Constructing Distance to Scope 3 Emission Targets: Procurement Managers’ Meaning Creation Processes

This study examines procurement managers as active meaning-makers who devise coping strategies and supplier interaction strategies based on their interpretations of GHG emission reduction targets. Our analysis through the lens of symbolic interactionism offers new insights into the complexity of how Scope 3 emission targets travel across a supply network. In an effort to green the supply network, procurement managers construct their own symbolic and metaphorical systems to interpret targets. These systems have implications for their supplier interaction strategies. The findings from this paper provide necessary complements to existing supply chain management and procurement research, particularly emerging research on Scope 3 targets.