Sustainable operations practices and sustainable performance: relationships and moderators

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationships among four types of sustainable operations practices and sustainable performance in the environmental, economic and social dimensions and identifies significant moderators. Design/methodology/approach - In order to achieve the proposed goal, this study was developed through a systematic review of the literature followed by a meta-analysis of the correlations and by a meta-regression. The sampling criteria were quantitative operations management articles published through 2019. Findings - The results suggest that all 13 analyzed relationships are positive and are affected by moderators. Research limitations/implications - In theoretical terms, this study reinforces the positive relationship between sustainable operations practices and performance and, more importantly, detects moderating effects. One of the study limitations is the composition of the sample, focusing exclusively on quantitative correlational articles published in journals. Practical implications - In practice, the findings of this study imply that managers should be vigilant in implementing sustainable operations practices, observing the conditions in which more of these practices can be implemented into performance. Originality/value - This study differs from others because it includes the social dimension of sustainable performance and the identification of moderators.