Exploring Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors Affecting Supply Chain Resilience: From Employees’ Perspectives

Abstract

In the domain of supply chain resilience (SCR), research has disproportionately emphasized the environmental dimensions of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, leading to an oversight regarding the roles played by social and governance factors. To address this gap, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 313 employees from five Chinese supply chain enterprises. Through factor analysis, this study identified four latent variables associated with environmental factors, three with social factors, and four with governance factors. A structural equation model was then developed to present a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of the three ESG dimensions and digital intelligence on SCR, while also examining the interplay among these ESG factors. The findings reveal that environmental factors positively influence SCR, whereas social and governance factors exert a negative impact. This study further observes that digital intelligence enhances ESG factors but does not directly influence SCR. These results underscore the intricate dynamics between ESG indicators, digital intelligence, and SCR, highlighting the imperative for supply chain entities to make balanced decisions. This research offers novel insights into the effects of ESG factors from the employees’ viewpoint, providing implications and recommendations for supply chain management.