Supplier development for sustainability in the healthcare supply chain: an empirical study of a developing country during COVID-19

Nooshin Ghanbari, Reza Hafezi, Mohamad Sadegh Sangari and Ali Bozorgi-Amiri

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2026, vol. 53, issue 2, 212-234

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to investigate how sustainability in economic, social, and environmental dimensions can be enhanced through supplier development in the healthcare supply chain. Data were collected through a survey study, and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis. The findings demonstrate that strengthening relationships between customers and suppliers is a key factor in enhancing supply chain sustainability. This study reveals that improvements in the activities that contribute to supplier development have a significant impact on fostering trust, customer awareness, and the supplier's brand image. These enhancements can significantly improve supply chain sustainability within the healthcare industry. The research results aim to provide an integrated perspective on supply chain sustainability, emphasising its economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

Keywords: healthcare systems; buyer-supplier relationship; sustainability; supplier development; structural equation modelling. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=151752 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijsoma:v:53:y:2026:i:2:p:212-234

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Services and Operations Management from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().