This study investigates various factors for assessing sustainability in Multi-tier Supply Chains (MtSCs) using a hybrid approach consisting of an empirical study and fuzzy expert system. After an extensive literature review, four research questions were formulated and a questionnaire designed. From its distribution, 152 responses were collected from the textile industry. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to determine the most effective factors that could contribute to the evaluation of extensive aspects of sustainability in MtSCs as well as recognize the importance of constructs. The categorized constructs based on their importance included “Environmental issues”, “Economic issues”, “Policy and governance”, “Participation”, “Social issues”, “Transparency” and “Leadership and support”. A comprehensive rating for evaluating sustainability by indicating a readiness score and linguistic variables for each construct was developed in the form of a “fuzzy expert system”. The developed fuzzy expert system was applied in an Iranian textile company to assess its readiness status as a case application. The results indicated that the company had the highest and lowest readiness in “Transparency” and “Environmental issues” with total readiness scores of 2.65 and 0.17 respectively. The finding recommends that the company should pay more attention to environmental issues such as making a cutback on utility consumption and increasing recycled materials. The framework's validity was measured around 90% based on the satisfaction of experts' judgments, which enables the framework to be applied in different industrial settings. Theoretically, the findings contribute to the Resources-Based View (RBV) theory, with a focus on the sustainability of MtSCs, by unveiling a comprehensive set of factors for assessing sustainability and recognizing external and internal strategic resources that lead firms to sustainable competitive advantages.

本研究使用由实证研究和模糊专家系统组成的混合方法，调查评估多层供应链 (MtSC) 可持续性的各种因素。在广泛查阅文献后，制定了四个研究问题并设计了一份调查问卷。从其分布中，收集了来自纺织行业的 152 份回复。探索性因素分析 (EFA) 用于确定最有效的因素，这些因素有助于评估 MtSC 可持续性的广泛方面，并认识到构建的重要性。基于重要性的分类结构包括“环境问题”、“经济问题”、“政策和治理”、“参与”、“社会问题”、“透明度”和“领导和支持”。以“模糊专家系统”的形式开发了通过指示每个构造的准备分数和语言变量来评估可持续性的综合评级。开发的模糊专家系统被应用于一家伊朗纺织公司，以评估其准备状态作为案例应用。结果表明，该公司在“透明度”和“环境问题”方面的准备度最高和最低，总准备度分数分别为 2.65 和 0.17。调查结果建议该公司应更加关注环境问题，例如削减公用事业消耗和增加回收材料。根据专家判断的满意度，该框架的有效性约为 90%，这使得该框架能够应用于不同的行业环境。