Navigating Sustainability: The Role of Green Purchasing and E-Sourcing in Transforming Supplier Relationships for Environmental Performance in SMEs of developing country

This paper aims to explore the relationships of Green Purchasing (GP)), E-sourcing (ES) and Greening Supplier (GS) with Environmental Performance (EP), particularly in terms of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which belong to the manufacturing sector.Data have been gathered through a structured survey distributed to employees of SME manufacturing companies via quantitative research.A total of 279 samples were considered in this study.The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test these hypotheses and investigate direct and indirect effects.Results of direct effects confirmed that the GP, GS and ES have been found to affect EP where the direct path is positive.In addition, both GS and ES revealed a partial mediation effect between GP and EP.These research insights reinforce the importance of sustainability in procurement plans, explaining how E-sourcing can improve operational efficiency and contribute to stronger links with environmentally proactive suppliers.The dominant theoretical impact of this research is that it extends the Resource-Based View (RBV) to sustainable practices as resources capable of improving competitive advantage.This research highlights some capabilities, such as ES and GS, which magnify the effects of GP.In practice, the findings imply that leaders in SMEs put sustainable procurement practices ahead and invest in E-sourcing technology to work closely with environmental supplier partners to achieve better eco-performance goals and improve brand image.