Buyer-Driven Knowledge Transfer Activities to Enhance Organizational Sustainability of Suppliers

Usama Awan, Amira Khattak, Sajeela Rabbani and Amandeep Dhir
Additional contact information
Usama Awan: Industrial Engineering and Management, Lappeenranta-Lathi University of Technology Lappeenranta, Yliopistonkatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland
Amira Khattak: College of Business Administration, Prince Sultan University, Rafha Street, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia
Sajeela Rabbani: Riphah School of Leadership, Riphah International University, I-14, Islamabad Capital Territory 46000, Pakistan
Amandeep Dhir: LUT School of Business and Management, The Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, Yliopistonkatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: Despite the significant contribution of buyer-driven knowledge transfer activities (BDKTAs) to innovation and operational performance, studies that analyze social sustainability in manufacturing (suppliers) firms are still scarce. This paper examines the mediation relationship of knowledge acquisition and investment in environmental management between BDKTAs and social performance improvements (SPIs). The paper contributes to the understanding of buyer knowledge transfer activities, with a focus on the knowledge acquisition capabilities and investments in environmental management, and the effect on SPIs. The hypotheses were examined with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 239 firms. Buyer knowledge transfer activities are likely to increase the willingness of suppliers to make specific environmental investments into operations in waste reduction procedures, the recycling of materials, and pollution prevention training of employees. We proposed that buyer knowledge transfer activities are necessary to survive and grow and thus there is a need to acquire knowledge resources to achieve organizational sustainability. Buyer knowledge transfer activities are necessary to make investment decisions in environmental management programs. Firms that focus on buyer knowledge transfer activities and internal investments into environmental management can attain sustainability objectives.

Keywords: sustainable investment; buyer-driven knowledge transfer activities (BDKTAs); social performance improvements (SPIs); buyer–supplier relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/7/2993/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/7/2993/ (text/html)

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:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2993-:d:343054

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().