Impact of Positive Power within the Supply Chain on Green ESG Investment and Supply Chain Sustainability

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study empirically analyzes the impact of referent power and expert power—both forms of positive power—on corporate green ESG activities and supply chain sustainability. Based on the assumption that the adoption of green ESG management begins with positive power within the organization, a survey was conducted among 300 employees involved in ESG practices within the supply chain. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that referent power positively influenced ESG-related production and technology adoption by affecting organizational investment decisions but had no significant impact on ESG-related purchasing and sales. In contrast, expert power, grounded in technical expertise and market understanding, positively affected all ESG activities. Furthermore, ESG-based production and technology adoption contributed to improved supply chain sustainability. This study offers both theoretical and practical implications by analyzing ESG and the supply chain through the lens of power theory, highlighting the influence of organizational culture and leadership on ESG management.