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

Purpose The 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/approach Data 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. Findings The 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/implications Our sample is limited to China and collected from high-tech manufacturing industries. Practical implications Drawing 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 implications We 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/value This 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.