Information processing in supply chain due diligence: from multi-stakeholder uncertainties to organizational needs

Purpose Supply chain due diligence (SCDD) entails substantial information processing. Drawing on organizational information processing theory (OIPT), this study aims to examine SCDD-related uncertainties and the resulting organizational needs for managing human rights and environmental information across supply chains. Design/methodology/approach A multistage qualitative approach is used, combining a structured literature review and exploratory expert interviews to identify and refine uncertainties in SCDD-related information processing. Thirty-six stakeholders from economic (textile, food and automotive), societal and intermediary domains were interviewed. A cross-stakeholder comparison revealed differences in the salience of uncertainty and in the conditions shaping organizational information needs. Findings Ten SCDD-related information processing uncertainties were identified. All are relevant across stakeholder groups and sectors, with several consistently emerging as central, and others varying in salience across different organizational contexts. This study thus reveals organizational characteristics and structural constraints that amplify or attenuate information processing needs. Practical implications This study advances OIPT research by foregrounding context-sensitive and legitimacy-oriented information processing in multi-stakeholder settings. It lays the groundwork for future research on how organizations deploy information processing mechanisms and capacities to address SCDD-related uncertainties. Originality/value This study conceptualizes SCDD requirements as information processing uncertainties, thereby advancing research at the intersection of due diligence regulation and organizational information processing.