Assessing the eco-environmental performance: an PLS-SEM approach with practice-based view

Investigating business process management on environmental performance considering the mediating role of information technology

Businesses in the current world need to plan in light of rapidly evolving factors including technology, equipment, the competitive market, customers, etc. To address the ever-increasing environmental concerns, corporations have implemented new policies and procedures. In this research, we apply a technological intervention to analyze how the uncertain nature of business management affects environmental performance at Huangshi in Hubei. The study's focus, quantitative nature, and descriptive-analytical approach all make it a subset of applied research. The library study approach is used to gather data for the purpose of compiling theoretical underpinnings and research material. Statistical packages like SPSS and PLS are used to do both descriptive and inferential analyses on the data. The hypothesis was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study's findings revealed that BPM has a direct, beneficial, and statistically significant impact on corporate operations in terms of their impact on the environment ( β =  0.359, P < 0.05). A good and noticeable impact on environmental performance is also produced by the indirect management of business processes through the mediation of information technology. The path coefficient and t-statistic findings indicated a positive and substantial influence of business process management on information technology. There is a clear and substantial correlation between information technology and environmental performance ( β =  0.381, P < 0.05). Policy implications suggest that integrating BPM with IT solutions can significantly enhance environmental performance.

Mitigating the environmental concerns through total quality management and green manufacturing practices

This study seeks to explore the intricate relationship between total quality management (TQM) and environmental performance (EP), incorporating the mediating role of green manufacturing practices (GMPs). Additionally, the study examines the moderating impact of environmental strategy on the connections between GMPs and EP. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to managers of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and were subjected to analysis using structural equation modeling. The results reveal a positive and significant impact of TQM on EP. Furthermore, the findings suggest that GMPs partially mediate the association between TQM and EP, while the anticipated moderating effect of environmental strategy between GMPs and EP is also supported in this study. These outcomes hold valuable implications for enhancing the environmental performance of SMEs through the integration of TQM and GMPs. It is important to note that this research exclusively focuses on manufacturing SMEs; therefore, future studies should extend their examination of this concept to other industries. Additionally, the study's findings provide a valuable roadmap for SME administrators aiming to elevate their environmental performance.

Impact of internal identity asymmetry on employee's behaviors and feelings: A mediating role of psychological distress

Individuals may experience internal identity asymmetry when they feel misidentified and believe their colleagues do not recognize their work-related identities. This research examines the impact of internal identity asymmetry on their behavior and emotional outcomes at the workplace in Pakistan. Data was collected through a survey and received responses from 393 participants at different levels of management in various sectors of Pakistan. A partial least square-based structural equation modeling technique has been used to validate the proposed research model and develop hypotheses. The findings indicate that psychological distress has a positive indirect effect on both outcomes, such as individual work performance and well-being during personal and professional base asymmetries time. The result indicates that employees face psychological distress while experiencing internal identity asymmetries, which may decrease the performance and well-being of the employees. Findings highlight the importance of coping strategies in improving the performance and well-being of employees. Managers can be supportive in maintaining a positive workplace environment where individuals can have a more accurate self-perception and a better understanding of their colleagues' perspectives. This, in turn, enables them to adopt appropriate coping strategies to enhance both performance and well-being.

Does structural social capital lead to proactive green innovation? a three-part serial mediation model

Enhancing green innovation for business sustainability represents a pressing global challenge. In the context of the manufacturing industry, the relationship between proactive green innovation (PGI) and structural social capital (SSC) remains a profoundly under-researched area. Drawing upon the theories of social capital and dynamic capability (DC), this study investigated the relationship between SSC and PGI within manufacturing enterprises via three individual and sequential mediating factors, namely cognitive social capital (CSC), relational social capital (RSC), and DC. Adopting a cross-sectional quantitative design, this study collected survey data from 485 manufacturing sector employees in China using purposive sampling. Structural equation modeling analysis of the data revealed no significant direct impact of SSC on PGI, but a strong indirect impact through the sequential mediating influences of CSC, RSC, and DC. The findings suggests that PGI within manufacturing enterprises is not wholly shaped by SSC; rather, firm-level dynamic capabilities, characterized by a sequential mechanism, plays a crucial role in achieving PGI within these enterprises. This paper offers both theoretical and practical contributions and provides recommendations for future research based on its limitations.

The nexus between green intellectual capital, blockchain technology, green manufacturing, and sustainable performance

Enterprises across the globe are facing increasing pressure to effectively utilize resources and reduce costs through green supply chain practices. Emerging technology, such as blockchain technology which enables green practices, has become a contemporary industrial paradigm. However, enterprises need to build green intellectual capital to implement blockchain technology, which can be key to realizing green supply chain practices. This research examines the impact of green intellectual capital (GIC) on blockchain technology and its role in implementing green manufacturing to achieve sustainability. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized for assessing the proposed hypotheses, and cross-sectional data was accumulated from manufacturing firms. As per the results, GIC, which includes green human capital, green structural capital, and green relational capital has a crucial role in the implementation of blockchain technology. The outcomes also indicated that the adoption of blockchain technology significantly influences green manufacturing. Moreover, green manufacturing (GM) has a substantial role in improving business sustainability. This empirical research provides a deeper understanding of how GIC and blockchain technology contribute to the implementation of GM. This research also provides guidelines that managers, policymakers, and producers can use to facilitate the incorporation of GM practice into business activities.

Linking green supply chain management practices and environmental performance in the manufacturing industry: a hybrid SEM-ANN approach

This research determines the influence of green supply chain management practices (GSCM) on environmental performance. It also investigates the moderating role of supply chain environmental cooperation on GSCM practices and environmental performance relationships. A total of 370 employees of several Bangladeshi manufacturing companies were conveniently chosen as respondents. To verify the data validity and reliability and to test the hypotheses, we used SmartPLS. Finally, we employed an artificial neural network (ANN) to examine the relationship. Green design and green manufacturing have significant positive impacts on environmental performance, while green procurement and green distribution do not. Moreover, environmental cooperation moderates the relationships of green design and green distribution with environmental performance. The moderating effect of supply chain environmental cooperation in the relationship between GSCM practices and environmental performance in the manufacturing industry adds knowledge to the existing literature by incorporating a hybrid model combining PLS-SEM and ANN. Our study adds to the current body of knowledge by delving into the literature on GSCM from the perspective of Bangladesh's industrial sector. This study fills a knowledge gap by shedding light on the interactions of GSCM and environmental performance. Indeed, this study represents a step forward from classic linear regression-based models to an ANN-based nonlinear model. It also demonstrates new contributions to the literature on green supply chain management and environmental performance.

Decoupling the effects of air temperature change on soil erosion in Northeast China

Changes in the air temperature tend to indirectly affect soil erosion by influencing rainfall, vegetation growth, economic development, and agricultural activities. In this study, the partial least squares-structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used to decouple the impacts of temperature change on soil erosion in Northeast China from 2001 to 2019, and the indirect effect of temperature change on the pathways of natural and socioeconomic factors was analyzed. The results showed that temperature increase in Northeast China caused an increase in soil erosion by increasing rainfall and promoting economic development. Under the pathway of natural factors, in spring, the promoting effect on soil erosion under the influence of temperature change on rainfall was greater than the inhibiting effect on soil erosion under by the influence of temperature change on vegetation. In summer, the opposite effect was observed. Under the pathway of natural factors, over time, the promoting effect of temperature increase on soil erosion increased by 22.7%. Under the pathway of socioeconomic factors, temperature change not only aggravated soil erosion by promoting economic development, but also indirectly increased investments in agriculture and water conservation by improving the economy, thus inhibiting soil erosion to a certain extent. Over time, the contribution of temperature change to soil erosion through socioeconomic pathway was reduced by 44.4%. When the pathway of natural factors is compared with that of socioeconomics factors, temperature change imposed a more notable effect on the change in soil erosion through the socioeconomic pathway, indicating that human activities are the driving factors with a greater effect on soil erosion. Based on this, reasonable human intervention is an important means to alleviate soil erosion aggravation caused by rising temperatures.

Legacy of culture heritage building revitalization: place attachment and culture identity

Introduction

Cultural heritage buildings are revitalized to promote culture instead of being neglected or demolished. For locals, the revitalization of heritage buildings symbolizes a commitment to the community and a taste of collective memory. The study attempts to test the effectiveness of heritage cultural building on visitors' post-experience behavior through cultural identity and place attachment. "Cultural activities engagement" and "knowledge transfer" serves as moderating attributes. Their moderating the effects on cultural identity and place attachment are examined, respectively.

Method

A valid sample size of 348 from four heritage buildings located in Hong Kong: Tai Kwun, Police Married Quarters (PMQ), Mei Ho House and The Mills. A data analysis platform for PLSSEM is chosen for this study.

Results

Results demonstrate that the effectiveness of heritage building revitalization on visitors' local cultural identity and emotions leading to place attachment.

Discussion

In our study, the effectiveness of heritage building encompasses three elements which includes appearance and components; technology and planning as well as contribution. Knowledge transfer positively moderates the effectiveness of heritage building revitalization and cultural identity. However, cultural activity engagement negatively moderates place attachment. Findings also exhibit that place attachment in heritage building revitalization leads to a positive experience extension. For the practical contribution, the study provides insights to policy makers and planners for historic building design such as appearance and components, technology in facilitating local visitors' local identity.

Analysis of the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on household solid waste management: An empirical study using PLS-SEM

The global increase in solid waste pollution due to economic growth and population growth has led to severe ecological deterioration. This situation is exacerbated by the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has significantly impacted consumer behavior and consumption habits. Proper management of solid waste has thus become critical in mitigating environmental degradation. In this study, we aim to examine the relationship between the outbreak of COVID-19, environmental attitudes (EATT), social norms (SN), environmental knowledge (EK), technological innovation (TI), and solid waste management (SWM) in Ecuadorian households during the pandemic. We collected data from 426 households in Ecuador using an online questionnaire and analyzed it using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model method to test the hypotheses. Likewise, we validated the measurement and structural model. The results are novel about SWM, considering a developing country severely affected during the pandemic. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 has a negative impact on SWM, while EATT, SN, and TI have a positive influence on SWM. However, we found that EK does not significantly affect SWM.

Green investment, institutional quality, and environmental performance: evidence from G-7 countries using panel NARDL approach

The foremost purpose of the study is to establish a point that an economy of G-7 countries has an abundance of resources to tackle the environmental changes that occur in the world, but these countries are still behind the line because in this modern era, environmental performance changes their shape, dimension, and nature very frequently and create a huge impact on globalization of world economy. To fill this gap, we use green investment, institutional quality, and economic growth on environmental performance for this, we use four proxies for green investment and three proxies for greenhouse gas, and we also use six proxies of institutional quality to do this using period of 1997 to 2021. Moreover, we have used the panel nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag method to evaluate the long-run and short-run asymmetric effects of green investment, institutional quality, and economic growth on greenhouse gas emissions. The findings of the study affirm that the positive change of green investment has a positive and significant relationship with environmental performance, while the negative change of green investment has a significant and positive influence with environmental performance in the long run. Furthermore, the outcomes demonstrate that the positive shock of institutional quality has a positive and significant relationship with environmental performance, while the negative shock of intuitional quality has a significant and positive association with environmental performance in the long run, whereas positive change in economic growth has a positive and significant with the environmental performance, while the negative change of economic growth has a positive effect with environmental performance in the long run. This study finds future precautions that institutional quality has to perform exceptionally and shows results very rapidly, while green investment with economic growth has also made a deadly combination to control greenhouse gas emission, so the role of G-7 countries is pretty clear and straight. Furthermore, it is suggested that governments and policymakers take a proactive stance to promote resource acquisition and investment across all industries. To reduce gas emissions, public interest might also be complementary to private ones. So, economic policymakers, specifically in G-7 countries, should consider strategies that support sustainable economic growth.

Governance of China's Potatso National Park Influenced by Local Community Participation

Conservationists recognize that protected areas (PAs) have limited prospects without the involvement and support of local people. As a governance strategy, community participation is to implement the coordinated development of communities and PAs. However, the effects of community participation on national park governance have rarely been tested. Therefore, the present study used a mixed-method approach that is derived from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) green list of protected and conserved areas (PCA) conservation outcomes framework, calibrated to the indigenous peoples and local communities' (IPLCs) self-assessments about the outcomes of community participation on national park governance to explore the community participation effects. Our results show that management efficiency controls governance outcomes. Potatso National Park's transformation from the tourism development model to national park is still ongoing, and there exists quite a few problems. We conclude that a successful national park governance as envisaged by the "ecological civilization" paradigm requires a balance of government regulation, participation of various stakeholders in decision-making and discussion, compensation, as well as sustainable access to environmental resources by the affected populations.

The rural consumer adoption of sustainable energy: a PLS-SEM-ANN approach of conceptual model development and cross-country validation of Pakistan and Malaysia

Sustainable and alternative energy sources of biofuel and solar power panel have been revolutionizing the lives and economy of many countries. However, these changes mainly occur in the urban areas and the rural population section has long been ignored by policy makers and government in the provision of energy. It is only recently that solar and biofuel are finally making in road to provide cheap and clean energy sources to rural population. As a result, literatures on consumer behavior of rural population towards sustainable energy sources are still very scarce. The present research aims to fulfill this gap by developing a conceptual model to investigate the adoption of solar power and biofuel energy resources in the cross-cultural setting of Malaysia and Pakistan. The data was collected from the rural areas of Pakistan and Malaysia. The two-stage data analysis method of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) have been applied to satisfy both linear and non-linear regression assumptions, respectively. The results show that consumer in rural areas of Pakistan are willing and possess intention to adopt both biofuel and solar power for commercial and domestic use. Additionally, the results confirm that branding, economic, and altruistic factors are important in yielding intention to use towards biofuel and solar power panel in Pakistan which are validated by the results obtained in Malaysia. Other factors such as climate change awareness, retailer services quality, and ease of use are also important. The results offer wide-ranging theoretical and managerial implications.

Green supply chain management/green finance: a bibliometric analysis of the last twenty years by using the Scopus database

Mostly, the product manufacturer and activities related to transportation have a greater influence on the supply chain and the environment. Hence, the green investment in water, biodiversity protection, waste treatment, resources, and climate change alleviation help in enhancing industrial production. Thus, for the enhancement of green growth, the industries must adopt green financing by making investments in ecology, climate change, and carbon reduction. Despite having the greatest growth in green supply chain management, still, the implementations of greening the product and processes have not been seen properly in many industries. A bibliometric analysis was conducted through VOS viewer version 1.6.7. of last twenty years (2001-2021). A total of 2385 articles were retrieved from the Scopus database. The results revealed that China, India, Iran, and Taiwan have a vast collection of articles and have very strong international collaborations. The most cited authors were Sarkis, J., Zhu, Q., and Khan, S.A.R. The results also suggest that green supply chain management research was related to the field of engineering, environmental science, energy sciences, social sciences, and business management. Some new areas are discovered like green innovation, green information technology, green productivity, corporate environmental responsibility, green investments, green credit, and green credit policy. As evidenced from our bibliographic database search, it is observed that integrated work on green supply chain management and green finance is limited, and this makes this research work to be novel. This study is beneficial for credit managers and policymakers.

Innovation and organizational performance: A perspective among Chinese enterprises

The influence of innovation on the performance of Chinese enterprises still remains inconclusive in the literature of innovation management. The aim of this research therefore is to examine the link between innovation and performance of Chinese enterprises, and explore the influence of sentiment expressed by investors in this relationship. The data for our study are drawn from 3,500 Chinese listed firms, operating within the periods, 2009-2017. Panel autoregressive models (fixed and random effects) are employed in our empirical analyses. We further performed Hausman tests in order to ascertain which of the models is more suitable for our dataset. Results from the analysis show that innovation significantly influences the performance of Chinese enterprises and it is moderated by sentiment expressed by investors. Specifically, it is found that Chinese enterprises tend to be innovative as feedback to sentiment expressed by investors and this consequently results in higher performance.

Substitution and complementarity dynamics in configurations of sustainable management practices

Purpose

Previous research tends to study various sustainable management practices (SMPs) in isolation, leading to inconsistent conclusions about the effect of SMP on firm profit. This research aims to advance the understanding of the linkage between SMP configurations and financial performance by revealing the dynamics of substitutions and complementarities among these SMPs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an exploratory study based on the theoretical lens of the practice-based view (PBV). An integrated text-mining approach is used in gathering data from 302 corporate reports of cross-sectional firms, followed by a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method to examine the configurations of SMPs in achieving high and low financial performance.

Findings

The findings show that green innovation practices (GIP) and cleaner production practices work together as complements for small firms in configurations associated with high profits. However, large companies in high-competition industries often adopt a minimalist configuration focusing on product quality and safety management (PQSM). PQSM and GIP are complements in configuration for small firms in high-competition industries, while they work together as substitutes for small firms in low-competition industries.

Practical implications

This research provides managers with a new way of thinking to support decision-making in sustainable operations management. The complementary and substitutive view of management practice can guide operations managers to design and implement effective practice configurations to achieve synergistic effects.

Originality/value

This is among the first studies to reveal the complex relationship between various configurations of SMPs and firm performance. In addition, this research offers new insights into previously inconsistent findings from a PBV and configuration perspective.

Intentions to use ride-sourcing services in Vietnam: What happens after three months without COVID-19 infections?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new risks and stress for paid transport users worldwide. COVID-19 has changed mobility dynamics worldwide, including low- and middle-income countries (e.g., Vietnam). The present study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of ride-sourcing passengers' behavioural intentions when COVID-19 pandemic management successfully prevented community transmission by extending the TPB with two constructs: perceived virus infection risk and problem-focused coping. Using self-administered questionnaires, data were collected from ride-sourcing customers in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). A total of 540 responses were used for validating the proposed theorethical model. The structural equation model results indicate that problem-focused coping is a multi-faceted construct with two dimensions: problem-solving and self-protection. Also, problem-focused coping has the highest total effect on the intention to use ride-sourcing services following a period of COVID-19 suppression (3 months without identified cases). The findings also reveal that attitude partially mediates the link between problem-focused coping and behavioural intention. The results of this study could be used to develop strategies to promote ride-sourcing services in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Are environmentally friendly firms more vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected supply and demand to a large extent. Declining demand for firms' output has caused significant financial stress for all kinds of firms worldwide. Production that requires environmental measures usually gets constrained when firms, especially small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), have difficulty in accessing credit. Firms thus face the dilemma of whether to continue environmental behaviors or to fulfill financial commitments to suppliers, employees, and so on. As such, an empirical question is whether the economic consequences of COVID-19 vary by firms' types and their environmental behaviors. Using 4,888 sample firms from 14 EU member states, this study finds evidence that the severity of damage caused by COVID-19 depends on firm size and whether firms invested in pollution abatement techniques. Specifically, eco-friendly firms perform better during the COVID-19 pandemic, and SMEs are less vulnerable than large firms. In particular, eco-friendly SMEs are less affected by the pandemic than conventional SMEs and large firms. These findings are probably related to the efficacy of government relief programs targeted to eco-friendly SMEs and/or the healthy financial status of these firms prior to the pandemic.

Digital technologies and circular economy in supply chain management: in the era of COVID-19 pandemic

This empirical study aims to identify the importance of Digital Technologies (DT) as an enabler in the Circular Economy (C.E.) based business model, especially during Covid-19. The concept of 'circular economy' has now been advocated as a methodology to stimulate economic growth in line with the environmental sustainability. Hence, the practices of recycling, reduction, reuse/re-manufacture, and repairing (4R's) are deemed to be the core of a circular economy. Recently, the advent of the pandemic Covid-19 has forced the nations of the world to resort to alternate resource use in their manufacturing and trading of goods and services as the supply chains have almost remained disrupted since Covid-19 appeared. We investigate the impacts of Covid-19 upon the use of technological innovation (T.I.), circular economy practices (CEP), and organizational performance (ORP) incorporating the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Our results show that Covid-19 significantly impacted the adoption of technological innovation, circular economy, which leads toward organizational performance. Moreover, the practices and operations under the circular economy framework also appear to influence organizational performance significantly. Our study findings bring forward meaningful insights into improving CEF-cum-technology based practices in developing and emerging markets in Asia, and convey significant implications for the business community, policymakers, and researchers.

Technological Revolution and Circular Economy Practices: A Mechanism of Green Economy

Rising environmental concerns, Industry 4.0 technologies, and circular economy (CE) practices are the prevailing business considerations of the current time, and they are transforming business models. Keeping in view the importance of these considerations, this work looks into the role of Industry 4.0 technologies in adoption of CE practices and the impact of CE practices on firms’ performance. The current study collected data from 213 automotive firms located in Eastern European countries including Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. Using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM), the current study provides some important findings. Firstly, Industry 4.0 technologies significantly enhance circular economy practices. Secondly, circular economy practices are found to be positively related with environmental and operational performance. Lastly, higher economic and operational performance boost organizational performance. Hence, the current study provides deeper understanding regarding performance implications of Industry 4.0 technologies and offers insights about ways of promoting sustainable performance in the current age of digitization.

Blockchain-Empowered Halal Fashion Traceability System in Indonesia

Incorporating blockchain into Halal traceability systems is developing in nature; the research aspires to examine the participation intent in blockchain-empowered Halal fashion traceability (BHFT) system via a joint framework that includes diffusion of innovation theory, institutional theory, and Halal-oriented approach. The study uses a simple random sampling method to collect the data from 165 Indonesian Halal fashion manufacturing companies. PLS-SEM is employed to examine the conceptual framework. Findings show that Halal-oriented approach significantly affects institutional pressures, while institutional pressures significantly affects perceived desirability, and perceived desirability significantly affects the participation intent. The companies operating an inclusive Halal-oriented approach will be more aware of the institutional pressures that expect them to partake in a BHFT. The paper enhances the existing literature in Halal supply chains, blockchain, operation management, and information systems via a cohesive framework and empirical insight.

Startups and Consumer Purchase Behavior: Application of Support Vector Machine Algorithm

This study evaluated the impact of startup technology innovations and customer relationship management (CRM) performance on customer participation, value co-creation, and consumer purchase behavior (CPB). This analytical study empirically tested the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM) and SmartPLS 3 techniques. Moreover, we used a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to verify the model’s accuracy. SVM algorithm uses four different kernels to check the accuracy criterion, and we checked all of them. This research used the convenience sampling approach in gathering the data. We used the conventional bias test method. A total of 466 respondents were completed. Technological innovations of startups and CRM have a positive and significant effect on customer participation. Customer participation significantly affects the value of pleasure, economic value, and relationship value. Based on the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) matrix results, “customer participation” with a score of 0.782 had the highest importance. If customers increase their participation performance by one unit during the COVID-19 epidemic, its overall CPB increases by 0.782. In addition, our results showed that the lowest performance is related to the technological innovations of startups, which indicates an excellent opportunity for development in this area. SVM results showed that polynomial kernel, to a high degree, is the best kernel that confirms the model’s accuracy.

Green Supply Chain Management Practices’ Impact on Operational Performance with the Mediation of Technological Innovation

Industries strive to prevent ecologically destructive actions in their supply chains. At the same time, the optimization of their resources is a major concern for industries to minimize carbon emissions, boost sustainable practices, and improve a country’s long-term economic development. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the impact of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) methods on operational performance with the mediation of technological innovation, in the context of Pakistani manufacturing firms. The partial least square-structural modeling (PLS-SEM) method is adopted in this paper. Data were gathered from 223 different manufacturing firms in Pakistan and then analyzed among these variables. The data show good validity and reliability, and structural model explains 61% of the variance in operational performance and 45.4% of the variance in technical innovation, demonstrating its predictive validity. The R-square criteria classify R-square entities of 0.67, 0.33, and 0.19 as considerable, moderate, and weak, respectively. It is demonstrated that all the f-square values are greater than 0.020 and 0.35, indicating a significant effect on the model’s validity. The findings of this study reveal that GSCM practices have a significantly positive effect on both technological innovation and operational performance. Technological innovation has a direct influence on operational performance and has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between GSCM practices and operational performance. Therefore, this research offers managers insight into the importance of technological innovation and GSCM practice adoption to achieve competitive advantages. It further provides the groundwork for managers, practitioners, and environmental management researchers to emphasize the value of GSCM practice in improving operational performance.

Nonlinear impact of municipal solid waste recycling and energy efficiency on environmental performance and economic growth: evidence from non-parametric causality-in-quantiles

Waste recycling significantly contributes to reducing carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases, leading to enhanced environmental performance and safeguards natural resources. Therefore, this study examines municipal solid waste recycling and energy efficiency's impact on the environmental performance and economic well-being of the USA. Some studies have emphasized the usefulness of MSW and its indicators, but most of them are survey-based and illustrate the scientific process of disposing of waste. Hence, the study intends to analyze the connection among considered variables using the recently developed and advanced estimation procedure of nonparametric causality in quantile approach by analyzing the quarterly dataset for 1990(Q1) till 2018(Q4). Through this technique, we have examined the causal relationships in different quantiles. The causality-in-quantile outcome indicates the acceptance of the null hypothesis in different quantiles, especially at low and high tail quantiles, while at some quantiles, the null hypothesis rejection is highlighted. This study suggests valuable implications for future studies, government, environmentalists, and policymakers.

Green Supply Chain Management Efforts of First-Tier Suppliers on Economic and Business Performances in the Electronics Industry

Green supply chain management (GSCM) has a necessary goal of performing a firm’s social and environmental responsibilities, and SMEs employ GSCM practices with constrained resources. SMEs need to determine which areas they need to concentrate their limited resources to result in positively noticeable economic outcomes. This study aims to identify what GSCM practices would influence economic and business profitability for first-tier suppliers in the electronics industry. Specifically, this examines whether internal environmental management (IEM), green purchasing (GP), cooperation with customers (CC), and eco-design (ECO) have a role in enhancing an organization’s economic performance (ECP) and business performance (BP). Survey data from 193 South Korean electronics firms were collected to test the proposed model. The survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the present study showed that IEM, CC, and ECO of the responding SMEs had direct positive influences on ECP. Moreover, economic performance has a statistically significant influence on BP. However, GP did not show a significant relationship with ECP. This study investigated first-tier suppliers within the electronics industry and identified what GSCM practices would be important in improving the performances of SME manufacturing companies.

Research on the Impact of Enterprise Green Development Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach

The environmental situation is not optimistic. Improving the level of enterprise green development behavior can help enterprises to comply with the trend of environmental protection. However, existing studies do not explain the factors influencing enterprise green development behavior. This research collects and screens 33 empirical studies related to enterprise green development behavior from multiple authoritative data platforms, which cover 10 different countries and regions. A quantitative approach is then used to comprehensively explore the influencing factors, deeply dig into their degree of influence, and explore the moderating effect of the moderators. The results show the following: (1) corporate tangible resources, corporate intangible resources, market environment, policy and institutional environment, and public supervision have positive effects on enterprise green development behavior, and there are differences in the degree of influence; (2) corporate intangible resources have the most significant influence on enterprise green development behavior; (3) the size, region, and industry of enterprise can moderate enterprise green development behavior. This research suggests four participants: society, enterprise, market, and government. The research results are intended to provide a basis for researchers to further study enterprise green development behavior for specific industries and promote enterprise green development.

Drivers of green supply chain management: a close-up study

Green supply chain management (GSCM) is an important part of most production organisations in developed countries. Meanwhile, developing countries are yet to fully embrace the concept. This study, therefore, investigated the drivers of GSCM using a close-up approach in a leading manufacturing organisation in Nigeria with sustainability initiatives. One hundred and fifty-four questionnaires retrieved from the supply chain management team of the organisation were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean score, standard deviation, and factor analysis. Based on the results of the analyses, the drivers of GSCM in the organisation could be grouped as government-related, organisational-related, and societal-related drivers. The study concluded that synergy of the government, organisations, non-government organisations, and individual is important for achieving green supply chain practices in developing countries. It was recommended that training at all levels is essential to improve the awareness and importance of sustainable production to the environment.

“Why Do We Buy Green Products?” An Extended Theory of the Planned Behavior Model for Green Product Purchase Behavior

Many consumers are concerned about environmental issues and have expressed interest in purchasing green products. However, actual sales of green products are still not as high as expected. Therefore, marketers of green products may need to investigate the factors driving green purchase behaviors. In this study, we proposed an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model that links consumers’ environmental concerns, perceived image of the company, consumer innovativeness, and environmental knowledge with green product purchase behavior. We applied a quantitative approach to collect the data via online questionnaires through Amazon MTurk. With 974 useable samples, the data were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS. The results showed that green purchase intention positively and significantly affects green purchase behavior. Moreover, the multigroup analysis revealed that the direct influence of green purchase intention on green purchase behavior is higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Regarding the direct effect on green purchase intention, attitude toward green products, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), environmental concern, and company’s perceived green image are significant antecedents of the intention to purchase, with attitude toward green products being the most robust antecedent among the three. However, subjective norms do not act as a direct antecedent of purchase intention. For the indirect effect on green purchase intention, four main antecedents (attitude toward green products, subjective norms, PCE, and environmental concerns) indirectly impact purchase intention via the mediating role of the perceived green image of the company. This study contributes to existing literatures via extending the TPB model. Regarding attitude-intention-behavior model, we found that environmental concern complements the model as an antecedent of green purchase intention. Moreover, a company’s perceived green image mediates the relationship between four antecedents and green purchase intention. Therefore, marketers of green products may also enhance future purchases by promoting the green image of the company. Particularly, we found that environmental knowledge positively moderates the relationship between environmental concern and a company’s perceived green image. We added on the empirical evidence that PCE plays a crucial role in stimulating green purchases as its direct positive influence on green purchase behavior is larger than that of green purchase intention. Moreover, consumer innovativeness positively moderates the relationship between PCE and green purchase intention.

P., Devanathan SR, Raghuram R. P.. Empirical Investigation to Assess the Impact of ICT Deployment in SCM Using SEM

The adoption of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and it is prominent in Supply Chain too. The objective of this paper is to perform an empirical investigation to assess the impact of ICT in Supply Chain Management (SCM) using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A Survey questionnaire was administered and collected from 200+ SCM professionals in sectors such as manufacturing, services, MSMEs, international companies as well as SCM/ERP professionals working as domain experts in IT and service companies. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to validate the suggested empirical model & hypothesis based on the impact of ICT deployment on SCOR Level I metrics/indicators as constructs. This research appends to the literature on supply chain performance measures and addresses a recognized gap in terms of rubrics, constructs, assessment frameworks and metrics of these ICT benefits and capabilities in SCM. This framework can be used by any enterprise irrespective of the geography or country, vertical or domain, manufacturing or services.

A SEM-NCA Approach towards Social Networks Marketing: Evaluating Consumers' Sustainable Purchase Behavior with the Moderating Role of Eco-Friendly Attitude

This paper aims to investigate how social network marketing affects consumers' sustainable purchase behavior (CSPB) while considering the role of Eco-friendly attitude. The statistical population of the study included Iranian users of online social networks with at least one online purchasing experience. An online questionnaire was distributed on Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp platforms as the most popular networks in the country. By use of convenience sampling, commonly used in quantitative studies to overcome bias, 450 out of 475 returned questionnaires were acceptable, showing a response rate of 94.7%. The results indicated that an increase in Eco-friendly attitude positively increases the effect of word of mouth on consumers' sustainable purchase behavior. Meanwhile, Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) revealed that to reach a 50% level of consumers' sustainable purchase behavior, six essential necessary conditions are required: an eco-friendly consumers' attitude at no less than 50%, the trend at no less than 57.1%, word of mouth at no less than 45.5%, interaction at no less than 42.9%, customization at no less than 35.3% and entertainment at no less than 26.7%. Furthermore, the Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) was investigated as a strategic tool. The results of IPMA showed that "buy products that use biodegradable material in packaging", "buy those products that are picked up and recycled", and "buy biodegradable products even if they belong to a less well-known company" show desirable performance and high importance and there is a great opportunity for expansion in this area.

Investigating the effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 on perishable food supply chains: an empirical study using PLS-SEM

Purpose

At the end of 2019, the first case of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan city of China. The disease was declared a pandemic without imagining the magnitude of damage currently caused in all branches of the economy. One of the most affected sectors was food and mostly perishable food (PF), which are more susceptible to environmental conditions. Thus, the research examines the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on Ecuador's perishable food supply chains (PFSCs) during the pandemic. It contributes to new results on the special issue (SI) PFSC response to event risk and uncertainty, such as those that generated the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used are from primary information sources, which were collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied to 298 companies belonging to the sector, and later the information was processed through partial least squares structural equation model. The convergent validity, discriminate and robustness tests provide arguments for the suitability of the model. Therefore, the findings are reliable and valid for the adequate measures to improve the PFSC due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Findings

The results show that the perception of personal risk (PPR) produced by COVID-19 has caused the companies of the PFSC to adopt preventive policies (PO) to avoid contagion and guarantee the operation of the companies. In addition, the PPR has been responsible for the alterations in the demand and price (DP) of PF. Next, PO and DP have a significant effect on PFSC, which shows the evidence favouring the malfunction of PFSC operations due to anti-contagion PO, the mismatch of DP. On the contrary, circular economy practices contribute to the excellent performance of the PFSC. Finally, the research suggests some policy implications to consider in improving the PFSC.

Originality/value

This study is the first to be carried out in Ecuador's country on the PFSC; its contribution is unprecedented and makes it a road-map to be considered to guarantee the correct functioning of the PFSCs, and it will provide policymakers with valid elements to design efficient PFSCs that better respond to unforeseen events and uncertainties. Future research will focus on analysing the management of PF consumption in Ecuador during the pandemic.

The dynamic effect of eco-innovation and environmental taxes on carbon neutrality target in emerging seven (E7) economies

After the Paris Climate Conference (Conference of the Paris COP21), emerging countries also start succeeding in carbon neutrality targets. In doing so, environmental sustainability has become a vital concern over the past few decades. To control the pollution from combustion gases and to mitigate the destructive effects of carbon emission on environmental quality, governments and policymakers need to consider the important factors that decrease the net carbon emission level, such as eco-innovation and environmental taxes. The literature on the environmental taxes and eco-innovation to control carbon emission is scant. Therefore, this study fills the knowledge gap by evaluating the dynamic effect of eco-innovation and environmental taxes on the carbon neutrality target in emerging seven (E7) economies from 1995 to 2018 and other control variables. The study uses advanced panel data econometric tools to handle various issues such as cross-section dependence structural break and slope heterogeneity for empirical analysis. The study uses the second-generation panel unit root test, Westerlund's cointegration tests, CS-ARDL long-run and CS-ARDL short-run analysis, AMG, and CCEMG for robustness check. The study's outcomes confirm that eco-innovation and environmental taxes play a major role in carbon abatement and Environmental Kuznet Curve (EKC) presence found in E7 countries.

Assessing the environmental impact of China's tourism activities: a tourism heat footprint method

Numerous research studies have examined carbon emissions generated from tourism activities. However, the environmental impact of anthropogenic heat release has not attracted researchers' attention. We apply the tourism heat footprint method to assess the environmental impact of China's tourism activities. The results indicate that (1) China's tourism heat footprint increased from 0.99 × 10³ w/km² in 1994 to 7.53 × 10³ w/km² in 2018, with an average annual growth rate of 8.82%. (2) Particularly during high seasons, the tourism heat footprint increases sharply; tourism transportation accounts for the highest proportion of the tourism heat footprint, ranging from 36.50 to 69.07% from 1994 to 2018. (3) The rapid growth in arrivals and transportation-related changes have contributed to the rapid growth of the tourism heat footprint. Advances in science and technology, laws and regulations, environmental pollution constraints, and national macroeconomic policy have helped reduce the tourism heat footprint. Generally, tourism activities caused by a significant increase in income are the root cause of tourism heat footprint growth. (4) Finally, some suggestions, including cultivating a low-energy tourism culture, improving energy efficiency, implementing low-energy policies, and performing spatial-temporal monitoring, are proposed. This paper expands sustainable tourism's analytical research and enriches the tourism footprint family evaluation process.

A structural equation model for big data adoption in the healthcare supply chain

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers to the implementation of big data (BD) in the healthcare supply chain (HSC).

Design/methodology/approach

First, the barriers concerning BD adoption in the HSC were found by conducting a detailed literature survey and with the expert's opinion. Then the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to categorize the barriers. The obtained results are verified using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis gives the path diagram representing the interrelationship between latent variables and observed variables.

Findings

The segregation of 13 barriers into three categories, namely “data governance perspective,” “technological and expertise perspective,” and “organizational and social perspective,” is performed using EFA. Three hypotheses are tested, and all are accepted. It can be concluded that the “data governance perspective” is positively related to “technological and expertise perspective” and “organizational and social perspective” factors. Also, the “technological and expertise perspective” is positively related to “organizational and social perspective.”

Research limitations/implications

In literature, very few studies have been performed on finding the barriers to BD adoption in the HSC. The systematic methodology and statistical verification applied in this study empowers the healthcare organizations and policymakers in further decision-making.

Originality/value

This paper is first of its kind to adopt an approach to classify barriers to BD implementation in the HSC into three distinct perspectives.

Analysing the effect of low carbon product design on firm performance

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of low carbon product design on firm's competitiveness and economic performance. It also examines the mediating role of the proactive environmental strategy and eco-innovation on low carbon product design, competitiveness and economic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a questionnaire-based survey, the data were collected from 69 Indian manufacturing firms and analyzed using a variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that the low carbon product design significantly improves firm's competitiveness and economic performance, and proactive environmental strategy significantly mediates the relationship between low carbon product design and firm's competitiveness.

Practical implications

This study provides a framework for the adoption of low carbon product design. It demonstrates how manufacturing firms can implement environmental friendly product design. It also analyses the contextual factors that ensure a successful low carbon product design.

Originality/value

This article investigates the economic benefit of low carbon product design, thus filling lacuna in existing research.

Modeling and optimization for noise-aversion and energy-awareness disassembly sequence planning problems in reverse supply chain

Nowadays, the reverse supply chain management receives much attention because of its critical role in environmental protection and economic development. Disassembly is very important in the reverse supply chain. It aims at dismantling valuable components from end-of-life products which are then remanufactured into like-new ones after reprocessing and reassembly operations. To efficiently organize and manage the remanufacturing process from the perspective of sustainable development, this work proposes a stochastic disassembly sequence planning problem with consideration of noise pollution and energy consumption to achieve disassembly profit maximization. A chance-constrained programming model is formulated to describe it mathematically. Then, a discrete marine predators algorithm combined with a stochastic simulation approach is specially designed. By conducting simulation experiments on some real-life instances and comparing the designed approach with two popularly known methods in literature, we mainly find that the proposed model and approach can make better disassembly plan for the investigated problem with maximal profit subject to the given noise pollution and energy consumption constraints. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can efficiently and effectively handle the considered problem, which contributes to reaching the highly reliable and environmentally sustainable disassembly process.

Disruption in global supply chain and socio-economic shocks: a lesson from COVID-19 for sustainable production and consumption

The novel COVID-19 has emerged as a severe threat to global health globally, affecting over 210 countries and regions. The profound dilemma interrupted global trade and social activities and enormously influenced daily lives through social distance and confinements. The outbreak of COVID-19 has exacerbated human misery due to the crippling of economies globally. The effects are substantial on health, economy, environment, and society. Nearly every country is trying to prevent the transmission of this communicable disease. Remedial policies include testing and treating patients, isolating suspects through contact tracking, banning public gatherings, and asserting a complete or partial shutdown. In this context, the present paper's core objective is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment and energy market, society, economy, and global protective measures taken to reduce COVID-19 transmission. The study's main contribution is revealed lessons to provide insights for business and the efficacy of governments’ initiative globally. Finally, this paper describes future actions for governments, leaders, energy providers, and all stakeholders in response to the global pandemic crisis.

Transport mechanisms and emission of landfill gas through various cover soil configurations in an MSW landfill using a static flux chamber technique

This study evaluated the transport mechanisms and emission rates of landfill gas (LFG) from 200- (vegetated with short grass), 300- (vegetated with short grass), and 450-mm-thick (non-vegetated) interim cover soils within a municipal solid waste landfill. LFG emission and diffusion mechanisms were evaluated using static flux chambers and laboratory-scale diffusion columns. Overall, the greatest CH₄ and CO₂ emissions were consistently observed from the 200-mm-thick cover soil with an average flux rate of 39.2 mg m^-2 h^-1 and 3.07 × 10³ mg m^-2 h^-1, respectively. In addition to CH₄ and CO₂, H₂S migration through a 450-mm interim cover soil was also evaluated. The H₂S emission rate was relatively more uniform at an average of 2.47 × 10^-5 mg m^-2 h^-1. Long-term LFG emission was predicted using an emission model based on a first-order decomposition rate equation and compared with the static flux chamber method. The field-measured CO₂, CH₄ and H₂S emissions were less than the estimated emissions from the emission model, by 22%, 85%, and 91%, respectively. Further, the diffusion coefficients of CH₄, CO₂, and H₂S for the interim cover soils were determined using a laboratory-scale diffusion column test and compared with a three-parameter diffusion model. The measured and estimated diffusion coefficients for the three landfill gases were within the 10% variation limits. Based on these findings, the LFG emission rate varied depending on the physical-chemical properties of the cover soil (e.g., cover thickness, moisture content, compaction ratio, uneven distribution of soil), organic material content and age of buried refuse, and seasonal environmental conditions (such as temperature). Test results showed that fugitive CH₄ emissions can be reduced one fourth by utilizing an appropriate cover soil (300-mm to 450-mm, CL) compared to cases with a thinner cover soil.

Investigating the effects of COVID-19 and public health expenditure on global supply chain operations: an empirical study

This fresh examination was a thought-provoking area that was required to be undertaken and to fill this gap, the researchers have examined the impact of Covid-19 and health expenditure on the global supply chain by utilizing balanced panel data for the period from January 2020 to June 2020. This study utilized a random effect, fixed effect, GMM, and FGLS approach. The outcomes of COVID-19 demonstrate a significant negative influence as per the FGLS model, whereas the health expenditure demonstrates a significant negative effect on the global supply chain under both the dynamic models i.e. GMM and FGLS. As far as manufacturing value-added is concerned it indicates a positive and significant influence on the global supply chain according to the FGLS model whereas, last but not least the logistics performance index has a significant positive effect on the global supply chain according to the results of GMM and FGLS models respectively. The global supply chain is the lifeline for the global economy; thus, it is suggested that under COVID-19 pandemic situation policymakers need to react quickly and take suitable policy actions to deal with this unprecedented pandemic driven economic crises and further the cross-border trading activities should not be stopped, rather governments should formulate smart lockdown strategies.

Determinants of economic growth and environmental sustainability in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation: evidence from panel ARDL

Considering the importance of green economic growth and environmental sustainability in the discussion, it is crucial to understand its critical contributing factors and to draw results implications for the green policy. This research used the data of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries for a period from 2005 to 2017. It adopted the panel autoregressive distributed lag technique to examine the hypotheses. The findings revealed that environmental sustainability is strongly and positively associated with national scale-level green practices, including renewable energy, regulatory pressure, and eco-friendly policies, and sustainable use of natural resources. Conversely, in our model, the "regulatory pressure" has an insignificant effect on economic growth. A necessary contribution of the present study is that a positive effect of green practices on national scale economic and environmental variables, particularly in the scenario of SAARC member states, can be noticed. At the end of the present study, we have provided policy implications for regulatory authorities and discussed potential areas for future research.