Beyond practice adoption: how quality culture amplifies total quality management’s impact on sustainable supply chain performance in resource-constrained SMEs

Purpose This study extends the resource-based view (RBV) by theorizing and empirically validating the conditions under which total quality management (TQM) practices enhance sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) in manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Despite substantial growth in TQM and sustainability literature, theoretical understanding of how specific TQM dimensions interact with organizational culture to drive sustainability outcomes remains limited, particularly in resource-constrained emerging economy contexts. We address this gap by examining not only the direct effects of multidimensional TQM practices on SSCP but also the theoretically grounded moderating mechanisms through which quality culture amplifies these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon RBV and institutional theory, we developed and tested a theoretical model using structural equation modeling and moderated regression analysis on survey data from 400 senior and middle managers across manufacturing SMEs in Ghana. Findings Results reveal differential effects of TQM dimensions on SSCP. Strategic planning, benchmarking, supplier quality management and information and analysis significantly enhance SSCP, while quality assurance shows no significant direct effect. Quality culture exhibits both direct and moderating effects, significantly strengthening the SSCP impacts of strategic planning, supplier quality management and information and analysis. These findings reveal that quality culture serves as a critical boundary condition, with TQM practices demonstrating superior effectiveness in organizations possessing strong quality-oriented values and norms. The model explains 52% of variance in SSCP. Practical implications For manufacturing SMEs in emerging economies, findings suggest that sustainable competitive advantage requires more than TQM practice adoption; it demands deliberate cultivation of supporting quality culture. Managers should prioritize three specific TQM dimensions (strategic planning, supplier quality management and information analytics) that demonstrate the strongest synergy with quality culture. Resource-constrained SMEs should focus implementation efforts on these high-impact practices rather than comprehensive TQM adoption. Specifically, firms should: (1) develop formal sustainability-oriented strategic planning processes before scaling TQM initiatives; (2) invest in supplier development programs that align supplier quality standards with sustainability objectives; (3) implement data analytics capabilities to track sustainability metrics and (4) cultivate organization-wide quality culture through leadership commitment, employee training and reward systems that recognize quality excellence. These actions provide actionable roadmaps for SMEs seeking to leverage quality management for sustainability. Originality/value This study is among the first to theoretically integrate and empirically validate the complex interplay between multidimensional TQM practices, quality culture and SSCP in a Sub-Saharan African context. By demonstrating that quality culture acts as a critical contingency factor that determines when and how TQM practices translate into sustainability outcomes, we provide novel theoretical insights that advance both RBV and TQM-sustainability scholarship. The study's value lies in its rigorous theoretical grounding, methodological rigor, and contextual relevance to emerging economies where sustainability challenges are most acute yet organizational resources are most constrained.