology but also to
grow the companys revenues (Gadde and Hakansson, 2001).
Forming close relationships with suppliers is then a means for a
given company of gaining access to their suppliers resources so
as to develop their activities (Araujo, Dubois and Gadde, 1999).
Under this perspective, the key issue for the purchaser is no
longer to manage the ow of goods and services into the
organization but to manage the supply process (Cousins and
Spekman, 2000). The development of a network of external
resources i.e. supplier network then becomes a key mission for
the purchasing rm. Buying rms need to identify suppliers that,
due to their characteristics and capabilities, may leverage their
own resources and activities and foster their ability to deliver
superior value to customers (Dubois and Pedersen, 2002; Brito
and Roseira, 2003). More recently, some IMP scholars have
extended this network view to a broader range of relationships
by focusing on the inuence of non-business actors on a rms
activities (Hadjikhani and Thilenius, 2005). Our paper is more
specically concerned with such a broader supply network
perspective.
2.2. Towards sustainable supply network management
Sustainable procurement can be dened as the pursuit of
sustainable development objectives through the purchasing and
supply process (Walker and Phillips, 2009). One of the rst issues
when implementing sustainable procurement is to identify the
various components of sustainability (Krause et al., 2009: p. 20).
The factors of the triple bottom line (Elkington, 1998) are now
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
acknowledged in the literature (Carter and Rogers, 2008): envir-
onmental stewardship (preservation of natural resources, waste
minimization, reduced emissions); social equity which relates to
the rms purchasing social responsibility (such as cultural
diversity, human rights and safety) and economic performance.
The integration of these criteria in supply management has led to
a variety of concepts (see Walker et al., 2008 for a complete
review). Recent contributions adopt a supply chain perspective
(Carter and Rogers, 2008) or supply network perspective (Young
and Kielkiewicz-Young, 2001).
2.2.1. Impact of sustainability issues on purchasing practices
The literature highlights that the inclusion of environmental
and social factors on top of economic factors generates more
complex decision-making processes for the purchaser (Handeld
et al., 2002; Carter, 2004). Firstly, purchasers need to go beyond
nancial metrics and to monitor new sets of risks such as
employees security, pollution, waste of resources (Carter and
Rogers, 2008), the impact of their activities on local communities
(Ghai and Vivian, 1995), or the risks of a negative impact on their
corporate image (Foerstl et al., 2010). Secondly, the purchasers
traditional supplier management systems based on supplier
portfolio models (Kraljic, 1983; Gelderman and Van Weele,
2005) often prove difcult to apply in the pursuit of sustain-
ability. Such models are ill-adapted to account for the numerous
uncertainties of a rapidly changing environment with new factors,
new labels and new actors appearing in the market (Foerstl et al.,
2010). This is all the more difcult as condentiality issues often
limit the purchasers access to suppliers information and in
particular to the sharing of ideas for improvement (Wycherley,
1999). To cope with these new uncertainties, several studies
emphasize the need to work more closely with suppliers
(Theyel, 2001; Vachon and Klassen, 2008), relying more exten-
sively on cooperation and partnerships (Hartman et al., 1999),
joint development activities (Carter and Carter, 1998), as well as
innovation with suppliers and other external partners in a long
term perspective (Walker and Phillips, 2009; Baraldi et al., 2010).
Buying rms are thus incited to proactively revisit their supplier
selection decisions to elevate sustainability (Krause et al., 2009: p.
22). In summary, sourcing strategies have evolved:
 From a dominant focus on the current price to a total cost of
ownership focus including the effects of resource depletion
and the generation of by-products (Linton et al., 2007).
 From the procurement of standardized inputs to joint-value
creation methodologies (Carter and Carter, 1998) in a reverse
marketing process (Blenkhorn and Banting, 1991) where the
buyer organization works cooperatively with suppliers.
 From dominantly quantiable and nancial performance
metrics to more qualitative metrics such as social welfare or
working conditions (Carter and Rogers, 2008).
2.2.2. Impact of sustainability issues on supply network
Sustainable procurement often involves several changes in the
structure of the supply network and the content of the relation-
ships developed between its members: Network evolution can be
manifested in new actors entering the network, in actors initiating
changes in some relationships, in resources getting recombined and
in activities being performed in new ways (Baraldi et al., 2010: 5).
Similarly, Andersson and Sweet (2002) show that the develop-
ment of sustainable solutions requires to work with a reduced
number of suppliers (Vachon and Klassen, 2006) and to connect
more closely the previously separated networks.
 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
Several authors also highlight the inuence of new types of
actors or stakeholders that can inuence, positively or negatively,
the rms capacity to engage in sustainable development with
potential inuence on its purchasing strategy (Stafford and
Hartman, 1996; Berger et al., 2004; Perez-Aleman and
Sandilands, 2008, Kourula, 2010). Among them, NGOs (Non-
Governmental Organizations) seem to gain an increasing impor-
tance due to their capacity to represent the society and manifest
broader social movements (Teegen et al., 2004). While the
literature has often stressed the coercive inuence of NGOs on
businesses (Yaziji, 2004), several authors see an evolution
towards more partnerships (Teegen et al., 2004; Perez-Aleman
and Sandilands, 2008). Stafford et al. (2000) show how some
environmental NGOs develop collaborative partnerships with
businesses offering them environmental, scientic and legal
expertise to support their environpreneurial initiatives (p. 122).
These green alliances help the rm access the resources of other
societal actors through a strategic bridging process.
2.3. Supply network and legitimacy
Through the implementation of a sustainable procurement
strategy, the rm will attempt at modifying the structure of its
supply network, hence accessing to new resources including
legitimacy (Yaziji, 2004; Bengtson and Hadjikhani, 2010). Accord-
ing to Suchman (1995: 574), legitimacy is a generalized perception
or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or
appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms,
values, beliefs, and denitions. As seen previously, the rm might
have to reference new suppliers, to dereference old ones, to
bridge with new actors (including non-business actors), and even
to bring together previously unconnected actors to acquire this
legitimacy. The way these network resources are combined and
interfaced inuences the rms position in the network and
consecutively, its strategic identity. This position can be dened
as the role that the rm has for other organizations that it is
related to, directly or indirectly (Mattsson, 1984). The rms
position has a direct impact on its perceived strategic identity
in the broader economic environment and can be associated to a
lower or higher level of legitimacy in the eld of sustainable
development.
2.4. The conceptual framework
It therefore seems relevant to study how a rm develops its
legitimacy in sustainable development through its purchasing
practices from an industrial network perspective (Ford et al.,
2003). Our framework is thus directly adapted from the ARA
model developed by the IMP School of Thought (Hakansson and
Johanson, 1992). This model conceptualizes the process and
outcomes of interaction and suggests that the content of a
business relationship can be described in terms of three inter-
connected factors: Actors, Activity, and Resources. Applied to our
research objectives, this model leads to the following conceptual
framework (Fig. 1) made of three antecedent variables (actors of
the rms supply network, activities and resources) inuencing
the rms legitimacy in sustainable development (outcome).
Actors of the supply network: characterized by their identity
(individual, organization), mission and type (business actor
versus non-business actor).
Activities: the type of actions that the actors of the rms
supply network undertake to fulll their mission; their level of
commitment to these actions.
Resources: the resources that they control to fulll their mission
and implement their strategy. Based on the contributions of
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
3
Fig. 1. The conceptual framework.
Baraldi and Bocconcelli (2001), we have dened two main types
of resources: (1) tangible resources (technical and physical
resources); and (2) intangible resources such as information,
knowledge and relationships.
These three antecedent variables inuence the legitimacy of
the rm in the eld of sustainable development.
Legitimacy in sustainable development. Based on Suchmans
denition (1995), we dene the rms legitimacy in sustain-
able development as the general assumption by the suppliers
stakeholders that the actions of the rm are authentically
respecting the three components of sustainability i.e. environ-
mental stewardship, social equity and economic performance.
Our central proposition states as follows: the rms legiti-
macy in sustainable development is positively related with the
level of legitimacy of the actors forming its supply network.
3. Research method
3.1. Case study design
In order to analyze how the rm built its legitimacy in the eld
of sustainable development through its supply network, we
adopted a single case study design enabling to capture into
details the transformations operated by the rm over time. A
single case study design is an appropriate design under ve main
circumstances and ve rationales (Yin, 2003: 39): (1) the critical
case to test a well-formulated theory; (2) the extreme or
unique case; (3) the representative or typical case (i.e. typical
project or situation); (4) the revelatory case when the inves-
tigator has the opportunity to observe and analyze a phenomenon
previously inaccessible to scientic investigation even if the
phenomenon under scrutiny is common; (5) the case carried
out over a long period specifying how certain conditions change
over time. The present research corresponds to the fourth and
fth rationales. In 2005, at the time of the case study, the eld of
sustainable procurement in mass distribution in France was
rather novel and considered as strategic to obtain a competitive
advantage. In a domain where green washing tactics were
frequent, it was particularly difcult to access to board meetings
where the sustainable development strategy and its implementa-
tion were being condentially discussed and nalized. The choice
of this research design seemed particularly adapted to understand
4 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]

the evolution of the purchasing practices and the consecutive they involve key sustainable development stakes (pollution,
dynamics within the supply network (Eisenhardt, 1989). deforestation, waste management, supplier relationships);
In a single case study, the purposive choice of the case requires they contribute to an important share of the distributors turnover
a specic attention so as to express the phenomenon with and they are representative of the rms market positioning
intensity (Miles and Huberman, 1994). In our case, this was strategy.
ensured through the authentic sustainable development strategy
of the rm selected (Martinet and Payaud, 2008). We had
3.4. Data analysis
originally selected two companies for the study one haulage
contractor and one gardening distributor but after a preliminary
Data collected on these three product categories have been
investigation, Botanic was the only rm meeting our research
analyzed and ordered based on our conceptual framework
requirements in terms of authenticity of their strategy. Botanic
following Miles and Hubermans recommendations (1994). Sev-
actually represents a very rich case for three main reasons. Firstly
eral analytical categories have been identied based on our
as a mass distributor, its sustainable development positioning
research objectives and conceptual framework: (1) the actors
directly depends on its purchasing strategy to design the store
involved in the supply network (business, non-business); (2) their
product assortment (no in-house production). Secondly, its sus-
activities; (3) their resources; (4) their impact on the construction
tainable development strategy directly questions its core business
of Botanics legitimacy in sustainable development. We built
and challenges its practices and habits. Thirdly, our study focused
within-case-ordered-effects matrices based on these categories
on the development stage of the rms sustainable strategy,
(Miles and Huberman, 1994) as exhibited in Table 1.
enabling us to collect rich material on this particular context
and the changes that it generated in the rms supply network.
The main goal was to obtain a thorough understanding of the
4. Case study: the implementation of sustainable
change processes at play.
procurement at Botanic
3.2. Data collection methods
Created in 1995, Botanic is a gardening product distributor
with more than 2000 employees, 60 stores, and a turnover of 290
We have adopted an action-research strategy where we went
million Euros in 2007. The rm is owned by two families coming
beyond the mere role of an observer to actually contribute
from the horticultural milieu. Since its origin Botanic has exhib-
to animating meetings and facilitating the actors reections
ited the genes of sustainable development. They have launched
(David, 2000). This corresponds to the role of procedural inter-
various initiatives favouring the preservation of nature. But these
mediation (Chanal et al., 2001). The data collected through this
actions are scattered and left to the individual initiative of the
procedure have led to detailed minutes and research notes.
employees. In 2004, the C.E.O decides to position sustainable
Following Eisenhardts recommendations (1989), we have com-
development at the heart of their strategy to be in accordance
pleted them by in-depth individual face-to-face interviews
with new societal expectations. The rst step consists of a deeper
(Grawitz, 2001), secondary data analysis and several points of
understanding of sustainable development by the Board of
immersion so as to report a complete case. Each interview has
Directors so as to dene the main strategic orientations. All the
been recorded and fully transcribed. The set of data collected
activities and functions of the rm (purchasing, transportation,
between 2004 and 2007 was therefore obtained from 4 main
store design, etc.) are screened accordingly and given new
sources:
guidelines.
In 2005, the CEO ofcially launches this new strategy and hires
 The active contribution to 29 internal meetings (155 h).
a sustainable development manager. Numerous reections and
 12 semi-structured face-to-face interviews including 6 purc-
actions follow these early stages. A new purchasing strategy is
hasers.
formalized. It consists of selecting and developing quality pro-
 The study of more than 70 internal documents and press
duct offers which value the know-how produced under condi-
articles.
tions respecting the individuals and their natural environment
 The attendance at various internal meetings and seminars
and when used by the customer contribute to preserving the
related to sustainable development (14 days of full immersion
garden ecosystem and to promoting healthier lifestyles for the
in the company).
people and the planet (internal document). The implementation
of this policy raises various problems depending on each product
Our data collection protocol respects the three requirements
category.
recommended by Van De Ven (1992) to ensure quality and
reliability. Through our presence from the origin of the sustain-
able development strategy, we have avoided two major biases: 4.1. The case of chemical fertilizers
memory problems and ex-post rationalization from the intervie-
wees (Forgues and Vandangeon-Derumez, 1999). We have pro- They represent the most emblematic example of Botanics
ceeded to numerous points of data collection and have deeply commitment to sustainable development. According to the WWF,
immerged ourselves in the eld (Girin, 1990) over a three-year gardening represents 8% of the total French pesticide consump-
period. tion and 25% of river pollution. Botanic had to set these products
aside as a priority for action. In 2005, the sustainable develop-
3.3. Within case sampling ment manager ordered a toxicological study from MDRGF (acti-
vist association acting against the use of pesticides), so as to
This piece of research partially exploits the important set of obtain an objective assessment of the toxicity level of the
data collected on the transformations operated in the distributors fertilizers sold in their stores. They scanned 137 molecules
supply network. Our rich case actually involved three subunits through a research method approved by a famous toxicologist
of analysis (embedded single case designYin, 2003): chemical from the National Science Research Institute and concluded that
fertilizers, teak wood garden furniture and potted plants. 80% of the molecules were toxic. Soon after, the CEO decided to
These product categories have been selected for three reasons: denitely withdraw all these products from their shelves and to

Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Table 1
Case-ordered-effects matrix: evolution of Botanics supply network: the resource, activities of each actor of the network and their impact on the distributors legitimacy.
Key sustainable development
issues for each case
Chemical products including
Toxic molecules
Sold in the stores
Teak-wood garden furniture
Forest destruction
Evolution of the supply network:
actors in the revised supply network
Business actors:
 Stoppage of the business
relationship with multinationals
specialized in chemical production
which were previously suppliers of
chemical fertilizers for gardening.
 Reinforcement of the relationship
with suppliers of existing
environmental-friendly fertilizers.
 Development of relationship with
new suppliers of ecological
fertilizers.
Non-Business actors: Mostly intangible:
Development of new relationships with
non-business actors:
 Individual independent experts.
 NGOs and militant organizations:
MDRGF, Ortie & Cie, N. Hulots
foundationy
Business Actors
Referencing of new product
suppliers of teak wood having the
FSC (Africa) or the TFT label (mostly
in Indonesia)development of new
business relationship. Dereferencing
of other suppliers (stoppage of
relationships).
Referencing of and support to
European wood suppliers (larch,
locust). Project to help revive this
European supply chain.
Development of new relationships
with Non-business actors
Third Party Certiers (FSC, TNT).
WWF, Friends of the Earth.
Resources
TangibleProduction facilities: Production of chemical fertilizers Product legitimation through the withdrawal
capacity to rapidly deliver a large in large quantities for mass
range of products in large
quantities.
Intangible: expertise in the
conception and production of
chemical products for gardening.
Marketing awareness of their
brands among nal customers (high
share of voice).
Intangibleexpertise in the
conception and production of
products for ecological gardening.
TangibleCapacity to complement
the range of eco-friendly fertilizers.
Intangible: expertise in the
conception and production of
products for ecological gardening.
Technical expertise and knowledge
in ecological gardening.
Their extended network in
ecological gardening.
Their direct ties to the media and to
the government (source of power)
Their reputation and renown among
the general public (N. Hulot).
Their image of integrity.
Mostly tangible:
Ownership of teak wood forests in
Indonesia and Africa.
Local network of wood suppliers.
Ownership of larch and locust wood
in Europe. Lack of offer.
Mostly intangible:
Expertise
Knowledge of practices from the
eld.
Large networks of actors with very
strong ties and intimate knowledge
of actors.
Image of integrity.
Activities
of all chemical fertilizers from the shelves
markets
Production of fertilizers
adapted to ecological
gardening
Production of fertilizers
adapted to ecological
gardening
Support in the denition of
new purchasing criteria
Audit of the rms existing
product offer and new
suppliers
Lobby at governmental level
inuence on the legal
framework
Raise of the general public
awareness
Exploitation of forests and
wood transformation
Id.
Dening standards
Auditing teak wood suppliers
in each region:
Labeling of wood producers
and suppliers
Consulting,
recommandations
Outcome in terms of legitimacy
F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
Product legitimation
) Statement of Botanics positioning in sustainable
development through a complete ecological product range
excluding any chemical product.
Product legitimation through the technical caution of
independent experts
Corporate legitimation (company recognition as legitimate in
the eld)
Cause legitimation: the relationship to activist organizations
positioned Botanic as one of the defenders of the ecological
cause which is shaping the general publics opinion towards a
more ecological world.
Product legitimation through the referencing of labels or the
origin of the wood purchased
Corporate legitimation in the supply network through the
support granted to the European supply chain
Product legitimation
Corporate legitimation
Cause legitimation through the support to NGOs
against forest destruction
5
6 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]

exceptional support granted to the weakest horticulturalists replace them with exclusively natural products. As a conse-
Corporate legitimation in the supply network through the

quence, the supply network evolved as follows:

 Dereferencing of major suppliers of well-known products such as

Product legitimation towards end customers and

Destructor, an American chemical weed, and Fertiline (disguised

Corporate legitimation due to the consistency

Product legitimation towards end customers

names), a very popular product in France massively advertised

on TV. Such a decision involved major commercial risks.
 Reinforcement of the relationships with existing suppliers
offering natural solutions (growth of their business volume).
 Referencing of new suppliers offering natural products. Sup-
pliers having a wide range of products were given priority as
well as suppliers certied by a renowned label to ease up the

in the supply network

of Botanics approach
selection process, reduce reputational risk and provide a
guarantee for the consumers.
 Involvement of outside experts in the validation of the new
ecological offer. These experts came from very well known
environmental NGOs or associations and brought both their
acknowledged technical expertise as well as the caution of
authenticity of the rms sustainable development approach.
 Membership of Ortie & Cie, a collective organization (lobby)
Auditing plant producers for

promoting natural products for plant protection towards the

Production of potted plants
Production of conditioning

labeling and accreditation

government. This action aimed mainly at counter-balancing

the pesticide producers lobby. As summarized by Botanics
Dening standards

CEO: Botanic became a member of Ortie & Cie to ofcially ask

for potted plants

the State to recognize natural plant protection products and to

commit to pesticide reductiony.
purposes

These actions illustrate how Botanic mobilized new actors and

embedded itself in a modied supply network to ground its new
positioning and defend its cause. This involved going beyond the
strict business arena and creating a supportive environment for
lack of nancial resources (critical

its approach.
Intangible: technical expertise.

Mostly intangible: Technical

Tangible: ownership of land;

horticultural supply chain.

4.2. The case of teak wood garden furniture

Network of producers the
Reference in sustainable
expertise in sustainable
nancial situation).

At the environmental level, the exploitation of teak wood leads

Image of integrity.
Mostly tangible

to the massive destruction of primeval forests generating climate

development.

development.

change, loss of vegetal and animal biodiversity and endangering

local communities which depend on these resources. But at the
marketing level, this product was meeting a growing demand on
the French market. Initially, Botanic wanted to reference Eur-
opean wood such as larch or locust wood to replace teak wood
and reduce transportation externalities. However, the corre-
having the MPS labels: mostly small
Reinforcement of relationship with

rms in a small nancial situation.

relationships with horticulturalists

sponding supply chains were drifting due to globalization. In

conditioning: co-development of
a limited number of suppliers of

Support to the weakest ones

order to reference such wood in the required quantities, Botanic

relationship with MPSa labeling
Reduction of purchases from

organization in the horticultural

Development of a new business
new conditioning solutions.
indirect suppliers of plastic

needed to support their revival: a project was created to this end

through volume and price
Development of business

where social benets would cumulate with environmental ben-

ets but at the cost of increased prices and the uncertainty about
Non-Business Actors

customers reaction to this premium. However, this solution could

Business Actors

not satisfy the distributors short term requirements. The pur-

guarantees.
containers.

chaser of this product category thus looked for labels referencing

supply chain.

sustainable teak suppliers but faced several uncertainties on the

reliability and adequacy of these labels. At rst, the easiest
solution seemed to reference the FSC label (Forest Stewardship
Council)a well respected label in the eld of responsible
forestry. Unfortunately, a considerable amount of illegal trafc
of FSC in Indonesia forced the label to withdraw from
Relationships with suppliers

Indonesiaa key supply region for Botanic. The manager in

Non-recyclable packaging

charge then identied TFT (Tropical Forest Trust: a less demand-

Production conditions

ing label than FSC) and questioned other NGOs such as the WWF
about its reliability and seriousness. This process enabled to
reference TFT and to start a relationship with them. As a
Potted Plant

consequence, Botanics supply network evolved thanks to the

partnership with the labels (TFT in Indonesia, FSC elsewhere)
which gave Botanic indirect access to their own resources and
more specically to their supply chain of referenced and qualied

Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
wood suppliers in Indonesia and in remote regions. It would have
been extremely lengthy and difcult for Botanic to identify and
qualify these producers on its own. Hence, the strategic bridging
with non-business actors helped Botanic by pre-referencing
qualied suppliers in the sustainable supply chain.
4.3. The case of potted plants
Potted plants raised three main sustainability issues: their
conditions of production, their packaging into non-recyclable
plastic containers (pots) and the relationships with horticulturists
that were often in a critical nancial situation. Botanic was
promoting ecological gardening but most of the plants sold in
the stores (45% of its turnover) did not respect ecological
production rules. To solve this problem, Botanic identied and
developed an exclusive partnership with a Dutch labeling orga-
nization in the horticultural supply chain called MPS. Their goal
was that 100% of their plant suppliers be labeled. The organiza-
tion had only gathered 32 members in France since its creation
7 years before. The partnership with Botanic could generate 300
new members. The sustainable development approach also called
for the withdrawal of all plastic containers that could not be
recycled. The purchaser rst looked for biodegradable natural
material enabling the gardener to directly plant in the ground but
the new conditioning deleted itself on the shelves. Over time,
Botanic co-developed a solution with its suppliers based on the
old technique of compressed clods.
The horticultural supply chain also raised specic relational
issues due to its bad nancial situation (several suppliers close to
bankruptcy). Botanic agreed to give them volume and price
guarantees to compensate for specic efforts in ecological product
developmenta very unusual practice in the eld. With these
small suppliers, Botanic clearly adopted a partnerial logic.
5. Analysis and key ndings
The three product categories analyzed exhibited a variety of
purchase situations highlighting several transformations in the
structure and management of the supplier network: (1) develop-
ment of partnerships with suppliers so as to co-design solutions
in line with sustainable development principles; (2) support to
weaker actors in the supply chain based on their commitment
to comply to the rms sustainable development approach;
(3) development of new cooperation patterns with non-business
actors. Fig. 2 presents a simplied representation of this renewed
supply network.
As shown in Fig. 2, this network entails four main types of
actors:
 Product suppliers (business actors).
 Labeling organizations such as TNT, MPS, FSC or AB the role of
which is to qualify offers and guarantee the compliance of
supplies to ecological and social specications.
 Individual experts bringing their technical knowledge in eco-
logical gardening and whose role is mainly to contribute to
ecological specication design.
 Activist or militant organizations such as Ortie & Cie, MDRGF,
or Nicolas Hulots Foundation, which have a direct link to the
media and the power to inuence the government (lobby) and
the general public.
Botanic developed different relationships with these actors that
led to a range of activity links (from simple business transactions
with suppliers to extended partnerships with suppliers and non-
business actors). The development of these relationships can be seen
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
7
Fig. 2. Botanics renewed supply network.
as a strategic legitimating action for Botanic (Sine et al., 2007). As a
mass market distributor, Botanic previously had no legitimacy in the
eld of sustainable development. In order to conquer this legitimacy
and avoid being accused of green washing practices, Botanic used a
network approach developing links with legitimate actors in the
sustainable development milieu, sometimes even contributing to
shaping this milieu. The fact that these legitimate business and
mostly non-business actors agreed to cooperate with Botanic
indicated that they had legitimated the distributor. It hence mod-
ied its strategic identity in the network. Moreover, Botanic also
beneted from the network of these new actors thus saving time
and effort to access their valuable and idiosyncratic resources. Based
on our case study, we have identied three forms of legitimacy in
sustainable development supported by these supply network rela-
tionships that we dene as follows:
Product legitimacy i.e. the legitimacy of the rms offer
regarding sustainable development criteria in particular
regarding environmental stewardship and social equity.
Corporate legitimacy i.e. the legitimacy of the rm in its
sustainable development claim and strategic positioning.
Cause legitimacy i.e. the legitimacy of sustainable develop-
ment values for the society and hence for the rms target
audience.
5.1. Product legitimacy
5.1.1. Suppliers: co-development of new ecological products
The new purchasing criteria led Botanic to modify the struc-
ture of its supplier network and its relationship with suppliers
through several actions. Firstly, by ending some supplier relation-
ships such as the American and French suppliers of chemical
fertilizers. Secondly, by developing the business volume with
existing suppliers already meeting the new requirements. Thirdly,
by referencing new suppliers such as suppliers of ecological
fertilizers. Fourthly, by entering into close partnerships with
new or existing suppliers willing to co-develop innovative pro-
ducts meeting their goals (to compensate for the lack of sufcient
and adequate offers). A good illustration is given with the
horticultural supply chain. Botanic agreed to commit to certain
price and volume levels so as to encourage producers to cultivate
plants in compressed clods which drastically reduced their con-
ditioning. This conrms the ndings of previous authors such as
8 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
Pagell et al. (2010) showing that sustainable sourcing strategies
induce changes in relevant stakeholder weights granting more
weight to suppliers development.
5.1.2. Experts: auditing product offers
Adopting a sustainable sourcing strategy considerably
enlarged the scope of the rms purchasing criteria (ecological
and social criteria). The purchasers role thus needed to go much
further than simply referencing suppliers and products based on
price, quality or availability. To integrate these new criteria,
Botanic purchasers would have needed specic competencies in
the eld of chemistry or green gardening. It was however
unrealistic and the solution consisted of creating an expert
committee made up of outside experts from various non-business
origins renowned in the ecological gardening milieu. This expert
committee brought legitimacy to Botanics offer.
5.1.3. Labeling organizations: sourcing guarantee
In order to cope with the lack of reliable supplier information,
the easiest solution found by Botanic was to rely on renowned
and institutionalized labels which could provide an acceptable level
of guarantee in a context of high uncertainty (Handeld et al., 2002).
Labels are dened here as distinctive trademarks identifying a
product or producer, used to designate its origin, content, or quality
in terms of compliance to sustainable development standards. They
communicate the distributors commitment while avoiding the
required market research to qualify products (transfer of responsi-
bility from the distributor to the certication organization). As it is
difcult to develop a lot of high-involvement relationships with
suppliers (Gadde and Hakansson, 2001), labels gave Botanic the
opportunity to access their network of pre-qualied suppliers
through a strategic bridging process (Stafford et al., 2000). However
such labels were not always readily available on the market. After
suppliers, purchasers now had to source certication organizations.
As a pioneer, Botanic had to carefully screen the environment to
detect emergent private labels, assess their reliability and identify
the right partners in this jungle of unknown actors. By referencing
emergent labels such as MPS, Botanic gave them increased visibility
which contributed to shaping the supply network. The development
of the relationship with Botanic helped MPS access more clients.
5.2. Corporate legitimacy
Beyond the legitimacy of its offer, Botanic also had to be
acknowledged as a legitimate rm in the sustainable develop-
ment milieu. Due to the increasing criticisms reporting opportu-
nistic behaviors characterized by green washing practices (Capron
and Quairel-Lanoizelee, 2004; Agerri et al., 2005; Pasquero, 2008),
Botanic had to conquer its corporate legitimacya very sensitive
Fig. 3. Different levels of commitment in the implementation of a sustainable purchasing policy.
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
issue for the manager in charge of sustainable development. In
this eld, the legitimacy issue is directly linked to that of
credibility and therefore, Botanic deliberately chose to develop
relationships with actors considered above reproach in the eld
of sustainable development due to their status of non-prot-
making organizations. In this case, these were mostly activist/
militant organizations such as MDRGF (on the pesticides issue) or
Ortie & Cie. The bonds existing between Botanic and these actors
authenticate the distributors approach towards their audience.
This was conrmed by the French national consumer magazine
Que Choisir which ranked Botanic as the best ecological
distributor among 22 French distributors (October 2009). The
main resource brought by these non-business actors is their
image integrity.
5.3. Cause legitimacy
In order to meet a sufcient market, Botanics positioning in
favor of sustainable development needed to be legitimated by its
target audience. This relied both on a favorable legal framework
and on the receptivity of the sustainable cause by the general
public. To achieve this goal and raise the general public aware-
ness, Botanic supported the Ecological Pact defended by Nicolas
Hulot, a very famous TV personality, considered as one of Frances
most inuential ecologists (direct link to the media and to the
government). By partnering with this militant actor, Botanic was
freed from any suspicion. However, developing relationships with
NGOs or associations was not sufcient to lobby at governmental
level and Botanic took the risk to become a member of a militant
organization to that end.
Table 1 (case-ordered effect matrix) summarizes the various
types of actors in Botanics renewed supply network (business
and non-business), their activity and resources and their con-
tribution to shaping Botanics legitimacy in the sustainable
development milieu.
Accessing the resources of these various supply network actors
involved different levels of commitment and risks for Botanic. As
summarized by its CEO: Being an activist means facing some
challenges and assuming its consecutive risksy. These commit-
ments can be assessed by the specicity of the investments made
by Botanic to develop the relationship with them (Hakansson and
Snehota, 1995). Fig. 3 identies the various levels of increasing
commitment required from Botanic to develop cooperative rela-
tionships with these actors: from the referencing of existing
labels (a rather common task for purchasers), to the membership
in a militant organizations involving high risks for their corporate
image (Foerstl et al., 2010), through the creation of an expert
committee, the co-development of solutions and the contribution
to the creation and development of labels. The highest levels of
 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
commitment (cause legitimation and partly corporate legitima-
tion) require the support of top management to make the
corresponding investments and endorse their consecutive risks.
6. Conclusions
6.1. Key ndings and managerial implications
Our paper has shown how Botanics change of positioning
towards sustainable development was dependent upon its rela-
tionships with other actors in the sustainable development milieu
and in particular with non-business actors. Different types of non-
business actors have been identied as inuencing the rms
sustainable activities and legitimacy in the eld: labeling organi-
zations, technical experts, ecological foundations, the govern-
ment, the media, as well as standardization and regulatory
agencies. While business actors mostly gave Botanic access to
tangible resources (products), developing relationships with these
non-business actors mostly enabled Botanic to access their
intangible resources namely, their technical expertise, their net-
work of relationships and their legitimacy. Through their
resources and activities, these supply network actors qualied
the authenticity of Botanics commitment to sustainable devel-
opment. It modied Botanics position and strategic identity
(Mattsson, 1984) giving credibility to its sustainable development
claim. This legitimating process (Sine et al., 2007) occured at three
levels: the product level (offer legitimacy), the rm level (corpo-
rate legitimacy) and the societal level (cause legitimacy).
The success of the distributors sustainable strategy thus
clearly depended on this extended network of non-business
actors. But inversely some of these non-business actors also
depended on Botanic in particular for those which were barely
emerging and which fully beneted from Botanics resources. Our
paper thus conrms the relevance of the network approach of
purchasing integrating suppliers in the rms value creation
processes (Krause et al., 2009) but extends this notion to a whole
set of new non-business actors that seems particularly relevant in
the eld sustainable procurement.
Concerning the posture of the relationship with suppliers, our
papers conrms that the integration of sustainable development
into the rms purchasing strategies fosters a change towards
more partnerships and joint value creation methodologies with
selected actors in this renewed supply network (Hartman et al.,
1999; Carter and Carter, 1998). Faced with the high heterogeneity
and lack of stability of sustainable supply chains, cooperation
came across as the most adapted mode of coordination with these
actors (Richardson, 1972). This only concerned a limited number
of actors (Gadde and Hakansson, 2001): the distributor did not
hesitate to enter into more classical forms of transactions with
suppliers whenever the market offered an acceptable, standar-
dized answer (choosing a labeled product for example). Our
research also suggests that it seems difcult to adopt a high level
of sustainability alone when the rest of the supply chain and
network in which the rm is embedded has not yet made
signicant steps in that direction. The implementation of a
sustainable development strategy therefore seems constrained
by the right time-to-market and should best evolve with the
level of maturity of the market. As mentioned by Pagell et al.
(2010), a transitory period seems required not only at the rm
level but also at the supply network level to enable corresponding
suppliers to develop the appropriate products and modify their
sourcing practices.
Finally, the case also supports preliminary ndings stating the
crucial role of top management support to commit the rm to
such a sustainable development venture. Moving from traditional
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
9
purchasing practices to adopt a new organizational worldview of
purchasing (Bakker and Kamman, 2007: p. 306) based on
sustainable criteria requires a lot of investments (commitment)
and to accept to take risks in an uncertain environment. The
support of top management, representing the highest social
hierarchy in the organization, gives them the power to inuence
procurement practices (Schrivastava, 1995). In our case, the
individual perception of the top manager regarding sustainable
development (his authentic conviction) strongly inuenced
Botanics positioning strategy and effective change of position
through the evolution of their supply network. This echoes and
conrms the ndings of Bakker and Kamann (2007) indicating
that three social factors are relevant to understand how suppliers
relations are managed in practice: the trajectory of the individual
(purchaser), the organizational worldview of purchasing and the
individuals social position in the organization.
In terms of managerial implications, these ndings have direct
consequences on the purchasing function. Firstly, our paper has
illustrated the range of difculties that pushed buyers to modify
their purchasing process (Handeld et al., 2002) such as the lack
of reliable and comparable data on the various supply chains and
products; the lack of expertise in sustainable development in a
rapidly changing environment requiring to constantly renew
ones knowledge and information; the shortage of offers meeting
Botanics sustainable development requirements and recognized
as such by established labels; the lack of stability of product offers
and labels; and nally ethical dilemmas that go beyond the strict
scope of their domain of responsibilities.
Secondly, to cope with these difculties, purchasers increas-
ingly need to interact more widely and profoundly with suppliers
(Dubois and Pedersen, 2002) as well as with individual experts
and non-prot-making organizations which play a key role in the
sustainable supply network. Hence, the purchasers role might
increasingly involve identifying and engaging stakeholders situ-
ated on the fringe of their usual supply network so as to bridge
with their resources and legitimacy. Cooperating with non-busi-
ness actors requires different relational patterns from those with
traditional suppliers (Hadjikhani and Thilenius, 2005). As illu-
strated in our case study, the interaction with these new stake-
holders having different missions, values and habits involved
several adaptations and required time to learn to interact, build
trust and make the necessary adjustments (increased commit-
ment). In sum, a more entrepreneurial mode of sourcing thus
seems to be required in such a rapidly changing environment.
Purchasers need to develop new processes and dynamic capabil-
ities (Helfat, 1997; Teece, 2007) to evolve towards a true Sustain-
able Supply Chain Management.
6.2. Limitations and further research
These ndings were based an exploratory study with a single
case study design. The case analyzed presented several speci-
cities: a large gardening distributor which is not involved in any
design or production activities and which mostly purchases
standardized products for mass consumption markets. Hence,
the conclusions of this research cannot be generalized even
though some of them conrm previous ndings. Moreover, this
paper has focused on the upstream side of the supply chain
(supply network). As recommended by Carter and Carter (1998),
it is also important to analyze the downstream impact of
sustainable development on the supply chain. Further research
could therefore test the validity of these preliminary ndings and
enrich them with eld research on the downstream part of the
supply chain (demand network). Other research projects could
compare these preliminary ndings with other rms engaged in
10 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]]
sustainable development in other elds of activity (other distri-
butors or other industrial rms).
References
Agerri, F., Pezet, E., Abrassart, C., Acquier, A., 2005. Organiser le developpement
durable. Vuibert, Paris.
Andersson, P., Sweet, S., 2002. Towards a framework for ecological strategic
change in business networks. Journal of Cleaner Production 10, 465478.
Araujo, L., Dubois, A., Gadde, L.E., 1999. Managing interfaces with suppliers.
Industrial Marketing Management. 28, 497506.
Bakker, E.F., Kamann, D.J.F., 2007. Perception and social factors as inuencing
supply management: a research agenda. Journal of Purchasing and Supply
Management 13, 304316.
Baraldi, E., Bocconcelli, R., 2001. The quantitative journey in a qualitative land-
scape developing a data collection model and a quantitative methodology in
business network studies. Management Decision 39 (7), 564577.
Baraldi, E., Gregory, G.L., Perna, A., 2010. Developing and embedding eco-sustain-
able solutions: The evolution of the Leaf-House network. Proceedings of the
26th IMP Conference, 24 September, Budapest (Hungary).
Bengtson, A., Hadjikhani, A., 2010. Non-business actors in business networks.
Proceedings of the 26th IMP Conference, 24 September, Budapest (Hungary).
Berger, I.E., Cunningham, P.H., Drumwright, M.E., 2004. Social Alliances: Company/
non-prot collaboration. California Management Review 47 (1), 5890.
Blenkhorn, D.L., Banting, P.M., 1991. How reverse marketing changes buyerseller
roles. Industrial Marketing Management 20, 185191.
Boiral, O., 2006. Global warming: should companies adopt proactive strategy?
Long Range Planning 39 (3), 315330.
Brito, C., Roseira, C., 2003. A model for the understanding of supply chain
networks. Proceedings of the 19th IMP Conference, 46 September, Lugano
(Switzerland).
Campbell, J.L., 2007. Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways?
An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Manage-
ment. The Academy of Management Review 32 (3), 946967.
Capron, M., Quairel-Lanoizelee, F., 2004. Mythes et realites de lentreprise
responsable. Acteurs-Enjeux-Strategies, La Decouverte, Paris.
Carter, C.R., 2004. Purchasing and social responsibility: a replication and exten-
sion. The Journal of Supply Chain Management Fall 40 (4), 416.
Carter, C.R., Carter, J.R., 1998. Interorganizational determinants of environmental
pruchasing: Initial evidence from the consumer products industries. Decision
Sciences 29 (3), 659684.
Carter, C., Rogers, D.S., 2008. A framework of sustainable supply chain manage-
ment: moving toward new theory. International Journal of Physical Distribu-
tion & Logistics Management 38 (5), 360387.
Chanal, V., Lacroux, F., Mounoud, E., 2001. Vers une approche ingenierique des
conversations strategiques. In: Martinet, A.C., Thietart, R.A. (Eds.), Strategies,
actualite et futurs de la recherche. Vuibert, Paris, pp. 195210.
Cousins, P., Spekman, R., 2000. Strategic supply and the management of inter and
intra organizational relationships. Proceedings of the 16th IMP Conference, 7
9 Septembre, Bath (UK).
Daudin, M.L., Kadjar, H., 2010. Etude sur le reporting des grands groupes
internationaux en matie re dachats responsablesAnalyse de la communica-
tion externe de 125 entreprises asiatiques, americaines et europeennes du
Global 500. ORSE (Observatoire sur la Responsabilite Societale des Entreprises)
and ECOVADISSustainable Supply Management, September.
David, A., 2000. Logique, epistemologie et methodologie en sciences de gestion:
trois hypothe ses revisitees. In: David, A., Hatchuel, A., Laufer, R. (Eds.), Les
nouvelles fondations des sciences de gestion. Vuibert, Paris, pp. 83109.
De Burgos Jimenez, J., Cespedes Lorente, J.J.C., 2001. Environmental performance
as an operations objective. International Journal of Operations and Production
Management 21 (12), 15531572.
Dubois, A., Pedersen, A.C., 2002. Why relationships do not t into purchasing
portfolio modelsA comparison between the portfolio and industrial network
approaches. European Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 8,
3542.
Eisenhardt, K.M., 1989. Building theories from case study research. Academy of
Management Review 14 (4), 532550.
Elkington, J., 1998. Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of the 21st
Century. New Society Publishers, Stoney Creek, CT.
Foerstl, K., Reuter, C., Hartman, E., Blome, C., 2010. Managing supplier sustain-
ability risks in a dynamically changing environment - Sustainable supplier
management in the chemical industry. Journal of Purchasing & Supply
Management 16, 118130.
Ford, D., Gadde, L.E., Hakansson, H., Snehota, I., 2003. Managing Business Relation-
ships, second ed. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK.
Forgues, B., Vandangeon-Derumez, I., 1999. Analyses longitudinales. In: Thietart,
R.A. (Ed.), Methodes de recherche en management. Dunod, Paris, pp. 422448.
Freeman, R.E., 1984. Strategic management, a stakeholder approach. Pittman,
Massachusetts.
Gadde, L.E., Hakansson, H., 2001. Supply Network Strategies. IMP Group, John
Wiley & Sons, New York.
Gelderman, C.J., Van Weele, A.J., 2005. Strategic direction through purchasing portfolio
management: a case study. Journal of Supply Chain Management 38 (2), 3039.
Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002
Ghai, D., Vivian, J.M., 1995. Grassroots environmental action: peoples participa-
tion in sustainable development. Routledge, London.
Girin, J., 1990. Lanalyse empirique des situations de gestion: elements de theorie
et de methode. In: Martinet, A.C. (Ed.), Epistemologies et Sciences de Gestion.
Economica, Paris, pp. 141182.
Grawitz, M., 2001. Methodes des sciences sociales, eleventh ed. Dalloz, Paris.
Greer, J., Bruno, K., 1996. Greenwash: The Reality Behind Corporate Environment-
alism. Apex Press, New York.
Hadjikhani, A., Thilenius, P., 2005. Non-business actors in a business network: a
comparative case on rms actions in developing and developed countries.
Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Hakansson, H., Johanson, J., 1992. A model of industrial networks. In: Axelsson, B.,
Easton, G. (Eds.), Industrial Networks: A new view of reality. Routledge,
London, pp. 2834.
Hakansson, H., Snehota, I., 1995. Developing Relationships in Business Networks.
International Thomson, London.
Handeld, R.B., Walton, S.V., Seegers, L.K., Melnyk, S.A., 1997. Green value chain
practices in the furniture industry. Journal of Operations Management 15,
293315.
Handeld, R., Walton, S.V., Sroufe, R., Melnyk, S.A., 2002. Applying environmental
criteria to supplier assessment: a study in the application of the analytical
hierarchy process. European Journal of Operational Research 141, 7087.
Hartman, C.L., Hofman, P.S., Stafford, E., 1999. Partnerships: a path to sustain-
ability. Business Strategy and the Environment 8 (5), 255266.
Helfat, C.E., 1997. Know how and asset complementary and dynamic capability
accumulation: the case of R&D. Strategic Management Journal 18 (5), 339360.
Klosterman, J., Cramer, J., 2006. The contextual meaning of sustainable develop-
ment: the case of the Dutch drinking water sector. Sustainable Development
14, 268276.
Kourula, A., 2010. Corporate engagement with non-governmental organizations in
different institutional contextsa case study of a forest products company.
Journal of World Business 45 (4), 395404.
Kraljic, P., 1983. Purchasing must become supply management. Harvard Business
Review 61 (5), 10711074.
Krause, D.R., Vachon, S., Klassen, R.D., 2009. Special topic forum on sustainable
supply chain management: Introduction and reections on the role of
purchasing management. Journal of Supply Chain Management 45 (4), 1824.
Linton, J.D., Klassen, R., Jayaraman, V., 2007. Sustainable supply chains: an
introduction. Journal of Operations Management 25, 10751082.
Martinet, A.C., Payaud, M., 2008. Le developpement durable, vecteur et produit
dune regeneration de la gouvernance et du management strategique: Un
cadre theorique integrateur. Management International, 1325.
Mattsson, L.G., 1984. An application of a network approach to marketing:
defending and changing market positions. In: Dholakia, N., Arndt, J. (Eds.),
Changing the Course of Marketing. Alternative Paradigms for Widening
Marketing Theory, Suppl. 2. JAI Press, Greenwich, Conn, pp. 263288.
McIvor, R., 2000. A practical framework for understanding the outsourcing
process. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 5 (1), 2236.
Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M., 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis, 2nd edition Sage,
Thousand Oaks, CA.
Pagell, M., Wu, Z., Wasserman, M.E., 2010. Thinking differently about purchasing
portfolios: an assessment of sustainable sourcing. Journal of Supply Chain
Management 46 (1), 5773.
Pasquero, J., 2008. Entreprise, developpement durable et theorie des parties
prenantes: Esquisse dun arrimage socio-constructionniste. Management
International 12 (2), 2747.
Perez-Aleman, P., Sandilands, M., 2008. Building value at the top and the bottom of
the global supply chain: mnc-ngo partnerships. California Management
Review 51 (1), 2449.
Richardson, G.B., 1972. The organisation of industry. The Economic Journal,
September, 883896.
Saviac, E., Mugnier, E., Goulin, N., 2010. Strategies dachats durablesEntre
saupoudrage et transformations profondes: Quel role pour les directions
achats? Ernst & Young Advisory July.
Savitz, A.W., Weber, K., 2006. The Triple Bottom Line. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
Sheth, J.N., Sharma, A., 1997. Supplier relationships: emerging issues and chal-
lenges. Industrial Marketing Management 26, 91100..
Schrivastava, P., 1995. The Role of corporations in achieving ecological sustain-
ability. academy of management. The Academy of Management Review 20 (4),
936960.
Sine, W., David, R.J., Mistuhashi, H., 2007. From plan to plant: effects of certica-
tion on operational start-up in the emergent independent power sector.
Organization Science 18 (4), 578594.
Stafford, E.R., Hartman, C.L., 1996. Green alliances: strategic relations between
businesses and environmental groups. Business Horizons 39 (2), 5059.
Stafford, E.R., Polonsky, M.J., Hartman, C.L., 2000. Environmental NGO-business
collaboration and strategic bridging: a case analysis of the Greenpeace-Foron
alliance. Business Strategy and the Environment 9 (2), 122135.
Suchman, M.C., 1995. Managing legitimacy: strategic and institutional approaches.
Academy of Management Review 20 (3), 571610.
Teece, D.J., 2007. Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and micro-founda-
tion of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal 28
(13), 13191350.
Teegen, H., Doh, J.P., Vachani, S., 2004. The importance of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) in global governance and value creation: an international
business research agenda. Journal of International Business Studies 35, 463483.
 F. Crespin-Mazet, E. Dontenwill / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management ] (]]]]) ]]]]]] 11

Theyel, G., 2001. Customer and supplier relations for environmental performance.
Greener Management International 35, 6169.
Vachon, S., Klassen, R.D., 2006. Extending green practices across the supply chain.
the impact of upstream and downstream integration. International Journal of
Operations and Production Management 26 (7), 795821.
Vachon, S., Klassen, R.D., 2008. Environmental management and manufacturing
performance: the role of collaboration in the supply chain. International
Journal of Production Economics 111 (2), 299315.
Van De Ven, A.H., 1992. Suggestions for studying strategy process: a research note.
Strategic Management Journal 13, 169188.
Walker, H., Di Sisto, L., McBain, D., 2008. Drivers and barriers to environmental
supply chain management practices: lessons from the public and private
sectors. Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management 14, 6985.
Walker, H., Phillips, W., 2009. Sustainable procurement: emerging issues. Inter-
national Journal of Procurement Management 2 (1), 4161.
WECD, 1987. World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Our
common future. Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York.
Wycherley, I., 1999. Greening supply chains: the case of the body shop interna-
tional. Business Strategy and the Environment 8 (2), 120127.
Yaziji, M., 2004. Turning gadies into allies. Harvard Business Review 82 (2), 110115.
Yin, R.K., 2003. Case Study Research, Design and Methods, third ed. Sage, Newbury
Park.
Young, A., Kielkiewicz-Young, A., 2001. Sustainable supply network management.
Corporate Environmental Strategy 8 (3), 260268.

Please cite this article as: Crespin-Mazet, F., Dontenwill, E., Sustainable procurement: Building legitimacy in the supply network.
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (2012), doi:10.1016/j.pursup.2012.01.002