Abstract
Sustainability has transitioned from a peripheral corporate responsibility concern to a central strategic priority. Among the various sustainability-driven strategies, Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has emerged as a transformative mechanism that integrates environmental considerations into supply chain activities including procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and reverse flows. This conceptual research paper examines how GSCM functions as a pathway to sustainable competitive advantage.
Drawing upon the Resource-Based View (RBV), Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV), Dynamic Capabilities Theory, Stakeholder Theory, and Institutional Theory, this study develops an integrative conceptual framework explaining how green supply chain practices translate into efficiency gains, innovation capability, risk mitigation, reputational capital, and long-term profitability.
The paper argues that GSCM is not merely an environmental compliance tool but a strategic capability that enables firms to achieve differentiation, cost leadership, and resilience in volatile markets. The proposed 3E Strategic Model (Efficiency, Effectiveness, Environmental Responsibility) is introduced to demonstrate how environmental initiatives reinforce core competitive drivers.
The study contributes to theoretical discourse by synthesizing fragmented sustainability research into a unified strategic framework and offers managerial insights for embedding green practices into core supply chain strategy.
Keywords: Green Supply Chain Management, Sustainable Competitive Advantage, Resource- Based View, Circular Economy, Environmental Strategy, Green Innovation.
References
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120.
DiMaggio, P., & Powell, W. (1983). The iron cage revisited. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pitman.
Hart, S. L. (1995). A natural-resource-based view of the firm. Academy of Management Review, 20(4), 986–1014.
Porter, M. E., & van der Linde, C. (1995). Green and competitive. Harvard Business Review, 73(5), 120–134.
Srivastava, S. K. (2007). Green supply-chain management. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9(1), 53–80.
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management.
Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.