Table 2 Firms and third-party...

Table 2

Firms and third-party organizations in the case study

Actors	SC position/role¹	Main products	Employees	Turnover	Size	Location of headquarter	Role of interviewee(s)²	Secondary material
TT1	Top-tier firm	Smartphones	11–100	€ 11–25 million	Medium	Europe	Managing director Resource efficiency manager	Blog, webpage
TT2	Top-tier firm	Smartphones	<10	<€ 5 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Sustainability report, webpage
TT3	Top-tier firm	Computer mouse	<10	<€ 5 million	Small	Europe	[No interview]³	Blog, newsletter, webpage
TT4	Top-tier firm	Electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Procurement manager	Sustainability report, webpage
TT5	Top-tier firm	Electronic vehicles	<10	>€ 5 million	Small	Europe	Chief executive officer #1 Chief executive officer #2	Blog, webpage
TT6	Top-tier firm	Electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Stakeholder manager	Corporate report, webpage
MT1	Mid-tier firm	Assembly services	11–100	n.a	Small	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
MT2	Mid-tier firm	Coatings for electronics	101–500	€ 11–25 million	Medium	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
MT3	Mid-tier firm	Connectors and cables	101–500	€ 26–50 million	Medium	Europe	Managing director HR manager	Flyer, webpage
MT4	Mid-tier firm	Semiconductors	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	CSR manager	Sustainability report, webpage
MT5	Mid-tier firm	Capacitors	11–100	€ 5–10 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
MT6	Mid-tier firm	Plastic parts and components	11–100	€ 5–10 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Blog, webpage
MT7	Mid-tier firm	Various intermediates for electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Head of supply chain management	Sustainability report, webpage
MT8	Mid-tier firm	Various intermediates for electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Public relations director	Webpage
MT9	Mid-tier firm	Battery system for electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Head of supply chain management	Webpage
MT10	Mid-tier firm	Printed circuit boards (PCBs)	>501	€ 500 million to 1 billion	Large	Europe	Vice president	Webpage
LT1	Lower-tier firm	Tungsten smelter and refiner	101–501	€ 26–50 million	Medium	Europe	Project manager (mining international)	Due diligence report, webpage
LT2	Lower-tier firm	Gold refiner	101–501	€ 51–200 million	Medium	Europe	Chief operating officer	Sustainability report, webpage
LT3	Lower-tier firm	Solder (primarily out of tin)	11–100	€ 26–50 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
LT4	Lower-tier firm	Tin	>501	€ 500 million to 1 billion	Large	South America	Corporate business manager	Corporate report, webpage
LT5	Lower-tier firm	Tungsten	11–100	€ 26–50 million	Medium	Africa	Executive director	Annual public report, webpage
TP1	Third-party organization (standard & certification)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	South America	Development manager	Webpage
TP2	Third-party organization (NGO⁴)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	Europe	NGO member #1 NGO member #2	Webpage
TP3	Third-party organization (public-private partnership)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
TP4	Third-party organization (NGO)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	Europe	Policy advisor	Blog, webpage

Actors	SC position/role¹	Main products	Employees	Turnover	Size	Location of headquarter	Role of interviewee(s)²	Secondary material
TT1	Top-tier firm	Smartphones	11–100	€ 11–25 million	Medium	Europe	Managing director Resource efficiency manager	Blog, webpage
TT2	Top-tier firm	Smartphones	<10	<€ 5 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Sustainability report, webpage
TT3	Top-tier firm	Computer mouse	<10	<€ 5 million	Small	Europe	[No interview]³	Blog, newsletter, webpage
TT4	Top-tier firm	Electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Procurement manager	Sustainability report, webpage
TT5	Top-tier firm	Electronic vehicles	<10	>€ 5 million	Small	Europe	Chief executive officer #1 Chief executive officer #2	Blog, webpage
TT6	Top-tier firm	Electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Stakeholder manager	Corporate report, webpage
MT1	Mid-tier firm	Assembly services	11–100	n.a	Small	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
MT2	Mid-tier firm	Coatings for electronics	101–500	€ 11–25 million	Medium	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
MT3	Mid-tier firm	Connectors and cables	101–500	€ 26–50 million	Medium	Europe	Managing director HR manager	Flyer, webpage
MT4	Mid-tier firm	Semiconductors	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	CSR manager	Sustainability report, webpage
MT5	Mid-tier firm	Capacitors	11–100	€ 5–10 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
MT6	Mid-tier firm	Plastic parts and components	11–100	€ 5–10 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Blog, webpage
MT7	Mid-tier firm	Various intermediates for electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Head of supply chain management	Sustainability report, webpage
MT8	Mid-tier firm	Various intermediates for electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Public relations director	Webpage
MT9	Mid-tier firm	Battery system for electronic vehicles	>501	>€ 1 billion	Large	Europe	Head of supply chain management	Webpage
MT10	Mid-tier firm	Printed circuit boards (PCBs)	>501	€ 500 million to 1 billion	Large	Europe	Vice president	Webpage
LT1	Lower-tier firm	Tungsten smelter and refiner	101–501	€ 26–50 million	Medium	Europe	Project manager (mining international)	Due diligence report, webpage
LT2	Lower-tier firm	Gold refiner	101–501	€ 51–200 million	Medium	Europe	Chief operating officer	Sustainability report, webpage
LT3	Lower-tier firm	Solder (primarily out of tin)	11–100	€ 26–50 million	Small	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
LT4	Lower-tier firm	Tin	>501	€ 500 million to 1 billion	Large	South America	Corporate business manager	Corporate report, webpage
LT5	Lower-tier firm	Tungsten	11–100	€ 26–50 million	Medium	Africa	Executive director	Annual public report, webpage
TP1	Third-party organization (standard & certification)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	South America	Development manager	Webpage
TP2	Third-party organization (NGO⁴)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	Europe	NGO member #1 NGO member #2	Webpage
TP3	Third-party organization (public-private partnership)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	Europe	Managing director	Webpage
TP4	Third-party organization (NGO)	n.a	n.a	n.a	n.a	Europe	Policy advisor	Blog, webpage

Note(s): ¹Top-tier firms: Original equipment manufacturers located far downstream in the SC, with great public visibility and proximity to end-consumers; Mid-tier firms: Companies responsible for assembling and producing intermediates and final products; Lower-tier firms: Companies located far upstream in the SC, engaging in the trading, refining, and excavation of primary materials

²The two NGO members of TP2 were interviewed separately. Therefore, the single case study with 25 embedded units of analysis entails 25 semi-structured interviews, although no interview was conducted with TT3

³When being contacted to request an interview, the managing director of TT3 referred to the webpage and blog of the company, which are used to regularly communicate updates on sustainability measures, challenges, and shortcomings in their SC. The decision was made to include TT3 in the case study after a pre-assessment of the secondary material. Additional information about TT3 could be gathered through interviews with some companies (MT1, MT5, MT6, and LT3) in the data sample that are (sub-)suppliers of TT3

⁴Non-governmental organization (NGO)

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