Dynamic capabilities in sustainable supply chain management: An inter-temporal comparison of the food and automotive industries

Abstract This paper seeks to enrich the theoretical debate on dynamic capabilities (DCs) in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). By extending Beske et al.’s (2014) study, a systematic literature review was conducted, and articles matching our inclusion criteria were analyzed from 2002 to 2018. Yet, two major additions are made. For the first time, two distinctive sectors, i.e., the food and automotive industry, are compared. Furthermore, a temporal perspective is provided by comparing two time periods (2002–2013 and 2014–2018) based on content as well as quantitative contingency analyses. The results for the food sector indicate a shift from “standards and certifications,” a central construct within the 2002–2013 sample, to proactive strategies aiming for the integration of stakeholders in the 2014–2018 sample. Similarly, the findings of the automotive industry indicate a shift from monitoring to joint development and knowledge management. Based on our comparison, the SSCM debate in the food industry appears more diverse in terms of practices and capabilities employed. In contrast, the analysis for the automotive industry indicates a focus on SCM elements instead of a comprehensive SSCM view. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply an intra- and inter-sectoral analysis combined with a temporal analysis within the SSCM domain. This provides evidence that the methodological approach taken allows distinguishing among both time periods and industries.