What the study found
Internal barriers were identified as the main driving forces behind external barriers to green supply chain management in Egypt’s petrochemical sector. The study reports that weak corporate leadership and support, limited resources, and a lack of green initiatives have cascading effects on obstacles outside the firm.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that understanding these barrier relationships is relevant for improving environmentally responsible operations in Egypt’s petrochemical industry. They suggest that clear top-level messages and financial incentives could help address the obstacles described in the study.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined barriers to green supply chain management across Egypt’s petrochemical supply chain, including raw material sourcing, manufacturing and refining, distribution, waste management, and reverse logistics. They used a mixed-methods approach, collecting questionnaire data from 400 employees in Egyptian petrochemical firms and analyzing the results with Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM).
What worked and what didn't
The analysis showed internal impediments such as lack of corporate leadership and support (IB1), critical shortage of resources (IB6), and absence of green initiatives (IB5) as driving factors. These were reported to influence external barriers including insufficient government support (EB1), lack of markets for recycled materials (EB5), and shortages of human resources or expertise (EB7).
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond the study’s focus on Egypt’s petrochemical sector and the barriers identified there. The summary provided here is limited to the information stated in the title and abstract.
Key points
- Internal barriers were reported as the main drivers of other green supply chain barriers.
- Weak corporate leadership, limited resources, and missing green initiatives were identified as key internal impediments.
- External barriers included insufficient government support, lack of recycled-material markets, and shortages of expertise.
- The study surveyed 400 employees in Egyptian petrochemical firms.
- Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) was used to analyze the barrier relationships.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Internal barriers drive green supply chain barriers in Egypt’s petrochemical sector
- Authors:
- Sara Elzarka, Nermin Gouhar, Islam El-Nakib
- Institutions:
- Effat University
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-28
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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