Researching the impact of lean production in green supply chain management on the sustainable performance of apparel enterprises in the Southeast region, Vietnam

Abstract

Covid-19 has seriously affected the apparel industry in the Southeast region. The global economy is in recession, and apparel exporters are no exception. However, these two factors do not explain the serious order crisis at Vietnamese apparel enterprises, while Bangladesh - the main competitor in the industry - received a record number of orders. The study approaches this issue by examining the impact of lean production on the sustainability performance of apparel companies with the central role of green supply chain management. Data from 387 apparel exports in the Southeast - the region that contributes 47.5% of Vietnam's garment industry export turnover, accounting for 59.33% of the number of garment industry enterprises nationwide and 72% of the total employment of the industry in South (VITAS - Hiệp hội Dệt may Việt Nam, 2023) - analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0 shows that the contents of lean production in green supply chain management have a positive impact on sustainable performance, thereby proving that this is the trend that apparel exports need to implement quickly to achieve sustainable performance when greening production is becoming an important criterion in the purchasing choice of apparel importers globally.