Environmental sustainability has become a critical concern for manufacturing firms due to increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, industrial waste, and inefficient resource utilization. In Kenya's South Rift region, manufacturing industries play a significant role in economic development but continue to contribute substantially to environmental degradation. Despite growing regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations, empirical evidence on how green process innovation enhances environmental sustainability remains limited, particularly regarding the role of green supply chain management. This study examined the mediating effect of green supply chain management on the relationship between green process innovation and environmental sustainability among manufacturing firms in the South Rift region of Kenya. Guided by Innovation Theory of Diffusion. The study adopted a positivist philosophy and a cross-sectional causal research design. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 162 senior managers drawn from 81 registered manufacturing firms. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that green process innovation significantly improves environmental sustainability through enhanced resource efficiency, waste reduction, and emission control. Furthermore, green supply chain management significantly strengthens the relationship between green process innovation and environmental sustainability (β = 0.224, p < 0.05), suggesting that cleaner production technologies generate stronger environmental outcomes when integrated with environmentally responsible procurement, manufacturing, and logistics practices. The study concludes that manufacturing firms can achieve superior environmental performance by aligning internal green process innovations with supply chain sustainability initiatives. The study recommends that managers invest in cleaner production technologies and integrate green supply chain practices to accelerate sustainable industrial development.
Bett Samwel Kiptoo, Phyllis Kirui, Dr. Pius Chumba· International journal of res...· 0 citations
Environmental degradation, climate change, increasing resource depletion, and stricter environmental regulations have intensified pressure on manufacturing firms to adopt sustainable production practices. Green innovation has emerged as an important strategic approach for enhancing environmental sustainability. However, existing empirical studies have predominantly examined its influence on financial performance, organizational competitiveness, and operational efficiency, with comparatively limited attention given to environmental sustainability as the primary organizational outcome, especially in Kenya. Guided by the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory, this study examined the influence of green innovation strategies on environmental sustainability among manufacturing firms in the South Rift region of Kenya. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and a causal cross-sectional survey design. A census of 81 registered manufacturing firms was undertaken, with primary data collected from 162 senior managers using structured questionnaires and supported by qualitative evidence from semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected managers. The measurement model was validated using Cronbach's alpha, Composite Reliability, Average Variance Extracted, the Fornell-Larcker criterion, and the Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27, while the hypothesized relationships were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4. The findings established that green process innovation (β = 0.245, p = 0.005) and green product innovation (β = 0.297, p = 0.003) positively and significantly influenced environmental sustainability, whereas green marketing innovation exhibited a negative but statistically insignificant effect (β = −0.120, p = 0.222). The higher-order construct, green innovation strategies, also exerted a positive and statistically significant influence on environmental sustainability (β = 0.386, p = 0.005). The study concludes that integrated green innovation strategies significantly improve environmental sustainability through cleaner production processes and sustainable product development. It recommends increased investment in cleaner technologies, eco-design, circular economy practices, and supportive policy incentives to accelerate sustainable manufacturing. The findings extend the Diffusion of Innovation Theory by demonstrating that coordinated adoption of complementary green innovations generates superior environmental sustainability outcomes within manufacturing firms.
Bett Samwel Kiptoo, Phyllis Kirui, Dr. Pius Chumba· International journal of res...· 0 citations
