Nexus Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable performance in the manufacturing industry with circular economy, supply chain integration, resilience and environmental dynamism

PurposeThis paper analyses the effect of circular economy practices on sustainable supply chain performance. The study explores the impact of mediating variables such as supply chain flexibility and capabilities and the moderating role of supply chain integration in the relationship between circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain performance in Indian manufacturing firms. The study builds on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to conceptualise circular economy practices that influence supply chain capabilities, integration and flexibility, impacting sustainable supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted an online survey questionnaire distributed to managers of Indian manufacturing firms adopting circular economy practices. The data were analysed using SPSS Amos 25 and PROCESS macros.FindingsThe results suggest a positive impact of circular economy practices on sustainable supply chain performance in manufacturing firms. In addition, a supply chain manager's relationship with retailers is improved in the presence of supply chain capabilities and flexibility. Supply chain integration further strengthens this relationship as a moderating variable.Originality/valueBy examining the literature on circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain management, this study contributes to bridging the gap between supply chain capabilities, integration and flexibility using the S-O-R model. This study is possibly among the first to explore and provide empirical evidence on how circular economy practices in manufacturing firms can impact supply chain managers' experiences and thus help to improve environmental well-being. Both academics and business professionals might find these contributions interesting.

Nexus between technology enabled supply chain dynamic capabilities, integration, resilience, and sustainable performance: An empirical examination of healthcare organizations

ABSTRACTIn the era of digital transformation (DT), achieving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) has become a strategic imperative for manufacturing firms. While DT is widely recognized as a key enabler of sustainability, its specific influence on SSCP, particularly through the mediating roles of supply chain agility (SCA), supply chain resilience (SCR), and supply chain collaboration (SCC), remains underexplored. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities view (DCV), this study examines how DT impacts SSCP by conceptualizing SCA, SCR, and SCC as mediating capabilities. A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing survey data collected from 214 managers in Saudi Arabia's manufacturing sector. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM). The results indicate that DT positively affects SCA, SCC, and SCR, and also exerts a direct positive effect on SSCP. Furthermore, these three capabilities partially mediate the relationship between DT and SSCP, suggesting that digital technologies enhance sustainability outcomes by strengthening internal supply chain capabilities. This study extends the DCV framework by validating the mediating roles of SCA, SCR, and SCC in the relationship between DT and SSCP. From a practical standpoint, the findings offer actionable insights for manufacturing firms aiming to improve sustainability performance by leveraging digital tools, fostering collaboration, and enhancing agility and resilience.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of a firm’s supply chain capabilities on supply chain resilience, and the impact of supply chain resilience on sustainable supply chain performance in a data-driven business environment. The study also aims to explore the function of supply chain resilience in mediating the relationship between a firm’s supply chain capability and sustainable supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were acquired through a survey of 310 managers of small- and medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries across Bangladesh. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsA firm’s supply chain capabilities include information technology, leadership and collaboration. Supply chain capability is positively associated with supply chain resilience. The resilience of a firm’s supply chain is also positively correlated with its sustainable supply chain performance. Supply chain resilience plays a mediating role in the relationship between a firm’s supply chain capabilities and its sustainable supply chain performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a theoretical contribution by corroborating practical knowledge focusing on firms’ supply chain capability, supply chain resilience and sustainable supply chain performance by using a resource-based view and dynamic capability theory – a relevant and unexplored subject in the supply chain literature – and proposes several opportunities for future research.Practical implicationsThe results highlight the study’s managerial and social relevance from the perspective of firms in developing countries. As firms shift toward an online environment, managers and decision-makers need to make strategic decisions, as they did to overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19.Originality/valueThe study’s findings demonstrate that firms’ supply chain capabilities can be leveraged to increase supply chain resilience. Firms’ resilience during COVID-19 allowed them to avoid losses and to improve their supply chain’s sustainable performance. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, their complex higher order model is a unique contribution to the literature on firms’ supply chain capability and extends previous research on this topic.

This study investigated the impact of blockchain-driven supply chain analytics on the dimensions of lean, agile, resilient, green, and sustainable (LARGS) supply chain management, as well as supply chain innovation (SCI) and sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). The research involved 262 managers and vice presidents of supply chains from large- and medium-sized manufacturing companies listed in the Tehran Stock Exchange. A hybrid approach utilizing structural equations modelling with partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) technique was employed for data analysis. The findings demonstrated a significantly positive effect of blockchain-driven supply chain analytics on SCI, the LARGS supply chain, and SSCP. Additionally, SCI exhibited a significantly positive impact on the LARGS supply chain and SSCP. Moreover, the LARGS supply chain was shown to have a significantly positive influence on SSCP. Both SCI and the LARGS supply chain played positive and significant mediating roles in the impact of blockchain-driven supply chain analytics on SSCP. Furthermore, the LARGS supply chain also acted as a significant mediator in the effect of SCI on SSCP. Lastly, SCI had a positive and significant mediating role in the impact of blockchain-driven supply chain analytics on the LARGS supply chain. In conclusion, it can be inferred that blockchain-driven supply chain analytics contributes to the enhancement of SSCP through the facilitation of SCI and the promotion of LARGS supply chain principles.

This study examined the association between digital transformation (DT), supply chain integration (SCI), and overall sustainable supply chain performance (OSSCP). The current literature has preliminarily explored the concepts of DT and SCI and their relationship with sustainable supply chain performance. However, real empirical evidence of the direct impact of DT and SCI on OSSCP has been missing so far. To fill this gap, data were collected from 134 professionals working in international manufacturing companies operating in Morocco through a questionnaire-based survey from August 2022 to November 2022. A conceptual framework was developed based on DT, SCI, and OSSCP and analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the assistance of SmartPLS 4.0 software. The findings revealed that DT has a significant positive influence on SCI and OSSCP. Furthermore, SCI directly and positively impacts OSSCP with a partial mediation effect on the relationship between DT and OSSCP. Further, this research provides insights for practitioners into enhancing sustainable supply chain performance by adopting digital technologies and integrating SC functions. In particular, this study revealed that DT adoption drives a higher ethical supply chain level from the perspective of sustainability and efficiency in operations. This study is the first to analyze the influence of digital transformation and supply chain integration on sustainable supply chain performance in a manufacturing context.

Purpose The study investigated the relationship between digital supply chain (DSC) and sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via the lens of supply chain integration (SCI) and information sharing (IS). This study concentrates more on the mediating role of SCI and IS in the link between DSC and SSCP that no research has mentioned before. Design/methodology/approach This research figures out how the DSC impacts the performance of the organization and the supply chain. By employing a carefully designed questionnaire to gather data, a quantitative methodology was employed. Managers at the senior and medium levels were the responders who were targeted. There are 467 valid replies gathered from the primary survey. The data results were used in the analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The findings imply that SCI’s function in the information-sharing process is crucial as it fosters cooperation, coordination and connectivity throughout the DSC. Furthermore, the study’s conclusions offer helpful information on how businesses might enhance supply chain performance through information exchange. Businesses are constantly concentrating on the role that the DSC plays as a catalyst for sustainable growth and are improving supply chain performance through SCI and information exchange. Originality/value This study highlights the gaps and unexplored themes in the existing literature, catalogs the DSC published in the main logistics journals and helps people recognize and appreciate this kind of work. It also has the potential to contribute to future research on SSCP. Moreover, the novelty research is further reinforced by the coverage of the newfound mechanism, where SCI and IS mediate the relationship between DSC and SSCP, directly and positively enhancing SSCP.

This study examines the effect of internal dynamic capabilities i.e., digital leadership, environmental awareness, and organizational learning, on sustainable supply chain performance as studied in the logistics sector. It builds on the Dynamic Capabilities Theory by combining notions of green innovation and sustainability and fills the growing gap in the existing literature. Despite the fact that these domains have been extensively studied independently, there has been limited research examining how internal capabilities contribute to green supply chain innovation (GSCI) that in turn results in sustainability outcomes, especially in the case of emerging markets. Seven hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis of data collected from 312 logistics and supply chain professionals in Jordan. This study shows that each of the three capabilities has a major effect on GSCI and therefore sustainable performance. Linking the most influential predictor of sustainability outcome to sustainable supply chain performance, as indicated by the strongest effect (β = 0.825, p < 0.001) between GSCI and sustainable supply chain performance, and followed by significant coefficients between the sustainable information processing (β = 0.261, p < 0.01), and information capabilities (β = 0.297, p < 0.001), indicates that the theory is more suited to GSCI. In particular, digital leadership had the largest impact on the green innovation (β = 0.481, p < 0.001), indicating that the role of digitally driven leadership is to facilitate eco-innovation. In addition, this intermediate factor, GSCI, serves as a variable that mediates relationships between the capabilities and the sustainability outcomes. As the results here suggest, leveraging internal capabilities is a very tangible channel for green innovation that has important ramifications for practitioners and policymakers facing resource constraints.

Impact of industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable supply chain performance: The mediating role of green supply chain management practices and circular economy

A multi-criteria model of supply chain sustainability assessment and improvement for sugarcane agroindustry

Blockchain can solve the problems that the agriculture supply chain (ASC) is facing to achieve sustainable growth. In a nation like India, blockchain application in the supply chain is still new; therefore, supply chain players need a better understanding and awareness of blockchain through valuable insights. This article aims to study the mediating role of blockchain technology adoption (BLCT) for sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). This study investigates the influence of numerous factors such as green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risk, performance expectancy, top management support, cost, internal and external environmental conditions, regulatory support, and innovation capability on BLCT adoption. A sample of 316 respondents from Indian ASC industries was collected, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. This study's outcomes show that green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risks, internal and external conditions, regulatory support, innovation capability, and cost positively influence BLCT adoption. Moreover, BLCT positively influences sustainable agriculture supply chain performance. This article is valuable for policymakers, managers, service providers, researchers, and academicians to understand the role of factors in influencing BLCT and BLCT's role in improving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP).

PurposeFresh and short food supply chains in grocery quick commerce (q-grocery FSFSCs), while valued for swift delivery, face challenges in sustainability, resource efficiency and scalability. This study aims to redesign the last mile of q-grocery FSFSCs by identifying and validating a framework of applicable circular economy (CE) practices. Furthermore, the study assesses the impact of these practices across various sustainability dimensions to understand their level of contribution to sustainable livelihoods and supply chain resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a multi-phase approach. First, an integrative literature review identifies CE practices and strategies. Second, a survey gathers data on the relationship between these practices and strategies and their impact on sustainability. Third, the framework is validated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method in WarpPLS 8.0. Finally, k-means cluster analysis in Tableau 2019.4 groups CE practices based on their impact across five sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic, social, resource efficiency and scalability.FindingsThe study validates a framework and identifies high-impact CE practices, such as waste reduction, sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing, route optimization, sustainable processes and customer convenience. Medium-impact practices include energy efficiency, sustainable fleet, resale and redistribution and information flow. Low-impact practices cover composting, reverse logistics and appropriate storage.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings assist q-grocery companies to adopt CE practices and strategies that support sustainable livelihoods and strengthen supply chain resilience while offering policymakers guidance to promote circularity.Originality/valueThis study is unique in the exploration of the intersection of quick commerce, FSFSCs and CE principles, providing actionable insights for sustainability in the q-grocery industry.

PurposeIn reaction to the environmental challenge, many firms are looking for the ways how to integrate sustainability into their operations, business models and strategies. Very often sustainable initiatives go beyond the boundaries of a focal firm engaging a wide variety of partners within the supply chain. In conditions of countries with institutional deficiencies and voids such as emerging economies, the task of sustainability integration is challenging as many critical conditions needed for sustainability development are missing. To understand how firms can integrate sustainability initiatives in their supply chains under the conditions of environmental uncertainty, this paper aims to investigate firm-level and supply chain drivers that stimulate sustainability implementation in Russian firms.Design/methodology/approachUsing the sample of 273 large Russian firms the paper explores how firm-level drivers such as innovativeness, risk-taking and internationalization, as well as collaboration and integration in the supply chain are related to sustainability performance and sustainability transformation in supply chain. The hypotheses are tested using regression analysis and the bootstrapping technique.FindingsThe study indicates the positive association between sustainability performance and sustainability transformation of the firm and such strategic drivers as a firm’s innovativeness and internationalization. The positive moderating effect of environmental uncertainty was found for innovativeness indicating that innovative firms show better sustainable performance in the supply chain under uncertain conditions. Also, the findings indicate that environmental uncertainty positively moderates the relationships between a firm’s transformation for sustainability, its internationalization and supply chain integration and coordination.Originality/valueThe obtained results contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms that drive firms’ sustainability performance and transformation in conditions of emerging markets. The paper provides an adaptation and empirical testing of Silvestre’s (2015) theoretical model for sustainable supply chain management in emerging economies.

Purpose This study aims to investigate how Industry 4.0 technologies, artificial intelligence (AI)-based supply chain analytics and circular economy practices jointly influence sustainable supply chain performance, with net-zero supply chain as a mediating mechanism. It also examines the moderating roles of supply chain ambidexterity and environmental dynamism in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the dynamic capabilities theory and the natural resource-based view, a moderated mediation model was developed and tested using survey data from 420 managers in Iraq’s manufacturing sector. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to validate the model and test hypotheses. Findings The results reveal that Industry 4.0 technologies positively influence sustainable supply chain performance both directly and indirectly through the sequential mediating roles of AI-based supply chain analytics, circular economy practices and net-zero supply chain. While AI-based supply chain analytics have no direct impact on net-zero supply chain, their mediating and interaction effects are significant. Supply chain ambidexterity enhances the influence of Industry 4.0 technologies on AI-based supply chain analytics, and environmental dynamism strengthens the relationship between AI-based supply chain analytics and net-zero supply chain. These results confirm that digital and circular capabilities, when integrated and supported by organizational and environmental factors, can significantly enhance sustainability outcomes. Practical implications This study provides managers with a strategic roadmap for deploying AI, Industry 4.0 technologies and circular initiatives to achieve net-zero goals and improve supply chain sustainability. Emphasis is placed on investing in analytics, fostering ambidexterity and adapting to environmental uncertainty. Originality/value This is among the first studies, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to empirically test a comprehensive moderated mediation model linking Industry 4.0 technologies, AI, circularity and net-zero strategies to sustainability performance in an emerging economy context.

With the rapid expansion of platform-oriented business models, the sustainability of e-commerce platforms which integrate and match the upstream supplies and downstream demands has become increasingly important. This paper studies the enabling roles of integration and resilience on sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) of e-commerce platforms in China. A comprehensive survey for supply chain professionals from various e-commerce platforms is conducted, and 227 valid responses are obtained. Based on the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach, the findings suggest that: (1) supplier integration (SI), internal integration (II) and customer integration (CI) all actively promote supply chain resilience (SCR); (2) supplier integration (SI) and internal integration (II) directly promote SSCP, and customer integration (CI) hardly directly affect SSCP. However, II mediates the relationship between SI, CI and SSCP, and the positive role of CI on SSCP can be achieved through the mediating effect of II; (3) SCR directly promotes SSCP, while it also mediates the association among SSCI and SSCP. The results provide insights on how to differentiate the impacts of SI, CI, II and the role of SCR on SSCP.