Examining the influence of industry 4.0 in healthcare supply chain performance: Moderating role of environmental dynamism

Abstract

Healthcare supply chain management (HCSCM) is a network of different systems, tools, and processes. This system works in a seamless manner to ensure healthcare related materials such as medicines, hospital supplies, and so on. These materials are manufactured in the firms, distributed through agents, and eventually reach patients on time. During COVID-19, HCSCM was severely impacted in many countries. Many patients had to face severe difficulties during the pandemic. But post pandemic and after the adoption of several modern technologies like Industry 4.0, the performance of HCSCM was more reliable. Not many studies are available which have examined the influence of Industry 4.0 in HCSCM during such a crisis. In such context, the study aims at examining the influence of Industry 4.0 in HCSCM with moderating role of environmental dynamism. A conceptual model is proposed with the support of theories and literature. This was later validated by PLS-SEM approach considering 312 respondents from people of HCSCM system. The study ascertained that Industry 4.0 has greatly improved the performance of HCSCM system after COVID-19 crisis. In addition, this study highlighted that environmental dynamism has a significant moderating role on the linkage between adoption of industry 4.0 technology with HCSCM.