Supply chain quality management and the triple bottom line: underlying relationship in a developing country

Abstract

This paper investigates the underlying mechanism between quality management, supply chain management, and three components of the triple bottom line. Based on data collected from Vietnamese firms, the study employs regression analysis and PROCESS macro with a bootstrap method. Analytical results illustrate that quality management shows a significant effect on economic, environmental, and social bottom lines with or without the mediating role of supply chain management. The direct impact of supply chain management on those performances is insignificant, but it becomes significant with the mediating effect of quality management. Quality management seems to be a prerequisite for an effective supply chain quality model regarding sustainability. Moreover, the concurrence of supply chain and quality management results in a conflictual effect on economic return, although some possible synergy could be found among individual practices. It sheds light on the efficient resource allocation to achieve a certain level of balance in achieving sustainable goals.