How to convert green supply chain integration efforts into green innovation: A perspective of knowledge-based view

Although the importance of green supply chain integration (GSCI) in facilitating green innovation has been recognized, most existing literature constructs a direct link for the GSCI-green innovation relationship. How firms convert their GSCI efforts into green innovation is still unclear. By collapsing GSCI into three dimensions (i.e., green supplier integration, green internal integration, and green customer integration), this study explores an indirect GSCI-green innovation link in which knowledge exchange and knowledge combination are deemed as mediators. We employ survey data from 237 Chinese manufacturers and structural equation modeling techniques to test research hypotheses. Our findings support the major argument that the impact of GSCI on green innovation is indirect. Specifically, green internal integration impacts green product and process innovation via both knowledge exchange and knowledge combination; while green supplier integration affects green product and process innovation indirectly only via knowledge combination and green customers integration affects green product and process innovation indirectly only via knowledge exchange. This study advances our understanding on the GSCI-green innovation relationship.