Aim/Purpose: This study examines the impact of decision-making, crisis management, and decision-making on sustainability through the mediation of open innovation in the energy sector.
Background: Public companies study high-performance practices, requiring overcoming basic obstacles such as financial crises that prevent the adoption and development of sustainability programs.
Methodology: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the closure of businesses in Iraq, a survey was distributed. To facilitate responses, free consultations were offered to help complete the questionnaire quickly. Of the 435 questionnaires answered, 397 were used for further analysis.
Contribution: The impact of crises that impede the energy sector from adopting sustainable environmental regulations is investigated in this study. Its identification of specific constraints to open innovation leads to the effectiveness of adopting environmentally friendly policies and reaching high levels of sustainable performance.
Findings: The impacts of risk-taking, crisis management, and decision-making on sustainability have been explored. Results show that open innovation fully mediates the relationship between the factors of risk-taking, crisis management, decision-making, and sustainability.
Recommendations for Practitioners: The proposed model can be used by practitioners to develop and improve sustainable innovation practices and achieve superior performance.
Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are recommended to conduct in-depth studies of the phenomenon based on theoretical and empirical foundations, especially in light of the relationship between crisis management, decision-making, and risk-taking and their impact on sustainability based on linear and non-compensatory relationships.
Impact on Society: This study provides a reference for organizations with similar cultural backgrounds in adopting sustainable practices to minimize pollution in the Iraqi context.
Future Research: A more in-depth study can be performed using a larger sample, which not only includes the energy industry but also other industries.