Does green intellectual capital affect green innovation performance? Evidence from the Spanish wine industry

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to focus on analyzing how the set of green intangibles held by wineries and their members, i.e. green intellectual capital (GIC), affects green innovation performance (GIP). Specifically, the study aims to investigate how GIP is influenced by GIC through the mediating role of the variable knowledge management (KM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Design/methodology/approach

The study proposes a conceptual model, based on previous studies, which is tested through structural equations (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 202 Spanish wineries.

Findings

The results of the research indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between GIC and GIP. Furthermore, CSR and KM partially mediate the relationship between these two variables, playing a key role in the environmental management of wineries.

Originality/value

The present research, therefore, contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the study advances the understanding of GIC as well as its link with GIP. Second, the research aims to fill the gap in the literature through the study of CSR and KM as mediating variables in such a link. Third, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the model proposed has not been previously addressed in the academic literature, thus representing an advance in scientific knowledge. Fourthly, no research has addressed the study of environmental intangibles in the wine industry, with this research, therefore, being a pioneer in contextualizing the study of GIC in this increasingly knowledge-intensive industry.

Citation

Marco-Lajara, B., Zaragoza-Sáez, P.C., Martínez-Falcó, J. and Sánchez-García, E. (2023), "Does green intellectual capital affect green innovation performance? Evidence from the Spanish wine industry", British Food Journal, Vol. 125 No. 4, pp. 1469-1487. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2022-0298