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The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated conceptual framework to better understand the psychological pathways connecting consumer perceptions to purchasing intentions for premium sustainable products.

The study develops a conceptual model that theorizes relationships between consumer perceptions of a firm’s innovation, competitive advantage, sustainable practices and stakeholder orientation. It proposes that stakeholder orientation mediates the effects of these perceptions on consumers’ willingness to purchase premium sustainable products. Additionally, lifestyle is hypothesized as a moderator. The model advances knowledge through eight testable propositions.

The conceptual framework specifies indirect, mediated and moderated relationships that have not been fully captured by past literature. It theorizes that perceptions of a firm’s innovation, competitive advantage from sustainable practices and stakeholder orientation indirectly influence purchase willingness through the mediating role of stakeholder orientation. Lifestyle is proposed to moderate these relationships.

This conceptual model offers insights for cultivating consumer perceptions that strengthen a firm’s stakeholder image and endorsement of premium sustainable products. Its validated theoretical lens and propositions can provide strategic guidance for addressing the challenges of higher price points for sustainable products through capturing psychological drivers of values-based decision-making. Future empirical assessment is recommended to validate the specified relationships in the model.

Since conducting agile strategies provides sustainable passenger satisfaction and revenue by replacing applied policies with more profitable ones rapidly, the focus of this study is to evaluate agile attributes for managing low-cost carriers (LCCs) operations by means of resources and competences based on dynamic capabilities built on resource-based view (RBV) theory and to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in a volatile and dynamic air transport environment. LCCs in Turkey are also evaluated in this study since the competition among LCCs is high to gain market share and they can adapt quickly to all kinds of circumstances.

Two well-known Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods (MCDM) named as the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) methods by employing Picture fuzzy sets (PiFS) are employed to determine weight of agile attributes and superiority of LCCs based on agile attributes in the market, respectively. To check the consistency and robustness of the results for the proposed approach, comparative and sensitivity analysis are performed at the end of the study.

While the ranking orders of agile attributes are Strategic Responsiveness (AG1), Financial Management (AG4), Quality (AG2), Digital integration (AG3) and Reliability (AG5), respectively, LCC2 is selected as the best agile airline company in Turkey with respect to agile attributes. SWARA and MABAC method based on PiFS is appropriate and effective method to evaluate agile attributes that has important reference value for the airline companies in aviation industry.

The findings of this study will support managers in the airline industry to conduct airline operations more flexibly and effectively to take sustainable competitive advantage in unexpected and dynamic environment.

To the author' best knowledge, this study is the first developed to identify the attributes necessary to increase agility in LCCs. Thus, as a systematic tool, a framework is developed for the implementation of agile attributes to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the airline industry and presented a roadmap for airline managers to deal with crises and challenging situations by satisfying customer and increasing competitiveness.

This study investigates how firms’ awareness of sustainability affects the revision of their internationalization strategy. Adopting a resource-based view (RBV) approach, the authors argue that sustainable-oriented firms have a higher propensity to de-internationalize (i.e., to go back to their home country) when confronted with the need to relocate foreign manufacturing subsidiaries, as the shortening of value chains would allow the reduction of transportation emissions and enhanced corporate image as green-oriented entities. Furthermore, the authors explore the role exerted by a stringent regulatory setting in the home country on the likelihood of de-internationalization. The empirical test conducted on a sample of relocations performed across European nations in 2002–2014 reveals that multinational enterprises (MNEs) – regardless of their sustainability orientation – have a higher probability to de-internationalize when their home countries have strict institutional contexts in place.

In response to mounting global concerns about climate change and scarcity of natural resources, manufacturers have been pressured to develop strategies and enhance their sustainability performance. The integration of sustainable lean manufacturing (SLM) during value chain processes could balance environmental, social and economic concerns into their decision-making, which not only ensures responsible practices but also drives efficiency and success. This paper aims to identify, measure and prioritize metrics to develop a performance measurement system that assesses the multi-dimensional performance of SLM.

Strategic decision-making has some conflicting criteria and objectives to be considered simultaneously. The Multi-Criteria Decision Making provides a foundation for selecting, sorting and prioritizing these strategies with the determination of drivers and indicator weight.

The performance model enables the decision-makers to consistently evaluate the level of sustainability through a multidimensional framework, which could support the assessment of the existing sustainability of a manufacturing process and analyze opportunities for improvement. This study divided the performance into five drivers: Quality, Operational, Finance, Environment, Safety and People and selected 17 KPIs for assessing the multi-dimensional performance of SLM organizations. The research results revealed an organization's perspective transition from strategies focused on operational and economic performance to a more sustainable ideal with greater importance for social and environmental directions.

This framework will be facilitated by the selection of the most significant drivers and the development of strategic plans for the successful adoption of sustainable manufacturing. The practices support implementation, pursue competitive advantages and sustain manufacturing, meeting strategic requirements of suitable and lean performance. With the limited resources of the organizations, the framework proposed will guide the priorities and actions to be taken toward the SLM.

This study explores the role of knowledge management capabilities (KMCs) in enhancing competitive advantage and organisational performance in fashion retailing. Employing the resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV) perspectives, it investigates the interplay between managing knowledge effectively and fashion products’ complexity. The goal is to provide new insights into optimising KMC for greater agility and success in the fashion retail industry.

The study analysed survey data from 322 US fashion retail professionals using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

The results revealed that knowledge infrastructure capability enhanced both competitive advantage and organisational performance significantly. In contrast, knowledge process capability did not significantly affect competitive advantage, it improved organisational performance. Importantly, product complexity moderated the relationship between competitive advantage and organisational performance negatively.

This study underscores the necessity for retailers in the fashion industry to enhance their KMC to bolster competitive advantage and organisational performance, while it also acknowledges product complexity’s effect on these strategies. These insights offer actionable guidance for industry leaders to optimise knowledge management to navigate the rapidly evolving retail landscape.

This research offers novel insights into the interplay of product complexity and KMC in fashion retail and highlights the unique effects on competitive advantage and organisational performance valuable for both academia and industry.

The changing roles of the United Nations (UN) and national institutions have made addressing climate change a critical concern for many multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) survival and growth. This chapter discusses how such institutions, which vary in their nature and characteristics, shape firm strategies for climate change adaptation. Exploring different versions of institutional theory, the chapter demonstrates how and why institutional characteristics affect typical patterns of firm ownership, governance, and capabilities. These, in turn, influence companies’ internationalisation and climate-change strategies. Climate change poses challenges to how we understand firms’ strategic decisions from both an international business (IB) (HQ–subsidiary relations) and global value chains (GVC) (buyer–supplier relations) perspective. However, climate change also provides opportunities for companies to gain competitive advantages – if firms can reconfigure and adapt faster than their competitors. Existing IB and GVC research tends to downplay the importance of climate change strategies and the ways in which coherent or dysfunctional institutions affect firms’ reconfiguration and adaptation strategies in a globally dispersed network of value creation. This chapter presents a perspective on the institutional conditions that affect firms’ climate change strategies regarding ownership, location, and internalisation (OLI), and GVCs, with ‘investment’ and ‘emerging standards’ playing a significant role. The authors illustrate the discussion using several examples from the Global South (i.e. Bangladesh) and the Global North (i.e. Denmark, Sweden, and Germany) with a special emphasis on the garment industry. The aim is to encourage future research to examine how a ‘business systems’, or varieties of capitalism, institutional perspective can complement the analysis of sustainability and climate change strategies in IB and GVC studies.

With big data (BD), traditional supply chain is shifting to digital supply chain. This study aims to address the issues and challenges in the way toward the implementation of big data analytics (BDA) in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).

The factors that affect the implementation of BDA in SSCM are identified through a widespread literature review. The PESTEL framework is used for this purpose as it covers all the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors. These factors are then finalized by means of experts' opinion and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

A total of 10 factors are finalized with 31 sub-factors, of which sustainable performance, competitive advantage, stakeholders' involvement and capabilities, lean and green practices and improvement in environmental performance are found to be the critical factors for the implementation of BDA in SSCM.

This research has taken up the case of Indian manufacturing industry. It can be diversified to other geographical areas and industry sectors. Further, the quantitative analysis may be undertaken with structured or semi-structured interviews for validation of the proposed model.

This research provides an insight to managers regarding the implementation of BDA in SSCM by identifying and examining the influencing factors. The results may be useful for managers for the implementation of BDA and budget allocation for BDA project.

The result includes green practices and environmental performance as critical factors for the implementation of BDA in SSCM. Thus the research establishes a positive relationship between BDA and sustainable manufacturing that ultimately benefits the environment and society.

This research addresses the challenges in the implementation of BDA in SSCM in Indian manufacturing sector, where such application is at its nascent stage. The use of PESTEL framework for identifying and categorizing the factors makes the study more worthwhile, as it covers full spectrum of the various factors that affect the strategic business decisions.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) enable firms to improve their processes to remain competitive and profitable in today’s market. These demands not only value economic results but also social impact and environmental care. In other words, firms must achieve sustainable performance. However, to take on these new sustainability challenges, firms must have dynamic capabilities to take advantage of highly changing technology. Thus, this study aims to examine the mediating role of dynamic capabilities in the relationship between ICT and sustainable performance.

This study was empirical, associative and explanatory, following a latent variable design. The sample of the study consisted of partners, founders, executives and promoters from 102 Colombian new technology-based firms selected through purposive non-probabilistic sampling. Variance-based structural equation modeling or partial least squares was used for the statistical data analysis.

A higher-order model was tested, corroborating that ICT was composed of two dimensions (use and acquisition), dynamic capabilities were composed of three dimensions (absorption, innovation and adaptation), while sustainable performance showed a unidimensional structure. As for the research hypotheses, all the direct effects were supported, as well as the mediating effect of dynamic capability in the relationship between ICT and sustainable performance, this being a complementary mediation.

This study highlights the importance of dynamic capabilities for firms today, especially those working with high levels of technology. Also, considering the results obtained, firms must implement better strategies in the acquisition and use of technology to improve their sustainable performance in dynamic and uncertain environments.

The effect of dynamic capabilities on operational excellence and the moderating effect of environmental dynamism on the relationship between operational excellence and dynamic capabilities in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka were investigated while developing new psychometric scales to assess operational excellence and dynamic capacities constructs.

We followed the exploratory sequential research design with a mixed-method research approach, aligning with the pragmatic research philosophy. Thus, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were followed.

Dynamic capabilities positively affect operational excellence, and environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between operational excellence and dynamic capabilities in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka such that when a higher environmental dynamism exists, a weaker positive relationship exists between dynamic capabilities and operational excellence. The two main dimensions of the operational excellence construct are continuous improvement of sustainable operational performance and sustainable competitive advantages. It empirically confirmed that sensing, seizing and reconfiguring capabilities are the three main dimensions of the dynamic capabilities construct.

This study was limited to the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. This research phenomenon should be explored in other industrial sectors worldwide to generalize the findings. The practitioners in the apparel sector may improve the organizational dynamic capabilities to achieve operational excellence and keep a strong positive relationship between dynamic capabilities and operational excellence in a highly dynamic environment if they address out-of-family situations with out-of-the-box thinking.

We generated two new empirical findings: (1) dynamic capabilities positively affect operational excellence, and (2) environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between dynamic capabilities and operational excellence. Also, we introduced validated new scales for assessing operational excellence and dynamic capabilities.

This study aims to investigate the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate sustainable performance (CSP) of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by looking into the significance of mediating factors, namely, brand image (BI) and brand loyalty (BL), within the context of an emerging economy.

The authors conduct an extensive literature study on the subjects of CSR, BI and BL to assess their influence on the sustainable performance of SMEs in an emerging market. The study adopts a quantitative methodology. A total of 438 answers were obtained from a sample size of 513. The data of the SMEs in Vietnam was analyzed using the smart partial least squares structural equation modeling software, specifically version 3.3.2.

The results of the authors demonstrate notable and favorable correlations between CSR and CSP, CSR and BI and CSR and BL. Importantly, the findings contribute to existing knowledge by looking into the mediating influence of BI and BL in the relationship between CSR and CSP.

According to the authors’ understanding, a number of research have investigated the correlation between CSR and CSP within the realm of SMEs. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of scholarly research examining the mediating function of BI and BL in this association. The study’s findings have important implications for entrepreneurs and senior management in effectively guiding their enterprises and improving their business strategies with an emphasis on sustainability in emerging markets. The outcome of this study has the potential to significantly contribute to SMEs in Vietnam as well as other emerging countries.