Reverse logistics innovation, institutional pressures and performance

Unlocking new opportunities in the industry 4.0 era, exploring the critical impact of digital technology on sustainable performance and the mediating role of GSCM practices

Green technology innovation corporates can effectively coordinate the relationship between the environment and the economy, which has been an area of interest among academia and governments. To stimulate the sustainable green technology innovation of corporates, it is necessary to clarify the internal correlation among green technology innovation, environmental performance, and economic performance. Based on the information of 642 industrial corporates obtained from a field investigation in China, this article systematically examines the relationships between corporate green technology innovation and environmental performance, economic performance, and the moderating effect of different governmental market‐based regulations on these relationships. The results show the following. (1) Green technology innovation can significantly improve corporate environmental performance and economic performance. (2) Corporate environmental performance can be transformed into economic performance, and an improvement in environmental performance leads to an increase in the economic performance produced by unit environmental performance, which shows a nonlinear relationship. (3) Government supply‐based market regulation negatively moderates the relationship between end‐of‐pipe technology innovation and environmental performance while positively moderating the relationship between green process innovation and environmental performance and the relationship between green product innovation and economic performance; government demand‐based market regulation positively moderates the relationship between green process innovation and environmental performance and the relationship between green process innovation and economic performance; government competitive‐based market regulation only has a positive effect on the relationship between green product innovation and economic performance. (4) Government market‐based regulations can positively promote the transformation from environmental performance to economic performance. The stronger the market‐based regulations, the greater the economic performance that corporate environmental performance can bring.

PurposeGreen sustainability has become a critical challenge for businesses to execute green supply chain management (GSCM). Most of the literature on GSCM emphasizes regulations as drivers and few pieces of research are conducted from an internal organizational culture view. This study aims to use the cultural perspective of market orientation (MO) and draws on both the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and dynamic capability view (DCV) to explore the relationships among green market orientation (GMO), GSCM capability and organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,000 survey questionnaires were distributed to the Taiwanese electronics industry and 207 valid questionnaires were collected. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that GMOs have a significant positive impact on GSCM capability, environmental performance and economic performance. Moreover, GSCM capability is positively related to environmental and economic performance. The results also show that GMOs have a significant indirect influence on environmental performance and economic performance through GSCM capability.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study suggest how Taiwan’s electrical and electronic manufacturers, while faced with pressure from competitors, customers and regulations (i.e. waste electrical and electronic equipment directive, Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive and energy-using products directives), should efficiently and effectively implement GMO and enhance GSCM capability to improve organizational performance.Originality/valueThis study fills up the gap between MO and performance indistinct relationships. It has also integrated two perspectives, namely, NRBV and DCV, to explain GSCM capability as a mediator between GMO and organizational performance relationship and to examine the relationships among GMO, GSCM capability and organizational performance.

PurposeBuilding on performance feedback and threat-rigidity theories, this study aims to argue that environmental performance shortfalls are powerful motivators for shaping green innovation strategies. To examine our argument, this study extends the theoretical logic to organizational ambidexterity and examines green exploitation and exploration innovation and relative green ambidexterity as organizational responses to environmental performance shortfalls. This study addresses how environmental performance shortfalls affect the implementation of green exploitation and exploration innovation and relative green ambidexterity and how this chosen green innovation strategy affects corporate environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test their theory using 145 sample firms’ environmental performance data spanning 2015 to 2021 and conduct a content analysis of their 697 sustainability reports spanning 2017 to 2021.FindingsThis paper finds that environmental performance shortfalls positively affect green exploitation innovation and relative green exploitation innovation and negatively affect green exploration innovation and relative green exploration innovation. It also finds that green exploration innovation and relative green exploration innovation positively affect environmental performance but that green exploitation innovation and relative green exploitation innovation negatively affect environmental performance.Originality/valueThe findings support the premise that environmental performance feedback guides the direction of strategic choices and actions related to green innovation and confirm the decisive role of green exploration innovation in improving environmental performance. This study augments performance feedback, threat-rigidity and organizational ambidexterity theories in the environmental management context.

PurposeDrawing on the natural resource-based view (NRBV) theory, the study aimed to examine the mediating role of green innovation (GI) in the nexus between green human resource management practices (Green HRMPs) and sustainable business performance (SBP).Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted the descriptive time-lagged research design. Data were collected from 278 managerial staff of five mining companies in Ghana at different waves within a 3-month interval. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data received using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) statistics (V. 26.0) and Smart PLS (V.4.0).FindingsThe study found that Green HRMPs significantly related more to economic performance (EP) than social performance (SP) but did not significantly relate to environmental performance (EnP). Moreover, the results revealed that GI partially mediated the nexus between Green HRMPs and both SP and EP but fully mediated the link between Green HRMPs and EnP.Originality/valueThe relevance of Green HRMPs in ensuring corporate sustainability has been largely established in the extant literature. However, there is an evidential dearth of studies in the literature concerning the mediating role of GI in the nexus between Green HRMPs and SBP, especially in developing economies context. Hence, this study serves as a significant contributing card from Ghana by advancing the NRBV theory.

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.

Numerous studies have indicated that incorporating an environmental ethic (EE), green innovation (GI), and environmental policy (EnP) can enhance a company's sustainable performance, that is, environmental performance (EP) and economic performance (EcP) in the manufacturing industry. However, to encourage eco‐friendly production and processes, it is crucial to promote sustainable practices across different industries. Nevertheless, some researchers have overlooked the significance of these implementations. Integrating these practices into the manufacturing sector can be challenging. To address this issue, this study has developed an empirical model that assesses two pillars of sustainable performance in the Jordanian manufacturing industry. The study analyzes the direct correlation between a firm's EE, GI, and sustainable performance. It also examines whether GI plays a mediating role in the relationship between company EE and sustainable performance and if EnP moderates the relationship between GI and sustainable performance. The study collected data from 386 respondents belonging to various manufacturing industries in Jordan and analyzed it using SmartPLS. The research revealed that a manufacturing firm's EE is significantly boosted by GI, EP, and EcP. These findings suggest that companies with higher EE are more likely to innovate sustainably and perform better in terms of sustainability. In particular, the study found that GI plays a mediating role between a firm's EE and its sustainable performance. Furthermore, the impact of EnP on the relationship between GI and EP was mixed, showing a moderating effect on the former but not on EcP. The study provides valuable insights into the implementation of green practices in the manufacturing sector and discusses policy implications for manufacturers.

PurposeAnchored on the natural resource-based view and stakeholder theories, this study aims to investigate the mediating roles of sustainable supply chain management and green radical product innovation (GRPI) in the link between sustainable entrepreneurial orientation (SEO) and sustainability performance.Design/methodology/approachThe comprehensive research model developed in this study is empirically tested by using data garnered from 248 managers of Ghanaian small and medium-sized enterprises. Partial least square structural equation modeling is applied as the methodological technique to test all the hypothesized relationships.FindingsResults of the study indicate that SEO has a direct significant positive impact on environmental performance and social performance but not financial performance. However, through sustainable supply chain management and GRPI (both mediating variables), SEO tends to have significant impact on all sustainability performance dimensions (environmental, financial and social performance).Originality/valueThis study offers fresh empirical evidence by developing a unified research model that validates the specific mediation role of sustainable supply chain management between SEO and green radical product innovation, as well as the mediating roles of both sustainable supply chain management and GRPI between SEO and sustainability performance dimensions.

Purpose– Despite the stimulation provided by market demand and green issues on business performance, the exact nature of the relationships among these aspects remains an issue of contention. This study sought to bridge this gap in the research by examining the effects of market demand on firm performance using green innovation and environmental performance as mediators. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– The Taiwanese hybrid vehicle industry was targeted as the scope of research. Using random sampling method, survey questionnaires were distributed to retailers, wholesalers, and component sale firms in the industry through post and e-mails. AMOS 5.0 and the structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the hypotheses and the theoretical model.Findings– Except for the impact of market demand on environmental performance, all relationships were found to be significant. The mediating effect of green innovation which was proven to be significant, while that of environmental performance remained insufficient.Research limitations/implications– This study has a number of limitations. The use of figures from a single industry partly restricts the generalizability of these findings.Practical implications– These results suggest that firms should make greater efforts to understand customer needs and promote core competencies in the innovation of green products and processes to align green initiatives with consumer values in order to satisfy market demand and ensure sustainable performance.Social implications– This study has important implications for the hybrid vehicle industry in particular and all businesses in general. The results provide guidelines for the enhancement of business performance. Based on the significant impact of market demand on green innovation, this study strongly recommends that firms make greater efforts to understand customer needs and expectations.Originality/value– This study was the first to establish a model for investigating the links among market demand, green innovation, environmental performance, and firm performance in the Taiwanese hybrid vehicle industry. The findings provide effective guidelines for the achievement of market leadership and sustainable performance.

Identifying potential driving factors for corporate green innovation is vital in promoting global green development. This study aims to examine whether the environmental background of the audit committee promotes corporate green innovation and the mechanisms involved. Based on this perspective, we empirically test a research sample of Chinese A-share market-listed companies from 2007 to 2022. The results reveal that, first, the audit committee’s environmental background can significantly promote green corporate innovation. Second, the audit committee promotes green innovation by enhancing the environmental awareness of the management, increasing substantial environmental investments, and fostering environmental compliance; this effect is more pronounced in companies characterized by significant media attention and considerable involvement of the audit committee in governance. Third, green innovation can significantly enhance economic and environmental performance, although it delays its impact on short-term economic performance. The conclusions of this study provide new empirical evidence for corporate governance optimization and green innovation, and offer decision-making insights for enterprises to implement green innovation strategies for sustainable development.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the salient task environment on reverse logistics (RL) practices and organizational performance in the context of Taiwanese computer, communication, and consumer (3C) electronics retail industry.Design/methodology/approach– A hierarchical regression analysis was employed to test relationships between four constituents of the task environment and RL, as well as relationships between RL and environmental/economic performance. In addition, a regression analysis was used to examine the mediating effect of RL on relationships between the constituents of the task environment and environmental/economic performance. Data and information collected from a sample of 284 companies from the Taiwanese 3C retail industry were used for analysis.Findings– Results suggest that three out of four constituents of task environment including government agencies, suppliers, and customers are associated positively with RL activities. In other words, as the salience of the constituents of the task environment increases, their level of influence on the firm’s RL also increases. This study also found the mediating effect of RL, indicating that superior performance emerges when a company’s RL matches the salient task environment.Practical implications– The findings provide an insight into the relationships between the constituents of the task environment, RL, and environmental/economic performance which can assist firms within 3C retail industry in designing and developing appropriate strategy for RL. In practice, some retailers, especially SMEs, have outsourced their RL to professional recyclers. Investment in RL activity may be an option for some 3C retailers.Originality/value– While previous research provides a strong foundation to further develop RL and subsequent policies, analysis of the factors affecting the decision processes to implement RL specially in the retail sector is scarce. This study fills this gap.

In an era of growing environmental challenges, the role of banks in promoting sustainability is critical. This study examines how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), green finance, and green innovation influence the environmental performance of Indian banks. Guided by legitimacy theory and the natural resource-based view, survey data from 379 bank employees were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results reveal that robust CSR initiatives, effective green finance practices, and innovative green strategies significantly enhance banks’ environmental performance. These findings contribute to theoretical understanding and offer practical insights for improving sustainability in the banking sector. The study recommends that banks in emerging economies strengthen internal resources by investing in CSR, adopting green finance, and fostering green innovation to boost environmental performance. Such efforts align with global sustainability goals, positioning banks as key players in environmentalprotection and responsible finance.

This article reviews the empirical literature combining economic and environmental performance data at the micro-level, i.e. firm- or facility-level. The literature has generally found a positive and statistically significant correlation between economic performance, as measured by stock market returns, and environmental performance, as measured by emissions of pollutants or adoption of international environmental standards. The main reason for this finding seems to be that firms that reduce their material and energy costs experience both better economic performance and lower emissions. There is also evidence that greener firms are able to attract more productive employees and face smaller costs of capital, and that the introduction of green products enhances firms’ profitability. Only a small and recent literature analyses the joint causal impact of environmental regulations on environmental and economic performance. Interestingly, this literature shows that environmental regulations tend to improve environmental performance while not weakening economic performance. However, the evidence so far is limited to a handful of environmental regulations that are not extremely stringent, so the result cannot be easily generalized. More research is needed to assess the joint effects of environmental regulations on environmental and economic performance, to explore the heterogeneity of these effects across sectors, countries and types of policies, and to understand which policy designs allow improving environmental quality while not altering the economic performance of regulated businesses.

Purpose Based on the combination of stakeholder theory (ST), institutional theory (IT) and resource-based view (RBV), this study aims to examine the relationship between stakeholder pressure (SP) and green innovation (GI), considering the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/methodology/approach Partial least squares path modeling was used to investigate a sample of 327 respondents at food industry companies in Vietnam. Findings Community, government and customer are the stakeholders that have an impact on CSR, in which the influence of government is the most significant. Government, customer and employee are the stakeholders that have an impact on green product innovation and green process innovation. CSR is shown to have an impact on both green product innovation and green process innovation, in which the impact on green process innovation is stronger. In addition, the full or partial mediating role of CSR in the relationship between SP and GI is also explored. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in the context of food processing enterprises in an emerging economy, while the typical characteristics of different economic contexts may influence the research results to some extent. Therefore, future studies should consider other contexts to diversify the research context for this research area. Practical implications First, based on the needs and desires of government, community and customers, companies need to improve the level of CSR implementation through better implementation of economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities. Second, companies should use CSR as a way to fully use tangible and intangible resources, reuse waste and use renewable energy to contribute to the development of green products. Third, managers need to thoroughly implement CSR and GI through clear implementation policies at the enterprise and codes of ethics publicly disclosed to relevant parties. Originality/value First, the author demonstrates the influence of community, government and customer on CSR, in which the government is identified as having the strongest influence. Second, based on the combination of ST, IT and RBV, the author provides a theoretical framework to analyze the relationship among SP, CSR and GI, especially the relationship between CSR and GI of companies from both the pressure and motivation perspectives. Third, this study clarifies the influence of government, customers and employees on green product innovation and process innovation. Finally, this study was conducted in an emerging country in the specific context of food processing enterprises.

The existing literature points to contradictory empirical data on the relationship between institutional environmental pressure and firm performance in green innovation which leads to firm’s uncertain environmental management practices. To address the paradoxes and ambiguities surrounding this relationship, the current study proposes and empirically analyses an integrated mediated and moderated model. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior and ability-motivation-opportunity theory, the study examines the mediating role of a green high-performance work systems and the moderating role of managerial environmental concern between institutional pressure and green innovation. Further, in this association, the study also empirically examines a moderated mediation relationship. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 260 manufacturing firms from Pakistan. A disjointed two-stage approach in PLS-SEM was used to test the hypotheses in the hierarchal component model The results confirm that the green HPWS partially mediates the association between institutional pressure and green innovation, and this association is also strengthened by managerial environmental concern as a contextual mechanism. However, unexpectedly, the study results did not confirm the conditional mediation hypothesis. The novel findings of this integrated mediated and moderated model have practical implications for managers and policymakers in the manufacturing industry to reform strategies for pursuing green innovation in their products and processes.