Implementing environmentally sustainable practices in multi-tier fashion supply chains: the influence of institutional pressures

Purpose Implementing sustainable practices, particularly those aimed at reducing environmental impact, is challenging across multi-tier fashion supply chains operating within complex institutional contexts. These difficulties are most pronounced at the upstream level, where limited resources, restricted visibility and a lack of strategic control and support can hinder progress. This study aims to explore how institutional pressures influence the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices and strategic responses of upstream suppliers, offering theoretical and practical insights beyond the first tier of the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach Bangladesh, a key manufacturing hub for global fashion, provides a valuable emerging economy context for examining sustainability challenges. This study uses an exploratory multiple-case approach to investigate institutional pressures in multi-tier fashion supply chains. Data from 43 suppliers and 16 stakeholders were analysed thematically to uncover how such pressures shape sustainable responses across supply chain tiers. Findings The findings reveal how institutional pressures shape manufacturing operations and influence the adoption of sustainable practices, reflecting the perspectives of upstream fashion suppliers. These pressures, along with supplier responses, strategies and challenges, vary across different tiers of the supply chain, particularly lower-tier suppliers who often face greater resource constraints and limited visibility. This research offers theoretical and practical insights beyond the first tier and provides six propositions and a conceptual model that highlight the complexity and diversity of sustainability implementation across multi-tier supply chains. Research limitations/implications Although the study is empirically situated in the fashion industry, this study offers theoretical insights that are broadly applicable to multi-tier supply chains across diverse sectors. By examining how institutional pressures operate within complex supply chain environments, the research contributes to a wider understanding of sustainability implementation beyond the first tier. However, the scope of the study is limited to environmental practices. Originality/value This study focuses on multi-tier upstream fashion supply chains, a sector that faces unique regulatory, economic, cultural and competitive pressures, particularly in developing country contexts. It offers a supplier-centric perspective on how institutional pressures are interpreted and enacted in these contexts, while also providing practical guidance for organisations seeking to improve environmental practices throughout their supply networks.