Institutional pressures and the mediating role of supply chain coordination in green export strategy: empirical research in Vietnam footwear industry

Promoting green strategies contributes to environmental protection and sustainability development. This study aims to test a comprehensive model of institutional pressures and examines the mediating role of supply chain coordination between green strategy and its competitive advantage. Data were obtained from 212 managers of Vietnam's footwear exporters and then analysed using structural equation modelling that employed partial least squares. The findings show that market pressure, regulatory pressure and competitive pressure are institutional pressures of green export strategy. Importantly, the findings confirm that the firm's green strategy does not directly but indirectly help the firm reach the source of competitive advantage through the mediating role of supply chain coordination. This study sheds new insights and contributes both theoretical and practical implications for environmental sustainability.