Deriving Technology-Moderated Environmental Performance in the SMEs: A Sustainable Supply Chain Management Perspective

During the past decade, environmental awareness and consciousness have increased dramatically particularly in the developing countries. Given the ever-increasing emphasis on the UN member countries for contributing towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the notion of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has gained increased traction, and as such it has become a powerful driver toward reducing the harmful impacts of the production processes, activities and emissions on the natural environment. However, it is still unexplored as to what extent the Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) and Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) when subject to the application of Quick Response Technology (QRT) affect the GSCM practices for augmenting the environmental performance of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the developing countries. It is therefore critical to evaluate the link between the above variables with an aim to derive sustainable environmental performance. Thus, by evaluating from the lens of Resource-Based-View (RBV) theory, this research offers a synergistic framework of the relationship between GIC, GHRM and GSCM when subject to a moderation effect of QRT for achieving the Firm Environmental Performance (FEP). In order to examine this, we invited participants from 244 SMEs of Pakistan to participate in this research and the data were statistically analysed using the Smart-PLS-based Structural Equation Modelling. The results demonstrated that GIC and GHRM, when mediated through GSCM and moderated by QRT, significantly enhanced the environmental performance of the SMEs. From the viewpoint of its theoretical contribution, this research adds a novel scholarly perspective to the GHRM, GIC and GSCM literature. On the policy and practice front, it offers sense-making insights and policy recommendations for the SMEs in the developing countries that are striving to adopt and maintain sustainable supply chain practices for deriving environmental performance. Additionally, from the SDG perspective, this research directly contributes towards achieving some specific SDGs in the developing countries, thereby formally sensitising SMEs, Governments, NGOs, Social Communities and Individuals in these countries to focus on the attainment of the SDGs.