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The global emphasis on sustainability is driving organizations to embrace financial technology (Fintech) solutions as a means of enhancing their sustainable performance. This study seeks to unveil the intermediary role played by green finance and competitiveness, along with the moderating impact of digital transformation (DT), in the intricate relationship between Fintech adoption and sustainable performance.

Drawing on existing literature, we construct a comprehensive conceptual framework to thoroughly analyse these interconnected variables. To empirical validate of our model, a dual structural equation modelling–artificial neural network) SEM–ANN approach was employed, adding a robust layer of validation to our study’s proposed framework. A sample of 438 banking employees in Pakistan was collected using a simple random sampling technique, with 411 samples deemed suitable for subsequent analysis. Initially, data scrutiny and hypothesis testing were carried out using Smart-PLS 4.0 and SPSS-23. Subsequently, the ANN technique was utilized to assess the importance of exogenous factors in forecasting endogenous factors.

The findings from this research underscore the direct and significant influence of Fintech adoption and DT on the sustainable performance of banks. Notably, green finance and competitiveness emerge as pivotal mediators, bridging the gap between Fintech adoption and sustainable performance. Moreover, DT emerges as a critical moderator, shaping the relationships between Fintech adoption and both green finance and competitiveness. The integration of the ANN approach enhances the SEM analysis, providing deeper insights and a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

This study contributes to the enhanced comprehension of Fintech, green finance, competitiveness, DT and the sustainable performance of banks. Recognizing the importance of amalgamating Fintech adoption, green finance and transformational leadership becomes essential for elevating the sustainable performance of banks. The insights garnered from this study hold valuable implications for policymakers, practitioners and scholars aiming to enhance the sustainable performance of banks within the competitive business landscape.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between sustainable leadership and sustainable project performance. Specifically, the study aims to examine the mediating role of knowledge integration, examining how knowledge integration within an organization influences project outcomes. In addition, the study seeks to explore the moderating role of top management knowledge values, examining how the values and beliefs of top management influence the relationship between sustainable leadership and project performance.

A three-wave survey of 392 employees working in construction sector projects in Pakistan used both hierarchical regression analysis and Hayes’ PROCESS macro method to evaluate the hypotheses.

The study results show that sustainable leadership positively relates to sustainable project performance and knowledge integration mediating this relationship. In addition, the top management knowledge value moderates the indirect effect of sustainable leadership on sustainable project performance via knowledge integration.

Although the model was tested using three-wave data, it is important to note that the data were obtained from a single source. Therefore, it is possible that common method bias may have influenced the results, and this cannot be disregarded.

Organizations seek to prioritize sustainability and integrate sustainability considerations into their project management processes. Organizations can achieve improved sustainable project performance by investing in sustainable leadership development, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and learning, prioritizing top management support for sustainable performance and integrating sustainable considerations into project management processes.

The study’s grounding on organizational learning theory adds an original and valuable perspective to the relationship between sustainable leadership and sustainable project performance. This investigation is original, as it combines sustainable leadership, knowledge integration and the moderating role of top management knowledge value to understand their impact on sustainable project performance. This unique approach contributes to the literature by providing new insights into these relationships and mechanisms in the construction industry.

Sustainable construction deficits are common in developing economies, and resolutions are constrained by the failure to prioritise the plethora of available indicators. This study aims to report on overlapping indicators for benchmarking sustainable construction for construction organisations.

Online survey data were collected from construction professionals, academics and senior managers in government bodies. Pearson chi-squared tests and overlapping analysis were used to determine significant indicators. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to determine statistically significant differences among the dimensions.

Overlapping analysis determined indicators significant for economic, environmental and social performance. Environmental protection and reporting (pollution and emissions) were significant for all three performance dimensions. The most significant indicators are economic performance (adequate competence of key project staff), environmental performance (environmental protection and reporting – pollution and emissions) and social performance (adequate sustainability expenditure by construction organisations). Significant differences due to dimensions existed for adequate competence of key project staff, sustainable construction and eco-design, adequate governance and organisational excellence of construction projects and satisfactory workers’ morale.

Determining overlapping indicators enables prioritised implementation that ensures sustainable construction. Excluding construction workers was a significant limitation for a holistic interrogation.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to determine overlapping indicators for sustainable construction performance in Zimbabwe.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the construction of a structural measurement model utilizing structural equation modelling (SEM) to confirm the link between Industry 4.0 technologies, sustainable manufacturing practices and organizational sustainable performance. Relationship among the paradigm has yet to be fully investigated, necessitating a more conceptual and empirical examination on what impact they have on organizational sustainable performance when used together.

Industry 4.0 and sustainable production practices aim to progress a company's business competitiveness, forming sustainable development that benefits manufacturing companies. The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between constructs that lead to operational excellence in firms that use Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable manufacturing techniques. Experts from diverse automotive industries, who are applying both Industry 4.0 and sustainable manufacturing practices, provided data for the study.

Statistical estimations (hypotheses) are created to substantiate the measurement model that has been developed. The structural model was analysed, and the findings were discussed. The statistical estimate is either approved or rejected based on the findings. According to the conclusions of this study, strong link exists between Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable manufacturing practices that affect organizational sustainable performance environmentally, economically and socially.

The research was conducted in the framework of automobile component manufacturing companies in India. The outcomes of the study are practically feasible.

The authors' novel contribution is the construction of a structural model with Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable manufacturing practices into account.

This paper analyses the effect of circular economy practices on sustainable supply chain performance. The study explores the impact of mediating variables such as supply chain flexibility and capabilities and the moderating role of supply chain integration in the relationship between circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain performance in Indian manufacturing firms. The study builds on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to conceptualise circular economy practices that influence supply chain capabilities, integration and flexibility, impacting sustainable supply chain performance.

This study adopted an online survey questionnaire distributed to managers of Indian manufacturing firms adopting circular economy practices. The data were analysed using SPSS Amos 25 and PROCESS macros.

The results suggest a positive impact of circular economy practices on sustainable supply chain performance in manufacturing firms. In addition, a supply chain manager's relationship with retailers is improved in the presence of supply chain capabilities and flexibility. Supply chain integration further strengthens this relationship as a moderating variable.

By examining the literature on circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain management, this study contributes to bridging the gap between supply chain capabilities, integration and flexibility using the S-O-R model. This study is possibly among the first to explore and provide empirical evidence on how circular economy practices in manufacturing firms can impact supply chain managers' experiences and thus help to improve environmental well-being. Both academics and business professionals might find these contributions interesting.

The need to improve sustainability in manufacturing firms, which would allow them to reduce the emission of pollutants and the generation of industrial waste, has stimulated the adoption of circular economy (CE) alongside lean manufacturing (LM) practices to significantly improve the sustainable performance of organizations. However, empirical evidence provided in previous studies and that has related the practices of LM, CE and sustainable performance do not allow establishing an interconnection between these three concepts. Therefore, this paper fills this gap in the literature by exploring the relationship between these three concepts.

A quantitative study in which data were collected from 460 managers working in the automotive industry in Mexico was conducted. The data allowed the testing and validation of four hypotheses through the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM).

The results obtained suggest that LM practices have a significant positive influence both on sustainable performance and CE. In turn, the results also demonstrate the existence of a significant positive relationship between CE and the sustainable performance of manufacturing firms in the automotive industry as well as that CE has a positive role in mediating the interconnection between LM practices and sustainable performance.

The results obtained from the present study will allow entrepreneurs in the automotive industry and industry professionals as well as government authorities to formulate more effective policies and strategies to support the improvement of environmental sustainability performance in the manufacturing sector.

This is one of the first studies that have investigated the relationship between LM, CE and sustainable performance, particularly, in the automotive sector.

Indonesian woven craft small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have encountered several difficulties in sustaining their success in the digital era. The performance of the business is contingent upon its ability to gain competitive advantage through traditional knowledge capabilities. The purpose of this research is to study the role of traditional knowledge management processes towards competitive advantage and sustainable performance for woven craft SMEs.

This research used a quantitative approach with a survey strategy. Confirmatory research was conducted to test five hypotheses to determine the causal relationship of four variables, namely, traditional knowledge management, dynamic capabilities, competitive advantage and sustainable performance. This study used a purposive sampling strategy and gathered data from 385 respondents. The sample was selected based on predetermined criteria, including operation for more than five years and entrepreneurial activity using traditional knowledge as a resource to manage product innovation. The analytical technique used was structural equation modelling with the support of the AMOS programme.

The findings indicated that traditional knowledge management processes directly affect dynamic capabilities and sustainable performance. This study also found traditional knowledge management processes play a significant role in enhancing competitive advantage mediated by dynamic capabilities. However, traditional knowledge management processes have no significant effect on competitive advantage. Hence, there is a significant effect contributed by the relationship between traditional knowledge management processes and sustainable performance. Therefore, in the context of craft woven SMEs, the higher the traditional knowledge-based capabilities, the higher their sustainable performance.

The novelty shows a direct relationship between traditional knowledge management processes and sustainable performance. This study also found traditional knowledge management processes meditated by dynamic capabilities have a relationship with competitive advantage. Traditional knowledge management processes will trigger an increase in dynamic capability which is a source of business development; those conditions will increase sustainable performance. Traditional knowledge-based capability is an antecedent of sustainable performance. The benefits of this research can be used as scientific literature regarding the link between traditional knowledge management processes, competitive advantage and sustainable performance. The results of this study can also be used as a basis for empowering traditional woven craft SMEs in Indonesia.

The purpose of this study is twofold: to examine the impact of entrepreneurial competencies and innovation on manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) sustainable performance and to explore the role of innovation as a mediator on the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and manufacturing SMEs' sustainable performance.

Data collected from manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia were analysed via the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach.

The results reveal that entrepreneurial competencies play a robust and noteworthy role in promoting innovation and the sustainable performance of manufacturing SMEs, respectively. Further, innovation has a partially mediated effect on the link between entrepreneurial competencies and manufacturing SMEs' sustainable performance. Manufacturing SMEs' aspirations to be the first to market with new products are reflected in these SMEs' implementation of positive entrepreneurial competencies or capabilities which enable them to scan the environment to identify high-quality business opportunities and respond through these SMEs' Research and Development (R&D) activities to create products that provide real benefit to customers' needs. Hence, these SME's seize the market opportunities.

Manufacturing SMEs' sustainable performance should be strengthened by linking entrepreneurial competencies with innovation to nurture greater agility to respond quickly to change and market demands. These SMEs should conduct tactical meetings on a regular basis to discuss current projects and assess critical indicators, as well as to identify and test fresh ideas for innovation and new business ventures in order to achieve sustainable performance in challenging business environments.

By applying the resource-based view (RBV) theory and the triple bottom line (TBL) framework into a single framework, this study highlights the role of innovation as a meaningful mediator between entrepreneurial competencies and manufacturing SMEs' sustainable performance. As exploration of this relationship has been very limited, the study makes a novel contribution to the extant literature.

This study aims to propose a framework for identifying and measuring the gaps between evaluation and goal setting in service supply chain (SSC) processes towards planning and development of sustainable tourism aligned with the firm's real conditions and capabilities.

By the concept of the service quality gap model, the existing gaps between auditors' evaluation and the managers' goals in SSC processes maturity were examined. Then, each of the designed gaps was measured considering the goals addressed by managers’ and auditors' evaluation. Finally, the strategy and priority of sustainable tourism planning and development were determined based on importance–performance analysis (IPA).

The gaps caused by the expectations and perceptions of the firm about the dissatisfaction of managers regarding their addressed goals and the evaluation of auditors in the planning and development of sustainable tourism can be classified into three categories of goals gap, assessment gap and main gap. To improve the performance of the firm in each of the evaluation criteria under the results of IPA analysis, solutions were provided.

Realistic evaluation and recognition of the capabilities of the organization's processes through the proposed framework can be effective in goal setting and sustainable tourism development policies.

The framework proposed in this study can be a suitable approach for the balanced growth of all aspects of the firm in planning and developing sustainable tourism and helps firms in setting the right and logical goals.

As sustainable performance has a central role in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) performance literature, this study aims to examine the influence of networking capabilities in enhancing sustainable performance through knowledge workers’ productivity and digital innovation. It also examines the sequential mediating role of knowledge workers’ productivity and digital innovation on networking capabilities and SMEs’ sustainable performance relationship.

Data were collected from 308 knowledge workers in the information technology sector and analyzed using the Hayes Process Macro bootstrapping method to test the proposed hypotheses.

Results indicate that knowledge workers’ productivity and digital innovation individually and sequentially mediate the relationship between networking capabilities and SME’s sustainable (economic and environmental) performance, surprisingly, they do not act as a mediator between networking capability and SME’s social performance. SMEs should prioritize investments in the professional development of their knowledge workers through training and skill enhancement programs. This investment equips knowledge workers with the tools to effectively use the knowledge and resources acquired through networking. Thus, knowledge workers may improve performance by using these resources to tackle challenges.

Although this research focused on this specific context, it is prudent to acknowledge that additional factors may also exert influence on sustainable performance within SMEs, factors that managers may consider when making decisions. Methodologically, the cross-sectional design of this research poses a potential limitation, as it does not allow for the complete elimination of endogeneity concerns. However, it is worth noting that scholars have endorsed the use of cross-sectional data in cases where management researchers aim to expand beyond well-documented and longitudinal data sets.

This research offers practical recommendations for SMEs to improve their sustainable performance through networking. SMEs should seek partnerships with complementary knowledge to improve operations and for other performance-oriented benefits.

This study adds significantly to the literature on sustainable SME performance by studying the interdependent effects of networking capabilities. It also represents the individual and sequential mediation mechanism that links networking capabilities to SME success through knowledge worker productivity and digital innovation.