An Empirical Examination of Sustainable Supply Chain Practices and Sustainability Performance in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry.

Garment industry of Bangladesh is an important part of the international supply chain of apparels as well as a significant portion of the economic growth of the nation. As a reaction to the growing pressure of international customers, prudent, and stakeholders, garment companies started to revert to the principles of sustainable supply chains. This paper analyzes the degree in which environment, social and economic sustainable supply chain behaviors are in existence in the garment industry of Bangladesh and the extent by which the behaviors are associated with total sustainability performance. The quantitative research design was used based on survey data obtained among 300 respondents in the managerial level of the export-based garment manufacturing firms. The data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, normality analysis, correlation analysis, and multicollinearity diagnostics. The results reveal a medium adoption of practices of sustainable supply chain in terms of environmental, social, and economic aspects. The results of sustainability performance, however, are relatively poor. The outcomes of correlation demonstrate almost negligible and largely negative links among sustainable supply chain practices and sustainability performance which indicates a fragmented and compliance-based approach to implementation as opposed to integrated sustainability approaches. Reliability analysis also reveals the weakness in the measurement scales of sustainability in internal consistency.The findings are useful in the literature as they offer empirical evidence of a developing country setting and show a necessity of more comprehensive, organized, and situation-specific strategies regarding sustainability. Managers, policymakers, and international buyers that want to enhance sustainability achievements in the global garment supply chain are provided with practical implications.