Optimum path for overcoming barriers of green construction supply chain management: A grey possibility DEMATEL-NK approach

•Barriers of green construction supply chain management (GCSCM) are identified.•A grey possibility DEMATEL-NK model is proposed for path simulation.•The causal interactive mechanisms among barriers are revealed.•The optimal path for overcoming barriers of GCSCM are developed.•Weak government’s ecology and green concept should be prioritized. The successful implementation of green construction supply chain management (GCSCM) is crucial to balance the environmental issues and the operational performance of construction enterprises. However, the current GCSCM is restricted by different barriers. This paper aims to systematically explore the best methods and timing to choose and overcome various barriers in implementing GCSCM, especially identifying at which stage to prioritize corresponding barriers can improve the GCSCM level maximally. A path analysis framework based on grey possibility DEMATEL-NK is proposed, in which the causal relationships and intensities between barriers are mined to develop a heuristic simulating arithmetic. By simulating the search and optimization procedure in the fitness landscape of NK model, the optimum path of overcoming GCSCM barriers is identified. Through the case analysis of the barriers classified in four subdimensions including participation and support, idea and awareness, technological capability, and financial performance, the path results show that the complex interaction mechanism among different barriers inspires the best sequence of overcoming barriers to improve GCSCM level. The weak ecology and green concept, inadequate environmental policy support and incentives, and insufficient legal enforcement for GCSCM to become the key barriers that should be given priority in short term. The optimum path provides the decision support for managers to better improve the GCSCM level from a new view of prioritizing and overcoming barriers.