Do Management Attributes Drive Green Innovation? Evidence From International BRI Economies

Bibliographic Data

ID22418555
AuthorsHuang Ting (School of Management Jiangsu University Zhenjiang China, corresponding author), Maalisuo Sakpiti Bismark (0009-0008-2283-7975, School of Management Jiangsu University Zhenjiang China), Ummar Faruk Saeed (0009-0009-2544-973X, School of Finance and Economics Jiangsu University Zhenjiang China), Mohammed Abdul‐Karim (0009-0003-3272-6834, School of Business University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Wa Ghana), Mohammed Abdul-Karim (University for Development Studies, corresponding author)
Year2026
Publication date2026-04-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBusiness Strategy and the Environment (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0964-4733 • E-ISSN: 1099-0836
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/bse.70888
OpenAlexW7160078672
LanguageEN
References cited69

This study investigates how management attributes accelerate green innovation as a pathway toward climate neutrality, emphasizing the mediating role of technological innovation capacity and the moderating role of managerial ability. Focusing on environmentally sensitive manufacturing firms in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) economies across the MENA region, the study employs dynamic panel data from 487 firms covering the period 2013–2024. The Baron and Kenny three‐step mediation procedure is used to examine the mediating mechanism, while interaction‐effect models are applied to test moderation. To address endogeneity concerns and strengthen causal inference, the analysis relies on dynamic GMM estimation. The findings indicate that gender diversity in management, performance‐based incentives, and managerial ownership significantly promote green innovation, whereas larger management teams and longer managerial tenure exert negative effects. Technological innovation capacity partially mediates these relationships, and higher managerial ability strengthens the positive influence of governance‐related mechanisms on green innovation outcomes. These results provide new insights into how firms operating in institutionally constrained environments can strategically configure internal governance structures to promote green innovation. By integrating technological capability as a mediator and managerial ability as a boundary condition, the study contributes to the corporate sustainability and environmental strategy literature. Ultimately, it demonstrates that strengthening internal governance is a critical lever for advancing green innovation and accelerating the transition toward climate neutrality in emerging‐market contexts.

Corporate governance · Corporate sustainability · Dynamic Capabilities · Emerging markets · Endogeneity · Mediation · Moderated mediation · Panel data · Sustainability · Technological change · Business and Economic Development · Energy, Environment, Economic Growth · Environmental Sustainability in Business

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