Industry 4.0 adoption for supply chain performance in Tunisian companies
the mediating and moderating effect of resilience and visibility
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14488/BJOPM.3035.2026Keywords:
Operational and financial performances, Industry 4.0, Supply chain visibility, Supply chain resilience, Mediating and moderating rolesAbstract
Goal: This study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) on supply chain performance (SCP) in Tunisian firms, by testing the mediating role of supply chain resilience (SCRes) and the moderating role of supply chain visibility (SCV).
Design/Methodology/Approach: The analysis collected data from 81 Tunisian companies across diverse sectors, including manufacturing, agri-food, pharmaceutical, and other activities using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the theoretical hypotheses. Smart PLS 4.0 is the statistical software used in this survey.
Results: Supply chain resilience significantly mediates this relationship, indicating that I4.0’s full performance benefits are contingent upon strengthening resilience capabilities. Additionally, supply chain visibility positively moderates the link between I4.0 and resilience, demonstrating that higher visibility amplifies the positive effect of I4.0 on SCRes. These findings emphasize that I4.0 generates maximum impact only when combined with resilience and visibility efforts.
Limitations of the investigation: This study has five main limitations (cross-sectional design, moderate sample size, self-reported measures, focus on only three I4.0 technologies, and single-country context), which future research should address through longitudinal designs, larger samples, objective data, and cross-country comparisons.
Practical implications: This research offers an actionable plan for Tunisia's industrial evolution, showing how a strategic focus on I4.0 -driven resilience and visibility can directly boost the private sector's competitiveness, strengthen the national economy, and ensure a more prosperous position in the global market.
Originality/Value: This study extends Qader et al. (2022) by providing the first empirical examination of their integrated I4.0, resilience, visibility, and performance framework in an African emerging economy (Tunisia). While the conceptual model and hypotheses are adapted from Qader et al. (2022), we contribute by validating the framework in a context characterized by fragmented logistics, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) dominance, and high information asymmetry, conditions that may amplify the importance of visibility mechanisms. The findings offer context-specific insights for other emerging economies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mouna Derbel, Mahmoud Abdi , Ahmed Ghorbel
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