Green patenting and corporate social responsibility: Does family involvement in business matter?

Abstract This paper explores whether family and non‐family firms differ in terms of their capability to introduce green patenting. By considering the environmental performance as a corporate social responsibility related concern, the analysis is based on a large data set of patenting activities carried out by Italian manufacturing firms over the period 2009–2017. Results show that family firms are less likely than non‐family firms to implement innovations in green technologies. This holds true whatever the level of accumulation in green and non‐green knowledge.