Achieving green product and process innovation through green leadership and creative engagement in manufacturing

Abstract

PurposeThe aims of this study were three-fold: to determine the impact of green transformational leadership on creative process engagement, green product innovation and green process innovation; to examine the association of creative process engagement with green product and process innovation and to identify the mediating influence of creative process engagement in the association between green transformational leadership and green process and product innovation.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a survey questionnaire from 291 middle- and lower-level managers and employees through simple random sampling in four high-tech manufacturing industries situated in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen in China. We examined the data through structural equation modeling using partial least squares to test the study hypotheses.FindingsThe findings unveiled that green transformational leadership and creative process engagement positively influence green product innovation and green process innovation. Similarly, green transformational leadership is positively linked with creative process engagement. The findings further revealed that creative process engagement mediates the impact of green transformational leadership on green process and product innovation. Hence, our findings provide strong support for the role of green transformational leadership and creative process engagement in improving green process and product innovation.Research limitations/implicationsOur sample is limited to China and collected from high-tech manufacturing industries.Practical implicationsDrawing on the componential theory of creativity, the authors suggest that organizational leaders, specifically those who practice green transformational leadership, should increase creative process engagement among subordinates, as it is a crucial intangible resource for green process and product innovation.Social implicationsWe suggest that a combination of green transformational leadership and creative process engagement improves green process and product innovation as well as the environmental performance of a business by eliminating all forms of hazardous material and waste.Originality/valueThis work is one of the earliest empirical studies to evaluate the influence of green transformational leadership on fostering green product and process innovation and the mediating impact of creative process engagement on the linkage among green transformational leadership, green product and process innovation within the manufacturing context.

Organizational Environmental Culture, Environmental Sustainability and Performance: The Mediating Role of Green HRM and Green Innovation

“…In terms of GI, there are significant links between creative process engagement and green transformational leadership and green product process innovation [31]. According to empirical evidence from [6], green process innovation has a mediating role in shaping the association between a proactive sustainability strategy, green entrepreneurial business and EP.…”

Guest editorial: Creativity management and manufacturing firms' performance

“…The impact that creativity can have in terms of the manufacturing firm performance is certainly primarily determined by how this creativity is perceived and used by leaders and employees of the firm itself. In this vein, the article Achieving green product and process innovation through green leadership and creative engagement in manufacturing, by Begum et al (2021), addresses transformational leadership in relation to creative process engagement, green product innovation, and green process innovation. The study is a quantitative analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) based upon a survey questionnaire from 291 middle and lower-level managers and employees.…”

The Impact of Public Opinion Pressure on Construction Company Green Innovations: The Mediating Effect of Leaders' Environmental Intention and the Moderating Effect of Environmental Regulation

“…Leaders' environmental intention is leaders' cognition and desire of the environmental protection, which is expressed in the understanding and support of environmental governance in terms of values. Begum et al (2022) believe that environmental transformational leadership and creative process engagement positively influence green product innovation and green process innovation. Leaders with strong environmental intention can help enterprises build a green culture, improve employees' green innovation awareness, and inspire and guide companies' green innovation actions.…”

“…Begum et al (2022) believe that environmental transformational leadership and creative process engagement positively influence green innovation behavior. In terms of scale design of leaders' environmental intentions,Gadenne et al (2009) measured executive environmental awareness based on their environmental attitudes, aspirations and decision-making.…”