Modelling Cause-and-Effect Enablers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management in India’s Marble Industry Using DEMATEL
This study employs a DEMATEL-based approach to analyze data from fourteen experts, identifying economic viability as the primary driver and water usage and waste management as key outcomes among nine critical enablers for implementing sustainable supply chain management in India's marble industry.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the world of business, a supply chain is simply the journey a product takes from raw material to the hands of a customer. For decades, companies focused almost entirely on speed and cost, moving goods as quickly and cheaply as possible. However, a shift has occurred. Modern businesses now recognize that this journey must also respect the environment and the people involved in it. This broader approach is called sustainable supply chain management. It asks a difficult question: how can a company remain profitable while also protecting the planet and ensuring fair, safe conditions for workers? The challenge is that these goals often seem to pull in opposite directions. Saving money might mean cutting corners on safety, while protecting the environment might require expensive new equipment. To solve this, researchers use tools that help map out how different parts of a system influence one another, identifying which actions will create a ripple effect of positive change throughout the entire organization.
India's marble industry offers a striking example of this tension. The state of Rajasthan produces the vast majority of the country's marble, a stone used in everything from homes to massive infrastructure projects. Yet, the process of turning rough stone into polished slabs is incredibly demanding. It requires heavy machinery, vast amounts of water, and generates tons of waste in the form of slurry and dust. When this waste is not managed correctly, it creates health hazards for local communities and damages the surrounding landscape. Despite regulations from pollution control boards, many companies struggle to adopt cleaner methods, often citing financial limits or a lack of technical know-how. A recent study set out to understand exactly what drives these companies to change. The researchers wanted to know which factors are the true engines of sustainability and which are merely the results of those engines working.
To find the answer, the team brought together fourteen experts from the marble industry and academia. These individuals, all with years of experience managing quarries and processing plants, were asked to map out the relationships between nine key factors that influence sustainability. These factors ranged from economic viability and waste management to worker safety and how a company chooses its suppliers. The experts did not just list these items; they explained how each one affects the others. For instance, they assessed whether having a flexible logistics system helps a company manage waste better, or if strong relationships with stakeholders lead to more efficient water usage. By analyzing these connections, the researchers could separate the factors into two groups: those that act as drivers, pushing the system forward, and those that act as outcomes, being pushed by the drivers.
The analysis revealed a clear hierarchy of influence. The most powerful driver, the factor that influences almost everything else, is economic viability. In simple terms, a company must be financially healthy to make any other sustainable improvements. When a marble firm is profitable, it has the resources to invest in better technology, hire safety experts, and buy cleaner equipment. Alongside financial health, other major drivers include how a company engages with its stakeholders—such as customers, regulators, and local communities—and how carefully it selects its suppliers based on green criteria. The flexibility of transportation and logistics also emerged as a key force. These four elements form the foundation; they are the active agents that shape the rest of the supply chain.
On the other side of the equation are the factors that are primarily results of these drivers. The study found that efficient water usage, effective waste management and recycling, and energy efficiency are not usually the starting points for change. Instead, they are the high-priority outcomes that happen when the drivers are working correctly. When a company is financially stable and has strong partnerships, it naturally becomes better at conserving water and recycling its waste. Similarly, worker health and safety improve when the system is driven by strong economic and strategic decisions. The researchers also noted that market uncertainty and energy efficiency in production tend to be effects rather than causes in this specific industry context. This distinction is crucial because it tells managers where to focus their energy. Trying to fix water usage or waste disposal in isolation often fails because the underlying drivers are not strong enough to support those changes.
The study suggests that for the marble industry to become truly sustainable, leaders must stop treating environmental and social goals as separate tasks to be checked off a list. Instead, they must view them as the natural result of a well-managed, profitable, and collaborative business. By prioritizing economic health, engaging deeply with stakeholders, choosing suppliers wisely, and keeping logistics flexible, companies create a system where environmental improvements happen automatically. This approach moves beyond the idea that sustainability is a cost to be endured. Instead, it frames sustainability as a capability that grows from a strong, adaptable business model. The findings offer a clear path forward for an industry that has long struggled to balance the demands of production with the needs of the environment and the people who live around it.
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