Navigating the Complexity: The Sustainability Challenges in Global Value Chains

This review examines the recent body of work in both economics and Management that assess the sustainability of international trade flows through the prism of the Global Value Chains (GVC) framework. On the economic side, we review the latest developments from the macro and micro levels, spotlighting the new accounting techniques and offering insights into the full social and environmental repercussions of supply chains. Despite advancements, the reliability of prevailing analytical frameworks raises concerns. At the micro-level, while emerging strategies suggest potential integrations, prevailing data challenges hinder their systematic implementation. From a Management standpoint, the field has developed several theoretical framework, but remains nascent in methodological structure and quantitative applications. Notably, despite calls from the academic community for interdisciplinary collaboration over the past decade, tangible progress in this direction remains limited. Nevertheless, the recent trend indicates a move towards academic convergence in tackling the intricate relationship between GVCs and sustainability.