Strategic Fit Between Green Supply Chain Integration and Green Innovation Goals on the circular economy: An empirical study on Finnish Manufacturing Industry

This thesis investigates the strategic alignment between Green Supply Chain Integration (GSCI) and Green Innovation and their impact on Circular Economy (CE) performance in Finnish manu facturing industry. As global demand increases, for that sustainable production and resources utilization are facilitated by GSCI and GI, with the circular economy plays a crucial enabler to achieve the objectives. While each of them has been done researched independently with a large degree, but strategic alignment with each other and their impact on performance of circu lar economy have not been amply examined, especially in Finland’s advance manufacturing con text. The problem of the research has been addressed by determining how GSCI dimensions are re lated to green innovation behaviors and how they, in turn, affect CE outcomes such as resource efficiency, waste minimization, recycling, and product life extension. The theoretical model has been developed by integrating the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory, providing a structured win dow to study the interconnections among resources, behavior, and performance effects in sus tainable manufacturing. A quantitative research design has been adopted; wherein primary data have been collected through questionnaire from Finnish manufacturing firms engaged in sustainable practices. A non-probability convenience sampling approach has been employed to cover organizations that have continuous sustainability and CE activities. Data has been analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate measurement constructs and test hypothesized relationships, including mediation effects of green innovation between GSCI and CE performance. Empirical evidence has shown that higher levels of integration among internal operations, sup pliers, and customers have been associated with stronger green innovation capabilities that has been supporting long-term CE objectives with strategic alignment in Finnish manufacturing firms. The suggested framework gives a clear picture of practical as well as theoretical insights with managerial guidelines on how to integrate sustainability into organizational strategy more effectively. The research also highlights future areas of study that include the institutional driv ers and uses of the strategic fit model in different industries.