Title: Green supply chain management: impact on environmental performance and firm competitiveness

Authors: Cheng Ling Tan; Suhaiza Hanim Mohd. Zailani; Sieow Chin Tan; Sook Fern Yeo

Addresses: Graduate School Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia ' Faculty of Business and Accountancy, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ' Graduate School Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia ' Faculty of Business, Multimedia University, 75450, Bukit Beruang, Melaka, Malaysia

Abstract: Unrestrained industrialisation resulting in environmental pollution has mobilised the unstinting endeavours of scientist, researchers, policy makers and ecologist in a quest to rapidly unearth solutions to mitigate further environmental deterioration. One promising ongoing development is green supply chain management (GSCM), which promises a reduction of pollution and waste in manufacturing. GSCM achieves this through the mechanism of improving manufacturing efficiency, by reducing costs, enhancing product quality and improving product delivery. This study applies the natural resource-based view, and quantitatively examines the impact of the implementation of GSCM on firm environmental performance, and firm competitiveness. Data was collected from 122 sampled firms, analysed, and evaluated in two ways. Firstly, using partial least squared-structured equation modelling (PLS-SEM), results indicate that 'green procurement', and 'green supplier and customer collaboration', have a significant positive relationship with both firm environmental performance, and, firm competitiveness. Secondly, using importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA), both 'green procurement' and 'green supplier and customer collaboration' are mapped in the high in importance/high-performance quadrant. The practical recommendations are for organisations to prioritise efforts and resources towards 'green procurement' and 'green supplier and customer collaboration' in order to maximise the return on 'green' investment.

Keywords: green supply chain management; GSCM; green procurement; green production; firm environmental performance; firm competitiveness; manufacturing firm; supplier; customer; collaboration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSM.2019.099035

International Journal of Sustainable Strategic Management, 2019 Vol.7 No.1/2, pp.91 - 112

Received: 14 May 2018
Accepted: 06 Nov 2018
Published online: 12 Apr 2019 *

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