Unleashing proactive low-carbon strategies through behavioral factors in biodiversity-intensive sustainable supply chains: Mixed methodology

Abstract

The aim of this research is to understand the complex and relatively understudied relationship between human and behavioral factors and low-carbon management practices from the perspective of the resource-based view (RBV). Research application is in the “biodiversity sector” and consists of a survey and multiple-case study in Brazil, the richest country globally in terms of biodiversity but a country that also faces challenges in protecting biodiversity. The research problem considers the relationship between human critical success factors and the adoption of low-carbon management practices. Quantitative analysis through structural equation modeling shows the three branches of hypothesis to be accepted—the first with a higher coefficient than the second and the second with a higher coefficient than the third. It was observed that human factors influence low-carbon product management practices the most, followed by process practices and finally logistics practices. Qualitative multiple-case study research shows that companies are at different stages of maturity in relation to low-carbon management organizational practices, ranging from the highest stage to the lowest. It was found that the intensity of the presence of human critical success factors was higher where organizations had greater adoption of low-carbon management practices.