Shaping poverty governance: the role of sustainable leadership, CSR, and industry dynamics

Sustainability-driven poverty governance is the paradigm that integrates environmental, economic, and social sustainability into poverty management. This study investigates poverty governance in the Chinese manufacturing sector under the principles of good governance. The current research examines the complex relationship between sustainable leadership, corporate social responsibility, industry dynamics, the regulatory environment, and poverty governance. Five hypotheses are tested empirically via a multidimensional framework proposed in this study. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the data gathered from 334 companies in the manufacturing sector over three months (15 March to 14 June 2024). The investigation reveals that sustainable leadership and corporate social responsibility, moderated by the regulatory environment, positively influence poverty governance. At the same time, industry dynamics have emerged as a key factor in driving constructive changes. The study contributes to both academia and practice by integrating sustainability with poverty governance in assessing poverty in industrial contexts. Therefore, practitioners, policymakers, and industry professionals can gain valuable insights into sustainable corporate strategies to enhance governance quality, promote economic justice, and facilitate sustainability-driven poverty governance.