The Role of Leadership in Driving Sustainable Performance: Evidence from Moroccan Logistics Service Providers

Abstract

Sustainability has evolved from a peripheral concern to a strategic imperative in logistics, shaping competitiveness and legitimacy across global supply chains. This study investigates how leadership practices drive sustainable performance among logistics service providers (LSPs) in Morocco, emphasizing the mediating role of green logistics practices. Drawing on transformational and sustainability-oriented leadership theories, as well as the Resource-Based View (RBV), the research employs survey data from 210 respondents across 28 firms. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), results reveal that leadership exerts a strong positive influence on both green practices (β = 0.68, p < 0.001) and sustainable performance (β = 0.29, p = 0.001). Green practices partially mediate this relationship (indirect β = 0.39, p < 0.001), explaining 63% of the variance in sustainable performance. These findings highlight leadership as a strategic capability enabling environmental and social transformation in emerging economies. The study advances the understanding of sustainability-oriented leadership within the logistics sector and provides actionable insights for aligning management practices with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 8, 9, 12, and 13).