Covid-19′s fear-uncertainty effect on renewable energy supply chain management and ecological sustainability performance; the moderate effect of big-data analytics

Abstract

This research's scientific and theoretical significance is derived from the novel relationships studied. Our research studies the links between fear-uncertainty towards COVID-19 and the manufacturing firms' adaptation to the renewable-energy SCM procedures. In addition, we addressed the impact of renewable-energy SCM activities in achieving three-dimensional ecological sustainability performance in the Egyptian manufacturing sector during the pandemic. We investigated the BDA capabilities function during COVID-19 to improve the renewable-energy SCM practices in Egypt's manufacturing sector. This research used (PLS-SEM) on a sample of 506 manager-level employees. The results show that the fear-uncertainty towards COVID-19 positively affects renewable-energy SCM (T-statistics is 3.357), BDA moderates this relationship (T-statistics is 2.72), and renewable-energy SCM positively impacts environmental and social performance (T-statistics is 10.625, 21.081,). However, it has insignificant effect on economic performance (T-statistics is 0.732). Also, renewable-energy SCM has a significant mediation effect for the firm's environmental and social performance (T-statistics values equal to 3.063, 3.188). However, it has an insignificant mediation relationship regarding economic performance (T-statistics value is 0.688). Our research is limited as it focused on the manufacturing sector without considering other sectors. Also, based its sample on Egyptian developing market. Researchers could study renewable-energy SCM practices in more developed countries.