Purpose: This study aims to examine the link between corporate social responsibility orientation (CSRO) and competitive advantage (CA) in the context of emerging economies. More specifically, the mediating role of intangible resources, namely, trust and corporate reputation (CR), is investigated to explain the above linkage. Design/methodology/approach: This study considered a sample of 326 Saudi Arabian businesses that have extensive business-to-business operations across international markets. The analysis uses the partial least-squares-based structural equation model, involving first- and second-order constructs and mediation tests using the Hayes PROCESS macro. Findings: The results confirm that the relationship between CSRO and CA is partially mediated. Moreover, CSRO does have a direct as well as an indirect positive impact on CA via the two intangible resources, e.g. trust and CR. In addition, results support the serial mediation model where CSRO was found to exercise its influence on CA via trust and CR in a sequential manner. Research limitations/implications: This study enriches the limited literature on CSRO in the context of emerging economies. However, further studies should explore the opposite relationship, i.e. the impact of CA on CSRO. In addition, the authors believe that it would also be useful to study the moderating role of the industry sectors. Practical implications: From a practical point of view, this study suggests new applications with respect to the link between CSRO and CA. To enhance their company’s CA, managers need to ensure that intangible resources are managed efficiently. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by examining how a firm’s intangible resources mediate between CSRO and CA. Second, originality is related to studying the link between CSRO and the trust and reputation of business organizations in emerging economies. Third, the findings suggest that the scope of a business is more than being responsible to its stakeholders, and stakeholder-driven CSRO leads to sustainable CA.

Purpose: This study investigates supply chain management (SCM) practices in a specific fast fashion apparel (FFA) industry. The impacts of SCM practices on competitive advantage (CA) are investigated via mediating roles of supply chain agility (SCA) and partnership quality (PQ). Resource advantage (R-A) theory, in addition to resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability theories, is used as theoretical underpinning.Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach is adopted: a qualitative field study and survey research. Data from 296 apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh are analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, involving reflective and formative, first- and second-order constructs and mediation tests using the Hayes PROCESS macro.Findings: Both SCM practices and PQ significantly affect SCA. SCM practices are found to directly enhance CA, but, counterintuitively, only marginally. Only through mediations of SCA and PQ do SCM practices enhance CA significantly. This is a departure from past research that has postulated direct effects between SCM practices and CA.Research limitations/implications: This research is confined to the FFA industry and one national setting, Bangladesh. The data analyzed is also cross-sectional, with customary limitations on the temporal dimension.Practical implications: SCM practices contribute to CA, but only through the mediation of PQ and SCA. This is an important directive to practitioners. Also, the second-order reflective measures for each construct indicate the specific SCM practices needed to maximize CA.Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on SCM practices in FFA industry, specifically the mediating roles of PQ and SCA, resulting in new, more nuanced findings that are important in dynamic business settings, driven by new theoretical perspectives incorporating R-A theory, which has hardly been utilized before in SCM research.

Along with the phenomenal growth in fast fashion, the industry is beset with many challenges. Topping the list are design, production, and supply of the fast fashion apparel (FFA). Adoption and effective use of supply chain management (SCM) practices in the FFA industry have become indispensable to achieve this. However, there is a gap in the fast fashion literature on the appropriate modeling of adoption and practice of SCM. In addressing this research gap, this study builds a comprehensive model of SCM adoption and practice by extracting relevant factors and variables from FFA manufacturing firms via qualitative field study. This study is one of the first to analyze SCM adoption from the diffusion of innovation theory perspective in the fashion industry. While existing literature does not clearly differentiate between SCM adoption and practice, this research underpins that the diffusion of SCM practices within FFA firms must go through stages of adoption and practice for successful wide-scale implementation.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need to understand how supply chains can withstand and adapt to severe disruptions. While prior research has highlighted the importance of supply chain resilience and robustness in managing disruptions, less attention has been given to the mechanisms through which firms transform these capabilities into financial outcomes. Drawing on the Resource Orchestration Perspective (ROP), this study proposed that absorptive capacity acts as a cognitive orchestration mechanism that enables firms to more effectively translate resilience and robustness capabilities into financial performance during periods of major disruption. Methods: Using a quantitative approach, this research employed partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze data from 66 supply chain managers who experienced varying levels of supply chain disruption following the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Both supply chain resilience and robustness affect organizational absorptive capacity, which, in turn, enhances performance. Conclusions: This study extends ROP and provides new insights into how firms can strategically leverage disruption-related knowledge to enhance performance in turbulent environments by identifying absorptive capacity as a key mechanism linking resilience capabilities to financial outcomes. In practice, it provides managers with valuable insights to prioritize AC development and reduce financial risks associated with disruptions.