Bridging ethical culture and competitiveness in supply chains: Applying resource orchestration theory

Abstract

This study investigates how organizational ethical culture influences organizational competitiveness via supply chain social sustainability practices, using resource orchestration theory as a framework. Analyzing survey data from 214 French manufacturing firms with structural equation modeling, the results show that organizational ethical culture enhances competitiveness indirectly through supply chain social sustainability, confirming its role as a key mediator. However, the effectiveness of supply chain social sustainability in driving competitiveness weakens significantly under high environmental uncertainty. The findings suggest that while integrating ethical culture into supply chain practices is essential for fostering competitiveness, firms operating in uncertain environments may need to prioritize flexibility over long-term supply chain social sustainability commitments. By applying resource orchestration theory to socially sustainable supply chain management, this study provides fresh insights into how ethical culture orchestrates external resources and highlights the contingent nature of supply chain social sustainability effectiveness in dynamic conditions.