Green logistics practices: The antecedents and effects for supply chain management in the modern era

Abstract

Research background: Green logistics has become a focal point of interest for researchers and practitioners across diverse sectors, including operations, logistics, and supply chain management, over the past two decades. As global sustainability pressures intensify, the significance of green logistics continues to rise, driving a surge in empirical studies aimed at uncovering its far-reaching organizational impacts.

Purpose of the article: This empirical study seeks to bridge a gap in the literature by consolidating key organizational elements that have not been collectively explored. At the core of this research is an original conceptual framework, meticulously developed and validated through a comprehensive empirical survey. The framework captures nine distinct factors, grouped into three critical dimensions: (a) drivers of green logistics practices, (b) the implementation of green logistics practices, and (c) firm performance as measured by the outcomes of these practices. Notably, four factors — customer pressure, economic pressure, environmental regulatory pressure, and government support — act as independent variables, while green logistics practices serve as both an independent and dependent factor. The dependent variables span four key aspects of firm performance: operational performance, financial performance, market performance, and social reputation. More explicitly, the aim of this study is to explore the key drivers and outcomes of green logistics practices, focusing on how factors like regulatory pressures and customer demands influence their adoption, and how these practices impact different measures of firm performance.

Methods: The conceptual framework introduced in this study, organized across three dimensions, represents a novel approach that has been scarcely explored in the existing literature. To evaluate this framework, a newly developed, structured questionnaire was distributed to a carefully selected sample of Greek manufacturing companies. Respondents, including supply chain managers, operations managers, and chief executive officers, were chosen for their specialized knowledge and strategic insights. The empirical data were rigorously analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), a robust and well-established multivariate technique. This study is grounded in primary data, it is explanatory in nature as it examines cause-and-effect relationships, it is deductive as it tests (eight) research hypotheses, and quantitative through its statistical analysis of data gathered via a structured research instrument.

Findings & value added: This study contributes significant empirical insights into the implementation and impact of green logistics practices within supply chain management. Unlike previous studies, it consolidates critical organizational elements into a comprehensive framework that reveals the influence of regulatory, economic, and customer pressures on green logistics adoption. The empirical results demonstrate that environmental regulatory pressure is the strongest driver of green logistics, underscoring the importance of regulatory compliance in shaping sustainable practices. This finding is particularly relevant, as stricter environmental regulations are expected in the coming years, making it timely and impactful for both academics and practitioners. The research also highlights the tangible benefits of green logistics practices on operational, financial, and market performance, as well as social reputation. This multi-dimensional approach offers more depth into the current body of research, indicating how green logistics practices can align with broader sustainability goals, while also enhancing business competitiveness. The value added of this study lies in the integration of three sets of factors, proposing a framework that can be used by future empirical research and business executives in the future. Finally, this empirical research offers practical guidance for state policymakers that aim to promote the adoption of green logistics and maximise their positive impact for business and society. Its findings suggest that enhancing the regulatory framework and, at the same time, offering better access to government support can really enhance the adoption of green logistics.