Explaining the Impact of Green Supply Chain Management on Sales Force Agility Considering the Mediating Role of Firm Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explain the impact of green supply chain management on sales force agility, considering the mediating role of firm performance among employees of manufacturing companies in Ardabil Province. The present research is a descriptive-correlational study employing path analysis. The study population consists of managers and employees of manufacturing companies in Ardabil Province, where preliminary estimates indicate that 53 managers and 1,500 employees are active in the region's manufacturing firms. Based on Morgan's table, 306 employees from industrial companies in Ardabil Province were selected as the sample. The sampling method used in this study was purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Green Supply Chain Management Questionnaire by Saman (2019), the Sales Force Agility Questionnaire by Breau et al. (2006), and the Standard Firm Performance Questionnaire by Altuntaş et al. (2013). To test the research hypotheses, path analysis was utilized, and LISREL statistical software was employed for this purpose. The findings of the study indicate that the relationship between green supply chain management and sales force agility is mediated by firm performance. When firm performance improves, the effect becomes stronger, whereas when firm performance declines, the relationship weakens. This inference is based on the significance and directional consistency of firm performance’s impact. Additionally, a positive and direct relationship was observed between firm performance and sales force agility, between green supply chain management and firm performance, and between green supply chain management and sales force agility.