Green Management and Sustainable Performance of Small and Medium Industrial Businesses: The Mediating Role of Green Innovation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 -MSc, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management, Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The aim of this research, according to institutional and stakeholder’s theories and natural resources-based perspectives, is to examine the relationship between green management and sustainable performance and the mediating role of green innovation. The current research is descriptive and correlational in terms of its applied purpose and data collection method. The study utilized the correlation method and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) and partial least squares (PLS) to analyze the data. Several criteria were used to evaluate the measurement model, including standardized factor loading, composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), and divergent validity. T-values and R squares were used to evaluate the structural model, while the GOF criterion was employed for model fit assessment. Bootstrapping and variance accounted for (VAF) tests were utilized to determine the type of mediating role. Additionally, the cross-validated predictive ability test (CVPAT) index was applied to assess the model’s predictive capabilities. Results show that there is a meaningful and positive relationship between green management and sustainable performance and green innovation, and green innovation plays a (partial) mediating role between green management and sustainable performance. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that green management and green innovation can facilitate the improvement of organizational sustainability. Additionally, green innovation plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between green management and sustainable performance. These results indicate that implementing green strategies and innovation in organizations can help improve sustainable performance and environmental management.

Keywords


  • Almaqtari, F., Elsheikh, T., Tawfik, O. I., & Youssef, M. A. E.-A. (2022). Exploring the Impact of Sustainability, Board Characteristics, and Firm-Specifics on Firm Value: A Comparative Study of the United Kingdom and Turkey. Sustainability, 14(24), 16.395. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416395
  • Afridi, S. A., Afsar, B., Shahjehan, A., Khan, W., Rehman, Z. U., & Khan, M. A. (2023). Impact of corporate social responsibility attributions on employee's extra‐role behaviors: Moderating role of ethical corporate identity and interpersonal trust. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(2), 991-1004. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2017
  • Aftab, J., Abid, N., Sarwar, H., & Veneziani, M. (2022). Environmental ethics, green innovation, and sustainable performance: Exploring the role of environmental leadership and environmental strategy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 378, 134639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134639
  • Afum, E., Agyabeng-Mensah, Y., Sun, Z., Frimpong, B., Kusi, L. Y., & Acquah, I. S. K. (2020). Exploring the link between green manufacturing, operational competitiveness, firm reputation and sustainable performance dimensions: a mediated approach. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 31(7), 1417-1438. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-02-2020-0036
  • Al-Hakimi, M. A., Al-Swidi, A. K., Gelaidan, H. M., & Mohammed, A. (2022). The influence of green manufacturing practices on the corporate sustainable performance of SMEs under the effect of green organizational culture: A moderated mediation analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 376, 134346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134346
  • Albort-Morant, G., Leal-Millán, A., & Cepeda-Carrión, G. (2016). The antecedents of green innovation performance: A model of learning and capabilities. Journal of Business Research, 69(11), 4912-4917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.052
  • Armstrong, J. S., & Overton, T. S. (1977). Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. Journal of marketing research, 14(3), 396-402. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224377701400320
  • Atlin, C., & Gibson, R. (2017). Lasting regional gains from non-renewable resource extraction: The role of sustainability-based cumulative effects assessment and regional planning for mining development in Canada. The Extractive Industries and Society, 4(1), 52-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2017.01.005
  • Berry, M. A., & Rondinelli, D. A. (1998). Proactive corporate environmental management: A new industrial revolution. Academy of Management Perspectives, 12(2), 38-50. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.1998.650515
  • Blättel‐Mink, B. (1998). Innovation towards sustainable economy‐the integration of economy and ecology in companies. Sustainable development, 6(2), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1719(199808)6:2<49:: AID-SD84>3.0.CO;2-I
  • Centobelli, P., Cerchione, R., & Singh, R. (2019). The impact of leanness and innovativeness on environmental and financial performance: Insights from Indian SMEs. International Journal of Production Economics, 212, 111-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.02.011
  • Chan, H. K., Yee, R. W., Dai, J., & Lim, M. K. (2016). The moderating effect of environmental dynamism on green product innovation and performance. International Journal of Production Economics, 181, 391-384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.12.006
  • Chen, Y.-S. (2008). The driver of green innovation and green image–green core competence. journal of Business Ethics, 81, 531-543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9522-1
  • Chen, Y.-S., Lai, S.-B., & Wen, C.-T. (2006). The influence of green innovation performance on corporate advantage in Taiwan. journal of Business Ethics, 67, 331-339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9025-5
  • Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Modern methods for business research, 295(2), 295-336. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232569511
  • Claver, E. L opez, MD, Molina, JF, & Tarí, JJ (2007). Environmental management and firm performance: A case study. Journal of Environmental Management, 84(4), 606-619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.09.012
  • Cohen, J. (1988). edition 2. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. In: Hillsdale. Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep107687
  • Cordeiro, J. J., & Sarkis, J. (1997). Environmental proactivism and firm performance: evidence from security analyst earnings forecasts. Business Strategy and the Environment, 6(2), 104-114. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0836(199705)6:2<104::AID-BSE102>3.0.CO;2-T
  • Deegan, C., Rankin, M., & Voght, P. (2000). Firms' disclosure reactions to major social incidents: Australian evidence. Paper presented at the Accounting forum. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-6303.00031
  • Elshaer, I. A., Azazz, A. M., & Fayyad, S. (2023). Green Management and Sustainable Performance of Small-and Medium-Sized Hospitality Businesses: Moderating the Role of an Employee’s Pro-Environmental Behaviour. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2244. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032244
  • Eltayeb, T. K., Zailani, S., & Ramayah, T. (2011). Green supply chain initiatives among certified companies in Malaysia and environmental sustainability: Investigating the outcomes. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 55(5), 495-506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.09.003
  • Falck, O., & Heblich, S. (2007). Corporate social responsibility: Doing well by doing good. Business horizons, 50(3), 247-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2006.12.002
  • Fang, L., Shi, S., Gao, J., & Li, X. (2022). The mediating role of green innovation and green culture in the relationship between green human resource management and environmental performance. Plos one, 17(9), e0274820. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274820
  • Feng, L., Zhao, W., Li, H., & Song, Y. (2018). The effect of environmental orientation on green innovation: Do political ties matter? Sustainability, 10(12), 4674. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124674
  • Fernando, S., & Lawrence, S. (2014). A theoretical framework for CSR practices: Integrating legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory and institutional theory. Journal of Theoretical Accounting Research, 10(1), 149-178. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290485216
  • Fernando, Y., Jabbour, C. J. C., & Wah, W.-X. (2019). Pursuing green growth in technology firms through the connections between environmental innovation and sustainable business performance: does service capability matter? Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 141, 8-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.09.031
  • Han, Z., & Huo, B. (2020). The impact of green supply chain integration on sustainable performance. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 120(4), 657-674. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-07-2019-0373
  • Handoko, S. (2012). Model Pengembangan Green Business Melalui Corporate Social Responsibility Pada Perusahaan Go Public di Bursa Efek Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Aset, 14(1), 75-82. https://journal.widyamanggala.ac.id/index.php/jurnalaset/article/view/91
  • Harris, L. C., & Crane, A. (2002). The greening of organizational culture: Management views on the depth, degree and diffusion of change. Journal of organizational change management, 15(3), 214-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534810210429273
  • Hart, S. L. (1995). A natural-resource-based view of the firm. Academy of management Review, 20(4), 986-1014. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9512280033
  • Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
  • Hillestad, T., Xie, C., & Haugland, S. A. (2010). Innovative corporate social responsibility: the founder's role in creating a trustworthy corporate brand through “green innovation”. Journal of Product & Brand Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421011085758
  • Hörisch, J., Freeman, R. E., & Schaltegger, S. (2014). Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management: Links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual framework. Organization & Environment, 27(4), 328-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026614535786
  • Hou, N., Zhu, Q., Zhao, W., Luo, Y., & Liu, W. (2022). Study on the impact of green management of paper enterprises on carbon performance in the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Energy Reports, 8, 10991-11002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.08.210
  • Hourneaux Jr, F., Gabriel, M. L. D. S., & Gallardo-Vázquez, D. A. (2018). Triple bottom line and sustainable performance measurement in industrial companies. Revista de Gestão, 25(4), 429-413. https://doi.org/10.1108/REGE-04-2018-0065
  • Huo, B., Gu, M., & Wang, Z. (2019). Green or lean? A supply chain approach to sustainable performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 216, 152-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.141
  • Hutchins, M. J., & Sutherland, J. W. (2008). An exploration of measures of social sustainability and their application to supply chain decisions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(15), 1688-1698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2008.06.001
  • Ilvitskaya, S., & Prihodko, V. (2018). Innovative technologies in the field of topography, land management, territorial planning, construction and architecture. Paper presented at the IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/365/2/022030
  • Jabbour, C. J. C., & Santos, F. C. A. (2008). The central role of human resource management in the search for sustainable organizations. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(12), 2133-2154. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190802479389
  • Jc, N., & Ih, B. (1994). Psychometric theory. New York. https://search.worldcat.org/title/Psychometric-theory/oclc/28221417
  • Khan, S. A. R., & Qianli, D. (2017). Impact of green supply chain management practices on firms’ performance: an empirical study from the perspective of Pakistan. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24, 16829-16844. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-9172-5
  • Lee, J., & Mo, J. (2011). Analysis of technological innovation and environmental performance improvement in aviation sector. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8(9), 3777-3795. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8093777
  • Lee, K. H. (2009). Why and how to adopt green management into business organizations? The case study of Korean SMEs in manufacturing industry. Management decision, 47(7), 1101-1121. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910978322
  • Leguina, A. (2015). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). In: Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2015.1005806
  • Li, X., Yang, J., Liu, H., & Zhuang, X. (2021). Entrepreneurial orientation and green management in an emerging economy: The moderating effects of social legitimacy and ownership type. Journal of Cleaner Production, 316, 128293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128293
  • Link, S., & Naveh, E. (2006). Standardization and discretion: does the environmental standard ISO 14001 lead to performance benefits? IEEE transactions on engineering management, 53(4), 508-519. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1715643
  • Lučić, (2020). Measuring Sustainable Marketing Orientation—Scale Development Process. Sustainability, 12, 1734. doi:10.3390/su12051734. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051734
  • McDonald, S., Oates, C. J., Alevizou, P. J., Young, C. W., & Hwang, K. (2012). Individual strategies for sustainable consumption. Journal of Marketing Management, 28(3-4), 445-468. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.658839
  • McElroy, J. C., Rodriguez, J. M., Griffin, G. C., Morrow, P. C., & Wilson, M. G. (1993). Career stage, time spent on the road, and truckload driver attitudes. Transportation Journal, 5-14. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20713182
  • Mehta, , & Chugan, P. K. (2015). Green HRM in pursuit of environmentally sustainable business. Pursuit of Environmentally Sustainable Business (June 1, 2015). Universal Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 3(3), 74-81. https://dx.doi.org/10.13189/ujibm.2015.030302
  • Menguc, B., Auh, S., & Ozanne, L. (2010). The interactive effect of internal and external factors on a proactive environmental strategy and its influence on a firm's performance. journal of Business Ethics, 94, 279-298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0264-0
  • Mirata, M., & Emtairah, T. (2005). Industrial symbiosis networks and the contribution to environmental innovation: The case of the Landskrona industrial symbiosis programme. Journal of Cleaner Production, 13(10-11), 993-1002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2004.12.010
  • Ortiz‐de‐Mandojana, N., Bansal, P., & Aragón‐Correa, J. A. (2019). Older and wiser: How CEOs’ time perspective influences long‐term investments in environmentally responsible technologies. British Journal of Management, 30(1), 134-150. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12287
  • Pane Haden, S. S., Oyler, J. D., & Humphreys, J. H. (2009). Historical, practical, and theoretical perspectives on green management: An exploratory analysis. Management decision, 47(7), 1041-1055. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910978287
  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of Method Bias in Social Science Research and Recommendations on How to Control It. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 539-569. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452
  • Porter, M., Kramer, M., Lenssen, G., & Smith, N. (2019). Creating shared value. Managing sustainable business. In: Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1144-7
  • Porter, M. E., & Linde, C. v. d. (1995). Toward a new conception of the environment-competitiveness relationship. Journal of economic perspectives, 9(4), 97-118. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.9.4.97
  • Raharjo, K. (2019). The role of green management in creating sustainability performance on the small and medium enterprises. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(3), 557-577. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-03-2018-0053
  • Ramanathan, R. (2018). Understanding complexity: The curvilinear relationship between environmental performance and firm performance. journal of Business Ethics, 149, 383-393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3088-8
  • Rennings, (2000). Redefining innovation—eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics. Ecological economics, 32(2), 319-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(99)00112-3
  • Roh, T., Noh, J., Oh, Y., & Park, K.-S. (2022). Structural relationships of a firm's green strategies for environmental performance: The roles of green supply chain management and green marketing innovation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 356, 131877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131877
  • Rusinko, C. (2007). Green manufacturing: an evaluation of environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices and their impact on competitive outcomes. IEEE transactions on engineering management, 54(3), 445-454. https://doi.org/1109/TEM.2007.900806
  • Saeed, A., Jun, Y., Nubuor, S. A., Priyankara, H. P. R., & Jayasuriya, M. P. F. (2018). Institutional pressures, green supply chain management practices on environmental and economic performance: A two theory view. Sustainability, 10(5), 1517. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051517
  • Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling. In Handbook of market research (pp. 587-632): Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57413-4_15
  • Saunila, M., Ukko, J., & Rantala, T. (2018). Sustainability as a driver of green innovation investment and exploitation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 179, 631-641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.11.211
  • Seles, B. M. R. P., de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L., Jabbour, C. J. C., & Dangelico, R. M. (2016). The green bullwhip effect, the diffusion of green supply chain practices, and institutional pressures: Evidence from the automotive sector. International Journal of Production Economics, 182, 342-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2016.08.033
  • Shu, C., Zhou, K. Z., Xiao, Y., & Gao, S. (2016). How green management influences product innovation in China: The role of institutional benefits. journal of Business Ethics, 133, 471-485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2401-7
  • Sobaih, A. E. E., Elshaer, I., Hasanein, A. M., & Abdelaziz, A. S. (2021). Responses to COVID-19: The role of performance in the relationship between small hospitality enterprises’ resilience and sustainable tourism development. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102824
  • Song, W., & Yu, H. (2018). Green innovation strategy and green innovation: The roles of green creativity and green organizational identity. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25(2), 135-150. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1445
  • Suk, S., Liu, X., & Sudo, K. (2013). A survey study of energy saving activities of industrial companies in the Republic of Korea. Journal of Cleaner Production, 41, 301-311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.10.029
  • Tang, M., Walsh, G., Lerner, D., Fitza, M. A., & Li, Q. (2018). Green innovation, managerial concern and firm performance: An empirical study. Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(1), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1981
  • Tenenhaus, M., Amato, S., & Esposito Vinzi, V. (2004). A global goodness-of-fit index for PLS structural equation modelling. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the XLII SIS scientific meeting. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284462849
  • Vafaei, S. A., Azmoon, I., & Fekete-Farkas, M. (2019). The impact of perceived sustainable marketing policies on green customer satisfaction. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 19(1), 475-491. https://doi.org/10.17512/pjms.2019.19.1.36
  • Wagner, M. (2005). How to reconcile environmental and economic performance to improve corporate sustainability: corporate environmental strategies in the European paper industry. Journal of environmental management, 76(2), 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2004.11.021
  • Wagner, M. (2013). ‘Green’human resource benefits: do they matter as determinants of environmental management system implementation? journal of Business Ethics, 114, 443-456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1356-9
  • Wang, H., Khan, M. A. S., Anwar, F., Shahzad, F., Adu, D., & Murad, M. (2021). Green innovation practices and its impacts on environmental and organizational performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 553625. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.553625
  • Weber, O. (2016). The sustainability performance of Chinese Banks: institutional impact. Available at SSRN 2752439. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2752439
  • Wetzels, M., Odekerken-Schröder, G., & Van Oppen, C. (2009). Using PLS path modeling for assessing hierarchical construct models: Guidelines and empirical illustration. MIS quarterly, 177-195. https://doi.org/10.2307/20650284
  • Wong, C. W., Lai, K.-h., Shang, K.-C., Lu, C.-S., & Leung, T. (2012). Green operations and the moderating role of environmental management capability of suppliers on manufacturing firm performance. International Journal of Production Economics, 140(1), 283-294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2011.08.031
  • Xie, X., Zhu, Q., & Wang, R. (2019). Turning green subsidies into sustainability: How green process innovation improves firms' green image. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(7), 1416-1433. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2323
  • Yang, F., Yang, M., Xue, B., & Luo, Q. (2018). The effects of China's western development strategy implementation on local ecological economic performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 202, 925-933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.203
  • Yu, H., Shabbir, M. S., Ahmad, N., Ariza-Montes, A., Vega-Muñoz, A., Han, H.,... Sial, M. S. (2021). A contemporary issue of micro-foundation of CSR, employee pro-environmental behavior, and environmental performance toward energy saving, carbon emission reduction, and recycling. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5380. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105380
  • Zaid, A. A., Jaaron, A. A., & Bon, A. T. (2018). The impact of green human resource management and green supply chain management practices on sustainable performance: An empirical study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 204, 965-979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.09.062