Building a resilient sustainable economy through green and closed-loop supply chain management in the context of circular economy: a Sub-Saharan African manufacturing setting

Abstract

Over the past two to three decades, there has been a growing focus among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers on incorporating green, closed-loop, circular economy, sustainability, and resilience principles into managing supply chains. The increasing recognition of these principles as crucial elements in establishing stable and dependable supply chains has been spurred by various challenges in the global ecosystem, notably climate change. This study aimed to explore the development of a resilient and sustainable economy by employing green and closed-loop supply chain management within the framework of the circular economic model, specifically in the context of manufacturing businesses in a Sub- Saharan African economy. To achieve this objective, the study delved into integrating concepts that have received limited joint exploration in existing literature. In light of this context, a robust triadic conceptual framework was developed and subjected to empirical examination. The framework encompassed 83 factors organized into three aspects: (1) Practices associated with green and closed-loop supply chain management, (2) dimensions concerning resilient sustainability, and (3) internal environmental management practices. The suggested conceptual framework was tested through a novel structured survey distributed to 159 manufacturing businesses in a Sub-Saharan African economy. Survey participants included supply chain line managers, managing directors, and chief executive officers selected for their expertise and experience, resulting in 100 valuable responses. The empirical data collected was tested using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling ran through Smart PLS version 4. The findings of the empirical investigations showed that practices such as cleaner production/green manufacturing, a combination of green procurement and design for the environment, and the application of reverse logistics had the most significant impact on the resilient sustainability of supply chains. The triadic-dimensional conceptual framework put forth in this study and its fundamental motivation represent novel contributions to existing literature. Moreover, this research explored a unique link in the investigation of green and closed-loop supply chain practices on the resilience of supply chains, offering a new avenue for industry practitioners and scholars to consider the uptake of green and closed-loop supply chain practices not only for their sustainability but also for their resilience and on their combined resilience and sustainability. This study is one of a few conducted in a Sub-Saharan manufacturing context and country, contributing valuable perspectives to the broader sustainable supply chain management body of knowledge.

Keywords: Circular Economy, Closed-Loop, Green, Resilience, Supply Chain and Sustainability.