The effect of TQM practices on corporate sustainable performance: the mediating role of CSR practices

Purpose This article aims to investigate the relationships among total quality management (TQM) practices, corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and corporate sustainable performance (CSP) in the context of a developing country. Moreover, it examines the underexplored mediating role of CSR practices in the relationship between TQM practices and each dimension of CSP. Design/methodology/approach Following a quantitative research design, the authors employed a structured survey questionnaire to collect data from 244 manufacturing firms in Tunisia. The collected data were subsequently analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings This study demonstrates that companies adopting TQM practices are more likely to implement CSR practices, thereby enhancing their social and environmental performance. Moreover, the combined adoption of TQM and CSR practices indirectly influences firms' financial performance through improvements in social performance, whereas no significant indirect effect is observed through environmental performance. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to manufacturing firms in Tunisia, and therefore, its findings cannot be generalized to other sectors or countries. Originality/value By integrating the resource-based view and stakeholder theory, this study enriches the literature on TQM and CSR practices. It provides novel evidence on how these practices jointly influence social, environmental and financial performance, explicitly linking organizational outcomes to the sustainable development goals in emerging economies.