Despite growing interest in socially responsible supply chains, there is limited understanding of how different sustainability motives interact to influence the adoption of socially responsible supply chain (SRSC) practices and enhance market success. This study therefore aims to examine the effects of stakeholder relationship-induced, performance-based and morally induced motives on SRSC practices and market performance, while examining the moderating role of supply chain sustainability culture.
Drawing on the supply chain practice view (SCPV), this study used a cross-sectional survey design to collect data from 300 agribusiness firms and supply chain partners in Ghana. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships among sustainability motives, SRSC practices, supply chain sustainability culture and market performance.
The results reveal a sequential motivational process in which relationship-induced motives activate performance-based and morally induced motives, which then promote the adoption of SRSC practices. The findings further show that all sustainability motives positively influence market performance, both directly and indirectly through SRSC practices. Furthermore, supply chain sustainability culture significantly strengthens the positive relationship between SRSC practices and market performance, indicating that firms with stronger sustainability-oriented cultures achieve greater market benefits from their socially responsible practices.
Managers should view pressures and expectations from supply chain stakeholders as strategic opportunities for building broader sustainability motivations rather than treating them as operational constraints. Firms should integrate sustainability motives into actionable SRSC practices and simultaneously cultivate a strong supply chain sustainability culture to maximize market and competitive outcomes.
This study advances SCPV by revealing how relationship-induced pressures shape interconnected motivational ecosystems that drive socially responsible supply chain practices. It further contributes to the literature by identifying supply chain sustainability culture as a critical mechanism that enhances the effectiveness of SRSC practices in generating both societal value and market success.
