Exploring antecedents of innovations for small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises' environmental sustainability: An interpretative framework

Abstract

The need to pursue sustainable development has become a central topic in Western countries due to citizens' greater sensitivity to improving environmental and social conditions. Companies can reach this objective more easily through green innovations, which are now considered a strategic opportunity that simultaneously allows for adherence to sustainable development criteria and the pursuit of competitive advantages. Scholars have identified the determinants that encourage companies to adopt green innovations, but the outcomes of their investigations thus far have often been ambiguous and contradictory. Our paper proposes an interpretative framework for addressing such inconsistencies. Using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) methodology, we validate this framework on a sample of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and show that SMEs' choices are influenced by cultural elements and stimulated by the prospect of obtaining economic advantages over competitors. SMEs also pay close attention to stakeholder solicitations, while public administration does not affect their eco‐innovating choices. The results have policy implications for executives and insiders.

How do green knowledge management and green technology innovation impact corporate environmental performance? Understanding the role of green knowledge acquisition

“…This calls for additional research to generalize the potential effects of GKA on GKM (J. . Nonetheless, these studies do suggest that GKA fosters an information-driven ethos within organizations, enabling their intellectual human assets to perform environmental scanning and contribute research to achieving GTI (Begum et al, 2022;Castellano et al, 2022). For example, Shahzad et al…”

“…Abbas & Sa gsan, 2019;Benabdellah et al, 2021;Singh & El-Kassar, 2019;Yaoteng & Xin, 2021). However, despite substantial discussion within manufacturing communities about these topics (Castellano et al, 2022;Del Río Castro et al, 2021), there has been limited research examining the relationship between GKA and GKM and considering the impact of GKA and GKM on GTI and CEP in the context of a single framework (Biscotti et al, 2018;J. Wang et al, 2020).…”

“…Previous researchers have examined big data analytics and knowledge management in studies assessing how organizations effectively use such capabilities to develop innovation activities and improve business performance, mostly as separate investigations (J. Abbas & Sağsan, 2019; Benabdellah et al, 2021; Singh & El‐Kassar, 2019; Yaoteng & Xin, 2021). However, despite substantial discussion within manufacturing communities about these topics (Castellano et al, 2022; Del Río Castro et al, 2021), there has been limited research examining the relationship between GKA and GKM and considering the impact of GKA and GKM on GTI and CEP in the context of a single framework (Biscotti et al, 2018; J. Wang et al, 2020). The paucity of past studies in this domain also underscores the need for a more in‐depth examination of whether or how other situational factors, such as resource commitment (RC) by senior management, affect the aforementioned interactions (Joshi & Dhar, 2020; Konadu et al, 2020).…”

The drivers of eco‐innovations in small and medium‐sized enterprises: A systematic literature review and research directions

“…According to the European Commission (2013), EI is "any innovation resulting in significant progress towards the goal of sustainable development, by reducing the impacts of our production modes on the environment, enhancing nature's resilience to environmental pressures, or achieving a more efficient and responsible use of natural resources." EIs are thus recognised as a key element for the achievement of sustainable development, the improvement of working conditions, and an increase in environmental and economic performances (Castellano et al, 2022;Triguero et al, 2016;Woo et al, 2014).…”

“…Castellano et al (2022), we then grouped the large number of drivers that from the whole database into 14 "categories." We speak in terms of categories as each of them includes drivers to which the authors of the articles gave either the same name or a somewhat different name but were referring toF I G U R E 4The tag cloud of EIs in SMEs F I G U R E 5 Geography of the investigated phenomenon the same concept (e.g., competencies, skills, and abilities).…”