Antecedents, mediators and consequences of sustainable operations: A framework for analysis of the manufacturing industry

Firm Growth as a Driver of Sustainable Product Innovation: Mediation and Moderation Analysis. Evidence from Manufacturing Firms

Facing worldwide environmental and social concerns, manufacturing firms are trying to adopt effective environmentally friendly actions to mitigate their environmental impacts. Although the existent literature has provided many insights about the drivers of sustainable product innovation, little is known about the impact of firm growth. Thus, we intend to contribute to this gap in the literature by examining the impact that firm growth can have on sustainable product innovation. To achieve this goal, the partial least square (PLS) modeling technique was used to analyze a dataset of 3250 manufacturing firms from 39 different countries. The results reveal that firm growth exerts a positive effect on sustainable product innovation and that the relationship is partially mediated by the adoption of environmental practices. The findings also indicate that managerial barriers lessen the effectiveness of the adoption of environmental practices in facilitating the development of sustainable product innovation, while improving labor conditions increases it. However, operational barriers do not exert a significant moderating effect between the adoption of environmental practices and sustainable product innovation. These results prompt interesting insights related to theory development in environmental management and sustainable product innovation research.

Manager’s Age, Sustainable Entrepreneurial Orientation and Sustainable Performance: A Conceptual Outlook

Scholars have investigated the direct linkage between manager’s age and sustainable corporate performance, however, the mixed results and conflicting findings on the nature of the relationship demand further explanation through the missing constructs. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation in the manager’s age and sustainable performance. This study develops a conceptual link by using a dynamic capabilities approach and upper echelon perspective, indicating that younger managers can adopt a more holistic approach towards sustainable practices which can enhance the environmental, social and economic performance of firms. This implies that the relationship between manager’s age and sustainable performance can be explained through sustainable entrepreneurial orientation (SEO) which can play a key role in setting organizational direction towards sustainable development and achieving sustainable business performance. This study contributes to the literature by examining the role of SEO in the relationship between the manager’s age and sustainable performance. This research will help practitioners recognize the importance of minimizing environmental and social problems generating due to organizational production activities. This will lead to profit generation as well as value creation for nature and the local community.