Environmental pollution caused by industrial activities continues to be a challenge for sustainable development, particularly in manufacturing sectors. This study investigates the effects of green knowledge management (GKM) and green transformational leadership (GTL) on environmental performance (EP) of China's manufacturers of renewable energy products. Drawing from the resource-based and knowledge-based view, survey evidence was collected from Henan and Hebei provinces. Shannon entropy, PLS-SEM, and multigroup analysis point to GKM and GTL both having a positive impact on EP. Green technological innovation (GTI) is established as a mediating variable of utmost significance. Moderating effect of firm size reveals that large firms get benefits from resource scalability and small-medium encounter implementation hurdles. Regional variation is observed, with Henan firms being more knowledge-driven and innovation-led and Hebei firms more leadership-led. This study contributes to the literature by calling attention to internal organizational mechanisms that improve EP and supports the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 13.

This study explores the influence of Knowledge Management (KM) activities on organizational performance (OP) within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a specific focus on the mediating role of green innovation (GI). In an era marked by rapid societal, technological, and environmental changes, KM has emerged as a key driver for fostering innovation and maintaining competitive advantage. Despite its critical importance, the relationship between KM activities and GI, particularly within SMEs, remains underexplored. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), this research investigates how KM activities knowledge acquisition, creation, retention, and sharing can promote green innovation, which in turn enhances organizational performance. Data collected from 320 SME representatives in Ghana reveals that all KM activities have a positive influence on GI, significantly contributing to organizational performance. The findings highlight the essential role of both KM and GI in advancing sustainable business strategies, providing key insights for managers and policymakers. This study contributes to existing literature by addressing the research gap at the intersection of KM and GI, especially within the context of SMEs in developing countries. It offers empirical evidence that effective KM practices not only directly enhance organizational performance but also do so indirectly by fostering green innovation. The results provide valuable guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to improve organizational strategies, underscoring the significance of sustainable innovation for long-term success. Additionally, this research advances the Knowledge-Based View (KBV) theory and its practical application, emphasizing the importance of managing knowledge activities and fostering eco-friendly innovation within organizations.

PurposeThis study investigates the role of personal innovativeness in shaping the intention to use chatGPT and its impact on the performance of knowledge-intensive gig workers in China. It further examines the mediating role of intention to use chatGPT and the moderating effect of perceived algorithmic control on enhancing gig worker performance.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected from 440 gig workers engaged in content creation, digital marketing, AI-assisted services and consulting recruited from multiple platforms. A structured online questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale was administered in two waves to reduce common method bias. Smart PLS 4.0 was employed to test the hypotheses through structural equation modeling.FindingsFindings reveal that personal innovativeness positively influences both the intention to use chatGPT and gig worker performance. Similarly, intentions to use chatGPT has a positive impact on gig workers performance. The intention to use chatGPT mediates the relationship between personal innovativeness and performance, while perceived algorithmic control strengthens this relationship.Practical implicationsThese insights offer practical guidance for platform managers and policymakers to enhance gig worker performance by fostering innovativeness, promoting AI adoption and designing algorithmic systems that balance guidance with autonomy.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the knowledge-intensive gig economy literature by integrating personal, technological and organizational factors to explain performance outcomes and demonstrates how AI adoption, moderated by algorithmic control can boost productivity in platform-based labor markets.

Despite burgeoning literature on sustainable innovation, there is limited understanding of how adversarial conditions, such as competitive intensity and environmental threat, shape green product innovation and the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. To address this gap, a caravan passage model is proposed using the strategy tripod perspective. Utilizing second-generation econometric analysis and data from 2011 to 2024 across firms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, we addressed endogeneity and reverse causality and estimated long-run relationships. We find evidence that while environmental threat does not directly influence green product performance (GPP), it enhances co-innovation capability, which in turn promotes GPP. On the other hand, competitive intensity, both directly and indirectly, drives GPP. However, the quantile results suggest a non-linear relationship. Finally, co-innovation capability is identified as a strategic medium to achieve green product performance. Managers must redirect focus from product innovation to green product performance as a more consequential outcome. Second, policymakers should reframe environmental threats as a catalyst for a green strategy. Finally, strategic collaboration is necessary to overcome adversity, and managers must move beyond a linear view of competition by adopting strategic differentiation and avoiding outspending rivals.

PurposeGreen intellectual capital (GIC) is acknowledged for its contribution to sustainability and firm performance; its effect on green cost competitive advantage (GCCA) and green differentiation competitive advantage (GDCA) remains underexplored within the environmental management literature. To address this research gap, this study applies social capital theory (SCT) to develop and test a moderated and mediation model examining the pathways and contingencies through which GIC influences GCCA and GDCA.Design/methodology/approachThe data set of 456 respondents from the Pakistani hotel sector has been collected using a simple random sampling technique. We analyzed regression, moderation and mediation analyses using PLS-SEM.FindingsThe findings reveal that GIC significantly enhances both GCCA and GDCA. Green innovation (GI) partially mediates these relationships, while knowledge spillover (KOF) moderates the effects of GIC on both GI and GCA.Originality/valueOur study advances the literature on intellectual capital and environmental management by elucidating the strategic role of GIC in achieving green competitive advantage and by identifying the underlying GI as mediating, and KOF as moderating mechanisms that facilitate this effect.

This study investigates the determinants of New Energy Vehicle (NEV) purchase intention among Generation Z consumers in China, against the backdrop of an ongoing transition of the transport sector toward low-carbon mobility. To elucidate the behavioural mechanisms underlying NEV adoption, an extended integrated framework is developed by synthesising the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), and by incorporating context-specific factors that capture China’s policy environment, charging infrastructure and digital mobility ecosystem. Using survey data from 487 young adults, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) is applied to examine how technological perceptions, attitudinal and control beliefs, innovation attributes and external enabling conditions jointly shape NEV purchase intention. The results show that perceived usefulness, attitude, perceived behavioral control, environmental consciousness, relative advantage, compatibility, charging infrastructure and smart networked technology exert significant positive effects on purchase intention, whereas perceived risk does not constitute a salient barrier for this cohort. Attitude mediates the effects of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on intention, while government policy support and social media influence, respectively, strengthen the impacts of attitude and subjective norms. These findings provide a nuanced characterisation of NEV adoption behaviour among emerging young consumers in the world’s largest NEV market and yield policy-relevant insights for the design of integrated instrument packages, the planning of charging infrastructure and the use of digital communication strategies to accelerate NEV diffusion within sustainable transport systems.

This study examines how digital leadership influences employees’ cognitive and affective competencies, emphasizing the mediating role of flow at work and the moderating effect of psychological safety. Drawing on flow theory, it investigates how digital leadership enhances improvisational ability (cognitive dimension) and emotional commitment (affective dimension) in knowledge-based industries undergoing digital transformation. Adopting a mixed-method analytical approach, the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test hypotheses. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) used to uncover multiple pathways leading to high improvisational ability and emotional commitment. Data were collected through three-wave survey with each wave administered one month apart. Total sample comprised of 405 respondents from knowledge intensive sectors. The PLS-SEM results reveal that digital leadership positively affects flow at work, which in turn significantly enhances both improvisational ability and emotional commitment. Flow at work significantly mediates the relationship between digital leadership and employees’ improvisational ability and emotional commitment. Moreover, psychological safety strengthens the link between flow at work and employee outcomes. The fsQCA findings identify flow at work and psychological safety as core conditions for achieving high improvisational ability and emotional commitment. This study advances theoretical understanding of digital leadership by identifying flow at work as a critical mechanism and psychological safety as a boundary condition in fostering employee competencies, offering practical insights for organizations navigating digital transformation.

Despite its benefits, knowledge-driven economic transformation has been overlooked by developing nations, and often characterized economic change as industrialization. However, scientific research raises the question of whether governments can quickly transition to a knowledge-based economy (KE) to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) if they persist in implementing knowledge management practices (KMP) within organizations. KMP does increase organizational performance and innovation in low-growth, skill-deficient countries, but its effect on KE is questionable. Thus, we explore the pathway to KE and KMP’s predictive function in a moderated-mediation model of organizational learning (OL) and employee cynicism (EC). The negative impact of EC on KE underscores the urgency of addressing this issue. To better understand the mechanism, we examine SME perspectives in Pakistan using deductive and cross-sectional study designs. This is a significant oversight because transferring KMP originally developed for larger firms to SMEs is not fitting. AMOS and Process Macro were used to test the study’s hypotheses using covariance-based structural equation modeling and OLS regression to examine direct, mediational, and moderated-mediational relationships. The results demonstrate that KE development requires KMP, OL, and the absence of EC. In particular, KMP and KE have a significant direct relationship. Additionally, OL positively mediates this relationship. The third result indicates that EC has a negative moderating effect on KE. Finally, conditional effects demonstrate a paradoxical pattern. There is a significant negative relationship between KE and lower and mean EC. An insignificant relationship exists with higher EC levels. This insight contributes to an important understanding of the efficacy of EC as an anti-knowledge economy tool.

The global energy security is facing increasing challenges. Most economies still depend largely on imports of fossil fuels, and geopolitical tensions make them vulnerable to supply shocks and price fluctuations. The current energy crisis in Europe has demonstrated the quick transmission of such shocks across borders. The Green Technology Innovation (GTI) can tackle such challenges through diversification of energy sources, minimizing reliance on energy imports, and enhancing the domestic energy production capabilities. But the role of GTI in this context has received comparatively little scholarly consideration. The present paper examines the impact of GTI on energy security using panel data for 61 countries over the period of 2002–2024. To estimate the non-linear dependence, we use copula modeling, Method of Moments Quantile Regression, and Quantile Random Forest. Findings reveal that the GTI has significant contributions to the enhancement of energy security in all quantiles, with more improvements among energy-vulnerable nations. The GTI can enhance energy security in two different ways. It enhances energy efficiency and reduces dependence on fossil fuels through rapid adoption of alternative and renewable energy sources. However, developed and OECD nations benefit more because of strong institutional and infrastructural development. This study has important policy implications. Energy security policies should include GTI not just for environmental purposes but rather as the key to achieving energy security. Continuous investments in green R D, transferring technology from developed to developing nations, and the inclusion of innovation policies in energy security plans are important.

Drawing on social exchange theory, this study examines how responsible leadership contributes to sustainable performance by shaping employees’ knowledge search behaviors and how work morale conditions these relationships. This study was conducted in Pakistan’s healthcare sector which operates under high pressure and limited resources. Using a two-wave survey design, data were collected from healthcare professionals and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling SMART PLS 4.1. The findings indicate that responsible leadership enhances sustainable performance both directly and indirectly through exploitation and exploration knowledge search. Importantly, the findings indicate an asymmetric moderating role of work morale. Specifically, work morale enhances the relationship between responsible leadership and exploration knowledge search. However, work morale does not moderate the relationship between responsible leadership and exploitation knowledge search. This nuanced pattern highlights that not all reciprocal behaviors are equally contingent on employees’ affective states. Furthermore, the importance–performance map analysis reveals that responsible leadership and exploration knowledge search exhibit high importance but comparatively low performance, identifying them as priority areas for managerial intervention to improve sustainable performance. The study makes three key contributions. Theoretically, extends social exchange theory by linking responsible leadership to sustainability-oriented outcomes through differentiated learning mechanisms and a selective boundary condition. Empirically, provides evidence from the underrepresented healthcare sector of a developing country, thereby enhancing the contextual relevance of leadership research. Practically, the findings offer actionable insights for healthcare managers, human resource practitioners and administrators seeking to foster sustainable performance through responsible leadership and supportive work environments.

This study examines the role of green information technology capital (GITC) and knowledge source on firms' green competitive advantage (GCA), with the mediating role of ambidextrous green innovation strategy (AGIS), and the moderating role of technological orientation (TO). Research employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze data gathered from 367 respondents from Chinese manufacturing firms. The results revealed a significant direct effect of GITC and knowledge sources on GCA, whereas AGIS partially mediated the relationships. Moreover, TO significantly moderates the impact of GITC on AGIS, whereas it does not moderate the relationship between knowledge sources and AGIS. fsQCA results revealed that a varied combination of GITC, knowledge sources, and AGIS dimensions, along with TO, can lead to high GCA. This study advances the literature by offering insightful perspectives on enhancing GCA by leveraging organizational resources to stimulate AGIS.

Purpose The study aimed to investigate the impact of tacit knowledge management systems (TKM) on organizational performance (OP) among Ghanaian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), addressing the function of employee performance (EP) and job satisfaction (JS) building on the knowledge-based viewpoint (KBV). Design/methodology/approach This study assessed the hypotheses in the established research model using structural equation modeling based on data collected from 320 participants from small- and medium-sized firms in Ghana. The results revealed significant and positive relationships between different dimensions of TKM systems and OP. Findings The findings show that the positive effects of TKM systems on OP are partially explained by the mediating role of JS. The results indicate that Ghanaian SMEs that engage in TKM systems and enhance EP and JS are more likely to achieve better OP. Research limitations/implications The research focused on Ghanaian SMEs, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other contexts. Future investigations could explore the relationships between TKM systems, EP, JS and OP in different industries and countries to validate the findings. Practical implications This study contributed to KBV theory and practice, highlighting the significance of implementing effective TKM systems and ensuring EP and JS in organizations. Originality/value Ensuring EP and JS within an organization can further enhance the positive influence of TKM systems on performance results.

This study examines the mediating role of Knowledge Management Activities (KMA) in the relationship between organizational culture (openness and collaboration) and Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) sustainability, with a focus on the indirect influence of Technological Infrastructure (TIS). Data from 548 SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that KMA significantly mediates the relationship between organizational culture and SME sustainability, underscoring the importance of knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization in driving sustainability outcomes. Although TIS does not directly affect SME sustainability, it enhances KMA effectiveness, playing a key enabling role in knowledge-driven processes. The study contributes to the theory by extending the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) frameworks, highlighting the interconnected roles of organizational culture, knowledge resources, and technological infrastructure in achieving sustainability goals. Practically, the study emphasizes the need for SMEs to foster a culture of openness and collaboration, invest in knowledge management practices, and leverage technological tools to enhance sustainability efforts. The study acknowledges its limitations and suggests that future research be conducted in diverse geographic and industrial contexts, utilizing mixed-methods approaches to deepen understanding. This research advances how SMEs can integrate cultural, technological, and knowledge resources to achieve long-term sustainability.

Purpose In the contemporary digital era, innovation represents a fundamental source of competitive advantage and sustainability within the manufacturing industry. Drawing on this premise, this study empirically examines how lean manufacturing (LM), Industry 4.0 Technologies (I4.0T), knowledge management (KM) and digital infrastructure (DI) influence manufacturing industry innovation performance (MIIP). It investigates the mediating roles of I4.0T and KM, and the moderating effect of DI, in elucidating the relationships among these constructs. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a mixed-methods, quantitative approach based on the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theory (DCT). Survey data from 263 respondents in Ethiopia's manufacturing sector were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test relationships, while fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identified configurations leading to high MIIP. Findings PLS-SEM reveals that LM has a significant influence on I4.0T and KM, which in turn enhance MIIP. While LM's direct link to MIIP is positive, it remains statistically insignificant. KM and I4.0T mediate between LM and MIIP. DI strengthens the LM to I4.0T relationship but does not significantly moderate LM to MIIP. FsQCA identifies KM as necessary for high MIIP and reveals several equifinal combinations of LM, I4.0T, KM and DI driving innovation performance. Originality/value This study advances RBV and DC Theory by developing and testing an integrated framework explaining how LM, I4.0T, KM and DI shape MIIP in emerging economy contexts. By combining PLS-SEM and fsQCA, the study captures net effects and configurational pathways through which operational, technological and knowledge-based capabilities drive innovation outcomes. The findings show that DI acts as a boundary condition shaping how lean and technological capabilities translate into innovation performance, revealing multiple equifinal pathways for achieving innovation success.

The rapid development of industrial sectors has intensified environmental degradation, which has severely harmed both natural ecosystems and human health. Environmental sustainability has thus become a concern for governments and institutions across the globe. In this context, The Global Sustainability Objectives and environmental sustainability awareness campaigns and green technology development have gained public attention. The current study investigates how sustainable HRM and green motivation affect environmental performance through green innovation as the mediating factor. Managers at different levels within organizations was surveyed in Pakistan’s tourism and hospitality sector. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed in R. The results support the hypothesis that green HRM and green motivation positively relate to environmental performance, as long as green innovation mediates the relationship. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study emphasize the critical role of HRM practices and employee motivation to achieve green/ecological innovation as well as improve the environmental performance. The study also presents recommendations for linking green practices to hospitality management with the goal of improving sustainability performance.

Green business model innovation (GBMI) is a decisive driver of sustainable development, yet its implementation from strategic and capability perspectives remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study adopts the hierarchical linear regression and "fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA)" to examine the relationship among green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) facets, green dynamic capabilities (GDCs), and organizational resilience in promoting GBMI. Drawing on data collected from 307 Spanish manufacturing managers, the results reveal that green innovativeness and proactiveness (GEO's facets) significantly influence GBMI directly and indirectly through GDCs, and their indirect effects are strengthened when firms exhibit high resilience. In contrast, green risk-taking shows no significant direct or moderated mediating effect and influences GBMI only indirectly via GDCs, underscoring its full mediation. Additionally, fsQCA findings show that GBMI emerges from multiple equifinal pathways, and findings revealed three configurational patterns lead to high GBMI, including "innovativeness-GDCs," "orientation-GDCs," and "orientation-resilience," and two configurational paths lead to non-high GBMI. The study findings advance the GBMI literature from strategic and capability perspectives by clarifying the distinct roles of GEO facets through GDCs and organizational resilience, and offer vital implications for managerial practices.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming innovation, yet how firms translate its adoption into tangible outcomes remains unclear. Drawing on the knowledge-based view, this study examines whether GenAI adoption enhances innovation performance and whether knowledge integration mediates this relationship. Using text-mining of annual reports from 50 Chinese listed manufacturing firms (2022–2025, 200 firm-years) and Baron-Kenny mediation analysis with invention patent data, we find that GenAI adoption significantly increases innovation output, with knowledge integration mediating approximately 30% of the total effect. These findings identify knowledge integration as a critical organizational mechanism converting AI capabilities into innovation.

Purpose This study investigates how SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa can integrate green organizational strategy (GOS) and technological capability (TC) to achieve environmental and economic sustainability and address regional challenges. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was employed to collect data from SMEs in several Sub-Saharan African countries using a validated questionnaire. Relationships between GOS, TC and sustainability outcomes were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings The findings indicate that integrating GOS and TC significantly enhances SMEs’ environmental and economic sustainability. This synergy helps overcome resource constraints, optimize operational efficiency and provide a competitive advantage. Practical implications This study provides actionable insights for policymakers, business managers and academics in emerging economies. Policymakers can use the findings to develop supportive regulations and incentives to encourage SMEs to adopt green technologies. Business managers can apply the research to improve resource efficiency, enhance operational performance and gain a competitive edge through sustainability practices. The study also contributes to academic research by offering a framework for understanding green strategies and technological capabilities in resource-constrained settings. Originality/value This study contributes original insights by examining how SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa can integrate green strategies and technological capabilities to drive sustainability. It expands eco-innovation and dynamic capabilities frameworks, offering a new perspective on how SMEs in developing regions can leverage green innovations for sustainable development. The study provides practical guidance for managers and policymakers to promote sustainable growth and offers valuable academic contributions to sustainability research in emerging markets.

Despite extensive discourse on the significant role of stakeholder integration in sustainability and firm performance, its impact on promoting green innovation (GI) remains underdeveloped in current environmental management literature. To address this gap, our study adopts stakeholder theory to develop a moderated mediation model that examines how and under what conditions stakeholder integration influences GI. Using data from 306 Pakistani-listed manufacturing firms and employing partial least squares path modeling, our findings confirm the positive impact of stakeholder integration on GI and highlight the partial mediating role of organizational learning capability (OLC). Additionally, the results indicate that environmental scanning moderates the relationship between stakeholder integration and OLC. Overall, these insights contribute to business strategy and environmental management literature by illuminating the critical role of stakeholder integration in driving GI and elucidating the underlying mechanisms involving OLC and environmental scanning.

The concept of sustainability has become a key strategic priority for organizations due to rising pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices. This paper explores how green knowledge management (GKM) contributes to sustainable performance in textile manufacturing firms, using green intellectual capital (GIC) as an intermediary. It also examines how artificial intelligence (AI) and green transformational leadership (GTL) act as moderating factors. A cross-sectional study of textile companies in Pakistan was conducted and analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0 and SPSS 30.0. Findings show that GKM significantly boosts sustainability performance, with GIC covering human, structural, and relational aspects, enhancing this effect. Additionally, AI and GTL strengthen the link between GKM and GIC, highlighting the importance of leadership and technology in leveraging knowledge for sustainability. This study enriches the literature on the knowledge-based view of the firm by illustrating how GKM is transformed into eco-innovation and long-term success. Practically, it offers policymakers and managers insights on integrating knowledge, leadership, and artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable competitiveness.