How Digitalization Drives Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns: The Mediation of Green Supply Chain Management and Corporate Social Responsibility

ABSTRACT Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) aims at boosting sustainable consumption and production patterns (SCPP) globally, forming a critical component of the 2030 Agenda for SD. Despite progress in corporate sustainability reporting, significant challenges remain, particularly in emerging economies like Vietnam, which is undergoing industrial transformation while striving to address environmental and resource sustainability challenges. Addressing these issues requires urgent action to raise awareness and manage finite natural resources more sustainably. Digitalization (DI) in supply chains has emerged as a key solution for greening product life cycles. Thus, this research delves into the association between DI and SCPP among small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies, emphasizing the mediating roles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green supply chain management (GSCM). A quantitative approach was employed in this paper, and data were acquired through a thoughtfully crafted survey questionnaire targeting individuals in senior management and middle management at companies. This earned 429 valid responses from middle managers and senior managers in Vietnam SMEs. Subsequently, SmartPLS version 4.1.0.0 was leveraged to investigate the hypothesized relationships. The outcomes highlight that DI strengthens GSCM, CSR, and SCPP, as well as the bond between CSR and GSCM, which are statistically significant. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate GSCM and CSR serve as intermediary factors linking DI and SCPP within enterprises. Grounded in empirical evidence from Vietnamese SMEs, this study adds valuable insights to the current set of insights on SCPP by presenting an empirically operationalized framework that integrates dynamic capabilities theory and stakeholder theory. Simultaneously, this research supplies new approaches for leaders and managers on how to pursue SCPP as part of green supply chain transformation through digital innovation, along with making a meaningful advancement in the evolution of the academic discourse on the SDGs.