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Effective environmental strategy or illusory tactics? Corporate greenwashing and innovation willingness

Author

Listed:
  • Jintao Lu
  • Dan Rong
  • Gabriel Eweje
  • Xiaolin Yuan
  • Malin Song
  • Cory Searcy

Abstract

Corporate greenwashing is an unethical environmental strategy that has received extensive attention from practitioners and academics; however, little is known about its influence on innovation willingness. The purpose of this study is to fill this important gap by exploring the influence mechanism of corporate greenwashing on innovation willingness through underperformance duration. Drawing on resource‐based theory, Homo economicus, and performance feedback theory, this study uses data of 610 Chinese A‐share listed heavily polluting companies (3819 company‐year observations) from 2013 to 2019. The results show that there is a significant inverted U‐shaped relationship between corporate greenwashing and innovation willingness, with underperformance duration partially mediating this relationship. The findings advance our understanding of the non‐economic consequences of corporate greenwashing, enrich the literature on corporate greenwashing and innovation willingness, and offer valuable insights for interdisciplinary studies between environmental strategy and corporate innovation. Practical implications provide policymakers with recommendations on how to prevent corporate greenwashing in environmental responsibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Jintao Lu & Dan Rong & Gabriel Eweje & Xiaolin Yuan & Malin Song & Cory Searcy, 2025. "Effective environmental strategy or illusory tactics? Corporate greenwashing and innovation willingness," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 1338-1356, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:34:y:2025:i:1:p:1338-1356
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.4047
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    2. Xu, Morong & Wang, Yaopeng, 2025. "Beyond the green facade: Evidence of a nonlinear link between greenwashing and financing efficiency," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    3. Xiangyi Lu & Jianzhong Xiao & Jiachao Peng & Shurui Jiang & Lin Wang, 2026. "Energy intensive industry upgrading: the empirical analysis based on global value chain and product space," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Xin Zhang & Qiying Ran & Haijie Wang & Zhimeng Zhu & Yanchao Feng, 2026. "Whether the supply chain digitization improves the carbon emission efficiency in border regions? Empirical evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 1-29, February.

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