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Food sustainability is a world-acknowledged issue that requires urgent integrated solutions at multi-levels. This study aims to explore how food firms can improve their sustainability performance through digital traceability practices, considering the mediating effect of sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) and the moderating effect of supply chain learning (SCL) for the food supply chain therein.

Hierarchical regression with a moderated mediation model is used to test the proposed hypotheses with a sample of 359 food firms from four provinces in China.

Digital traceability has a significant positive impact on the three pillars of sustainability performances among food firms. SOI (product innovation, process innovation and organisational innovation) mediates the relationship between digital traceability and sustainability performance. SCL plays moderating roles in the linkage between digital traceability and both product and process innovation, respectively.

This paper contributes as one of the first studies to develop digital traceability practices and their sustainability-related improvements for Chinese food firms; it extends studies on supply chain traceability to a typical emerging market. This finding can support food sustainability practice in terms of where and how to invest in sustainability innovation and how to improve economic, environmental and social performance.

The main problem addressed by this research is the current debate between the negative and positive effects of industrial clusters. This debate is a result of gaps between theoretical implications and empirical evidence in both the classical agglomeration theory and the agglomeration lifecycle theory. The purpose of this study is to propose a framework for developing an index measuring both organizational cluster involvement and organizational supply chain including the three pillars (economic, social, and environmental). Furthermore, the index acts as a quantitative predictor of the stages of the life cycle of industrial clusters. Adopting a case study methodology, the applicability of the index development framework is demonstrated. First, cross-sectional exploratory interviews are performed to locate items measuring the three pillars of organizational sustainability within Egyptian communication industry. Second, an explanatory, cross-sectional approach is applied gathering data from eight professionals related to involvement and supply chain sustainability of their organizations. Analytical hierarchical process is used for weighting and aggregating individual item metrics into two indicators (Saaty, 1980). Measuring, managing, and controlling capabilities of organization's supply chains outweighs the need to manage risks. The proposed framework aids firms within a cluster in making timely decisions about what needs addressing to improve supply chain sustainability performance. Hence, all environmental, social, and economic capabilities can be effectively monitored and controlled.

The purpose of this study is to examine how supply chain strategy affects a firm's sustainability performance and how the strength of that relationship is influenced by managerial authentic leadership (AL) and its associated impact on interorganizational citizenship behavior (ICB).

Building on the intersection of three theories: organizational ambidexterity, AL and ICB, a mediated moderation model is developed and tested using structural equation modeling based on the responses from a cross-sectional survey administered by the authors.

The results reveal that an ambidextrous supply chain strategy is positively related to firm sustainability performance and this relationship is strengthened by AL. Furthermore, this study finds that this moderating relationship is partially mediated by ICB.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to empirically test the effect of supply chain ambidexterity on sustainability performance by explicitly considering how leadership characteristics can both directly and indirectly affect the efficacy of this relationship. The findings complement existing literature by providing novel insights into the ability of firm supply chain strategy to affect sustainability performance.

This paper aims to introduce a supply chain strategy for supply chain sustainability performance and explain why it is different to normal business/operations strategy.

A survey of supply chain managers and detailed case studies of three successful supply chain sustainability organisations identified four components of a supply chain sustainability strategy, the mechanisms behind them and how they interacted.

Sustainability leadership, supply chain member involvement in organisational sustainability initiatives, supply chain member involvement in supply chain sustainability strategy planning and technical competency were identified as the four components of a sustainable supply chain strategy. Sustainability leadership legitimises the objectives and involvement of the staff in supply chain-oriented sustainability initiatives and planning. Technical competency provides the capability and language necessary for the development of a supply chain sustainability strategy. This is different to business/operations strategy, however, parallels to other forms of strategy constructs support its ability to achieve performance improvement.

The research is based on data from developed countries; the findings may be different for emerging economies. Potential hypotheses for future research are suggested.

The supply chain sustainability strategy will enable organisations to improve the sustainability of their supply chains. Its application is described in the paper.

The paper develops a strategy framework different to the approach taken in business/operational strategy. It indicates how the sustainability performance of supply chains external to the organisation is increased through their interconnectedness with the organisation.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology to identify sustainable supply chain key performance indicators (KPI) that can then be used for sustainability performance evaluation for suppliers.

Initially the complexity of sustainable supply chain performance measurement is discussed. Then, a two-stage method utilizing neighborhood rough set theory to identify KPI and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to benchmark and evaluate relative performance using the KPI is completed. Additional analysis is performed to determine the sensitivity of the KPI set formation and performance results.

The results show that KPI can be determined using neighborhood rough set, and DEA performance results provide insight into relative performance of suppliers. The supply chain sustainability performance results from both the neighborhood rough set and DEA can be quite sensitive parameters selected and sustainability KPI sets that were determined.

The data utilized in this study are illustrative and simulated. Only one model for the neighborhood rough set and DEA was utilized. Additional investigations using a variation of rough set and DEA models can be completed.

This tool set is valuable for managers to help identify sustainable supply chain KPI (from among hundreds of potential measures) and evaluate sustainability performance of various units within supply chains, including supply chain partners, departments, projects and programs.

Sustainability incorporates many business, economic and social implications. The methods introduced in this paper can help organizations and their supply chains become more strategically and operationally sustainable.

Few tools and techniques exist in the sustainable supply chain literature to help develop KPIs and evaluate sustainability performance of suppliers and the supply chain. This paper is one of the first that integrates neighborhood rough set and DEA to address this important sustainable supply chain performance measurement issue.

The purpose of this paper is to use empirical data to examine the impacts of integrating sustainability elements on the performance of supply chains of manufacturing small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).

The conceptual framework was based on the systems theory and the triple bottom line concept. Purposive sampling approach was used to collect data from a cross-section of manufacturing SMEs. Partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to explore the relationships among the constructs.

The results indicate strong statistically significant positive relationships between each of the three sustainability elements and integration constructs. Sustainability integration is a mediating variable that explains a significant variance in performance of a supply chain. Supply chain performance is determined by the degree of integration of the three sustainability elements.

The research focused on SMEs in the manufacturing industry in a less developed economy. An extension of the findings to the service industry and larger manufacturing firms and different operating environments may be limited.

Sustainability integration enhances supply chain performance and can be a competitive tool for manufacturing SMEs. The research emphasizes the value of sustainability integration into supply chains of manufacturing SMEs in less developed countries.

This is an original research that examined the impacts of sustainability integration on performance of supply chains of manufacturing SMEs in a developing economy. This research used empirical data to establish that integration of the three sustainability elements collectively acts as a critical mediating variable that determines the performance of a supply chain. The research also demonstrates the use of PLS-SEM to analyze supply chain attributes that cannot be directly measured.

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of restorative supply chain practices on sustainability performance in a circular economy (CE). The moderating effect of supply chain managers' perceived professional status on restorative supply chain practices and stakeholder collaboration is also examined.

The theoretical model was developed via the practice-based view, and the model was tested using a sample comprising 142 respondents. WarpPLS 8.0 software was utilized to run the structural equation model.

The analysis shows that restorative supply chain practices result in an intermediate outcome (i.e. stakeholder collaboration), which ultimately improves the sustainability performance of the restorative supply chain. Interestingly, the perceived professional status of supply chain managers acts as a moderate-level mediator in the relationship between restorative supply chain practices in a CE and the sustainability performance of the restorative supply chain in a CE.

Collaboration with stakeholders fosters enhanced communication, cooperation and shared responsibility, thereby creating a socially inclusive and cooperative environment within the restorative supply chain. Improving supply chain sustainability performance supports broader environmental goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste and conserving natural resources. Recognizing the perceived professional status of supply chain managers underscores the need to empower them and acknowledge their strategic role in driving sustainability within the organization. Companies can contribute to a more sustainable business environment by adopting restorative practices in the supply chain and addressing the social impacts.

The unique contribution of the findings of this study lies in the examination of the relationship between restorative supply chain practices, stakeholder collaboration, perceived status of supply chain managers and sustainability performance in the context of the CE. The findings imply that restorative supply chain practices positively impact stakeholder collaboration, which in turn improves supply chain sustainability performance. In addition, the study highlights the moderating role of the perceived status of supply chain managers and underscores their influence on strengthening restorative practices and stakeholder collaboration. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics and mechanisms driving sustainability performance in the context of restorative supply chains operating within a CE.

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is a relatively new sub-field of supply chain management (SCM). The performance of SSCM is based on the triple bottom line approach encompassing people-planet-profit, hence being defined not in only in social and environmental terms, but also the economic. The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated study which uses antecedent-practices-performance principles in order to determine the drivers of SSCM practices, and the impact of these practices on sustainable supply chain performance. The importance of the study lies in the fact that the Indian Government is making significant efforts to boost the manufacturing sector, and sustainability is among the significant imperatives for Indian manufacturing to be competitive globally.

A conceptual model based on the antecedents-practices-performance principles was developed, and included six constructs identified from the literature: the drivers being the motivators of sustainability, lean management (LM) and supply management (SM), the practices were the environmental and social practices in the supply chain and, finally, the sustainable supply chain performance; eight hypotheses were conceived in the model development process. The survey instrument was conceptualised from an in-depth study of literature and was employed to conduct a survey of 211 operations and supply chain managers and functional heads from the Indian manufacturing industry. The scales were validated by employing the confirmatory factor analysis, followed by structural equation modelling to develop the structural relationships between the constructs using Amos 20.0.

The results of the SEM suggest that the antecedents, i.e. motivators, LM and SM, have a significant bearing on environmental and social practices in the SCM; these practices, in turn, also have a positive relationship with SSCM performance (except the relationship between LM and social practices in SCM) with acceptable goodness-of-fit measures. Thus out of the eight hypotheses, seven can be said to statistically significant.

In addition to the motivators of sustainability, the study based on extant literature has considered LM and SM among the drivers of sustainability in SCM. The study has also identified that in earlier studies, the focus has been on environmental practices, and this integrated study has also included social practices in the supply chain.

This study suggests that sustainability performance may also be realised through lean and SM principles; an integrated perspective has been adopted with the consideration of both environmental and social practices. Further, the proposed model represents a novel integration of literature from diverse domains such as environmental management, business ethics and corporate social responsibility as well as performance management.

This study primarily explores the influence of green warehousing, logistics optimization and social values and ethics on supply chain sustainability and economic performance. The study further examines the mediating role of supply chain sustainability between economic performance and green warehousing, logistics optimization and social values and ethics.

The study employs a quantitative research approach where survey data are collected from 200 managers of manufacturing companies in Ghana. The dataset is analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling software (PLS-SEM) SmartPLS 3.

The results show that green warehousing and logistics optimization negatively influence economic performance but improves economic performance through supply chain sustainability. It is further discovered that social values and ethics have a positive influence on supply chain sustainability and economic performance.

This paper proposes and tests a theoretical model that explores the relationships between green warehousing, supply chain sustainability, economic performance, logistics optimization and social values and ethics through the resource dependency theory (RDT) in the manufacturing firms in Ghana.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss what a fully sustainable supply chain might look like and the consequences that can be drawn from this view. Also, it develops a practical approach towards sustainability supply chain performance measurement and management. The paper develops an analytical framework for the assessment of approaches for the measurement and management of sustainability performance of supply chains (SPSCs). Little research has been conducted on the issues, existing methods and possible approaches to measure and manage SPSCs.

Literature review and conceptual development of framework.

The paper develops an analytical framework for the assessment of approaches for the measurement and management of SPSCs. Existing approaches discussed in the vein of improving supply chains and increasing recycling are examined in the light of our framework, and areas to extend the research on sustainability performance measurement and management are identified.

Opportunities for extension of research on sustainability performance measurement and management of supply chains are identified.

The framework offers help to managers in their choice of sustainability performance measurement and management approaches.

The paper provides a structured overview of sustainability performance measurement and management literature and approaches to supply chain management. The framework proposed provides a foundation for further research.