Exploring the impact of disruptive technologies on internal and external green supply chain management: the roles of absorptive capacity and ethical leadership in Chinese manufacturing

While the importance of digital transformation and disruptive innovation continues to grow, current literature on green supply chain management (GSCM) still provides only a partial understanding of how established firms reconfigure their business strategies in response to disruptive events. This study investigates the critical factors driving the integration of disruptive technologies (DTs) into GSCM within Chinese manufacturing firms, emphasizing the role of absorptive capacity (AC) as a mediator and ethical leadership (EL) as a moderator. Utilizing survey responses from 435 manufacturing companies, the analysis was carried out through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that the adoption of DT improves both internal and external GSCM, along with AC. Furthermore, AC mediates the relationship between DTs and GSCM, while EL significantly moderates the relationship between DTs and internal GSCM. By synthesizing insights from disruptive innovation theory, combined with the natural resource-based view, this study offers new perspectives on the relationships between DTs, AC, EL, and GSCM, providing a deeper understanding of how organizations adapt their operational models and practices in response to disruption.