1. Introduction
Relentless industrialization and a higher pace of economic growth pose numerous obstacles to retaining competitive advantages. Businesses must carefully scrutinize their service-related attributes, considering industries are at the crossroads of exploring modern solutions to achieve sustainability challenges [
1]. This requires firms to reshape their business operations strategies and include sustainability-related elements in their products or services during production [
2,
3]. Sustainable service quality attributes (SSQAs) encompass environmental responsibility, social accountability, and financial viability. Businesses involved in manufacturing adopt such practices in their pursuit of waste reduction, optimum resource utilization, and aligning their strategies with the people, planet, and profit, the core principles of the triple bottom line [
3]. Companies like 3M are investing millions of dollars in balancing their sustainability and profitability [
4]. Logistics and supply chain organizations face continuous challenges in designing and implementing sustainable operational strategies that benefit internal and external customers and decarbonize the environment [
5]. To be specific, across developing countries like Pakistan, the adoption of sustainable quality initiatives, in sync with blockchain technologies, is still in its infancy. Such a lethargic realization of the emerging reality has posed industries within the country with serious challenges, which are financial, social, and environmental in nature. Therefore, it is significant for those at the helm to realize that in the modern supply chain and logistics era, warehouse storage facilities and services that are efficient and effective are gaining recognition. They are considered key factors in gaining competitive advantages and reaching sustainability [
6]. Logistics firms have started incorporating sustainability-related policies into their operations to gain competitive advantages and provide efficient and effective logistic services with lower carbon emissions and energy waste to provide improved service quality to the users [
7].
In this modern era, sustainable service quality attributes facilitate fast speed, enhanced reliability, operational cost reduction, and convenient storage and delivery of goods, enhancing the firm’s competitive advantage [
8]. The logistics industry recognizes the increasing importance of having a measure to assess sustainable service quality attributes (SSQAs). This metric helps logistics companies provide services to their customers and serves as a tool to evaluate service quality [
9]. To integrate sustainability practices into their supply chains in operations, logistics service providers (LSPs) understand the need to address issues like inefficient communication, transport delays, and ineffective carbon footprint management [
10,
11]. Research has shown that sustainable operational strategies significantly contribute to stakeholder satisfaction and promote supply chain performance (SSCP) [
12].
Similarly, studies have demonstrated that sustainable practices play a role in achieving SSCP goals [
13]. Therefore, delivering high-quality services is essential for LSPs aiming for performance in markets with customer demands [
14]. Adaptability and innovation are factors for success in rapidly evolving markets. Scholars’ increasing fascination with SSQAs highlights their importance [
5]. The inability of SMEs operating across the developing world to adapt the stated innovations within the logistical landscape is one major reason behind the contextual and empirical formation of the given study.
Achieving SSCP and TBL is full of challenges, ambiguities, and uncertainties. A dynamic environment comes with plenty of environmental uncertainties (EUs) for the companies, seriously affecting their performance [
15]. Rapid technological changes, abrupt demand changes from the customers, the suppliers’ performance, and competitors’ actions and reactions continuously evolve and pose serious threats to the supply chain performance [
15]. Developing the infrastructure that helps mitigate such uncertainties has become complementary to higher performance [
16]. Companies are investing in technology to gain competitive advantages and reduce environmental uncertainties’ effects [
17]. Blockchain technology (BT) provides traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain [
18]. Health care facilitates store and share accurate records by ensuring patients’ privacy [
19]. BT provides huge support in building a sustainable infrastructure, and the implementation of BT by SMEs has gained fame in recent times [
20]. The main objective of BT is to provide a value system with characteristics like transparency and traceability [
21]. BT is regarded as one of the most reliable elements influencing the SSCP [
22].
Although there is abundant literature on the triple bottom line (TBL), a scarcity of literature that considers SSQAs as a predictor of TBL has been noticed. A recent systematic literature review on sustainable service quality has reported detailed gaps and asked researchers to conduct empirical studies to examine the sustainable service quality to achieve sustainability [
23]. Only the environmental performance of logistics service providers has been examined using sustainable service quality attributes, and the study suggests investigating its relationship with economic, social, and environmental performance [
5]. In a study of logistics service quality in Industry 4.0, the authors suggested conducting empirical studies to examine its impact on sustainable supply chain performance [
8]. Additionally, ref. [
24] highlighted that firms must be vigilant about unpredictable environments and study their influence on SSCP. A study on SMEs suggested that the implementation of BT should be closely monitored as it can affect the supply chain partners and their performances [
17].
Research Questions
The current study aims to bridge the above-highlighted research gaps based on the rationale that TBL needs are fulfilled by achieving SSCP, and SSQAs are an important predictor of SSCP. In order to investigate the gaps mentioned above, a series of research questions (RQs) have been formulated:
RQ1: How do the sustainable service quality attributes construct the TBL?
RQ2: How does sustainable service quality affect sustainable supply chain performance?
RQ3: Does environmental uncertainty and implementing blockchain technology stimulate sustainable supply chain performance?
The findings of this study will assist managers in achieving the TBL by recommending that they reform their services and incorporate sustainable service quality characteristics to achieve sustainability. In the subsequent section, a comprehensive and pertinent literature review is presented. After the literature review, the research design describes the methodology, sampling, and data collection. Results and discussion of this study follow. Finally, the paper concludes with future research and limitations.
4. Research Design
The current study uses numerical measurement scales, and to address the research questions, statistical analysis was performed to find the empirical evidence. As per the suggestions by Papaioannou and Wilson (2010) [
113], the current study adopted the deductive approach, proposed the hypotheses using existing theories, and estimated them using statistical techniques. This study used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v24 and Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS) v24 software packages for statistical analysis.
4.1. Sample and Data Collection
The present study employed a survey methodology to gather data, utilizing a self-questionnaire as the primary instrument for data collection. The survey instrument was partitioned into two distinct sections. Initially, the collected information about the respondents, like the name of the organization they are working with, designation, total experience, number of employees, sector that matches the firm’s characteristics, services the logistics firm is providing, and the firm’s annual turnover.
Section 2 was devised to collect responses on a Likert scale of 1–5. Altogether, there were 45 questions in
Section 2. This study’s intended participants were logistics service providers offering logistics services. For data collection purposes, this study adopted the technique of purposive sampling and only collected the data from the providers of logistics services in the Punjab province of Pakistan from the SMEs in the logistics sector which offered the services of transportation, warehousing, skilled workforce, and information technology infrastructure, and had an annual turnover of over 50 million rupees. Prior to data collection, respondents were instructed on how to complete the survey questionnaire and apprised of the purpose of the study. They voluntarily participated and provided written consent to participate in this study. Researchers guaranteed the confidentiality and anonymity of the data provided by participants. We used a rule of thumb to determine the sample size and selected 5 respondents for each item. Given that the questionnaire consists of 45 items, the minimum sample size required for this study was determined to be 225. This determination was based on the rule of thumb which suggests that the total number of items should be multiplied by a factor of 5 to 10 in order to calculate the appropriate sample size.
The survey was conducted from September to November 2022, and 375 questionnaires were physically and digitally distributed to respondents. Out of 375, only 310 questionnaires were received. Fifteen questionnaires were further eliminated due to more than 50% incomplete responses. Finally, 295 valid questionnaires were available for analysis. The sample population consisted only of male participants, with a mean age of 41.8 years. A total of 8% of the participants reported having 0–2 years of professional experience, while 25.7% indicated having 2–5 years of work experience.
Furthermore, 31.9% of the respondents reported having 5–10 years of experience, and the remaining 34.4% reported having more than 10 years of experience. Most participants indicated that their organization employs a workforce ranging from 101 to 500 individuals. A total of 46.8% of the participants were employed in the pharmaceutical industry, while 26.1% represented the paints and chemicals sector, and an additional 26.1% were affiliated with the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) industry.
4.2. Measurements
This study utilized the measurement instruments of previous studies with a high significance level. All responses were quantified using a five-point Likert scale. Sustainable service quality attributes were estimated using a 17-item scale adopted from [
5]. The scale items of sustainable supply chain performance were adopted from [
114] and measured using an eight-item scale. Sustainability has three main dimensions: environmental, social, and economic performance. The scale to estimate environmental performance consisted of four items, and the scale items to estimate economic performance consisted of four items.
In contrast, the scale items used to estimate social performance consisted of four items. The scale items of the TBL were adopted from the previous literature [
53]. The study adopted the four scale items of blockchain technology from [
17]. The four item scale proposed by Kalyar, Shafique and Ahmad (2020) [
115] was adopted and used to estimate the environmental uncertainty. The questionnaire is given in
Appendix A.
6. Discussion and Implications of the Study
The world faces challenges from high carbon emissions and energy waste; achieving sustainability from TBL perspectives has become inevitable for businesses. The first hypothesis stated that SSQAs significantly impact the SSCP, and the results supported this hypothesis. The results indicated that firms were developing the ability to keep promises and, without failure, deliver green services. Further, they respond rapidly to the customer using green practices and maintain an adequate eco-friendly fleet of vehicles. They bring changes into the processes, keeping sustainability as the prime objective and following the system of coordination and integration with all supply chain partners. They also develop an understanding to build strong trust among the supply chain partners, utilize the resources, and have an orientation to use renewable resources. This is why logistics service firms successfully achieve sustainable supply chain performance. As a result, these firms become more vigilant in responding to the risk emerging from the supply chain networks, substantially reduce the volume of waste, and become more efficient in fulfilling the customers’ demands [
119]. These findings are aligned with Rajesh (2022) [
58], who mentioned that sustainable supply chain performance could not be achieved without introducing sustainable attributes and indicators in the business model, and implementing sustainable practices enhances the sustainable performance of the business. Moreover, the service quality of the LSPs in cross-border commerce activities cannot be achieved without following green practices that ultimately make the customer more satisfied and build a stronger and more reliable bond between the supply chain partners [
59].
Next, it was stated that SSCP has a substantial relationship with TBL. The results revealed that logistics firms are developing visibility of their supply chain, having a proper mechanism of controlling their supply chain cost, significantly reducing the amount of waste, and developing an ability to cater to customers’ orders promptly. Supply chains that are environmentally responsible and employ lean inventory management strategies tend to excel in the triple bottom line [
120]. Such firms improve controls over pollution, prioritize cleaner production, increase their market share and revenue, improve the social image of the firm, and ensure the development of mechanisms related to the health and safety of the employees and other stakeholders. These findings match past studies that concluded that an SSC is a valuable resource for firms and helps develop triple bottom line performance indicators [
63]. Moreover, investments made for sustainability help the business achieve its micro- and macro-level financial objectives more efficiently and create a win–win–win situation for all the stakeholders for their concerns about the economic, social, and environmental benefits resulting from the supply chain activities [
65]. The above-mentioned findings answer our first and second research questions and prove that SSQAs are associated with SSCP and TBL performance practices.
The next direct hypothesis stated that blockchain technology has a significant relationship with SSCP. The results highlighted that the logistics firms implementing blockchain technology provide visibility and the traceability of the business processes in an extended format, create a smart contract with the supply chain partners, use it to improve customer services and make them sustainable, and improve the processes and the structure of the organization, and improve the overall performance of the supply chain. BT helps firms to reduce their supply chain costs properly, adhere to environment-related requirements more efficiently, and meet the expectations of the internal and external stakeholders of the supply chain. More importantly, it helps firms in tracking and reducing carbon emissions and reducing energy waste in the supply chain. Past studies also concluded similar findings and stated that implementing BT supports the supply chain partners in designing and producing environment-friendly offerings [
75]. Similarly, Chod et al. (2020) [
76] indicated that BT is an essential tool to reach cost efficiency and make the supply chain more transparent.
The findings of the first indirect hypothesis stated that SSCP mediates the relationship between SSQAs and TBL. The results revealed that logistics firms could deliver goods using sustainable approaches, equipped with a trained workforce to follow green warehouse practices and implement green practices. IT support for promoting green practices includes the capability to modify and update the processes and align them with green objectives, develop dynamic supply chain networks, and have a visibility of all these capabilities in the supply chain to develop the mutual understanding of using these abilities to achieve sustainable performance. This sustainable performance is displayed as a reduction in costs, sustainable value delivery to the customers, disclosure of information and making it public, designing environmentally friendly services, and developing green practices and competencies. The results stress that achieving TBL, SSQAs, and SSCP are necessary and complement each other. The next indirect hypothesis stated that SSCP mediates between BT and TBL, and the results indicate that BT positively enhances the SSCP. Then, SSCP positively affects the logistics firms’ economic, social, and environmental performance. These findings match the past studies of Hussein Ali, Gruchmann, and Melkonyan (2022) [
32]. The researchers concluded that LSPs evaluate the quality of their services as they strive for sustainable performance, and they also noted that GSCM mediates the connection between logistical service quality and relationship performance. Similarly, BT also facilitates meeting the demands and expectations of the customers more efficiently. It enhances the satisfaction of the customers [
99] and increases the confidence level due to trust built after the implementation of BT [
100].
The results of the influencing role of BT in the relationship between SSQAs and SSCP concluded that when BT is not implemented, the SSQAs do not bring significant changes in the SSCP of the logistics firms. However, when the BT is implemented, it strengthens the relationship and increases SSQAs, leading to enhanced SSCP. The results indicate that visibility and traceability, improved customer services, updated process structures, and efficiency achieved through BT implementation significantly enhance the effects of SSQAs and thus increase the SSCP. Huang et al. (2022) [
106] additionally determined that BT has a significant role in the enhancement of technical capabilities and technological feasibility, as well as serving as a crucial catalyst for the advancement of circular supply chain management. The findings of this study indicate that environmental uncertainty plays a moderating effect in the relationship between SSQAs and SSCP, particularly in situations of low environmental uncertainty.
Nevertheless, under high levels of EU, SSQAs significantly improve the SSCP. The findings highlighted that when customer orders change abruptly, the suppliers’ performance and the competitors’ actions are unpredictable. Rapid technological changes have caused firms to concentrate more on developing SSQAs, which has a multiplied effect on supply chain performance. The findings match the previous study, which concluded that the EU is a vital contingent element that can strengthen SC partners’ performance if managed properly [
24]. These findings answer our third research question and provide evidence that environmental uncertainty and implementing blockchain technology stimulate SSCP in service organizations.
6.1. Theoretical Implications
The current study makes theoretical contributions of several types. The major contribution is the theoretical framework this study has proposed to achieve the performance indicators of TBL in the SME sector related to logistics firms. The study has empirically proven that SSQAs are significant predictors of SSCP, and this helps the firms achieve the TBL performance objectives. This study also makes significant contributions by extending the literature on the dynamic capability view by taking SSQAs as a dynamic capability in the logistics SMEs in Pakistan. By addressing the environmental and energy-minimizing concerns, the current study also contributes towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to climate action, responsible production, and consumption presented by the United Nations. Therefore, the framework proposed by the study is a strategic model that facilitates logistics firms to develop and deliver sustainable services to achieve sustainable performance. Similarly, by incorporating and integrating the contingency theory, this study further enhances the literature on sustainable supply chain performance and provides evidence. Moreover, this study is the first of its kind in the field of logistics SMEs in Pakistan. The proposed framework is instrumental for businesses to become sustainable, achieve higher economic growth, meet societal expectations, and reduce negative environmental impacts.
6.2. Managerial Implications
This study’s significant practical and managerial implications are drawn from the empirical results. The findings show that to achieve the TBL, managers must ensure that they transform their services and develop them by embedding sustainable service quality attributes. The managers must ensure that their workforce is trained and equipped with environmental knowledge, they have alternative and renewable energy resources, make their warehouses green for the customers, transform their services and work to become paperless, and develop coordination among the supply chain partners for achieving sustainable practice goals. All these abilities facilitate the achievement of TBL objectives. In addition, the managers should also focus on implementing blockchain technology in their organizations, as it can help them bring transparency and traceability to the supply chain to achieve SSCP. The managers should also be vigilant about the external environments and be ready to deal with them by introducing more sustainable attributes in their services to mitigate the effects of environmental uncertainties.