Assessing the prioritization of barriers toward green innovation: small and medium enterprises Nexus

Abstract

Over recent years, there was a substantial rise globally in the importance of the environmental agenda for SMEs. The customer becomes now conscious of their consumer choices' environmental consequences. This research has also identified obstacles to introducing green business activities in small- and medium-sized enterprises and increase sustainable development. The green innovation barriers refer to green products, processes, and management; therefore, it is important to minimize restrictions on clean technology implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises. This study uses an integrated decision process to define primary barriers, sub-obstacles, and approaches to addressing those obstacles to Saudi Arabia's green innovation practices. Through extensive literature review and twelve experts' opinions, six key barriers, twenty-five sub-barriers, and plans to reduce obstacles were identified. Using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), key barriers and sub-barriers are assessed. The methodology used to rank strategies is the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS). Five Saudi Arabia SMEs are involved in the study of the proposed integrated decision model. The FAHP reports that the key obstacles to introducing green practices in SMEs are “political obstacles” The FTOPSIS, therefore suggesting that “developing research methods to deliver green innovation in small- and medium-sized enterprises" is the best approach to addressing barriers in green innovation adoption in SMEs.