Despite increasing attention and regulatory requirements, social issues and human rights abuses in raw material supply chains remain a serious concern. This research aims to shed light on the prevalence of conflict minerals in the supply chains of electronics companies, and thus the level of social sustainability of the supply chains. Based on the concept of nexus suppliers, this study analyses how measures of structural complexity influence the prevalence of conflict minerals at lower-tier suppliers (i.e. smelters or refiners). The results show a negative relationship between horizontal and geographical complexity and the percentage of conflict-free smelters or refiners. The study's findings highlight that reducing supply chain complexity, particularly in terms of the number of direct suppliers and the countries of origin of smelters or refiners, can reduce the supply of conflict minerals. The study also adds a new perspective to the nexus supplier theory.
