Unveiling Organizational Green Legitimacy: The Role of Green Logistics Practices in Chinese Manufacturing Firms

This research examines the impact of green logistics practices (GLPs) on the creation of organizational green legitimacy (OGL) and whether Industry 5.0 and supply chain uncertainties moderate this relationship. Unlike earlier studies, this research takes an in-depth look at GLPs as a second-order construct comprising six sub-dimensions, including green packaging, procurement, production, transportation, warehousing, and reverse logistics, and their significant role in building organizational green legitimacy. Based on cross-sectional data collected from 350 Chinese manufacturing companies in late 2024, this study uses partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the proposed relationships. The results of PLS-SEM reveal that GLPs positively influence organizational green legitimacy. Further results suggest that supply chain uncertainties, which is described as a second-order construct with three sub-constructs encompassing demand turbulence, negatively moderates this relationship. Moreover, this study finds that Industry 5.0 strengthens the positive relationship between GLPs and OGL. This study provides significant practical and theoretical implications for policymakers and extends the prevailing body of literature on organizational green legitimacy.