Leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility: The Mediating Role of Ambidextrous Green Innovation in Enhancing Green Performance

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is commonly regarded as a strategic approach to sustainability; however, the mechanisms by which it may yield tangible environmental results have not been thoroughly examined, especially concerning the role of ambidextrous green innovation in this context. Grounded in the theoretical lens of the natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study aims to examine the impact of CSR on firms' green performance, with a particular focus on the mediating role of ambidextrous green innovation. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilized with data collected from 323 executives across 142 medium and large manufacturing firms. The findings indicate that CSR has significant impacts on various aspects of green performance, such as green management, green products, and green processes. Moreover, exploitative green innovation and exploratory green innovation emerge as promising mediators in the relationship between companies' CSR initiatives and their green performance. The study offers valuable insights and presents a new approach for manufacturing firms and policymakers to promote environmental protection and achieve sustainable green performance by enhancing ambidextrous green innovation through CSR. By utilizing the resource-based view framework, this study contributes to the existing literature on CSR, green innovation, and green performance by addressing environmental challenges. Through the examination of the mediating effects of exploitative and exploratory green innovation, this study also provides significant theoretical and practical insights into explaining the relationships.