Green Innovation and Environmental Performance

Abstract

As environmental performance (EP) emerges as a key indicator of organizational success, scholarly research has intensified its examination of the factors that shape firm-level green outcomes. Green innovation (GIN) is widely acknowledged as a critical driver of organizational EP. To systematically assess GIN and define its core mechanisms, this study applies bibliographic coupling. Specifically, using a Scopus-derived dataset of 126 eligible articles, of which sixty-one met the minimum citation threshold and were mapped into six bibliographic-coupling clusters, this study reveals that: (i) the literature is organized into six interconnected research streams encompassing organizational antecedents, mediating mechanisms, boundary conditions, and performance outcomes; (ii) GIN functions as a multidimensional and context-dependent mechanism through which organizational resources, capabilities, and environmental commitments are translated into EP; and (iii) EP may serve as a proximal outcome that supports broader financial, competitive, reputational, and market-related benefits. By pinpointing major gaps in the literature through bibliographic coupling, the study sets directions for future research. Additionally, it presents an integrated conceptual framework to clarify the link between GIN and EP, based on an analysis of primary thematic clusters in the field.