Role of Sustainable Supply Chain Practices in Operational Efficiency of Emerging Firms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66348/brr.26.v1.n1.a7Keywords:
Sustainable Supply Chain Practices; Operational Efficiency; Supply Chain Integration; Techno-logical Adoption; Emerging Firms; China; PLS-SEM; Green Supply Chain; Digital Transformation; Supply Chain ManagementAbstract
This study examines the impact of Sustainable Supply Chain Practices (SSCP) on Operational Efficiency (OE) in emerging firms in China, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of Supply Chain Integration (SCI) and Technological Adoption (TA). Drawing on data collected from 400 respondents across manufacturing, service, and technology sectors, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS to test the proposed relationships. The results reveal that SSCP has a significant positive effect on OE, both directly and indirectly. Furthermore, SSCP significantly enhances SCI and TA, which in turn contribute positively to OE. Mediation analysis confirms that both SCI and TA partially mediate the relationship between SSCP and OE, indicating that sustainability improves performance through improved coordination and digital transformation. The model demonstrates strong explanatory and predictive power, with substantial R² and Q² values, confirming its robustness. The findings highlight that sustainable supply chain management is not only an environmental strategy but also a key driver of operational excellence in emerging economies. The study contributes to the resource-based view and dynamic capability theory by positioning sustainability as a strategic capability that fosters integration and technological advancement. Practical implications suggest that managers should integrate sustainability with digital and collaborative supply chain strategies to enhance efficiency. Policy-makers are encouraged to support green and digital transformation initiatives simultaneously to improve industrial competitiveness. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how sustainability-driven supply chain practices enhance operational efficiency in emerging firms.
Received: 2026-03-26 | Revised: 2026-05-19 | Accepted: 2026-06-02 | Published: 2026-06-03
Declarations
Ethics and Guidelines: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and ethically approved by the Institutional Review Board of Bangladesh Maritime University (Approval Number: 2435-323-567) on [Date: 24-05-2025]. The ethical approval specifically covers the research procedures and data collection activities conducted for this study.
Consent to participate: Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Consent was obtained using a standardized written form, signed by each participant before participation in the survey.
Consent to publish: The authors have provided consent to publish.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Data availability statement: Data will be made available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Clinical Trial Number: Not Applicable.
Declaration of using generative AI: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used ChatGPT in order to correct the grammatical errors. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the published article.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, E.H., M.M.J., and N.R.A.R.; methodology, E.H., M.M.J., and N.R.A.R.; formal analysis, E.H., M.M.J., and N.R.A.R.; writing original draft preparation, E.H., M.M.J., and N.R.A.R.; writing, review and editing, E.H., M.M.J., and N.R.A.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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