Effects of the attributes of supply chain openness on sustainable supply chain performance

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the effects of the attributes of supply chain openness on sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected by questionnaire survey from 259 supply chain executives in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results indicate that the relative openness of supply chain organizations in Pakistan is very low. Further, all the attributes of supply chain openness have positive but weak association with SSCP. This indicates that there is some awareness of sustainable supply chain but there remains a significant room for improvement with regard to the relationships among different attributes of supply chain openness and SSCP. Pakistani organizations do not fully embrace the concept of supply chain openness in order to achieve SSCP. Originality/value: The current paper makes three important contributions to the existing literature. First, it empirically examines the attributes of supply chain openness. Second, it contributes to the broader sustainable supply chain management literature by exploring the effects of the attributes of supply chain openness on SSCP. Third, given the limited studies that address sustainable supply chain issues in the context of developing countries, this is one of the few studies that add value to the body of literature in the context of developing countries, such as Pakistan.