How Absorptive Capacity Improves Green Innovation Performance in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A Study of the Mediating Role of Environmental Motivation and Organizational Learning
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Abstract
Amid the global transition toward green and low-carbon development and China’s commitment to its dual-carbon goals, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face increasing pressure to innovate sustainably despite limited resources. Drawing on Dynamic Capability Theory and the Resource-Based View, this study examines how absorptive capacity influences green innovation performance through the mediating roles of environmental motivation and organizational learning. Using survey data from 602 SMEs in Shanghai and applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that absorptive capacity has a significant positive effect on green product and process innovation. Environmental motivation and organizational learning partially mediate this relationship, and a sequential mediation effect from environmental motivation to organizational learning is also confirmed. The findings contribute to the green innovation literature by clarifying the internal mechanisms through which knowledge-related capabilities translate into sustainable innovation outcomes and offer practical implications for SME managers and policymakers.
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