IMPACT OF INDUSTRY 4.0 TECHNOLOGIES ON EXPORT PERFORMANCE IN SRI LANKAN APPAREL SECTOR: THE MEDIATION ROLE OF SUPPLY CHAIN AGILITY

Abstract

The apparel sector is important to Sri Lanka's economy since it highly contributes to export earnings and employment. Yet, there is a lack of research on the relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and export performance in this sector. The main aim of this study is to find the relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and the export performance of the Apparel sector while considering the impact of supply chain agility. A quantitative research design has been used for this study. The research formulates hypotheses from a comprehensive literature review. These hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling (SQM), and the data was collected from 97 apparel organizations in the Sri Lankan sector. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and Smart PLS. There is a positive and significant impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on Export performance. Internet of Things, Big data analytics, and Cloud computing have a positive and significant impact on Export performance. Supply chain agility mediates between Industry 4.0 technologies and Export performance. The study discusses the findings, advances limitations, and managerial implications related to the research area. The research paper also suggests future research avenues. It highlights some recommendations to support Sri Lankan apparel organizations in forming flexible supply chains and using the latest technology to increase export performance. The findings of this research have practical implications for both practitioners and researchers. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on strategic management, showing the reliability of the scales used and the affirmative of the factor structure. Further, the study shows that, orientation is critical in increasing export performance in strategic management technology. This study has used the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theories.