Table 3 SC stages: Extraction and... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3

SC stages:	Extraction and Refinement			Manufacturing		Retail and Use		Response strategies to sustainability tensions and divergent elements [* response practice presented in findings section]
Social-ecological goals (performing) Contradicting elements [context level of emergence]	Integration of disadvantaged producers and regions	Responsible sourcing of primary material	Traceability of ethical primary material	Ensure responsible manufacturing	Improve social-ecological performance	Longevity of consumer products	Sales of sustainable products to end-customers
vs. economic goals (economic performing)
competitive advantages and corporate secrets (Perform1) [SC]	_-	Top-tier firms (2/6)	Top-tier firms (4/6) Third parties (1/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6) Third parties (1/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6)	-	-	Synthesis:[no identified practices]. Separation:*Gradually increasing transparency (RP19)in SC through continuous efforts to gain information about sub-suppliers (horizontal and temporal separation) (TT2, TT3, TT5); Mass-balancing (RP20)for the integration of ethical minerals, instead of having to trace materials along the multi-tier SC (horizontal separation) (TT2). Contextualization:External contextualization (RP11)(TT3) and Internal contextualization (RP12)(TT3, TT5) of the challenges and tensions stemming from the protection of competitive advantages and corporate secrets by suppliers
meeting of customer demands (Perform2) [SC]	-	-	- -	- -	-	Top-tier firms (2/6)	-	Synthesis:*Technologically upgradable products (RP24)for being able to meet the technological expectations of end-customers (TT1, TT2); *Raising sustainability awareness (RP15)of end- customers to increase their appreciation for the taken sustainability efforts and shape their understanding of social-ecological topics (TT1, TT2). Separation:[no identified practices]. Contextualization:[no identified practices]
profit maximization (Perform3) [SC, organizational]	Top-tier firms ^(2/5) Third parties ^(1/4)	Top-tier firms (2/6) Lower-tier firms (3/5) Third parties (2/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6) Lower-tier firms (1/5)	Top-tier firms (3/6) Mid-tier firms (3/10)	Top-tier firms (3/6) Mid-tier firms (6/10) Third parties (1/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6)	-	Synthesis:*Certifications and standards (RP02)to reduce the organizational efforts and costs of monitoring the sustainability along multi-tier SCs (TT2, MT4, LT3); Industrial customer selection (RP21)for seeking business relationships with likeminded industrial customers interested in buying (more) sustainable products (MT6, LT3); Raising sustainability awareness (RP15)of industrial customers for receiving financial compensations and other forms of support (MT2, MT3, MT6, LT2, LT3); Supplier development (RP06)instead of terminating the business relationship for not having to invest in building up new business relationships if sustainability misconducts appear (TT4); *Supplier selection (RP07), e.g., based on the suppliers' institutional context or sustainability certificates held (TT3, TT4). Separation:Mass-balancing (RP20)for the integration of ethical minerals, instead of having to trace materials along the multi-tier SC (horizontal separation) (TT1, TT2); Selective monitoring and controlling (RP04)to reduce the organizational efforts and costs of monitoring sustainability along the entire multi-tier SC (horizontal separation) (TT1, LT2); Offering conventional and (more) sustainable products (RP23)for being able to sell products to a wide range of customers with different sustainability expectations and requirements (MT2, MT6, LT3); Strategic business alliances (RP10)to work on sourcing guidelines and sustainability standards on a systemic level for reducing the individual organizational efforts and costs of monitoring sustainability in SCs (vertical separation) (MT4, LT2). Contextualization:*External contextualization (RP11)(TT1, MT3, MT4, LT2) and *Internal contextualization (RP12)(TT1, TT2, MT2, LT3) of the challenges and tensions stemming from the additional organizational efforts and costs when aiming for social-ecological sustainability in SCs
minimizing risks (Perform4) [SC, organizational]	^{Lower-tier firms (3/5)} ^{Third parties (4/4)}	Mid-tier firms (1/10) Lower-tier firms (1/5) Third parties (1/4)	-	Mid-tier firms (1/10)	-	-	-	Synthesis:Certifications and standards (RP02)for ensuring minimum sustainability requirements when aiming for the integration of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries into SCs (LT2, LT5); Long-term relationships (RP14)with suppliers for reducing supply risks and disruptions by increasing the loyalty of disadvantaged producers with a short-term business horizon (LT1, LT2); *Monitoring and controlling (RP04)for ensuring minimum sustainability requirements when aiming for the integration of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries (LT1, LT2); Recycling materials (RP05)as alternative source to mitigate supply risks and disruptions when only sourcing from artisanal and small-scale miners with fluctuating outputs (LT1); *Supplier development (RP06)for the mitigation of supply risk and reputational risks by increasing the output and sustainability performance of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries (LT1, LT2). Separation: *Public-private partnerships (RP09)for addressing problems and risk at a larger systemic level when aiming for the integration of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries into SCs (vertical separation) (LT1, LT2), *Strategic business alliances (RP10)for reducing supply risks by expanding the sources of ethical minerals on a larger systemic scale (vertical separation) (LT1, LT2). Contextualization:*External contextualization (RP11)(LT1, LT2, LT3, LT5) and Internal contextualization (RP12)(MT9, LT1, LT2) of the challenges and tensions stemming from the goal of minimizing risks

SC stages:	Extraction and Refinement			Manufacturing		Retail and Use		Response strategies to sustainability tensions and divergent elements[* response practice presented in findings section]
Social-ecological goals (performing)Contradicting elements[context level of emergence]	Integration of disadvantaged producers and regions	Responsible sourcing of primary material	Traceability of ethical primary material	Ensure responsible manufacturing	Improve social-ecological performance	Longevity of consumer products	Sales of sustainable products to end-customers
vs. economic goals (economic performing)
competitive advantages and corporate secrets (Perform1) [SC]	_-	Top-tier firms (2/6)	Top-tier firms (4/6) Third parties (1/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6) Third parties (1/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6)	-	-	Synthesis:[no identified practices]. Separation:*Gradually increasing transparency (RP19)in SC through continuous efforts to gain information about sub-suppliers (horizontal and temporal separation) (TT2, TT3, TT5); Mass-balancing (RP20)for the integration of ethical minerals, instead of having to trace materials along the multi-tier SC (horizontal separation) (TT2). Contextualization:External contextualization (RP11)(TT3) and Internal contextualization (RP12)(TT3, TT5) of the challenges and tensions stemming from the protection of competitive advantages and corporate secrets by suppliers
meeting of customer demands (Perform2) [SC]	-	-	- -	- -	-	Top-tier firms (2/6)	-	Synthesis:Technologically upgradable products (RP24)for being able to meet the technological expectations of end-customers (TT1, TT2); Raising sustainability awareness (RP15)of end- customers to increase their appreciation for the taken sustainability efforts and shape their understanding of social-ecological topics (TT1, TT2). Separation:[no identified practices]. Contextualization:[no identified practices]
profit maximization (Perform3) [SC, organizational]	Top-tier firms ^(2/5) Third parties ^(1/4)	Top-tier firms (2/6) Lower-tier firms (3/5) Third parties (2/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6) Lower-tier firms (1/5)	Top-tier firms (3/6) Mid-tier firms (3/10)	Top-tier firms (3/6) Mid-tier firms (6/10) Third parties (1/4)	Top-tier firms (1/6)	-	Synthesis:Certifications and standards (RP02)to reduce the organizational efforts and costs of monitoring the sustainability along multi-tier SCs (TT2, MT4, LT3); Industrial customer selection (RP21)for seeking business relationships with likeminded industrial customers interested in buying (more) sustainable products (MT6, LT3); Raising sustainability awareness (RP15)of industrial customers for receiving financial compensations and other forms of support (MT2, MT3, MT6, LT2, LT3); Supplier development (RP06)instead of terminating the business relationship for not having to invest in building up new business relationships if sustainability misconducts appear (TT4); Supplier selection (RP07), e.g., based on the suppliers' institutional context or sustainability certificates held (TT3, TT4). Separation:Mass-balancing (RP20)for the integration of ethical minerals, instead of having to trace materials along the multi-tier SC (horizontal separation) (TT1, TT2); Selective monitoring and controlling (RP04)to reduce the organizational efforts and costs of monitoring sustainability along the entire multi-tier SC (horizontal separation) (TT1, LT2); Offering conventional and (more) sustainable products (RP23)for being able to sell products to a wide range of customers with different sustainability expectations and requirements (MT2, MT6, LT3); Strategic business alliances (RP10)to work on sourcing guidelines and sustainability standards on a systemic level for reducing the individual organizational efforts and costs of monitoring sustainability in SCs (vertical separation) (MT4, LT2). Contextualization:External contextualization (RP11)(TT1, MT3, MT4, LT2) and Internal contextualization (RP12)(TT1, TT2, MT2, LT3) of the challenges and tensions stemming from the additional organizational efforts and costs when aiming for social-ecological sustainability in SCs
minimizing risks (Perform4) [SC, organizational]	^{Lower-tier firms (3/5)} ^{Third parties (4/4)}	Mid-tier firms (1/10) Lower-tier firms (1/5) Third parties (1/4)	-	Mid-tier firms (1/10)	-	-	-	Synthesis:Certifications and standards (RP02)for ensuring minimum sustainability requirements when aiming for the integration of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries into SCs (LT2, LT5); Long-term relationships (RP14)with suppliers for reducing supply risks and disruptions by increasing the loyalty of disadvantaged producers with a short-term business horizon (LT1, LT2); Monitoring and controlling (RP04)for ensuring minimum sustainability requirements when aiming for the integration of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries (LT1, LT2); Recycling materials (RP05)as alternative source to mitigate supply risks and disruptions when only sourcing from artisanal and small-scale miners with fluctuating outputs (LT1); Supplier development (RP06)for the mitigation of supply risk and reputational risks by increasing the output and sustainability performance of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries (LT1, LT2). Separation: Public-private partnerships (RP09)for addressing problems and risk at a larger systemic level when aiming for the integration of disadvantaged producers in high-risk countries into SCs (vertical separation) (LT1, LT2), Strategic business alliances (RP10)for reducing supply risks by expanding the sources of ethical minerals on a larger systemic scale (vertical separation) (LT1, LT2). Contextualization:*External contextualization (RP11)(LT1, LT2, LT3, LT5) and Internal contextualization (RP12)(MT9, LT1, LT2) of the challenges and tensions stemming from the goal of minimizing risks