Linking Green Supply Chain Management Practices to Environmental Performance: Examining Circular Economy Practices and Employee Green Orientation Under Regulatory Pressure

Drawing on stakeholder and institutional theories, this study examines how green supply chain management practices relate to perceived environmental performance (PEP) in China's steel industry. It assesses perceived social responsibility (PSR) as a mediator and perceived regulatory pressure (PRP) as a moderator. Three‐wave survey data from 324 managers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Green purchasing, green production, employee green orientation, and circular economy practices were positively associated with PSR, with circular practices exhibiting the largest coefficient. PSR was positively related to PEP, and specific indirect effects supported the proposed mediation relationships. PRP modestly strengthened the PSR–PEP association. Integrating operational, employee, and circular practices, the study highlights the relevance of responsibility perceptions to environmental management. Managers should link these practices to verifiable operational indicators, as the findings establish perceptual associations rather than causal effects or independently verified environmental improvements.