This study investigates how different dimensions of power advantage and digital intelligence combine to shape green supply chain (GSC) efficiency.
Using data from 140 Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises over the period 2015–2023, this study applies dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to comprehensively examine the configurations associated with GSC efficiency.
Four configurations can lead to high GSC efficiency: market synergy management, organizational change leading, ecological network empowerment and professional authority allocation. The sufficiency of the four configurations exhibits limited temporal variation as policy and market conditions evolve. The first three configurations show greater empirical relevance among high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises, whereas the fourth configuration is more relevant among enterprises outside this industry and those located in non-key environmental protection cities. Additionally, configurations leading to low GSC efficiency result from mismatches and imbalances among antecedent conditions and are not symmetric with those leading to high GSC efficiency.
Drawing on power-dependence theory and complex systems theory, this study develops a configurational framework that treats market, technology and network power advantages, digital-intelligent equipment, digital-intelligent executives and fintech as antecedent conditions and GSC efficiency as the outcome. The findings contribute to deepening the understanding of power structures and provide a theoretical reference for constructing GSC systems in the digital intelligence era.
