Industry 4.0 Technologies, Sustainable Operations Practices and Their Impacts on Sustainable Performance

Abstract

Using a natural resource-based view and technology-organization-environment framework as the theoretical focus, this paper develops and tests a research model in which sustainable operations practices mediate the impact of industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable performance. The model also tests sustainable operations practices as a moderator of the effect of industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable performance. Data obtained from 302 participants in Turkey's technology development regions were utilized to gauge the aforesaid linkages via partial least squares structural equation modeling. As predicted, sustainable operations practices mediate the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable performance. Contrary to the study prediction, sustainable operations practices do not significantly moderate the impact of industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and future research directions are offered.