A Scientometric Analysis of Research in Responsible Sourcing in the Construction Industry

Abstract

There is currently a drive towards sustainable buildings world-over. Considering the definition of sustainability, sustainable buildings need to demonstrate their performance in respect of environmental, ethical, social, and economic perspectives. One of the challenges for sustainable buildings is to demonstrate to all interested parties that the products and materials contained in any construction phase have been sourced responsibly. Issues concerning the welfare of workers, health and safety practices and environmental sustainability in the upstream supply chains, have brought the question of responsible sourcing to the fore. While other industries such as retail and food have embraced
responsible sourcing, this has been slow in the construction industry. Responsible sourcing requires that companies take into account a triad of environmental, economic and social sustainability when managing relationships with suppliers. Although there have been studies on responsible sourcing in the construction industry, there is a limited review that evaluates the current state of research on this subject. The objective of this paper is therefore to undertake a comprehensive literature review of research papers relating to responsible sourcing in the construction industry using bibliometric analysis. While the focus of the analysis is on the main research areas, issues such as timeline trends, authorship, research outlets and research topics are explored. The results of the analysis provide a domain knowledge map of research on responsible sourcing in the construction industry and the identification of knowledge gaps for future research.