Analyzing the CSR issues behind the supplier selection process using ISM approach

Due to the increased attention in recent years toward sustainability issues, supplier selection is a fundamental component of ensuring an efficient supply chain. Selecting a supplier is a burden for any firm, but the fireworks industry faces sustainability issues that are particularly important because of their environmental impact. All these concepts make the purchasing manager's job difficult. Selecting the best supplier based on its level of CSR is too difficult because no single study clearly explains the whole concept. A few research studies exist, but they typically address automobile, textile, or other manufacturing industries. Because CSR is an unstable issue and these issues underscore the supplier selection process that is vital to the fireworks industry, and we propose a model that is validated using an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach. Firework industries in south Asian countries generally have not properly employed CSR issues. Therefore, the proposed model addresses firework industry situated in the southern part of India. This study assists purchasing managers to identify the prime issue that underscores the selection of a supplier based on CSR. Based on that prime, managers can more responsibly and confidently make their supplier selection. This study can be extended by diversifying the CSR issues and by including other MCDM tools and it provides a manner to consider other supplier selection issues by implementing a hybrid approach with ISM. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.