Supply Chain Karma Score (SCKS): A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Ethical Footprint in Global Supply Chains
Keywords:
Supply Chain Ethics, Karma Score, Stakeholder Theory, Triple Bottom Line, Sustainable Procurement, Supply Chain Governance, Responsible Supply Chain Management.
Abstract
Despite the widespread use of ESG metrics, GRI guidelines, and supplier audit frameworks, current approaches to ethical performance measurement in supply chains often lack depth, consistency, and cultural relevance. These tools frequently prioritize investor transparency or compliance checklists while neglecting long-term moral accountability and relational stakeholder impacts. To address this gap, this paper introduces the Supply Chain Karma Score (SCKS)—a novel, culturally grounded conceptual framework inspired by the Eastern philosophy of karma, which emphasizes cause and effect over time. The SCKS evaluates the ethical footprint of firms through five interrelated dimensions: Labor Karma, Planet Karma, Governance Karma, Equity Karma, and Resilience Karma. Each dimension reflects a core domain of moral responsibility in global value chains, supported by indicative metrics that move beyond static compliance toward dynamic, consequence-based accountability. The framework is theoretically anchored in stakeholder theory, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), and virtue ethics, integrating moral philosophy with systems thinking to provide a holistic and scalable ethical assessment model. This study contributes to supply chain ethics literature by proposing a comprehensive tool for diagnosing ethical risks, enhancing sustainability benchmarking, and guiding strategic procurement decisions. It also lays the groundwork for future empirical research and policy development, particularly in emerging economies where institutional voids and moral governance deficits are most pronounced. By operationalizing karma into a measurable construct, the SCKS offers both scholars and practitioners a fresh lens to reimagine responsible supply chain management in an interconnected, ethically complex world.
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References
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Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
De Backer, K., Desnoyers-James, I., & Moussiegt, L. (2015). Reshoring: Myth or reality? OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 27. https://doi.org/10.1787/5jrs3sbcrvzx-en
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Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Capstone Publishing.
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Handra, T., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2023). The effect of human resource information systems (HRIS) and artificial intelligence on defense industry performance. IAIC Transactions on Sustainable Digital Innovation (ITSDI), 4(2), 155–163.
Huq, F. A., Stevenson, M., & Zorzini, M. (2016). Social sustainability in developing country suppliers: An exploratory study in the ready-made garments industry of Bangladesh. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 36(5), 616–637. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2014-0516
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Mani, V., Gunasekaran, A., Papadopoulos, T., Hazen, B., & Dubey, R. (2018). Supply chain social sustainability for developing nations: Evidence from India. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 125, 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.06.007
Melé, D. (2009). Integrating ethics into management. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(1), 227–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0108-y
Mkumbo, F. A. E., Ibrahim, A. R., Salleh, A. L., Sundram, V. P. K., & Atikah, S. B. (2019). The influence of supply chain practices and performance measurement practices on firm performance. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 8(3), 809–819.
Muhammad, M. S. H., Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2025). The impact of good citizenship dimension on supply chain sustainability. SMART Journal of Business Management Studies, 21(1), 26–37.
Muhammad, M. S. H., Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2025). The impact of good citizenship dimension on supply chain sustainability. SMART Journal of Business Management Studies, 21(1), 26–37.
Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Fathurahman, H., Ahmad, N. N., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2024). Consumer perspectives on the sustainability of the Malaysian palm oil supply chain: Awareness, price sensitivity, and certification impacts. Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics (MAJCAFE), 33, 408–436.
Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2024). Artificial intelligence-powered risk assessment in supply chain safety. Information Management and Business Review, 16(3S).
Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2024). Integrating resource-based theory and contingency theory for enhancing supply chain resilience in Malaysia: A post-pandemic analysis. Information Management and Business Review, 16(3S).
Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., Sundram, V. P. K., Jayamani, U., & others. (2024). Optimizing working capital management in supply chain finance: A multi-dimensional approach. Information Management and Business Review, 16(2), 44–52.
Narayanan, N. S. P. P., Rui, F., Sundram, V. P. K., & Irwan, I. (2025). Transforming higher education through supply chain management in cultivating industry-ready talent. South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, 34.
Narayanan, N., Ghapar, F., Chew, L. L., Sundram, V. P. K., Jayamani, U., & others. (2024). Measuring the unmeasured: Exploring the concept of “supply chain quotient” (SCQ). Information Management and Business Review, 16(2), 36–43.
Pagell, M., & Wu, Z. (2009). Building a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management using case studies of 10 exemplars. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 45(2), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2009.03162.x
Rao, A. (2011). Business spirituality: A new paradigm. Journal of Human Values, 17(2), 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1177/097168581101700204
Rasi, R. Z., Rakiman, U. S. R., Masrom, R. Z. R. M., Ratna, N., & others. (2022). A literature review on blockchain technology: Risk in supply chain management. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 50(1), 186–200.
Razak, A. R. A., Othman, A. A., & Sundram, V. P. K. (2015). The relationships of human success factor, information technology, and procurement process coordination on operational performance in the building construction industry – A proposed framework. Procedia Economics and Finance, 31, 354–360.
Robertson, C. J., Olson, B. J., Gilley, K. M., & Bao, Y. (2021). Cross-national ethics: Variations in ethical reasoning across cultures. Journal of Business Ethics, 171(1), 113–132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04346-y
Selvarajah, J, F. A. A., Krishnasamy, T., Sureshkumar, N., Narayanan, N. S. P. P., & others. (2025). Blockchain for transparency and trust in supply chains: A conceptual model. South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, 34.
Selvaraju, M., Bhatti, M. A., Sundram, V. P. K., & Azmir, S. (2019). The influence of critical success factors of Lean Six Sigma towards supply chain performance in the telecommunication industry, Malaysia. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 8(6), 1062–1068.
Sethi, S. P., & Schepers, D. H. (2014). United Nations Global Compact: The promise–performance gap. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(2), 193–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1749-5
Sheth, J. (2017). Spirituality and consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(3), 381–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2017.03.003
Sheth, J. (2017). Spirituality and consumption: New insights into cultural values and sustainability. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(3), 381–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2017.03.003
Silvestre, B. S. (2015). Sustainable supply chain management in emerging economies: Environmental turbulence, institutional voids and sustainability trajectories. International Journal of Production Economics, 167, 156–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.05.025
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Published
2025-08-11
How to Cite
Rajagopal, P., Selvam, M., Jayamani, U., Ibrahim, I., PP Narayanan, N., & Kaliani Sundram, V. P. (2025). Supply Chain Karma Score (SCKS): A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Ethical Footprint in Global Supply Chains. Information Management and Business Review, 17(2(I)S), 453-465. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v17i2(I)S.4622
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Research Paper
Copyright (c) 2025 Premkumar Rajagopal, M Selvam, Umahdevi Jayamani, Irwan Ibrahim, N.Sureshkumar PP Narayanan, Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram
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