The role of green process innovation translating green entrepreneurial orientation and proactive sustainability strategy into environmental performance

PurposeThis paper analyzes the mediating role of green process innovation in the relationships of green entrepreneurial orientation and proactive sustainability strategy with environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze data from 81 Brazilian agriculture technology startups (AgTechs) using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsThe results show that the green process innovation assumes an important role in AgTechs, promoting full mediations between green entrepreneurial orientation and proactive sustainability strategy with environmental performance. There are two ways for AgTechs to achieve high environmental performance. In both, green process innovation is a central condition, while green entrepreneurial orientation or proactive sustainability strategy is a complementary condition.Research limitations/implicationsThis study demonstrates how internal elements (green entrepreneurial orientation, proactive sustainability strategy and green process innovation) improve environmental performance. This answers calls to explore which elements translate green entrepreneurial orientation and proactive sustainability strategies into environmental performance, by highlighting the mediating role of green process innovation.Practical implicationsThe findings are useful for founders and managers of AgTechs to find ways to manage sustainable technological advancement and cleaner production in agribusiness.Originality/valueThis study analyses the interface between sustainable entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation in promoting environmental performance of AgTechs from an emerging economy country.

Achieving Long Term Sustainability through Green Process Innovation: A Study on Small Packaging Companies in the UK

Packaging is increasingly considered as dominating environmental issue in the last two decades and has forced many global businesses to reconsider the true function of their packaging. Manufacturing flexibility and efficiency are considered highly competitive for industrial success. However, several packaging organizations are trying to see the packaging problem from the aspect of sustainability and in the 21st century, the word “green” and sustainability have become essential adjectives for the packaging industry. To maintain environmental impact and sustainability together, packaging has required clear directions to address challenges, while addressing environmental issues that result from packaging waste. Packaging operations for small firms is a costly and timely endeavour and there is no crystal-clear guideline for small firms to get the most from their existing processes. Green process innovation is seen as an efficient solution that can help society and businesses to deal with environmental problems but green process innovation popularity among researchers is not prominent. With having very little information on green process innovation this research considers various elements to bridge the sustainable framework. Based on the analysis this research identifies the key implementations and develops a framework of sustainable green process innovation. This research also discusses the limitations and provide greater insight on the implementation of green process innovation in the small packaging business.

Institutional Pressure and Green Product Success: The Role of Green Transformational Leadership, Green Innovation, and Green Brand Image

Rapid economic growth has led to economic activities which have caused extensive environmental damage to the planet. Companies have sought to adapt their business methods to reduce their carbon footprint in order to meet regulations, satisfy consumer preferences and keep up with changing societal expectations. The relationship between institutional pressure and green product performance will be an important issue in corporate green management. This article looked through the lens of green innovation and explored the moderating role of green brand image between green product innovation and new green product success. Utilising the data of 243 managers in Mainland China, structural equation modelling results found that institutional pressure is positively correlated to green transformational leadership, green transformational leadership is positively correlated to green process innovation, green process innovation is positively correlated to green product innovation, green product innovation is positively correlated with new green product success, green brand image moderates the relationship between green product innovation and new green product performance. The research results provide theoretical and practical implications for enterprises to relieve institutional pressure and build specific green competitive advantages.

Policy orientation, knowledge dynamic ability and green innovation: A mediation model based on China provincial panel data

Environmental supervision and government subsidy are important tools for government to promote green innovation. The influence of these two policy orientations on green innovation performance is spreading widely, but the specific indirect mechanism of policy orientation inducing green innovation needs further exploring. This paper introduces the knowledge-dynamic ability (knowledge production ability, knowledge acquisition ability, knowledge integration ability) into the analysis framework of enterprise green innovation, and studies the mediating effect of the knowledge-dynamic ability on policy orientation and green innovation. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2015, the empirical findings are as follows: Firstly, the knowledge-dynamic ability plays a remarkable mediating role in promoting between policy orientation and green innovation, which indicates that improving the knowledge-dynamic ability is a core mechanism of policy orientation to induce enterprise green innovation. Secondly, the knowledge-dynamic ability plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between environmental supervision and green innovation. Environmental supervision promotes green process innovation by enhancing knowledge acquisition ability and induces green product innovation by enhancing knowledge production ability. Thirdly, the knowledge-dynamic ability plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between government subsidy and green innovation. Government subsidy improves enterprise green process innovation by enhancing knowledge acquisition ability and knowledge integration ability, and induces enterprise green product innovation by enhancing knowledge production ability and knowledge integration ability.

Translating green strategic intent into green process innovation performance: the role of green intellectual capital

PurposeMany firms struggle to implement strategies that can successfully enhance the environmental sustainability of their processes. Drawing on the theories of green intellectual capital and complementary assets, this study develops a model describing the mechanism whereby firms can translate a green (i.e., environmental) strategy into a superior green process innovation performance (GPIP).Design/methodology/approachRegression analysis of multi-source survey data collected from 514 managers at 257 firms (257 top management members and 257 safety or environmental managers) was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsA firm's green strategic intent has positive effects on the three aspects of green intellectual capital (i.e., human, organizational and relational capital). In turn, these three aspects have positive effects on GPIP. Moreover, green organizational capital positively moderates the effect of green relational capital on GPIP, whereas it negatively moderates the effect of human capital on GPIP.Research limitations/implicationsIn order to implement a green strategy successfully, especially in polluted industries such as the chemical industry, managers need to develop not only the firm's tangible resources but also its intangible resources. The more they invest in green organizational capital, the higher the level of GPIP that can be achieved. On average, a firm's green human capital is more important than its organizational and relational capital. Moreover, its organizational capital helps capture the benefits of its relational capital, but it impairs the creativity of its human capital.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the literature on green strategy implementation by suggesting that green intellectual capital plays a mediating role in the relationship between a firm's green strategic intent and GPIP.