Integrating smart manufacturing technologies, lean manufacturing and sustainable corporate performance: the moderating role of green maunfacturing practices

Abstract

This research attempts to evaluate how smart manufacturing technologies (SMT) influences lean manufacturing (LM) to achieve sustainable corporate performance (SCP) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in food manufacturing in Vietnam. In the given situation, the mediating function of LM in the connection between SMT and SCP is involved in this mechanism. Parallely, it implicates the moderating effect of green manufacturing practices (GMT) in the relationship between SMT and LM. The paper adopts a quantitative methodology. Based on the literature review, the chain amongst the constructs was proposed. The associations between constructs and latent variables were investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM), which was analyzed using the Smart partial least square (PLS) version 4.0.8.8. This paper provided survey data from 438 SMEs in the food LM sector. The acquired data was then subjected to quantitative analysis and evaluation. This study discovered that LM completely acted as a full mediator between SMT and SCP. It demonstrates that SMT strongly enhances LM which leads to the stronger SCP. Additionally, GMP is a moderator role moderate of the interaction between SMT and LM. In this approach, when GMP grows, SMT will have a stronger influence on LM. These findings are crucial since empirical analysis of this process has not been thoroughly addressed in the current literature. The importance of this study is in its contribution to scientific information and useful methods for the deployment of SMT to corporate behaviors and practices in a practical setting. In this regard, the contribution is to expand the field's current literature by giving empirical proof for the proposed mechanism. Accordingly, it gives a realistic way for SMEs in a specific circum to use the SMT mindset in oder to assist enterprises in reaching SCP. These insights may be of importance to business practitioners, business executives, academics, and policymakers concerned with the issues raised.