Pathways to Sustainability in SMEs : The Role of Green Behavioral Intention and Technology Adoption

Farmers' adoption of agriculture green production technologies: perceived value or policy-driven?

The debate on decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation has intensified, highlighting the importance of eco-innovation.The findings and recommendations may help enterprises, especially SMEs, enhance resource efficiency, reduce costs, and open up new market opportunities. Research purpose:This study aims to investigate the factors influencing eco-innovation in Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing not only on external factors but also on some internal factors, including eco-innovative commitment, cooperative culture, and green technology adoption. Research motivation:The increasing demand to separate economic growth from environmental harm has led to a growing interest in how Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can support a sustainable green economy through eco-innovation.Ecoinnovation is essential for helping businesses gain a competitive advantage while contributing to environmental sustainability.This research identifies key factors that drive the eco-innovative performance of SMEs, thereby helping them provide environmentally-friendly solutions and respond to growing consumer demand for sustainability. Research design, approach, and method:The research utilizes Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with a sample of 122 respondents to analyze the impact of eco-innovative commitment, cooperative culture, and green technology adoption on eco-innovation performance in the context of Vietnamese SMEs. Main findings:The PLS-SEM analysis identifies significant factors influencing eco-innovation performance in organizations, including External Pressure, Eco-Innovative Commitment, Cooperative Culture, and Green Technology Adoption.External pressures from regulations and customer demands drive eco-innovation, while a strong sustainability commitment enhances performance.A collaborative environment promotes knowledge sharing and adopting advanced technologies supports sustainable practices. Practical/managerial implications:To promote sustainability and eco-innovation, governments should establish incentive programs like tax breaks and subsidies for businesses investing in eco-friendly practices.Clear regulations setting sustainable standards across industries and fostering dialogue among stakeholders are essential.Additionally, investing in research and development can accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies.Businesses should create a collaborative environment that encourages teamwork and knowledge sharing to enhance creativity in sustainable practices.Integrating eco-innovation into their strategic framework, setting clear sustainability goals, and maintaining regular communication with stakeholders will help firms adapt effectively.By investing in research and development, businesses can significantly advance eco-innovation and sustainability.

This study aims to analyze the effect of green technology adoption on business performance through product innovation in batik micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Lumajang Regency. A quantitative explanatory approach was employed. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire survey of 50 batik MSMEs selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). that green technology adoption positively affects business performance and product innovation. Product innovation also positively influences business performance and partially mediates the relationship. These findings show that environmentally friendly technology improves operational efficiency and stimulates value-added product innovation. The novelty lies in examining product innovation as a mediating variable in batik MSMEs located in a non-industrial-center area. The originality is reflected in integrating green technology, product innovation, and business performance into a single mediation model using PLS-SEM. This study concludes that green technology adoption, supported by product innovation, significantly enhances batik MSMEs’ business performance.

Our study explores the association between the adoption of green technology and the development of green dynamic capabilities to achieve green competitive advantage. This research concentrates explicitly on the mediating function of green product innovation. The study is grounded in the dynamic capabilities theory and seeks to improve understanding regarding how organizations can attain a competitive edge by employing green practices and capabilities. Data were obtained from 312 manufacturing business managers in Bangladesh. We utilized the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method to examine the data and evaluate the proposed hypotheses. The empirical evidence suggests that both green technology adoption and green dynamic capabilities significantly impact firms’ green product innovation and competitive advantage. Additionally, the findings indicate that green product innovation is a mediating variable in the association between green technology adoption-green competitive advantage and green dynamic capabilities-green competitive advantage. This research adds to the current body of literature by presenting empirical findings highlighting the crucial role of green technology and dynamic capabilities in promoting green competitive advantage. Our results reveal that it would be beneficial for organizations to prioritize adopting eco-friendly technologies and cultivating dynamic capabilities to improve their overall green performance. The present study contributes significantly to the literature by offering insights into the strategies managers and policymakers can employ to attain sustainable competitive advantage in the manufacturing sector.

Adoption of green technologies in construction of buildings is one of the strategies of climate change mitigation and reducing the negative effects of urbanization to the environment. The adoption of green technologies is critical for achieving low carbon development. However, it is not clear what factors determine the uptake of different types of green technologies in the construction of buildings in the study area, an issue that this study sought to investigate. The study adopted a mixed research design. The target population was 1191 households, with a sample study size of 153 (13%) households obtained from Milimani, Section 58 and Naka Estates in Nakuru City. Primary data was collected using structured household questionnaires and key informant interviews. The data obtained was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, where: percentages, frequencies and multiple linear regression analysis test were computed. The study observed that education level, employment status, and monthly household income had a significant influence in adoption of green building technologies. The results of the study provide a basis that can be used for the formulation of policies that can enhance the adoption of green building technologies in Nakuru City.

This study investigates the critical roles of green innovation adoption (GIA) and green technology adoption (GTA) in advancing the digital economy (DE). It explores how creative enterprises (CE) and financial capability (FC) mediate and moderate the relationships between green innovation, technology adoption, and the digital economy. Data were collected from 400 respondents in the automotive industry in China through a structured survey questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted using Smart PLS 4.0 to analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that green innovation and technology adoption significantly and positively impact the digital economy. Moreover, these factors positively influence creative enterprises, enhancing the digital economy. Creative enterprises were also found to mediate the relationship between green innovation/technology adoption and the digital economy. In addition, financial capability significantly moderated the link between creative enterprises and the digital economy. This research contributes to the literature by examining the synergistic effects of environmental sustainability, innovation adoption, and technological integration within the digital economy. It provides actionable insights into embedding sustainable practices in the evolving digital landscape while highlighting the intricate dynamics among innovation, technology adoption, and financial resources in driving economic transformation. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the synergistic effects of green innovation, technology adoption, and financial capability in driving the digital economy, focusing on creative enterprises as a mediating factor. It provides actionable insights for integrating sustainability into the digital landscape, offering a novel framework for economic transformation in the automotive industry.

Purpose This study investigates the impact of green intellectual capital (IC) on the economic, social, and environmental sustainability performance of manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan–an emerging Asian economy–and the mediating effect of sustainable business model innovation (SBMI). It also examines the moderating effect of green dynamic capability (GDC) on the relationship between green IC and SBMI. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a survey completed by 324 owners and top managers of manufacturing SMEs in four Pakistani cities. A purposive and snowball sampling approach was used to gather the data. A dual-stage methodological approach (a combination of PLS-SEM and artificial neural networks) was applied to capture both linear connections and complex, hidden, nonlinear patterns between variables. Regression analysis was used to verify the results. Findings The findings indicate that green IC positively contributes to manufacturing SMEs' economic sustainability performance (ECSP), social sustainability performance (SSP), and environmental sustainability performance (ESP) in an emerging Asian economy. SBMI appears to mediate these relationships. Furthermore, GDC strengthens green IC's positive effect on SBMI adoption. The artificial neural network results indicate that green human capital has the highest positive influence on ECSP and SSP, suggesting its pivotal role in achieving SMEs' economic and social sustainability goals. However, green relational capital was identified as having the strongest effect on ESP, indicating its crucial role in driving environmental sustainability in SMEs. Originality/value The present study is a pioneering effort because, to the best of our knowledge, green IC, SBMI, and GDC have never been systematically tested with the ECSP, SSP and ESP of manufacturing SMEs, nor has their predictive ability been analyzed in an emerging Asian economy. Second, this study divulges the mediating role of SBMI in the relationship between green IC and sustainability performance in an emerging market. Third, it adds to the literature by examining the moderating role of GDC in the link between green IC and SBMI and provides valuable insights into how green IC and GDC interact to foster SBMI adoption. Fourth, the study enriches the resource-based view literature by integrating green IC, SBMI, GDC and sustainability performance. Finally, the study is unique in its use of a dual-stage methodological approach consisting of structural equation modeling and artificial neural networks to capture both linear connections and complicated, hidden, nonlinear patterns that conventional statistical approaches might overlook. No study had analytically assessed how the dimensions of green IC affect the ECSP, SSP and ESP of SMEs by employing this hybrid approach so far.

Global manufacturing sectors are progressively using state-of-the-art green technologies (GTs) to alleviate the detrimental effects of production on the environment. Adoption of GTs is motivated by a number of variables referred to as drivers. Although a variety of drivers and GTs are described in the literature, few models demonstrate the intricate relationships that occur between them. Although there are evidences that drivers might be distinctive for every particular GT in a given business, there is a dearth of empirical study on how and to what extent the drivers are influencing the adoption and implementation of GTs. To address these gaps, this study first categorizes drivers and GTs based on existing literature. Subsequently, a theoretical framework is developed grounded in natural resource-based view (NRBV), establishing the link between adoption of specific GTs and their potential drivers through the development of enabling key resources. A case study of an Indian steel manufacturing company is conducted to empirically test the framework by analyzing various implemented green initiatives. Observed compliances and deviations to the framework are examined. Additionally, this research offers valuable insights to manufacturing managers for GT selection and recommends avenues for future research in this domain.

This study examines the impact of green technology adoption (GTA) on sustainability initiatives, focusing on energy management, water conservation, and waste management within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. The study explores the mediating role of knowledge sharing in enhancing the adoption of green technologies and the moderating effect of regulatory support. A quantitative research design was employed, with a survey administered to 450 participants from SMEs across South Africa. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS, a structural equation modeling tool, to assess the relationships among GTA, sustainability practices, knowledge sharing, and regulatory support. The results indicate that knowledge sharing significantly mediates the relationship between GTA and sustainability initiatives, particularly in the areas of energy management, water conservation, and waste management. Additionally, regulatory support moderated the effect of knowledge sharing on green technology adoption, strengthening the adoption process and amplifying sustainability outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of fostering knowledge-sharing practices within SMEs and the critical role of supportive regulatory frameworks in promoting green technologies. This study contributes to the understanding of how SMEs in South Africa can leverage internal collaboration and external policies to enhance sustainability initiatives, offering valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and researchers focused on sustainable development in resource-constrained environments.

This study investigates the relationship between green technology, company green commitment, and the internationalization performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on the mediating role of eco-innovation and the moderating effect of government support programs. Based on a resource-based view, we develop and test a comprehensive model using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method to determine the variables that significantly affected the mechanisms (i.e., green technology, company green commitment) and internationalization performance. The results revealed that both green technology and company green commitment positively affect the internationalization performance of SME with eco-innovation mediating the relationships. Furthermore, the government support programs moderate the relationship between SMEs’ green technology/company green commitments and internationalization performance by strengthening this relationship under higher levels of institutional support. This suggests that policymakers need to focus on the intensity and effectiveness of government support programs, and enterprises should actively integrate high-quality policy resources to maximize international competitiveness. The findings contribute to sustainable international business by elucidating the mechanisms through which sustainable development translates into competitive advantages. Practical implications suggest that SME managers should strategically align technological and commitment-based green elements while actively leveraging governmental support mechanisms to optimize international expansion.

E-commerce operations and technology perceptions in promoting farmers' adoption of green production technologies: Evidence from rural China

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the interrelationships between lean production, green technology adoption, green product innovation, social sustainability performance and green competitiveness. The study further investigates the mediation roles of green technology adoption and green product innovation between lean production systems, social sustainability performance and green competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe quantitative research approach is used for the study. Data for the study is garnered from 197 managers of manufacturing firms in Ghana via a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling, specifically partial least square is applied as the methodological tool to test all hypotheses.FindingsResults of the study suggest that lean production systems have a significant positive impact on green technology adoption, green product innovation and green competitiveness. However, lean production systems are found to have an insignificant impact on social performance. The results further confirm the mediation roles of both green technology adoption and green product innovation between lean production systems, social sustainability performance and green competitiveness; thus indicating that lean production systems create an efficient condition for firms to adopt green technologies and produce innovative green-based products to leverage superior social sustainability performance and green competitiveness.Originality/valueThis study proposes and develops a comprehensive research model that is supported by the natural resource-based view theory to investigate the link between lean production systems, green technology adoption, green product innovation, social sustainability performance and green competitiveness from an emergent country perspective.

Amid the global push for agricultural green transformation, sustainable agriculture requires not only technological innovation but also market mechanisms that effectively incentivize green practices. Agricultural e-commerce is increasingly viewed as a potential driver of green technology diffusion among farmers. However, the extent and mechanism of e-commerce’s influence on farmers’ green production remain underexplored. Using survey data from 346 rural households in Inner Mongolia, China, this study develops a conceptual framework of “e-commerce participation–green cognition–green adoption” and employs propensity score matching (PSM) combined with mediation analysis to evaluate the impact of e-commerce participation on green technology adoption. The empirical results yield four main findings: (1) E-commerce participation significantly promotes the adoption of green production technologies, with an estimated 29.52% increase in adoption. (2) Participation has a strong positive effect on water-saving irrigation and pest control technologies at the 5% significance level, a moderate effect on straw incorporation at the 10% level, and no statistically significant impact on plastic film recycling or organic fertilizer use. (3) Compared to third-party sales, the direct e-commerce model more effectively promotes green technology adoption, with an increase of 21.64% at the 5% significance level. (4) Green cognition serves as a mediator in the relationship between e-commerce and green adoption behavior. This study makes contributions by introducing e-commerce participation as a novel explanatory pathway for green technology adoption, going beyond traditional policy-driven and resource-based perspectives. It further highlights the role of cognitive mechanisms in shaping adoption behaviors. The study recommends that policymakers subsidize farmers’ participation in e-commerce, invest in green awareness programs, and support differentiated e-commerce models to enhance their positive impact on sustainable agricultural practices.

Mobile Internet refers to a new mode of information interaction through mobile terminals and the use of wireless communication to access information services. The mobile Internet has provided a new model for the traditional information circulation mode, rural economic structure, and social transformation. With an association between the mobile Internet and farmers’ adoption behavior of new green technology, this paper investigated the impact of mobile Internet application on farmers’ adoption of green technology through a mediating effect model. From the perspective of new agricultural technology diffusion and based on the perspective of factor substitution, we decompose the mechanism that mobile Internet applications affect the adoption of new wheat varieties. Along the path of information transmission, evaluation, and adoption of new wheat varieties, we deeply explored the impact of the mobile Internet on the adoption of new wheat varieties by different types of wheat growers. The results show that there is a significant mediating effect of information acquisition ability, risk attitude, and expected return on the influence of the mobile Internet on green technology adoption. For the adoption mechanism of new green varieties, there was a distinct difference among various farmers.

IntroductionLand fragmentation remains a critical barrier to sustainable agriculture, as it reduces efficiency and hinders the adoption of modern green technologies, particularly in smallholder farming systems.PurposeThis study explores the impact of land fragmentation on farmers' adoption of green technologies and examines how organizational integration can moderate these adverse effects.MethodsPrimary data were collected from 420 crop farmers across four districts of Balochistan, Pakistan. A binary probit model was employed to analyze the effects of land fragmentation and organizational integration on adoption behavior, with controls for education, training participation, land characteristics, and household factors.ResultsThe findings reveal that land fragmentation significantly decreases the likelihood of adopting green technologies, while organizational integration strongly promotes adoption and offsets the negative effects of fragmentation. Moreover, education, participation in training, and machinery acquisition positively influence adoption, whereas high dependence on agricultural income, land transfer, and risk perception serve as barriers.ConclusionPolicies that encourage land consolidation and strengthen cooperative networks are essential. Promoting organizational integration through farmer cooperatives can alleviate the constraints of fragmented farmland, enhance sustainable agricultural practices, and improve rural livelihoods.