ABSTRACT
Sustainable competitive advantages (SCA) is essential for firms to thrive in global competition. This study starts with the identification of the drivers of SCA, particularly related to the Indian manufacturing organization. These drivers are motivating factors that have a direct or indirect influence on the entire organizational systems and put forward the firms on positive growth. In this study, a total of 13 factors are identified from the extant literature covering the aspects of SCA in organizations from assets to features for capabilities that are unique and promising benefits. Industry experts vetted this vast pool of select drivers and prioritization performed. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was used for modeling and analysis of these identified SCA drivers. The MICMAC analysis is also performed for driving and dependence power of the identified drivers (Prakash et al., 2017). The results indicate that tracking the development of directives, green design and purchasing, information system, and collaborative R&D with suppliers are potentially associated with SCA for a manufacturing organization and main areas for strategic focus. The other vital drivers include improvement in innovative product, managerial capacity, environmental education, and training. The outcome of the study is well grounded in theoretical justification for the critical drivers for achieving SCA over competitors in Indian manufacturing sector related organizations.
