Based on the literature review, undoubtedly, GSCM and
sustainability performance are two inextricably related SCM
concepts. As noted earlier, majority of studies [24] [30] [32]
have indeed reported a significant relationship between these
two constructs. However, there are some issues such as
involving collaboration with suppliers in designing green
products and adopting environmental practices into processes
have yet to be researched fully. In view of this matter,
environmental collaboration has been proposed as a
moderator of the link between GSCM practices and
sustainability performance in this paper. The presence of the
environmental collaboration is expected to facilitate GSCM
practices, which would ease the implementation of GSCM
practices.
The proposed conceptual model is mainly grounded within
relational view theory which was articulated by Dyer and
Singh in 1998 [29]. According to this theory, the
establishment of long-term collaborative relationship
characterized by strong inter-organizational interactions
would facilitate firms to pursue GSCM practices. Specifically,
this theory provides insight into how firms can achieve their desired outcomes. in conclusion, the proposed model. though helpful to some extent, still need to be researched and fine-tuned before it can be usefully applied to the context of Malaysian manufacturing companies.