Analyzing the Role of Digital Technologies in the Relationship between Resilience and Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Evidence from Survey-Based Statistical Modelling

In an uncertain and sustainability-focused business environment, supply chain resilience and sustainability have become key practices goals for organizations. Previous research acknowledges the importance of resilience for achieving sustainable supply chain results. At the same time, digital technologies are increasingly recognized as critical enablers in strengthening resilient supply chains and supporting sustainability outcomes. This thesis explores how digitalization mediates the relationship between supply chain resilience and sustainability through a survey-based structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The study adopts a quantitative research design based on secondary data collected from professionals involved in supply chain and operations management through an existing survey dataset of experts interviewed in Europe. The proposed framework conceptualizes supply chain resilience through transformative and adaptive resilience actions as independent constructs and supply chain social and environmental sustainability as the dependent constructs, while positioning digitalization as a mediating variable. The model also looks at the direct impact of supply chain transformative and adaptive resilience on social and environmental sustainability, including the indirect (mediated) effects of digitalization practices. Data analysis is carried out using the SmartPLS software, covering reliability and validity checks, correlation analysis and hypothesis testing within the SEM framework. The empirical results indicate that digitalization partially mediates the relationship between resilience transformative actions, resilience adaptive actions, and sustainability outcomes, strengthening the impact of resilience on both social and environmental sustainability. This highlights the importance of digital technologies in turning resilient abilities into sustainable supply chain practices. This study adds to the supply chain management literature by clarifying the role of digitalization and offering practical advice for organizations looking to improve sustainability and resilience outcomes through digital transformation.