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The impact of green strategy hybrid orientation on startup performance in SMEs

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  • Jin, Tingting
  • Chorda, Isidre March

Abstract

Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV), this study addresses a critical gap in the literature regarding the impact of green strategy hybrid orientation (i.e., the integration of green entrepreneurial orientation and green learning orientation) on startup performance. Despite recognition of the importance of green strategies in entrepreneurship, the mechanisms underlying such strategies within resource-constrained startups remain underexplored. We investigated whether green strategy hybrid orientation can enhance both financial and environmental performance and identified key mediating mechanisms in this relationship. By analyzing a data set of 364 startups with structural equation modeling, we assessed the relationships among green strategy hybrid orientation, mediating mechanisms, and performance outcomes. Green strategy hybrid orientation positively influenced both financial and environmental performance. Significant indirect effects were mediated primarily by business model innovation and, to a lesser extent, by entrepreneurial bricolage. Business model innovation was crucial in translating green strategies into enhanced performance, whereas entrepreneurial bricolage did not fully explain the relationship between green strategy hybrid orientation and performance outcomes. These findings contribute to theory by integrating two green orientations within a hybrid framework and identifying internal capabilities as the mechanisms that convert strategic intent into performance. For practitioners, the results underscore the importance of investing in systematic innovation capabilities rather than relying solely on improvised resource use.

Suggested Citation

  • Jin, Tingting & Chorda, Isidre March, 2025. "The impact of green strategy hybrid orientation on startup performance in SMEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:201:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325005715
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115748
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