Linking rival and stakeholder pressure to green supply management: Mediating role of top management support

•Our research draws on insights from stakeholder theory, the Schumpeterian view of competition and top management literature.•Rival and stakeholder pressure influence green supply management implementation through top management support.•Top management is more likely to be influenced by rival pressure to provide support for environmental initiatives.•Green supply practices are categorized along three dimensions– monitoring, supplier involvement and collaborative planning.

Drawing upon the Schumpeterian view of competition and stakeholder theory, the purpose of our study is to examine how issues of rivalry and stakeholder pressure motivate firms to implement green supply management practices. We also consider the role of top management support as an important enabler to how firms react to competitive pressures to pursue green supply management practices. Our model is tested using a sample of supply chain professionals. Our results indicate that environmental pressure from rivals and stakeholders influences green supply management implementation through the mediating role of top management support for environmental initiatives.