Social and Technological Drivers of Sustainable Manufacturing Performance: A Cognitive-Organizational Perspective

Sustainable manufacturing has become a strategic priority for organizations seeking to balance competitiveness with environmental and social responsibility. However, the successful implementation of sustainability initiatives depends not only on technological and economic factors but also on workforce competencies, organizational learning, and human-centered drivers. This study examines the cognitive and organizational determinants of sustainable manufacturing performance through the analysis of social, economic, environmental, and quality drivers in manufacturing organizations in the Republic of Serbia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 153 employees in productionrelated positions. The research model integrates human, technological, and managerial dimensions of sustainability and evaluates their influence on six performance outcomes: environmental, social, economic, process, innovation, and stakeholder performance. Multiple regression analyses were applied to test the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that environmental and economic drivers exert the strongest positive effects on performance outcomes, while social drivers - reflecting employee engagement, training, and organizational culture - demonstrate moderate but significant influence. Quality drivers show mixed effects across performance domains. The results highlight the critical role of workforce involvement, knowledge development, and sustainability-oriented competencies in supporting organizational transformation toward sustainable manufacturing. This study contributes to the emerging cognitive-organizational perspective on sustainability by integrating human and technological drivers within a single empirical framework and providing evidence from a transition economy context.