Identifying the drivers of commitment to organizational sustainability in SMEs: the role of entrepreneurial orientation, organization climate and innovative workplace behavior

Abstract

The adoption of sustainable practices is increasingly becoming important for organisations. Intuitively, such practices necessitate employee’s commitment to strategic goals related to the firm’s sustainable performance. However, research discussing employee commitment to organisational sustainability is mainly skewed towards large corporates, often neglecting the specifics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Addressing this gap, the current study’s purpose is to examine the role of entrepreneurial orientation, organisational climate, and innovative workplace behaviour (IWB) on employee’s commitment to sustainability in the SMEs. The current study employs a comparative case-based approach using data collected from eight SMEs in the food processing industry in India. The study’s findings suggest that a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation and organisational climate are prerequisites for promoting and developing IWB among employees, which ultimately translates into their commitment to a firm’s sustainable performance. The research findings have implications for SME managers, operations managers, and business improvement specialists in the food processing industry.