AI-Enabled Supplier Sustainability Governance and Risk Resilience in Circular Supply Chain Networks: A Framework for Enhanced Performance and Risk Mitigation

This study investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in supplier sustainability governance and risk resilience within circular supply chain networks. Through a comprehensive mixed-methods approach involving survey data from 487 supply chain professionals and secondary data from 156 organizations across multiple industries, this research develops and validates a conceptual framework linking AI-enabled governance mechanisms with sustainability performance and risk resilience. The study identifies three critical research gaps: (1) limited understanding of AI's role in sustainability governance mechanisms, (2) insufficient knowledge of risk resilience factors in circular supply chains, and (3) lack of integrated frameworks combining AI, sustainability, and risk management. Our findings reveal that AI-enabled governance significantly enhances supplier sustainability performance (β = 0.742, p < 0.001) and risk resilience (β = 0.689, p < 0.001), with digital maturity serving as a significant moderator. The study contributes to supply chain management theory by providing empirical evidence of AI's transformative role in sustainable operations and offers practical insights for supply chain managers seeking to enhance both sustainability and resilience outcomes.