Effects of stakeholder pressure, managerial perceptions, and resource availability on sustainable operations adoption

This study aims to examine how stakeholder pressure, managerial perceptions, and resource availability influence the adoption of sustainable operations (SO) in Chinese manufacturing firms. A conceptual model is proposed on the basis of relevant literature and tested using structural equation model (SEM) with data from 217 Chinese manufacturing firms. The results show that stakeholder pressure is grouped into three categories: governmental pressure, primary stakeholder pressure, and secondary stakeholder pressure. Among the three kinds of stakeholder pressure, only primary stakeholder pressure can significantly affect SO adoption. Moreover, the results reveal that managerial perceptions of SO and resource availability significantly influence the adoption of SO. Additionally, the results indicate that the relationship between resource availability and SO adoption is partially mediated by managerial perceptions of SO and that the relationship between primary stakeholder pressure and SO adoption is fully mediated by managerial perceptions of SO. This study provides some implications for both policy makers and firm managers and meanwhile suggests limitations and opportunities for future research.