Does green innovation mediate the relationship between green relational view and competitive advantage?

Abstract This study examines how a green relational view sustains competitive advantage via respective green exploratory and exploitative innovation. To clarify the conditions that support green relational view and which type of green innovation is overlooked, we differentiate between two types of green relational view (i.e., green relationship learning [GRL] and green relational capital [GRC]) to analyze how two types of green innovation (i.e., green exploratory innovation and green exploitative innovation) mediate the relationship between green relational view and competitive advantage (CA) in two distinct pathways. To analyze the proposal theoretical model, Taiwanese integrated circuit industry firms were sampled using hierarchical regression methodology. Our results show that both GRL and GRC support CA. Furthermore, the findings indicate that GRL more strongly influences green exploratory innovation, whereas GRC more strongly influences green exploitative innovation. Further analysis finds that green exploratory innovation partially mediates the linkage of GRL‐CA and green exploitative innovation fully mediates the linkage of GRC‐CA. These findings are valuable for both researchers and practitioners. We discuss implications and directions for future research.