Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable performance: do green supply chain collaboration, circular economy practices, technological readiness and environmental dynamism matter?

Purpose The present research investigates the effects of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies (ADT) on the Pakistani food sector’s sustainable performance (SP). Specifically, it focuses on the roles of green supply chain collaboration (GSCC), circular economy practices (CEP) and technological readiness (TR) as mediators and environmental dynamism (EDY) as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on the natural resource-based view (NRBV) theory to determine the 14.0 adoption toward sustainable performance with mediators and moderators. The authors conducted an online questionnaire from 318 employees of the food manufacturing industries in Lahore, Pakistan, and applied the PLS-SEM approach to test the relationships of variables. Findings The findings of this study reveal that adopting Industry 4.0 technologies significantly influences sustainable performance through GSCC, CEP and TR in the Pakistani food sector. Moreover, the relation between industry 4.0 technologies, GSCC, CEP and TR is positively moderated by environmental dynamism. Research limitations/implications The findings have marked implications for the literature on adopting I4.0 on sustainable performance in the Pakistani food sector. This research is based on data collected from a single country, and industry is the limitation of this study. Originality/value The present study provides conclusive evidence of the influence of the adoption of Industry 4.0 on sustainable performance through GSCC, CEP and TR in the Pakistani food sector. This study is the first to investigate the moderating role of environmental dynamism among industry 4.0 technologies, GSCC, CEP and TR.