4IR technology-enabled green supply chain management in China's manufacturing sector

초록

PurposeThis study develops a systematic framework which explains how technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) empower green supply chain management (Green SCM) and advance corporate sustainability objectives. Drawing on dynamic capability theory and coordination theory, the framework elucidates the relationships among a firm's green dynamic technological capability (GDTC), its inter-organisational smart green collaboration (SGC), and its internal smart green operations (SGO), positing a pathway through which these elements collectively enhance sustainable performance (SP).Design/methodology/approachThis study utilises a questionnaire to collect survey data from 291 Chinese manufacturing firms. The proposed hypotheses were tested and analysed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique.FindingsThe findings reveal that GDTC significantly enhances SGC and subsequently elevate the performance of SGO. Moreover, SGO directly and positively affect firms' SP, with this impact further supported and amplified by smart green collaboration.Originality/valueThis study develops an integrated theoretical framework for 4IR technology-enabled Green SCM by combining coordination and dynamic capabilities theories. It offers novel insights into how manufacturing firms can build and leverage GDTC to facilitate synergistic collaboration and internal operational upgrades. The findings contribute to both academic discourse and managerial practice by highlighting strategic pathways through which digital transformation and green initiatives can be jointly pursued to achieve sustainable performance.

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