A System Dynamics Perspective on Sustainability Interventions in Manufacturing Systems

Manufacturing organizations are complex socio‐technical systems where interventions generate non‐linear, feedback‐driven effects over time. This study examines how an operational changeover intervention influences economic and environmental sustainability using a hybrid framework that integrates partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) and system dynamics (SD). Survey data from 349 professionals in the maquiladora industry (Ciudad Juárez, Mexico) were used to estimate causal relationships among resources, technology, waste reduction, energy efficiency and economic sustainability. SEM total effects were then translated into a bounded (0–1) dynamic model to simulate system behaviour over 5 years. Results show that modest initial implementation levels can be amplified through reinforcing mechanisms and goal‐seeking adjustment, leading to stabilized high‐performance levels. The study contributes a transparent structural‐to‐dynamic linkage for analysing sustainability interventions in real manufacturing systems and offers decision support insights for prioritizing improvement levers over time.