The Impact of Soft Lean Management Practices on Green Innovation the Mediating Role of Absorptive Capacity: An Applied Study in the Manufacturing Sector in Jordan

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between soft lean practices and green innovation in the presence of absorptive capacity as a mediating construct in the manufacturing sector in Jordan, which is thought to be a knowledge-intensive firm affecting the Jordanian economy. Theoretical Framework: Lean practices are gaining popularity in studies and are also seen as a model for innovation, particularly in knowledge-intensive industries. These procedures have grown to be essential to a company's success, particularly in intricate and rapidly changing business environments. Design/methodology/approach: All manufacturing companies doing business in Jordan make up the sample for this study. This industry was chosen because it is a knowledge-intensive industry that is a global innovation driver, setting it apart from other industrial sectors. 145 department heads, professionals, and knowledgeable employees from this company were randomly chosen to make up the study unit of analysis. The questionnaire's items were created using a review of the literature and all of the construct measures that had been tried and true in earlier research. Findings: The results showed that soft lean practices and absorptive capacity are antecedent to green innovation and confirm that there is a significant and direct relationship between soft lean practices and green innovation, and an indirect relationship with absorptive capacity. Research, Practical & Social implications: The analysis of lean practices' effects on green innovation hasn't received as much attention in the literature currently available on business as it has on the examination of lean practices' relationships with innovation and innovative performance. Few empirical studies have examined the moderating role that absorptive capacity plays in the relationship between soft lean practices and green innovation; however, absorptive capacity has been discussed as an intermediate construct in a few prior studies. Originality/value: The findings offer valuable recommendations to managers for improving companies' absorptive capacity and green innovation. As a result, the current study examines the impact of soft lean practices on green innovation by absorptive capacity in the context of Jordan's manufacturing sector, which is home to some of the country's most successful and influential businesses in the country's knowledge-intensive industry.