Selection Criteria for Sustainable Suppliers in the Supply Chain of Copper Mining in Chile

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify the criteria for the selection of sustainable suppliers in the supply chain of copper mining located in the Antofagasta region in Chile, through the information obtained in the application of a survey managers  mining companies in 2018. The research results show that mining companies use economic, environmental and social criteria in the selection of sustainable suppliers, which are consistent with the research carried out by Dickson (1966) and Zimmer, Frohling and Schultmann ( 2016). However, the differentiation that mining companies make in the evaluation of criteria when it comes to suppliers of goods or service providers stands out as an important finding. In the case of suppliers of goods, economic criteria are valued more preferably, such as: quality, delivery on time, price, historical performance and previous sales. On the other hand, when it comes to service providers, environmental and social criteria, such as: occupational health and safety management and  environmental management, are valued with greater importance.