Examining the antecedents and consequences of green product innovation

As an important part of social innovation, green product innovation (GPI) is widely regarded as a beneficial strategy for firms to achieve sustainable success. While the way to effectively leverage GPI has not been fully invested. To address this lack, this study examines the antecedent role of inter-organizational control mechanism by investigating the nature of the interplay between formal control and social control in relation to green supply chain collaboration. In addition, we probe the impact of GPI on firm triple bottom line due to the inconsistent results in existing literature. Based on a sample of 239 senior managers and directors in the Chinese manufacturing industry, we test the hypotheses through moderated structural equations modelling. The results show that formal control and social control should be applied as complements in promoting GPI, while only working on Moreover, enhance the awareness and adoption of GPI stimulates better environmental performance and social performance as a result. The relationship between GPI and financial performance is mediated by both environmental and social performance. Our findings will help B2B participants understand the GPI and potential sustainable, social and economic outcomes, and support them formulate more effective control mechanism strategies.

Automated summary

Formal control and social control should be applied as complements in promoting green product innovation (GPI). Moreover, enhancing the awareness and adoption of GPI stimulates better environmental and social performance, ultimately impacting financial performance.