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SUMMARY:Public defence of a doctoral dissertation: Lisa Heldt
DESCRIPTION:Contact: lisa.heldt@iiiee.lu.se\n\nTitleEmbracing the Mess? Bui
 lding Sustainability and Resilience at Supply Chains’ Upstream End. Insi
 ghts into Digital Technologies\, Dynamic Capabilities and Complex Adaptive
  Systems.&nbsp\;AbstractThe upstream ends of global supply chains – wher
 e raw material extraction or production takes place – are often hotspots
  for severe sustainability issues such as deforestation\, biodiversity los
 s and human rights violations. Companies are under growing scrutiny from r
 egulators\, investors and civil society to ensure upstream-end supply chai
 n sustainability. Yet\, companies typically lack visibility beyond their d
 irect suppliers\, not to speak of the extreme upstream end in opaque\, com
 plex\, dynamic supply chains. This dissertation places upstream-end sustai
 nable supply chain management at the center of investigation\, exploring h
 ow companies manage sustainability deep in their supply chain and to what 
 extent digital technologies such as blockchain or satellite technology ena
 ble this process. The dissertation specifically draws on the theoretical l
 enses of dynamic capabilities\, complex adaptive systems and supply chain 
 resilience to understand and explain how companies navigate complex upstre
 am dynamics to effectively manage sustainability and tap connected opportu
 nities. Drawing on three empirical studies that combine case studies and l
 ongitudinal process research across supply chains forforest-risk commoditi
 es (e.g.\, palm oil) and critical minerals (e.g.\, cobalt) as well as one 
 transdisciplinary discussion article\, the thesis provides real-world insi
 ghts into how companies identify\, monitor\, and manage sustainability ris
 ks upstream. The findings demonstrate that while digital technologies such
  as blockchain and satellite monitoring can significantly enhance traceabi
 lity and on-the-ground transparency\, they are not standalone solutions. E
 ffective sustainability management requires companies to develop dynamic c
 apabilities\, foster cross-tier collaboration – including with upstream 
 suppliers – and navigate emergent system dynamics rather than relying so
 lely on top-down control mechanisms. Moreover\, the research highlights th
 at narrowly focused\, supply chain-specific sustainability efforts can hav
 e unintended consequences for broader landscape-level resilience\, thereby
  ultimately undermining both environmental and business outcomes. By empir
 ically grounding the role and limitations of digital technologies in multi
 -tier (and particularly upstream-end) sustainable supply chain management 
 and foregrounding the agency of upstream-end actors\, this dissertation ad
 vances understanding of how companies can leverage digital technology to b
 uild sustainability and resilience in an increasingly complex and dynamic 
 supply chain environment.Link to Lisa's dissertation is here.\n\nMore info
 rmation about the event: https://www.iiiee.lu.se/calendar/public-defence-d
 octoral-dissertation-lisa-heldt
DTSTART;TZID=GMT:20250613T070000
DTEND;TZID=GMT:20250613T100000
LOCATION:IIIEE Aula
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