Industry 4.0 supply chain nexus: sequential mediating effects of traceability, visibility and resilience on performance

Purpose: The research frontier concerning the relationship between Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and supply chain performance (SCP) in manufacturing is currently lacking in a comprehensive examination. This study examines the relationship between I4.0 adoption and SCP. Additionally, the study examines the mediating effects of supply chain traceability (SCT), supply chain visibility (SCV) and supply chain resilience (SCR), both individually and sequentially. Design/methodology/approach: The data were garnered from 510 managers of manufacturing firms, and PLS-SEM was applied to examine the sequential mediation effect of SCT, SCV and SCR between I4.0 and SCP. Findings: Results indicate a statistically significant direct relationship between I4.0 adoption and SCP. Furthermore, SCT mediates the impact of I4.0 on SCP. Similarly, results showed that SCV mediates the impact of I4.0 on SCP and SCR mediates the impact of I4.0 on SCP. Moreover, the relation between I4.0 adoption and SCP is substantially influenced by the sequential effects of SCT, SCV and SCR. The study provides novel empirical evidence by investigating the sequential mediation roles of SCT, SCV and SCR between I4.0 adoption and SCP through the lens of the resource-based view (RBV) perspective. Practical implications: Policymakers must prioritize the promotion of I4.0 integration to strengthen the performance of manufacturing supply chains (SC). This can be achieved by improving traceability, visibility and resilience within these SCs. Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in its use of the sequential mediation effect of SCT, SCV and SCR between I4.0 and SCP under the theoretical lens of RBV.