Strategic levers of sustainability: Examining TQM and competitive advantage in green supply chains

Purpose Due to the incessant focus on climate change, international, regulatory, and social pressures are compelling organizations to adopt green supply chain management practices (GSCPs). This study analyzes the impact of a holistic set of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices including Internal Environment Management (IEM), Green Purchasing (GP), Cooperation with Customers (CC), Eco-Design (ED), Investment Recovery (IR), Reverse Logistics (RL), Green Distribution (GD), and Green Warehousing (GW) on sustainability performance (SP) constituting environmental, economic, and social performance. This investigation draws on the Natural-Resource-Based-view, which presents GSCM as a strategic capability that leads to Competitive Advantage (CA), which in turn leads to SP. Therefore, it examines the mediation of CA between GSCM & SP. In addition, the moderating role of Total Quality Management (TQM) is also examined.Design/methodology/approach 392 experts from the Indian manufacturing industry were surveyed, and the data were analyzed using PLS-SEM through SmartPLS.Findings The findings suggest that a holistic set of GSCM practices positively impacts EVP, ECP, & SCP with partial mediation of CA, and an absence of moderation of TQM.Originality/Value The study extends the previous literature by considering a broader spectrum of GSCPs. Moreover, this study examined the moderation of TQM between GSCM & SP, which has rarely been analyzed previously. Implications: This study strengthens NRBV theory and directs managers and policymakers about the positive impacts of GSCM.