IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i19p8810-d1762781.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Human Behavioral Drivers of Sustainable Supply Chains: The Role of Green Talent Management in Ecuadorian MSMEs

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander Sánchez-Rodríguez

    (Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Industries, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador)

  • Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer

    (Faculty of Law, Administrative and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador)

  • Gelmar García-Vidal

    (Faculty of Law, Administrative and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador)

  • Yandi Fernández-Ochoa

    (Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Industries, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador)

  • Rodobaldo Martínez-Vivar

    (Faculty of Law, Administrative and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador)

  • Freddy Ignacio Alvarez-Subía

    (Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Industries, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador)

Abstract

This study examines how green talent management (GTM) practices foster sustainable supply chains in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Quito, Ecuador. It analyzes how sustainable leadership, green organizational culture, and sustainability-oriented training influence employees’ pro-environmental motivation, organizational commitment, and sustainability attitudes, which in turn mediate the adoption of green logistics practices, supply chain efficiency, and organizational resilience. A quantitative design was employed, using survey data from 280 MSMEs analyzed through structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrate that GTM enhances employees’ motivation, commitment, and sustainability attitudes, which act as the primary behavioral mechanisms translating managerial practices into sustainability outcomes. Theoretically, the study integrates Green HRM and supply chain research with multiple organizational behavior theories, including Social Exchange Theory, the AMO model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Resource-Based View. Empirically, it contributes novel evidence from Ecuadorian MSMEs, a context often underexplored in sustainability research. Practically, the study highlights leadership, culture, and training as strategic levers for building greener, more efficient, and more resilient supply chains. The results offer actionable recommendations for MSME managers and policymakers in Ecuador, highlighting the importance of investing in people as the foundation of sustainable competitiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Sánchez-Rodríguez & Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer & Gelmar García-Vidal & Yandi Fernández-Ochoa & Rodobaldo Martínez-Vivar & Freddy Ignacio Alvarez-Subía, 2025. "Human Behavioral Drivers of Sustainable Supply Chains: The Role of Green Talent Management in Ecuadorian MSMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-29, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8810-:d:1762781
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8810/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8810/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephanie Graham & Trevor Cadden & Raymond Treacy, 2023. "Examining the influence of employee engagement in supporting the implementation of green supply chain management practices: A green human resource management perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4750-4766, November.
    2. Tauseef Jamal & Muhammad Zahid & José Moleiro Martins & Mário Nuno Mata & Haseeb Ur Rahman & Pedro Neves Mata, 2021. "Perceived Green Human Resource Management Practices and Corporate Sustainability: Multigroup Analysis and Major Industries Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    4. Singh, Sanjay Kumar & Giudice, Manlio Del & Chierici, Roberto & Graziano, Domenico, 2020. "Green innovation and environmental performance: The role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    5. Chunyan Chen & Anmol Rasheed & Arslan Ayub, 2023. "Does Green Mindfulness Promote Green Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Ismail Ataher Ab Albakoush & Askin Kiraz, 2025. "Investigating the Impact of Corporate Environmental Sustainability Motivations on Environmental Management Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-18, August.
    7. Hoyoung Lee, 2020. "The Role of Environmental Uncertainty, Green HRM and Green SCM in Influencing Organization s Energy Efficacy and Environmental Performance," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(3), pages 332-339.
    8. Fida Hassanein & Hale Özgit, 2022. "Sustaining Human Resources through Talent Management Strategies and Employee Engagement in the Middle East Hotel Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Huijun Gao & Abdullah Al Mamun & Mohammad Masukujjaman & Qing Yang, 2025. "Exploring the nexus of green human resource management, leadership and organizational culture on workplace pro-environmental behavior," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Vuk Mirčetić & Tatjana Ivanović & Snežana Knežević & Vesna Bogojević Arsić & Tijana Obradović & Darjan Karabašević & Svetlana Vukotić & Tomislav Brzaković & Miljan Adamović & Stefan Milojević & Marko , 2022. "The Innovative Human Resource Management Framework: Impact of Green Competencies on Organisational Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, February.
    11. Zeynep Hatipoğlu & Gülbeniz Akduman, 2025. "The Mediating Role of Sustainable Leadership in Green Human Resource Management Practices and Organizational Commitment: A Case Study in Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-20, May.
    12. Hany Hosny Abdelhamied & Ahmed Mohamed Elbaz & Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy & Tamer Mohamed Amer, 2023. "Linking Green Human Resource Practices and Sustainable Performance: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and Green Motivation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    13. Bashar Barakat & Marwan Milhem & Gehad Mohammed Ahmed Naji & Mohammed Alzoraiki & Habsah Binti Muda & Ali Ateeq & Zahida Abro, 2023. "Assessing the Impact of Green Training on Sustainable Business Advantage: Exploring the Mediating Role of Green Supply Chain Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, September.
    14. Guiling Yue & Haoqiang Wei & Noor Ullah Khan & Roselina Ahmad Saufi & Mohd Fathi Abu Yaziz & Hanieh Alipour Bazkiaei, 2023. "Does the Environmental Management System Predict TBL Performance of Manufacturers? The Role of Green HRM Practices and OCBE as Serial Mediators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, January.
    15. Paúl Sarango-Lalangui & José Álvarez-García & María De la Cruz Del Río-Rama, 2018. "Sustainable Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, June.
    16. Jorge Alberto Esponda Perez & Faisal Ejaz & Sarmad Ejaz, 2023. "Green Transformational Leadership, GHRM, and Proenvironmental Behavior: An Effectual Drive to Environmental Performances of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-17, March.
    17. Yew Chee Chew & Siti Rohaida Mohamed Zainal, 2024. "A Sustainable Collaborative Talent Management Through Collaborative Intelligence Mindset Theory: A Systematic Review," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, June.
    18. Umair Waqas & Sonia Umair & Beata Mrugalska & Ibrahim Rashid Shamsi & IIya Bystrov, 2024. "Mediating role of green talent management between green strategic orientation and sustainable supply chain performance among SMEs of Oman," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 340(2), pages 1063-1089, September.
    19. Md. Aftab Uddin & Shetu Ranjan Biswas & Swadip Bhattacharjee & Mouri Dey & Monowar Mahmood, 2021. "Inspiring employees' ecological behaviors: The roles of corporate environmental strategy, biospheric values, and eco‐centric leadership," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2367-2381, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sultan Mohammed Alkhozaim & Fatimah Abdulaziz Alshiha & Emad Mohammed Alnasser & Ahmed Abdulaziz Alshiha, 2024. "How Green Performance Is Affected by Green Talent Management in Tourism and Hospitality Businesses: A Mediation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Nosheena Yasir & Nasir Mahmood & Hafiz Shakir Mehmood & Osama Rashid & An Liren, 2021. "The Integrated Role of Personal Values and Theory of Planned Behavior to Form a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Ferreira, Joao J. & Fernandes, Cristina I. & Veiga, Pedro Mota & Caputo, Andrea, 2022. "The interactions of entrepreneurial attitudes, abilities and aspirations in the (twin) environmental and digital transitions? A dynamic panel data approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Elif Baykal & Bahar Divrik, 2023. "Employee Involvement in Sustainability Projects in Emergent Markets: Evidence from Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Halkos, George & Aslanidis, Panagiotis-Stavros, 2025. "The Socio-Cultural and Spiritual Dimensions on Non-marketed Environmental Valuation," MPRA Paper 124961, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Iftikhar Hussain & Mehrab Nazir & Saadia Bano Hashmi & Imrab Shaheen & Sabahat Akram & Muhammad Arfaq Waseem & Adeel Arshad, 2021. "Linking Green and Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions and Social Networking Sites; The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Risk Propensity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-13, June.
    7. Md. Mahiuddin Sabbir & Khan Md Raziuddin Taufique, 2022. "Sustainable employee green behavior in the workplace: Integrating cognitive and non‐cognitive factors in corporate environmental policy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 110-128, January.
    8. Paula Benevene & Ilaria Buonomo, 2020. "Green Human Resource Management: An Evidence-Based Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-25, July.
    9. Rangpeng Liu & Zhuo Yue & Ali Ijaz & Abdalwali Lutfi & Jie Mao, 2023. "Sustainable Business Performance: Examining the Role of Green HRM Practices, Green Innovation and Responsible Leadership through the Lens of Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-20, April.
    10. Shetu Ranjan Biswas & Md. Aftab Uddin & Swadip Bhattacharjee & Mouri Dey & Tarek Rana, 2022. "Ecocentric leadership and voluntary environmental behavior for promoting sustainability strategy: The role of psychological green climate," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1705-1718, May.
    11. Fatimah Mahdy & Mohammad Alqahtani & Faiz Binzafrah, 2023. "Imperatives, Benefits, and Initiatives of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM): A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-31, March.
    12. Samera Nazir & Li Zhaolei & Saqib Mehmood & Zarish Nazir, 2024. "Impact of Green Supply Chain Management Practices on the Environmental Performance of Manufacturing Firms Considering Institutional Pressure as a Moderator," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-30, March.
    13. Iftikhar Hussain & Mehrab Nazir & Saadia Bano Hashmi & Assunta Di Vaio & Imrab Shaheen & Muhammad Arfaq Waseem & Adeel Arshad, 2021. "Green and Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Mediation-Moderation Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-13, August.
    14. Weichao Ding & Muhammad Rafiq, 2025. "Sustaining Talent: The Role of Personal Norms in the Relationship Between Green Practices and Employee Retention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-21, May.
    15. Serdar Cop & Uju Violet Alola & Andrew Adewale Alola, 2020. "Perceived behavioral control as a mediator of hotels' green training, environmental commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior: A sustainable environmental practice," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3495-3508, December.
    16. Olawole Fawehinmi & Mohd Yusoff Yusliza & Samuel Ogbeibu & M. Imran Tanveer & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour, 2022. "Academic employees' green behaviour as praxis for bolstering environmental sustainable development: A linear moderated mediation evaluation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3470-3490, November.
    17. John Sihar Manurung, 2024. "Green Tech and Human Dynamics: Transforming Indonesia’s Waste Industry with VR, AR, and Renewable Energy Innovations," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(2), pages 603-617, March.
    18. Nosheena Yasir & Muhammad Babar & Hafiz Shakir Mehmood & Ruyu Xie & Guanke Guo, 2023. "The Environmental Values Play a Role in the Development of Green Entrepreneurship to Achieve Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-27, April.
    19. Nosheena Yasir & Ruyu Xie & Junrui Zhang, 2022. "The Impact of Personal Values and Attitude toward Sustainable Entrepreneurship on Entrepreneurial Intention to Enhance Sustainable Development: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, June.
    20. Fatih Uslu & Ali Keles & Arif Aytekin & Ozgur Yayla & Huseyin Keles & Gozde Seval Ergun & Abdullah Tarinc, 2023. "Effect of Green Human Resource Management on Green Psychological Climate and Environmental Green Behavior of Hotel Employees: The Moderator Roles of Environmental Sensitivity and Altruism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-22, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8810-:d:1762781. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.