Effect of total quality management on business sustainability: the mediating role of green supply chain management practices

The practices of manufacturing organizations contribute massively to the increasing deterioration of the environment in developing countries. However, there is data paucity and limited studies on how manufacturing organizations could tackle this problem. This study aimed to examine the explanatory link of green supply chain management practices (GSCMPs) between total quality management (TQM) and business sustainability (BS) in Palestinian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A total of 287 manufacturing SME’s owners, top managers and legal representatives participated in the study, and the survey instrument was analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results revealed that TQM had a positive influence on GSCMPs and BS. Furthermore, GSCMPs plays a mediating role between TQM and BS. Based on these findings and from the perspective of a developing country, a research model involving the assessment of both individual and combined influence of TQM and GSCMPs on BS was proposed. In this study, TQM was modeled as an antecedent of GSCMPs, which has rarely been investigated in the developing country context. Hence, adding to the body of knowledge and advocation to tackle environmental challenges in developing countries.