Microfoundations of supply chain agility: managerial attention, cognitive styles and sustainable marketing

Purpose This study investigates how managerial attention and cognitive styles influence supply chain agility and sustainable marketing activities by integrating the attention-based view, cognitive-experiential self-theory, and dynamic capabilities framework. It also explores the mediating role of supply chain agility in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design and analyzes survey data collected from 195 managers of Turkish SMEs identified through the KOSGEB database. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4. The reflective measurement model was assessed via indicator loadings, internal consistency reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Hypothesized relationships and indirect effects were tested using bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples. Findings The findings reveal that managers’ situated attention and both rational and intuitive cognitive styles significantly enhance supply chain agility. Furthermore, it was determined that supply chain agility positively influences sustainable marketing activities across economic, environmental, social, and cultural dimensions. Moreover, supply chain agility was found to mediate these relationships. Originality/value This study is among the first to elucidate the influence of attention and cognitive styles – key psychological factors – on supply chain agility and sustainable marketing activities. Furthermore, by empirically establishing the linkages between supply chain agility (macro level), psychological factors (micro level), and sustainable marketing activities (macro level), the study advances the attention-based view, cognitive-experiential self-theory, and dynamic capabilities literature through a multilevel (micro–macro) analytical approach.