Supply chain finance has received increasing attention. The combination of sustainable development and supply chain finance requires a deeper discussion to address the theoretical and managerial gaps. Thus, this study adopts the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (fuzzy TOPSIS) to develop a sustainable supply chain finance model under uncertainty to identify the existing problems and deficiencies of financing patterns. Expert assessments were performed, and the results indicate that economic factors have a significant effect on other aspects and that delivery management policies are the most effective tools for reinforcing sustainable supply chain finance practices. Moreover, the findings provide a theoretical foundation that can reinforce the understanding of sustainable supply chain finance, and the managerial implications provide a precise guideline for firms to improve their performance.

Introduction

Vietnam’s textile industry has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years, and as a result, it has generated numerous employment opportunities nationwide. In addition, this industry plays an important role in the layout of the worldwide sustainable supply chain. To improve sustainable development (SD), Vietnamese textile firms have been aggressive in balancing the triple bottom line (TBL). Ahi and Searcy (2013) presented, the SD principles require significant political engagement due to the constant requirement for seeking equilibrium among the TBL aspects (i.e., economic, environmental and social aspects). The TBL offers a comprehensive method of evaluating these aspects (Lozano, 2012). For example, organizations can benefit from cost reductions, reputation improvements, and resource savings by solving environmental issues (Tseng et al., 2018). Hence, these issues have become important to firms because their stakeholders, such as regulatory authorities, customers, competitors, non-governmental organizations, and employees, are increasingly demanding that firms address issues pertaining to environmental and social sustainability in their business operations (Carter & Easton, 2011). However, previous studies of supply chain finance (SCF) focused on economic aspects have failed to address the social and environmental dimensions. Sustainable Supply Chain Finance (SSCF) helps to establish the connection and build equilibrium among the TBL aspects. To efficiently enhance SSCF, an analysis that can identify the relationships among the TBL parameters and the factors necessary for improvement is essential. In the literature, SD is defined as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland Commission, 1987). SD possesses the complexity, dynamism and uncertainty features that exist in the context of economic and human activities. This complexity is manifested via interactions between the social aspects, such as companies and projects, and the environmental aspects, each of which has evolving properties that together compose the world of SD (Roome, 2013; Rammel and van den Bergh, 2003). Furthermore, SD addresses the integrated TBL of activities that create value for the project and the parent organization and thus simultaneously contribute to the sustainable world and sustainability (Keeys and Huemann, 2017). On the one hand, SCF is one of the key categories of finance (He and Tang, 2012). Given the benefits of SCF, the decision to adopt and promote SCF increases the exposure and willingness of the suppliers’ executives to explore and adopt SCF (Wuttke et al., 2016).