Empirical evidence of SMEs' ecopreneurship posture, green competitiveness and community-based performance: the neglected missing linkages of green practices

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and mediation effects of small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) ecopreneurship posture (EP), green inbound practices (GIP), green production practices (GPP), green outbound practices (GOP), community-based performance (CBP) and green competitiveness (GC).Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data for the study were garnered by utilizing questionnaire from Ghanaian manufacturing SMEs. Structural equation modeling, specifically partial least squares is applied to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe findings suggest that SMEs' EP, GIP and GPP have significant positive effects on CBP and GC. However, while GOP has a significant effect on GC, it has no significant effect on CBP. Moreover, the mediation result demonstrates that while GIP and GPP significantly mediates the relationship between SMEs' EP and CBP, GOP does not provide any mediation mechanism through which SMEs' EP influence CBP. The result further confirms the mediation roles of GIP, GPP and GOP between SMEs' EP and GC.Originality/valueThis research offers novel empirical evidence by exploring the mediation roles of GIP, GPP and GOP between EP, CBP and GC through the lenses of the natural resource-based view and stakeholder theoretical perspectives.

Stakeholders’ Engagement in the Company’s Management as a Driver of Green Competitiveness within Sustainable Development

“…At the same time, personalized, individual, and targeted communication with stakeholders allows companies to better understand the needs, preferences, and expectations of their stakeholders, which in turn helps them tailor their green initiatives and messages accordingly [10,18,26]. Furthermore, the results of this study also confirm the assumption of a positive impact of targeted communications on green competitiveness.…”

“…Direct and mediated stakeholders' involvement in internal corporate greening processes ensures and strengthens their motivation for close cooperation with local and national authorities and develops trusting relations with customers and intermediaries [3,8]. Stakeholders' engagement stimulates the sharing of knowledge and best practices on resource use [9,10], waste management, and the implementation of green innovations [11] and technologies [12], which consequently promote a company's green competitiveness [13,14]. In this case, it is important to identify the communication channels with stakeholders to deepen their engagement in the company's management, which could boost the green competitiveness of the company.…”

The impact of eco-preneurship and green technology on greenhouse gas emissions - An analysis of East Asian economies

“…The second strategy is adopting green technology, which is the foundation of market-oriented and environmentally conscious businesses [ 5 ]. Adopting these technologies helps companies reduce harmful environmental waste by providing options for alternative greenhouse gas emitting systems.…”

Intentions to Adopt Ecopreneurship With Moderating Effect of Collectivism: A Case of Sme Sector of Pakistan

“…The depletion of biodiversity, the escalation of pollution levels, progression of climate change, and deterioration of land quality are only a few instances of this. There is need for environmentally responsible business practises, often known as the ecopreneurship, as a result of all these environmental problems (Afum, Mensah, Baah, Acquah & Osei, 2023). There is a substantial body of data, both in industrialized and developing nations, about the need to preserve environment and to launch entrepreneurial endeavor with the goal of preserving deteriorating natural environment.…”