This study investigates the influence of social norms on stock management practices within sachet water production companies in the Western Region, integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to analyze how subjective norms, specifically community expectations and cultural practices, shape behavioral intentions and operational decisions. Using a quantitative survey design, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data from 520 respondents, the study revealed that community influence and cultural practices significantly enhance firms' responsiveness to demand fluctuations driven by social events, which in turn leads to increased stock management challenges such as overstocking or stockouts. However, these challenges prompt the adoption of mitigation strategies, which are found to have a strong positive effect on business outcomes, including sales volume and profitability. The measurement model demonstrated excellent reliability and validity, with Cronbach’s Alpha values ranging from 0.82 to 0.88 and AVE values above the threshold of 0.50. The structural model exhibited a good fit (?²/df = 2.14, CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.04), supporting the robustness of the findings. Path analysis results showed large effect sizes for key relationships, particularly Mitigation Strategies -> Business Outcome (f² = 0.59), indicating that adaptive behaviors effectively translate norm-driven challenges into performance improvements. These findings underscore the critical role of social norms in shaping inventory decisions and highlight the importance of incorporating behavioral insights into supply chain training, planning tools, and incentive systems, particularly in culturally embedded and resource-constrained environments.

Keywords:

Social norms, stock management, Structural Equation Modeling, inventory decision-making, mitigation strategies, behavioral operations.

@article{oscm-2026-782,
  title={The Trajectory of Social Norms in Stock Management},
  year={2026},
  author={Tonny Ograh and Andrews Osei Mensah and Samuel Brako and Evans Kyeremeh and Helena Boakye},
  journal={Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal},
  volume={19},
  number={3},
  pages={413--428},
  doi={10.31387/oscm0660529}
}

Tonny Ograh, Andrews Osei Mensah, Samuel Brako, Evans Kyeremeh, Helena Boakye (2026). The Trajectory of Social Norms in Stock Management. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 19(3), 413-428. https://doi.org/10.31387/oscm0660529