Abstract:
The relationship between green supply chain practices and manufacturing companies has
attracted a lot of attention in a world that is striving to control industrial impact on the
environment. This study investigated cement manufacturing companies in Kenya and how
green supply chain practices affect their sustainable competitive advantage. Its specific
objectives were to establish the effect of green technology, eco-packaging and green logistics
practices on the sustainable competitive advantage of cement manufacturing companies in
Nairobi County, Kenya. This was achieved by adopting a descriptive research design that
allowed the researcher collect information from employees in 5 cement manufacturing
companies in the country. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were then conducted
on the data collected and inferences regarding the effect of the three selected green supply
chain practices on sustainable competitive advantage were made. It was revealed that holding
eco-packaging practices and green logistics practices constant, a unit increase in adopting
green technology will increase organization sustainable competitive advantage by 0.053
units. Subsequently, holding green technology practices and green logistics practices
constant, a unit increase in adopting eco-packaging practices will increase organization
sustainable competitive advantage by 0.069 units. Furthermore, holding green technology
practices and eco-packaging practices constant, a unit increase in adopting green logistics
practices will increase organization sustainable competitive advantage by 0.329 units. The
study also found that the effect associated with Green Technology, Eco-Packaging and Green
Logistics Practices were all statistically significant as illustrated by significant p values 0.032,
0.041 and 0.029 which were all less than 0.05. Based on the study findings, therefore, the
study concluded that green supply chain practices positively affect the sustainable
competitive advantage of manufacturing firms in Nairobi County. Specifically, the study
found that a positive change in the adoption of green technology practices leads to a positive
increase in the sustainable competitive advantage of a cement manufacturing company. The
study therefore recommended manufacturing companies to implement production methods
that are environmental friendly since this approach elevates a company to a favorable
position on the competitive advantage scale in the county.
