Green Supply Chain Management Practices and Competitive Advantage: Evidence from Emerging-Market Firms
Abstract
The demands of competitive advantage are a growing force in the enterprises, especially in emerging markets where the expectations of industry, resources and regulations are rapidly changing. From the context of green procurement, green logistics and recyclability, Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices can provide companies with opportunities to optimize operational performances, boost their brand value and realize long-term benefits. Even though there is an increasing number of people interested in adopting GSCM practices, the empirical evidence remains fragmented and underdeveloped confirming the effectiveness of GSCM in emerging market contexts. This study reviewed 50+ peer-reviewed articles that were published from 2018 to 2026 systematically, to discuss the relationship between GSCM practices and firm competitiveness. Articles were first selected through a structured literature review methodology and following that, filtered to be of interest and methodological quality and to target articles on emerging-market firms. Overall, the results show that green procurement and eco-logistics are a profitable practice that always improves competitive advantage, both through the reduction of costs, enhancement of supply chain efficiency and the indication to the stakeholders that the company is responsible. Operational effectiveness and compliance are also in part addressed by waste reduction efforts, but limited by financial, technical and/or organizational barriers. Cost reduction and brand reputation were selected as key mediators that are reinforced by the impact of the practices of GSCM to increased competitiveness. This synthesis gives useful guidance to managers needing to strategically manage sustainable supply chains and identifies opportunities to develop further research, such as cross-country comparisons, service-sector applications, and longitudinal analyses. The study adds value to both theory and practice because of its ability to synthesize the existing knowledge on GSCM in emerging markets and providing evidence-based guidance for harnessing sustainability as a competitive advantage.