Jul 2026· Business Strategy and the Environment· 0 citations· 82 references
Abstract
In today's volatile and competitive industrial landscape, firms are under increasing pressure to deliver continuous value and adapt to evolving customer demands. Sustainable product design represents a potential approach to attain an environmentally friendly, strategic green market orientation (SGMO). However, the extant literature also asserts that not all organizations benefit from the adoption of green practices. The objective of this study is to investigate the mediating mechanism of sustainable process and product design on the effect of SGMO on firm performance. The study also considers the moderating role of market dynamism (MD), which reflects volatility in customer requirements, technology, and competition, particularly relevant in the B2B context. Survey data from 327 Indian manufacturing executives were analyzed with structural equation modelling and necessary condition analysis. The findings reveal that sustainable process and product design mediate between SGMO and firm performance. Further, market orientation moderates the impact of SGMO on firm performance through sustainable process and product design. This study contributes to industrial marketing theory by highlighting the importance of integrating sustainability‐oriented design and marketing strategies for achieving both environmental and financial performance.
Growing sustainability challenges have led to the adoption of the circular economy as a crucial environmental strategy for manufacturing companies. To fully maximize its benefits, firms need to develop circular economy capabilities (CEC) that enhance sustainability across their supply chains. Drawing on the dynamic capability and contingency theories, this study examines the relationship between CEC and supply chain sustainability (SCS), examining the mediating role of green orientation (GO) and the moderating influence of technology orientation (TO).
The proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling based on survey data collected from 180 manufacturing firms in Ghana.
The results revealed that CEC has a positive and significant effect on all three dimensions of SCS. These relationships are partially mediated by GO and inversely moderated by TO.
The study contributes to the understanding of how CEC and GO jointly create sustainable supply chains. It highlights that firms that prioritize green-oriented practices can create positive social impacts by promoting fair labour practices, supporting local communities and addressing social issues, thereby leading to improved social sustainability.
Abraham Sahidu Jawula Mandego, Kwame Owusu Kwateng, F. Tetteh et al.· International Journal of Log...· 0 citations
Against the backdrop of digitalization and green development, the sharing economy (SE) has become an important business model for manufacturing firms to long-term sustainable innovation. Based on resource orchestration theory and institutional theory, this study takes Chinese A-share-listed manufacturing firms from 2012 to 2021 as the research sample, empirically examines the impact of the sharing economy models (SEMs) on corporate sustainable green innovation (SGI), as well as the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. The results show that SEMs significantly promotes SGI, and resource allocation efficiency and servitization play partial mediating roles in this relationship. Furthermore, media attention and ESG ratings positively moderate the abovementioned relationship, whereas the perception of economic policy uncertainty has no significant moderating effect. This study expands the research scope of SEMs and green innovation and offers a practical guide for manufacturing firms to promote digital transformation and sustainable green development.
Tao Meng, Dongxuan Li, Yiwen Liu et al.· Journal of Global Informatio...· 0 citations
Driven by tightening global regulatory frameworks and environmental degradation, modern manufacturing corporations are under immense pressure to reconcile economic output with social and environmental obligations. This study provides an empirical examination of the relationship between sustainable manufacturing practices and holistic sustainability performance (encompassing environmental, economic, and social dimensions) among manufacturing companies located in key industrial regions within Malaysia, specifically the Klang Valley and Kluang, Johor. Grounded in the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) theory, the research evaluates four main strategic dimensions: sustainable product design, sustainable manufacturing processes, sustainable supply chain management, and sustainable end-of-life management. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative research methodology, structural data was compiled through an online and physically administered questionnaire from a validated sample of 134 manufacturing personnel. Statistical testing using multiple linear regression and correlation analyses via IBM SPSS revealed that all four independent variables exert a highly significant positive influence on corporate sustainability performance. Notably, the sustainable manufacturing process emerged as the primary predictor of enhanced performance (Β = 0.343, p = 0.001), followed closely by sustainable end-of-life management (Β = 0.301, p = 0.001) and sustainable product design (Β = 0.192, p = 0.007). Sustainable supply chain management exhibited a smaller but still statistically significant contribution (Β = 0.155, p = 0.048). Collectively, the regression model explained 87.0% of the total variance in operational and strategic sustainability outcomes (R² = 0.870, F = 216.52, p < 0.001). These findings accentuate the critical requirement for manufacturing organizations to implement integrated and multidimensional sustainability frameworks rather than treating environmental compliance in isolation. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for industry practitioners, financial institutions, and government policymakers to foster green technology deployment, subsidized green credit access, and comprehensive infrastructure for the circular economy as Malaysia transitions toward future national developmental agendas.
Muhammad Haikal Jamali, Ahmad Rais Mohamad Mokhtar, N. Rashid et al.· International journal of res...· 0 citations
This study analyzes how Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices affect sustainability and competitiveness in Bangladeshi multinational firms. Due to industrialization and globalization, eco-friendly measures are needed to safeguard the environment and human capital. The main goal of this study is to determine whether there is a link between "Green HRM" practices and "Sustainable Competitive Advantages" among Bangladesh's multinational companies. The study examines the benefits of digital technology in GHRM recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and remuneration. According to a comprehensive literature analysis, GHRM enhances operational efficiency, teamwork, organizational climate, and cost efficiency. Organizational sustainability and employee development require the integration of environmental principles into HRM tasks such as recruitment, performance evaluation, and training. GHRM's competitive edge, sustainability, relevance in multinational firms in Bangladesh, and potential for sustainability and competitive advantage are the goals. The study's theoretical framework posits that GHRM practices enhance sustainability and competitiveness, and that sustainability practices may mitigate the relationship between competitive advantage and GHRM. Research philosophy blends positivism and interpretivism to maintain scientific rigor and impartiality while admitting subjective interpretations. Gender-proportional data are collected from Bangladeshi employees of multinational corporations. The questions cover green HRM, sustainability, and competitive advantages. This article emphasizes the importance of GHRM in achieving sustainability and competitive advantages for multinational firms in Bangladesh, and seeks to inform future research and the implementation of green HRM.
Tanjela Hossain· South Asian Journal of Socia...· 0 citations
Tighter environmental regulations and stiffer competition are subjecting an increasing number of firms to environmental performance pressure.
This study draws on the Theory of Firm Behavior, Upper Echelons Theory, and the Red Queen Effect to examine how environmental performance industry gap affects corporate green collaborative innovation, using panel data from Chinese listed firms covering 2010–2023. It further examines the moderating roles of managerial risk preference and green strategic orientation, as well as the heterogeneity across industry attributes.
The findings reveal that environmental performance industry gap significantly promotes corporate green collaborative innovation. Managerial risk preference negatively moderates this relationship, whereas green strategic orientation exerts a positive moderating effect. In addition, heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that this driving effect is significant in low-carbon industries but not in high-carbon ones.
The conclusions provide an integrated perspective for understanding the driving mechanisms of corporate green collaborative innovation and offer meaningful implications for promoting corporate green transformation and for governments to formulate differentiated environmental policies.
Xiaoping Hu, Xiajing Xu· Frontiers in Environmental S...· 0 citations
Purpose: This study examines the influence of digital transformation (DT) on the sustainable performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. Digital transformation is gradually identified as a driver of competitiveness, allowing businesses to adjust to technological and market changes.
Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was used for the study, drawing responses from a sample size of 213 SME owners and managers in the City of Matlosana Municipality, South Africa. Respondents were identified through a random sampling method. Hypothesised relationships were examined using Structural Equation Modelling with Smart-Partial Least Squares as the analytical tool.
Findings/results: The results show that Digital Intensity significantly and positively influences financial, environmental, and social performance (SP), highlighting its role as a primary driver of SME sustainability. In contrast, Transformation Management Intensity shows no significant effects across these performance dimensions, suggesting that managerial effort without robust digital capabilities is insufficient to deliver measurable sustainability outcomes.
Practical implications: The study contributes to Resource-Based View by demonstrating that digital resources function as critical enablers of long-term competitiveness and sustainability in SMEs. For practice, these findings underline the need for prioritising investment in digital tools and skills. Policymakers and support agencies should consider targeted initiatives, including training, funding and infrastructure support, to address barriers that constrain SME DT.
Originality/value: The study offers empirical data from a developing market, integrating financial, environmental and SP into the examination of DT. It advances current debates by distinguishing between the roles of digital resources and managerial transformation efforts in shaping SME sustainability.
R. K. Letshaba, Lebogang Mosupye-Semenya· South African Journal of Bus...· 0 citations
