Navigating Competing Stakeholder Pressures: A Case Study of Sustainable Supply Chain Practices at Dongfeng Motor Dominic

Résumé

This study investigates how institutional pressures—coercive, mimetic, and normative—interact with sustainable leadership to influence sustainable procurement implementation (SPI) at Dongfeng Motor. Using data from 307 procurement managers, sustainability officers, and supplier representatives, and applying PLS-SEM with 5,000 bootstrap resamples, the study finds that coercive pressures, such as China’s Dual Carbon Policy and the EU’s CarbonBorder Adjustment Mechanism, are the primary drivers of SPI. Mimetic pressures from competitors like BYD and Geely also play a significant role, while normative pressures have minimal impact. Sustainable leadership is identified as a partial mediator, converting external demands into tangible practices like the Supplier Green Code 2024 and blockchain- enabled carbon audits. The findings extend Institutional Theory by highlighting the asymmetry of isomorphic pressures and emphasize leadership’s key role in translating these pressures into actionable outcomes. For managers and policymakers, the study underscores the importance of leadership, aligned regulations, and supplier collaboration to drive sustainability in automotive supply chains.