Digital-Green Integration and Supply-Chain Resilience in Bangladesh’s Footwear Industry: The Mediating Role of Circular-Economy Practices

Abstract

Bangladesh's footwear industry faces mounting pressure to strengthen environmental performance while maintaining continuity against supply-chain disruptions, yet limited empirical evidence explains how digital and green capabilities jointly relate to resilience in this context. Drawing on dynamic capability theory, this study examined the associations among digital technology adoption (DTA), green supply-chain management (GSCM), and supply-chain resilience (SCR) among managers and professionals in Bangladesh's footwear manufacturing and supply-chain organizations. A cross-sectional survey of 47 valid respondents was analyzed using reliability analysis, Pearson and Spearman correlation, and ordinary least squares regression with robust standard errors. DTA was positively associated with GSCM (r = .446, p = .002). DTA and GSCM each showed a positive, statistically significant, and independent association with SCR, together explaining 54.5% of the variance in resilience, with DTA showing the larger unique effect (β = .526 versus β = .334 for GSCM). Item-level analysis further identified digital traceability and green purchasing as the two practices with the largest perceived implementation gaps in the sample. Circular-economy practices were measured but excluded from the confirmatory analysis and remain a direction for future research. The findings suggest that digital and green capabilities each contribute distinctly to supply-chain resilience and point to traceability and green sourcing as priority areas for footwear manufacturers and policymakers seeking to strengthen resilience in Bangladesh's footwear sector.