Sustainability excellence: the interactions of lean production, internal green practices and green product innovation

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interactions between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance metrics. The study further looks at the mediation effect of internal green practices and green product innovation between lean production and sustainable performance dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire was used to glean data from 209 manufacturing firms. All the hypothesized relationships were processed by using partial least square-structural equation modelling. Findings The results suggest that lean production significantly leads to the implementation of internal green practices and the production of quality products with eco-oriented features that meet customers’ needs. Further, while lean production and internal green practices were found to significantly influence sustainability performance, green product innovation significantly influences only financial performance. Besides, the mediation analysis shows that internal green practices mediate the relationship between lean production and sustainable performance dimensions but green product innovation mediates the relationship between lean production and financial performance only. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to firms from Ghana, a developing country; hence, the results cannot be imported to reflect other geographical contexts. Practical implications The results of the study provide sufficient justifications for managers, (especially Ghanaian managers and those from other similar environs) to commit their financial resources towards implementing lean production and internal green practices so as to achieve sustainability excellence. Originality/value This study magnifies and provides new insight on lean and green literature by developing a comprehensive research model that concurrently tests the direct and indirect effects between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance dimensions.

Organizational Environmental Culture, Environmental Sustainability and Performance: The Mediating Role of Green HRM and Green Innovation

“…GI has an excellent reputation in developing ES and EP. However, green product innovation has only a significant effect on financial performance [65]. Chu et al's [66] findings demonstrate that the GI is a meaningful analyst of financial performance.…”

“…green corporate culture impacts indirectly on a firm's green performance. Afum et al's [65] findings show that green practices have an indirect effect on sustainable performance and financial performance. Similarly, GI mediates the association between sustainable corporate performance and the knowledge management process [5].…”

Interplay between lean management and circular production system: implications for zero-waste performance, green value competitiveness, and social reputation

“…Some scholars (Henao et al, 2019;Mies and Gold, 2021) contend that the social implications of LM and CPS have only been peripherally studied; hence call for more studies. The works of Afum et al (2021) and Jabbour et al (2020) point out that empirical studies regarding the social consequences of LM and CPS is vital and needed from emerging economies due to the unexpected outcomes in such highly complex settings. Responding to this call, our study examines the impact of LM and CPS on social reputation (SR).…”

“…More studies from the African context are needed because the results obtained from developed economies may simply not reflect the findings that could be obtained from emerging countries. Afum et al (2021) and Kwarteng et al (2021) have explicitly suggested that there is literature deficiency to direct the actions of managers on the lean and circularity themes, despite their burgeoning stages in the Ghanaian context. Consequently, undertaking this study in the Ghanaian context can be a valuable milestone for practitioners and industrial consortium.…”

“…LM can be elucidated as business practices that enable organizations to identify and eliminate waste as well as other non-value added activities (Afum et al, 2021). CPS, on the other hand, refers to manufacturing systems designed to transform firms towards resource efficiency, address waste generation, and function as closed-loops accentuating on producing products with extended lifespan that can be repaired, recycled, remanufactured and refurbished (Santibanez Gonzalez et al, 2019).…”