Digital leadership and green supply chain integration: The mediating effects of digital transformation and the moderating role of data-driven culture

This study aims to investigate the effect of digital leadership (DL) on green supply chain integration (GSCI) in pharmaceutical manufacturing. It also studies whether digital transformation (DT) mediates this relationship or not and whether data-driven culture (DDC) strengthens it. Data were collected from 292 managers in Chinese pharmaceutical firms and analyzed based on organizational information processing theory (OIPT) using SmartPLS 4.0. The results indicate a direct positive impact of DL on GSCI and indirect impact through DT. DT plays a crucial mediating role between DL and GSCI. DDC positively moderates the DL → DT and DT → GSCI relationships, indicating that the effects are stronger at higher DDC. Furthermore, the conditional indirect effect of DL on GSCI via DT is significant only at mean and high levels of DDC. This study contributes to the academic and managerial literature. It is academically a combination of leadership, technology and culture in one explanatory framework of GSCI. It also adds to OIPT by demonstrating the role of DT as an organizational device for translating digital initiatives led by leadership into increased GSCI in a highly regulated sustainability context. Managerially, the results imply that pharmaceutical firms should enhance DL, perform substantive rather than symbolic DT, and develop a supportive DDC to improve green coordination across the supply chain. • Digital leadership positively influences green supply chain integration. • Digital transformation mediates the relationship between DL and GSCI. • Data-driven culture strengthens both DL–DT and DT–GSCI relationships. • A moderated mediation model is developed based on organizational information processing theory (OIPT). • Evidence from 292 Chinese pharmaceutical managers supports the model.