Linkages between smart, lean, and resilient manufacturing for sustainable development

Abstract In a highly competitive and changing environment, manufacturers are called to adopt the paradigms of smart, sustainable, resilient, and lean manufacturing (SSRL). However, despite the growing interest in the topic and the potential of smart manufacturing features to enable sustainable development, little is known about these interactions in the system of SSRL. Therefore, to address this gap, this study investigates the moderating effect of SM on lean manufacturing and resilient manufacturing for SP while examining the existing relationship between lean and resilience. Drawing upon a hybrid methodology including the partial least squares‐structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) and machine learning algorithms, this research paper develops and tests the hypothetical model using collected data from 399 organizations in China, Africa, and Europe. The findings reveal important implications regarding the fostering effect of SM on the components of the SSRL system and how firms can be both lean and resilient and achieve high sustainable performance simultaneously.