Research Spotlight: Cigdem Ataseven

Associate Professor or Operations and Supply Chain Management, Cigdem Ataseven has coauthored a new study published in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, offering fresh insights into how organizations navigate sustainability challenges in their supply chains.

This work is a collaboration with CSU alumna and former doctoral student Alina Marculetiu, now an Assistant Professor at Youngstown State University, and CSU Emeritus Professor of Operations & Supply Chain Management Injazz Chen. The study extends Alina’s dissertation research and contributes important evidence to a rapidly evolving field.

About the Study

Organizations often treat sustainability barriers as isolated issues, but this research shows that their interactions matter. Drawing on stakeholder and coordination theories, the study analyzes how internal and external sustainability barriers shape supply chain sustainability collaboration—and, ultimately, triple bottom line (TBL) performance.

Key Findings

• Internal and external sustainability barriers interact and jointly influence organizational responses.
• Supply chain sustainability collaboration (SCSC) plays a mediating role, shaping how external barriers affect TBL outcomes.
• Internal barriers can have unexpected benefits, strengthening an organization’s ability to respond to external pressures.
• Proactively managing internal barriers can enhance collaboration and drive better sustainability performance.
• The findings offer actionable guidance for managers and policymakers working within globally connected supply chains.

Read the Publication

Access the full paper HERE