Breaking Through Path Dependence in Corporate Green Transformation
A Case Study From China's Expressways
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4388185 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shaozhen Hong (School of Economics and Management Beijing Jiaotong University Beijing China, corresponding author), Yingqi Liu (0009-0005-3700-9249, School of Economics and Management Beijing Jiaotong University Beijing China) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue | 260 |
| Pages | 379-395 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-18 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Social Science Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-8701 • E-ISSN: 1468-2451 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/issj.70008 |
| OpenAlex | W4413302753 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
In the context of stringent global environmental governance and the transformation of energy structures, green innovation within highway enterprises has emerged as a crucial practical consideration for achieving sustainable development in the infrastructure sector. This study addresses the core question of whether there are new pathways for the green transformation of Chinese highway enterprises. By integrating the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, we construct a configurational explanatory framework for the mechanisms driving green innovation. Utilizing multi-source data from 20 publicly listed highway enterprises in China, we employ fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to systematically deconstruct the synergistic effects of variables such as environmental complexity, absorptive capacity (ABC), innovative capability (INC), adaptive capacity (ADC) and the rate of green strategic transformation. We identify four pathways for highway green innovation performance: the green development change-seeking type (policy-led), the green blind change-seeking type (technology trial-and-error), the green stable change-seeking type (resource reconstruction) and the green passive change-seeking type (compliance-driven). Empirical evidence indicates that enterprises must possess dual support from INC and ABC (INC > ABC > ADC) to surpass the threshold of green transformation and deviate from existing pathways. Conversely, low-performance configurations exhibit a dual deficiency in 'motivation-capability'. The study further reveals the unique 'policy-technology-resource' dynamic adaptation mechanism inherent in the infrastructure industry, confirming that the effectiveness of green innovation relies on the synergy of multiple factors rather than a singular capability advantage. Theoretically, this research bridges the theoretical gap between traditional dynamic capabilities theory and the study of green transformation in capital-intensive industries. Practically, it provides a decision-making basis for government departments to formulate differentiated industrial policies and for enterprises to select transformation pathways
Business · China · Economic geography · Economic system · Economics · Microeconomics · Natural resource economics · Path (computing) · Path analysis (statistics) · Path dependence · Political science · Statistics · Transformation (genetics) · Chemistry · Computer Science · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Innovation and Knowledge Management · Law · Mathematics · Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Fuzzy-Set Social Science
Redesigning Social Inquiry
The antecedents of green innovation performance
Dynamic capabilities
CEO compensation in relation to worker compensation across countries
Core capabilities and core rigidities
The Determinants of Green Product Development Performance
Absorptive Capacity
Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage
Building Theories from Case Study Research
Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage
Studying configurations with qualitative comparative analysis
Set-Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences
Pattern changes in determinants of Chinese emissions
Set Relations in Social Research
| Highly cited | No |
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