ABSTRACT This study examines how preferential buyer–supplier relationships contribute to net‐zero carbon supply chain performance by focusing on the relational and capability‐based mechanisms that enable supplier‐level decarbonization. Drawing on the resource‐based view (RBV) and stakeholder theory, the study addresses a critical gap in the literature, where supplier collaboration, motivation, and capability have largely been examined in isolation rather than as interdependent pathways. Using survey data collected from 324 supply chain professionals across emission‐intensive sectors, the proposed conceptual framework is empirically tested through confirmatory factor analysis and regression‐based conditional process modelling. The findings demonstrate that supplier preparedness and capability play a mediating role, fully transmitting the effects of collaboration and motivation for zero‐carbon operations on net‐zero carbon performance. Preferential relationship status indirectly enhances performance by fostering supplier collaboration and strengthening intrinsic motivation, which together enable capability development. In contrast, supply chain visibility and transparency do not significantly moderate these relationships, suggesting that monitoring technologies alone are insufficient without parallel investments in supplier capability‐building. The study contributes to sustainability and supply chain management literature by clarifying how preferential relationships facilitate a shift from compliance‐oriented approaches toward capability‐driven partnerships, offering actionable insights for firms pursuing net‐zero targets across complex supply networks.
Sunil Kumar et al. (Sun,) studied this question.