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This study examines how Sustainable Innovation contributes to Business Sustainability in food-sector small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the mediating role of Zero Waste Operations. The study responds to the need to understand sustainability not only as a strategic objective, but also as an operational process embedded in inventory control, product return handling, near-expiry product management, packaging practices, and waste-reduction routines. A quantitative explanatory design was employed at Pasundan Snack Purwokerto, a distribution-based food SME in Indonesia. Using a census approach, data were collected through structured questionnaires from 65 employees involved in operational and distribution activities. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that Sustainable Innovation has a positive and significant effect on Business Sustainability and Zero Waste Operations. Zero Waste Operations also positively and significantly influence Business Sustainability. Mediation testing confirms that Zero Waste Operations partially mediate the relationship between Sustainable Innovation and Business Sustainability, indicating that innovation improves sustainability both directly and indirectly through waste-reduction routines. These findings suggest that sustainable innovation becomes more effective when translated into concrete operational practices, such as digital stock recording, FIFO or FEFO implementation, return classification, supplier coordination, packaging reuse, and near-expiry product handling. The study contributes to sustainability management literature by positioning Zero Waste Operations as an operational mediation mechanism in a distribution-centered food SME. Practically, the findings provide guidance for SME owners and policymakers to design feasible zero-waste initiatives that fit the resource limitations of small food distribution businesses in developing economy food supply chains.

Organizations have developed practices that sustain environmental resources in a circular economy. Yet, practices that enhance resource optimization for long-term survival of organizations and the environment in the developing world remain under researched. The study explores internal practices that sustain an environment in a circular economy in the public sector. Drawing from a resource-based perspective and employing a qualitative interpretivist design, six (n=6) in-depth interviews were conducted with participants involved in sustainability, environmental health and waste management at a local metropolitan municipality in emerging South Africa. The analysis revealed themes around internal organizational capabilities to deploy resources for implementing environmental practices. The study finds that engaging values and promoting learning entrenches ongoing recycling using green infrastructure at a local metropolitan municipality. The study contributes internal sustainable circular resource practices to resource-based perspective. Organizations ought to build valuable internal capabilities by utilizing circular inimitable resources to enhance environmental sustainability in the public sector in the developing world.

The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly increased product returns, making reverse logistics a critical component of sustainable supply chain management. The purpose of this study is to examine consumer perspectives on reverse logistics in Gauteng, South Africa, where infrastructural constraints and diverse consumer expectations pose unique challenges. A quantitative research method was employed, with data collected from 250 online shoppers through a self-administered questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed five underlying constructs, which are Return policy transparency, Efficiency of return process, Customer support, Customer satisfaction and Trust. Multiple regression analysis tested the construct's predictive power. The findings reveal that Return policy transparency was the strongest predictor of consumer satisfaction, while efficiency and customer support were less influential in this context. The findings highlight that clear, accessible return policies improve consumer trust and satisfaction, even in the presence of operational inefficiencies. This study highlights that the strategic role of transparent communication instils positive return experiences in emerging markets. The study contributes to reverse logistics literature by integrating behavioral dimensions into operational frameworks and offers practical implications for retailers aiming to build consumer trust without heavily investing in infrastructural investments.

Sustainable procurement has become a crucial strategy for attaining the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the growing emphasis on the concept, understanding the development of sustainable procurement over the last two decades remains limited. This paper offers a comprehensive examination of sustainable procurement, outlining significant research topics, leading authors, relevant countries, and notable publications in the discipline. Nineteen (199) publications from 2004 to 2024 were retrieved from Scopus following the PRISMA protocol. Bibliometric analysis is utilised, followed by the construction of clusters through co-citation analysis. The clusters are analysed to identify emerging themes and potential areas for further research. The co-citation analysis identifies five distinct clusters of research themes: sustainable procurement practices and drivers, environmental management and performance in procurement, sustainable public procurement and implementation challenges, green procurement strategies and supplier management, and sustainable procurement adoption and influencing factors. Publications have been sourced exclusively from one database. Only publications from relevant academic journals have been utilised for the bibliometric analysis. Only articles with high citation counts were selected for co-citation analysis and cluster formation. The analysis of the identified clusters delineates study domains for further exploration aimed at improving the understanding of sustainable procurement and implementing its practices to achieve sustainability..

This study seeks to investigate green supply chain management (GSCM) methods and their impact on enterprise performance in the South African mining industry.  The study specifically examines the mediating influence of organisational factors—employee job satisfaction, operational efficiency, and relational efficiency—in mining businesses located in Rustenburg, Northwest Province. A quantitative research design was employed with a designed survey questionnaire disseminated to supply chain management departments in two platinum mining firms.  The research model connected GSCM practices to enterprise performance, mediated by three organisational characteristics.  The data analysis encompassed reliability and validity assessments, succeeded by correlational analysis and multiple regression models to evaluate the hypotheses. The findings indicated a statistically significant correlation between the deployment of GSCM practices and organisational performance.  The study further established that employee job satisfaction, operational efficiency, and relational efficiency significantly moderate this link.  The findings indicate that the use of GSCM directly improves performance and indirectly boosts essential organisational dynamics.The research offers empirical evidence endorsing the strategic incorporation of GSCM processes within the mining industry.  It underscores the significance of concentrating on internal organisational elements to optimise the advantages of GSCM implementation.  Mining companies can enhance their sustainability and overall performance by emphasising employee satisfaction and operational teamwork. This study enhances the sparse empirical literature on Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) within the mining sector, specifically in the sub-Saharan African context.  Incorporating organisational mediators provides a deeper view of how Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) influences company performance, offering useful insights for both scholars and practitioners seeking to link sustainability with commercial objectives.

Green procurement is one of the major topical issues that have become increasingly popular worldwide as the world embraces sustainability. Zimbabwe is one of the countries in the world that is struggling to adopt the use of green procurement in the health sector. Some identified factors affecting such adoption are lack of technology and infrastructure, training and awareness especially of the procurement officers and those in charge of the sector, policy and regulatory framework, limited supply chain, economic pressures and stakeholder engagement. The study’s objective was toidentify and analyse factors affecting the adaptation of green procurement practices in Zimbabwe’s health sector. The study used qualitative secondary data, and three key documents were analysed in the ATLAS. ti 24. Themes were created and results confirmed the challenges faced by adopting green procurement in the health sector in Zimbabwe. The study found that economic challenges, policy and regulatory framework shortfall, limited supply chain management, lack of stakeholder engagement, technology and infrastructure shortfalls and failure to have training and awareness regarding green procurement. Policymakers should encourage collaborations and partnerships between government and industry can facilitate the sharing of knowledge, best practices and resources. Zimbabwe as a signatory to the Abuja Declaration of 2001, the country can revert to this agreement and meet the suggested 15% of the total country budget set aside only for the health sector to support the adoption of green procurement. The study recommends that the government make use of the monitoring and evaluation systems that will influence policymakers in support of green procurement. The study recommended that the government should enact policies that support sustainable procurement and training should be carried out as Zimbabwe is one of the countries that signed the Sustainable Development Goals especially goal number 3.

The international community faces numerous sustainability challenges. In response, firms tackle these difficulties by adopting and implementing Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) techniques. However, there has been minimal discourse in the literature concerning the institutionalisation of GSCM. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the institutionalisation of Green Supply Chain Management, specifically concerning South African cement businesses. The study specifically examines institutionalisation from the standpoint of organisational culture. In addition to examining existing literature, the researcher intentionally selected 23 supply chain practitioners from six prominent cement companies, environmental law officials, and academics to provide their insights and perspectives on the influence of organisational culture in institutionalising Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) within the cement industry. Thematic analysis was employed to examine primary data. The study findings indicated that the organisational culture obstructing the institutionalisation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) factors comprised resistance to green policy implementation, insufficient top management support, and misalignment between green strategy and corporate goals. Conversely, the organisational culture promoting GSCM institutionalisation included human development and investment, effective communication, incentives, and a strong green culture as primary drivers. The study will inform supply chain professionals, cement company managers, environmental regulatory agencies, and NGOs about the significant influence of organisational culture on the institutionalisation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM). The influence of culture on the institutionalisation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM).

This systematic review rigorously analyses the impact of Human Resource Management (HRM) methods on enhancing Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices in order to accomplish strategic organisational goals. The paper systematically compiles and analyses previous research, specifically examining how HRM methods are incorporated into GSCM environments and how they affect the long-term viability of organisations. Using the PRISMA method, this review rigorously synthesises data to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of several HRM initiatives in supporting sustainable supply chain practices. The findings indicate a significant correlation between strategic human resource management (HRM) initiatives and the operational performance of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices. This correlation contributes to the attainment of firms' overarching strategic objectives. The review underscores the need of connecting Human Resource Management (HRM) with Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) to attain environmental and organisational goals. Additionally, it suggests areas for future research, specifically focusing on investigating long-term effects, developments in technology, and applicability across different sectors. The conclusions emphasise the importance of incorporating HRM methods into GSCM to promote sustainable business models and accomplish long-term strategic goals.

The study aimed to identify the obstacles preventing higher learning institutions in the Dar es Salaam region from adopting sustainable procurement. In particular, the study sought to ascertain how the legal framework, supplier awareness, staff knowledge, and top management support affected sustainable procurement in the construction projects of higher learning institutions in the Dar es Salaam region. 156 employees who worked as estate officers and procurement specialists made up the study's sample, whereby the Yamane (1967) Formula was used to determine the study's sample size, which was 112 participants. However, only 101 questionnaires were collected, filled out, and returned for analysis. The data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire using the drop-and-pick method. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, where the mean and standard deviation were calculated. At the same time, inferential analysis was done by using multiple linear regression analysis after testing the reliability and validity of the data and the assumptions of multiple regression analysis, including normality, linearity, homoscedasticity, and multicollinearity. The research was carried out using IBM SPSS version 26. According to the study's findings, all four tested variables, supplier awareness, management support, legal framework, and staff knowledge, have a significant positive relationship with sustainable procurement. Management in higher learning institutions should consider these variables to ensure sustainable procurement within their organization.

Despite the crucial role that businesses have played in the adoption of green supply chains, it appears that manufacturing enterprises have not effectively utilized their responsibility to ensure green manufacturing. This study uses Bakhresa Foods Product Limited as a case study to better understand the constraints facing manufacturing firms engaged in green manufacturing and offers suggestions for overcoming them. A qualitative design was adopted and data was gathered via in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), indirect observation, and secondary data analysis based on a purposive sample size of 60 respondents. Using the MAXQDA 10 program, data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. The study's findings showed that constraints to reducing were associated with a lack of innovation, professionals, an understanding of economics and finance and presence of extensive inventories, and inadequate production planning. Remanufacturing was further constrained by poor technology, unfavorable consumer attitudes, and a weak market strategy. Other constraints with reuse came from poor customer attitudes and awareness, lack of uniform standards for materials and goods, and inadequate government support. Constraints to recycling include a lack of support from senior top management executives, significant upfront expenses, and low-quality recycled goods. Therefore, to improve the situation, we suggest that industries make use of modernized equipment, and clean technology, improve monitoring and evaluation systems, implement the lean production philosophy, and give education about the value of recycling programs.

The field of supply chain management has been undergoing numerous changes before and during the pandemic. Emerging areas have caught the attention of researchers across the globe. The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliometric review and analysis of the research trends on supply chain management practice (SCMP) in the pre-pandemic and mid-pandemic periods. We collect and filter data from the Scopus database and conduct bibliometric analysis. Before and during pandemic periods, 293 and 211 papers were selected, respectively, from 9,246 publications. The researcher utilizes VOS viewer software to analyze the findings by carrying out citation analysis and keyword analysis. The study reveals seven current research streams of high interest within SCMP: Big Data, Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Circular Economy, Industry 4.0, and Green Supply Chain. Supply chain management and sustainability are the most frequently occurring keywords. The most influential countries in pre-pandemic and mid-pandemic periods are USA and UK, respectively, with 59 and 37 publications. The Journal of Cleaner production was the most significant source of publications. This study is among the few pieces of research revealing current SCMP research trends during the pandemic. By considering the current SCMP concepts, business and policy decision-makers can adopt the modern concepts of the field to identify new opportunities by expanding capabilities in big data analytics, sustainable development, and industry 4.0 technologies.

The study evaluates the effect of reverse logistics operational responsiveness on customer satisfaction in retailing. Data was gathered from 223 online shoppers and the data was analyzed using descriptive analysis to analyze the type of product return and the reasons for return while the effect of reverse logistics operational responsiveness on customer satisfaction was analyzed using multiple regression in accordance with the output of SPSS 21.0 Findings indicated that operational responsiveness in the reverse logistics process significantly influences customer satisfaction.

This paper is carried out by conducting systematic mapping that focuses on the circular economy (CE) theme using bibliometric analysis. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive view of circular economy research that is based on bibliometric data from 2017 to 2021. The data is collected from Scopus using VOSviewer software. Network visualization and density visualization are used in this study. The findings conclude that: (1) the publication trend of the circular economy continues to increase; and (2) the author with the most link is Mangla, S.K. with 15 links, and the author with the most research related to a circular economy is Liu, Y. with 16 papers/research. It is also found that there are 3 big themes that are close to a circular economy, namely sustainable development, recycling, and life cycle. This indicates that the opportunity to examine circular economy while associating it with variables outside of sustainable development, recycling, and the life cycle is still very large. The countries that have conducted the most research on circular economy is (1) United Kingdom (218 papers); (2) Italy (161 papers); and (3) China (161 papers).

Knowledge management is one of the most important strategic resources of the firm which has been ascertained to many organizations to acquire and apply it before their competitor for achieving competitive advantages. Similarly, due to rising environmental awareness among customers, governments, NGOs, and researchers, firms are facing increasing pressure to implement environmental management practices in their operations. The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of knowledge management capability (KMC) on green supply chain management (GSCM) practices adoption of the manufacturing firm and subsequently the impact on firm performance. The data were collected from 262 Bangladeshi textile manufacturing firms and analyzed using structural equation modeling, typifying that exploratory and quantitative research. Drawing upon the resource-based view the study revealed that KMC has a significant positive effect on internal and external-GSCM practices adoption. Further, the study revealed that internal-GSCM practices have significantly positive effects on both economic and environmental performance while the external-GSCM practice has positive environmental performance but negatively affects economic performance. Finally, this study indicates that KMC is an intuitive resource of a firm that can bring sustainable performance through GSCM practices.

Many businesses have obtained cheap raw materials thanks to recycling and recovery activities. The aim of this study is to describe the logistics activities performed by businesses and to identify the main reasons of reverse logistics appliance. The research is a case study defined as “integrated  multi-case design” type. For this purpose, 23 industrial enterprises were examined in the scope of sample. Because the data obtained via unstructured interview form, they have qualitative characters. The single answers were used as analysis unit in this study, descriptive and discourse analyses were performed on qualitative data. Some sentences were quoted directly. The obtained results were submitted to the approval of the respondents. Thereby, it was contributed to construct validity of the research by creating evidence chain. It seems reasonable to conclude that the most commonly applied ones among reverse logistics operations are storing, selling to a mediary, destruction, recycling, regulation of customer returns new repackaging and resale. The results showed that reverse logistics operations were performed for some reasons such as providing raw materials, saving in production, raising the level of consciousness of environmental responsibility and awareness taking part in social responsibility project and consumer rights.