Using dynamic capability theory, stimulus organism response theory, and a multi-method approach, this study examines how supply chain digitalization and supply chain intelligence (SCI) influence sustainable end-of-life management. This study further examined the mediating role of supply chain intelligence and the moderating role of managerial environmental concern (MEC). We develop a model comprising five hypotheses.
The proposed model was validated using two-wave survey data from 309 manufacturing firms and their major suppliers in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS software and necessary condition analysis (NCA) was used to analyze the data.
The findings show that both supply chain digitalization and supply chain intelligence (supplier, customer and competition) integration are significant drivers of sustainable end-of-life management. Additionally, we found that supply chain intelligence (supplier, customer and competition) integration partially mediates the link between SCD and sustainable end-of-life management. Furthermore, managerial environmental concerns significantly moderate SCI and create a sustainable end-of-life management link. The NCA results further reveal that at varying levels of sustainable end-of-life management, the nice and must-have capabilities, provide critical benchmarks for managerial decisions.
As organizations progress in their sustainability journey, they must develop increasingly sophisticated capabilities to address the complexities of product end-of-life management. The finding that customer intelligence becomes most critical at the highest levels of SELM implementation highlights the importance of understanding customer preferences, expectations and behaviors in designing effective product recovery systems.
This study is among the first attempts to offer empirical evidence (via SEM and NCA) of nice-to-have and must-have antecedents of sustainable end-of-life management. This study is the first to demonstrate the existence of critical thresholds and complex interactions that emerge at different levels of sustainable end-of-life management, challenging simplistic models of organizational capabilities. This paper offers fresh insight for managers in developing effective sustainable end-of-life management strategies and highlights the critical role of SCD and SCII in navigating global sustainability challenges.
