Title: Influence of sustainable supply chain leadership strategy on operational excellence and sustainable development of listed companies in South Africa

Authors: Ahmed I. Kato; N.H. Manchidi

Addresses: Department of Applied Management, College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa, Preller Street, Muckleneuk Ridge, Pretoria, 0003, South Africa ' Department of Applied Management, College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa, Preller Street, Muckleneuk Ridge, Pretoria, 0003, South Africa

Abstract: Implementation effective sustainable supply chain leadership (SSCL) strategy at each organisation's level, positively impacts on corporation's competitive advantage and sustainable development. While fears have been acknowledged in previous literature, the benefit of designing sustainable supply chain models for operational excellence and sustainable development is a noteworthy exploration. The study collected statistical data using an online SurveyMonkey questionnaire from 46 of the top 100 JSE-listed companies to elucidate the large firms' transition from longstanding linear approaches to sustainable production and consumption to a more circular approach. A bivariate data analysis was used to generate the results in SPSS. The results indicate a positive contribution of SSCL strategy to operational excellence and sustainable development of large corporations if only the entire supply chain system is well-coordinated and implemented. This study makes a vital contribution by proposing a new SSCL model for fast-tracking corporate sustainability and enhancing corporate contributions to sustainable growth.

Keywords: sustainable supply chain management; operational excellence; supply chain leadership; developing economy; JSE-listed companies; strategic actions; South Africa; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2024.144618

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2024 Vol.17 No.4, pp.321 - 345

Received: 17 Feb 2023
Accepted: 13 Mar 2024
Published online: 25 Feb 2025 *

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