The Effect of Support Service Process Quality on Corporate Sustainability: The Mediating Role of Strategic Management in Ilam Gas Refining
Keywords:
structural equation modeling, refining industry, Support service process quality, sustainable development, strategic management, corporate sustainabilityAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of support service process quality on corporate sustainability, with emphasis on the mediating role of strategic management at the NGL3100 Dehloran Refinery Complex.
Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational, survey-based design. The statistical population consisted of 50 senior managers, department heads, and specialists working at the NGL3100 Dehloran Refinery Complex in 1404, all of whom were included through a census sampling approach because of the limited population size. Data were collected using a 42-item questionnaire developed from standardized instruments. Support service process quality, strategic management, and corporate sustainability were measured through dimensions related to service/process quality, organizational innovation, and the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability, respectively. Following assessment of instrument validity and reliability, data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and LISREL version 8.8. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypothesized relationships, while the Sobel test and variance accounted for (VAF) index were used to assess mediation.
Findings: Structural model results indicated that support service process quality had a significant positive effect on corporate sustainability (β=0.69, t=14.28) and strategic management (β=0.76, t=16.43). Strategic management also exerted a significant positive effect on corporate sustainability (β=0.84, t=17.91). The Sobel test confirmed a significant indirect effect of support service process quality on corporate sustainability through strategic management (z=6.77, p<0.001). The VAF value was 0.4805, indicating that 48.05% of the total effect was transmitted through strategic management and confirming partial mediation. Model-fit indices demonstrated acceptable fit (CMIN/DF=1.753, RMSEA=0.055, GFI=0.98, IFI=0.96).
Conclusion: Improving support service process quality can enhance corporate sustainability both directly and indirectly through strategic management. Accordingly, reliable, integrated, and responsive support processes, combined with process, technological, and managerial innovations, can facilitate the simultaneous achievement of economic, social, and environmental sustainability objectives in refinery complexes.
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