Coercive, Normative, and Mimetic Pressures on Green Supply Chain Management Adoption in Nigerian Manufacturing: An Institutional Theory Perspective

This dissertation applies institutional theory to develop and empirically test an original model of green supply chain management (GSCM) adoption in Nigerian manufacturing, examining the relative effects of coercive, normative, and mimetic isomorphic pressures on GSCM practice adoption and the boundary conditions that amplify or attenuate each pressure type. GSCM adoption in Nigerian manufacturing has been growing but remains uneven, with significant variation across firm size, industry type, and ownership structure. While international literature has applied institutional theory to GSCM in Asian and European contexts, original institutional theory applications in the Nigerian manufacturing context are absent. Using a quantitative longitudinal design with two data waves 18 months apart, structured questionnaires were administered to 260 supply chain directors and operations managers in manufacturing firms across Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna, and Enugu States. Coercive pressure is operationalised through regulatory enforcement, buyer sustainability requirements, and international certification demands. Normative pressure is assessed through industry association sustainability norms and professional body guidelines. Mimetic pressure is measured through competitor GSCM adoption visibility and cross-firm imitation motivation. GSCM adoption breadth and depth over time are the outcome variables. Hierarchical regression with interaction terms and panel fixed-effects models are applied. The dissertation introduces the concept of differential institutional salience, proposing that each isomorphic pressure type operates through distinct legitimacy pathways in the Nigerian manufacturing context. Original contributions include the theoretically grounded Nigerian GSCM institutional pressure model, validated measurement instruments, and longitudinal adoption evidence. Keywords: green supply chain management, institutional theory, isomorphic pressures, manufacturing, Nigeria.