IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i3p4060-4074.html

Driving Sustainable Development Through CSR Leadership: Insights Into Organizational Learning and Technological Innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammad Zada
  • Salman Khan
  • Shagufta Zada
  • Bablu Kumar Dhar

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) leadership is increasingly recognized as a critical enabler of sustainable development, particularly within the context of organizational transformation. By fostering organizational learning and leveraging technological innovation, CSR leadership facilitates sustainable development outcomes (SDOs). This study examines the multifaceted role of CSR leadership in advancing SDOs, emphasizing the mediating influence of organizational green learning (OGL) and the moderating role of green technological adoption (GTA). Grounded in stakeholder theory and organizational learning theory, the research employs a time‐lagged survey design involving 417 employees from diverse sectors within Chinese manufacturing firms. The findings underscore that CSR leadership significantly enhances OGL by cultivating resource integration and environmental adaptability, which are pivotal in achieving SDOs. Furthermore, GTA is shown to amplify the positive relationship between OGL and SDOs, underscoring the necessity of technological readiness in embedding sustainability within organizational strategies. This study addresses key gaps in the literature by offering a comprehensive framework that links CSR leadership with green learning and technological innovation, providing both theoretical contributions and actionable insights. The findings have practical implications for managers and policymakers, particularly in resource‐intensive and innovation‐driven industries seeking to balance sustainability with economic objectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammad Zada & Salman Khan & Shagufta Zada & Bablu Kumar Dhar, 2025. "Driving Sustainable Development Through CSR Leadership: Insights Into Organizational Learning and Technological Innovation," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 4060-4074, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:4060-4074
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3341
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3341
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3341?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pamala J. Dillon, 2021. "Virtuous Social Responsiveness: Flourishing with Dignity," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 169-185, July.
    2. Liming Zhao & Miles M. Yang & Zhenyuan Wang & Grant Michelson, 2023. "Trends in the Dynamic Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility and Leadership: A Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(1), pages 135-157, January.
    3. Saumyaranjan Sahoo & Anil Kumar & Arvind Upadhyay, 2023. "How do green knowledge management and green technology innovation impact corporate environmental performance? Understanding the role of green knowledge acquisition," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 551-569, January.
    4. Han-Hsing Lee & Woan-lih Liang & Quynh-Nhu Tran & Quang-Thai Truong, 2024. "Do Old Board Directors Promote Corporate Social Responsibility?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(1), pages 67-93, November.
    5. Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Hassan, M. Kabir & Zaied, Younes Ben & Managi, Shunsuke, 2023. "Nexus between green finance, environmental degradation, and sustainable development: Evidence from developing countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    6. Liu, Guangwei & Liang, Kaipeng, 2024. "The role of technological innovation in enhancing resource sustainability to achieve green recovery," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    7. Rosamartina, Schena & Giustina, Secundo & Domenico, De Fano & Pasquale, Del Vecchio & Angeloantonio, Russo, 2022. "Digital reputation and firm performance: The moderating role of firm orientation towards sustainable development goals (SDGs)," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 315-325.
    8. Gamble, Jordan Robert & Clinton, Eric & Díaz-Moriana, Vanessa, 2021. "Broadening the business model construct: Exploring how family-owned SMEs co-create value with external stakeholders," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 646-657.
    9. Litu Sethi & Biswanath Behera & Narayan Sethi, 2024. "Do green finance, green technology innovation, and institutional quality help achieve environmental sustainability? Evidence from the developing economies," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 2709-2723, June.
    10. Yuan, Baolong & Cao, Xueyun, 2022. "Do corporate social responsibility practices contribute to green innovation? The mediating role of green dynamic capability," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    11. Muzhar Javed & Muhammad Amir Rashid & Ghulam Hussain & Hafiz Yasir Ali, 2020. "The effects of corporate social responsibility on corporate reputation and firm financial performance: Moderating role of responsible leadership," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1395-1409, May.
    12. Fuping Bai & Yujie Huang & Qi Zhang & Mengting Shang, 2024. "Unleashing the power of green culture: Exploring the path to sustainable development performance in enterprises," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 3226-3247, August.
    13. Usama Awan & Petter Braathen & Lea Hannola, 2023. "When and how the implementation of green human resource management and data‐driven culture to improve the firm sustainable environmental development?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(4), pages 2726-2740, August.
    14. Song, Yang & Zhang, Zhiyuan & Sahut, Jean-Michel & Rubin, Ofir, 2023. "Incentivizing green technology innovation to confront sustainable development," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ahmad Ali Atieh & Mastoor M. Abushaega, 2025. "Achieving Supply Chain Sustainability Through Green Innovation: A Dynamic Capabilities-Based Approach in the Logistics Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Tingqian Pu, 2025. "Bridging digitalization and environmental, social, and governance performance: the moderating effect of CEO duality and government linked corporations," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Bahrawar Said & Muhammad Wajid Raza & Adamu Jibir & Jawad Hussain, 2026. "Entrepreneurial finance in the context of COVID-19 and post-pandemic challenges: a bibliometric and content analysis," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mahmood Ahmad & Zahoor Ahmed & Kexin Wang, 2026. "Investigating the interplay between green finance, eco-innovation, natural resources, and environmental sustainability: evidence from panel quantile and machine learning approaches," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 12(1), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Wang, Shaofeng & Zhang, Hao, 2024. "Green entrepreneurship success in the age of generative artificial intelligence: The interplay of technology adoption, knowledge management, and government support," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Jia, Haifeng & Huang, Xinyi & Gong, Yuechen & Liu, Youping & Jiang, Hui, 2025. "Can climate risk disclosure improve corporate green innovation?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    4. Jingdi Fan & Vesarach Aumeboonsuke, 2025. "Perceived ESG and Competitive Performance: A Moderated Mediation Model of Green Technology Innovation and Digital Transformation in Chinese Manufacturing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-28, September.
    5. Ma, Jinghao & Shang, Yujie & Liu, Liming, 2025. "Green image, digital transformation, and corporate green innovation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    6. Javier Martínez‐Falcó & Bartolomé Marco‐Lajara & Patrocinio Zaragoza‐Sáez & Luis A. Millán‐Tudela, 2023. "Analyzing the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Green Innovation Performance in the Spanish wine industry: A structural equation modeling analysis," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 985-1006, October.
    7. Chuhan Chen & Syarmila Hany Haron, 2024. "Green Motivation for Responsible Innovation: Empirical Evidence from the Chinese Construction Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-20, December.
    8. Lei, Xue & Xu, Xueguo, 2025. "The “spider web” of venture capital: An invisible force driving corporate green technology innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    9. Wang, Bo & Gong, Siyu & Yang, Yang, 2024. "Unveiling the relation between digital technology and low-carbon innovation: Carbon emission trading policy as an antecedent," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    10. Wang, Yong & Liu, Yujiao & Chen, Xihui Haviour, 2025. "Green technology innovation, ESG ratings and corporate sustainable performance: Empirical evidence from listed semiconductor companies in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    11. Muhammad Sadiq & Mei Kei Leong & Ansa Savad Salim & Zhou Jiayao, 2025. "Fostering entrepreneurial success through the predictive role of knowledge management, green creativity, green social behavior, dynamic capabilities, business environment and green service innovation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-27, December.
    12. Jinshan Zhang & Man Liu, 2024. "How to Leverage Digital Sustainability Orientation to Promote Environmentally Sustainable Practices of Manufacturing Enterprises in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-20, June.
    13. Zhao, Xingqi & Jiang, Songyu & Gao, Jie, 2026. "Spatial impacts of green finance reform pilot zones on renewable energy technology innovation: Pathways for accelerating low-altitude economic development," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    14. Luo, Rui & Chen, Ping & Wang, Yachao, 2024. "Green investment products, consumer behavior, and regional carbon emissions levels," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    15. Eva Boonaert & Charline Depoorter & Axel Marx & Miet Maertens, 2024. "Carrots rather than sticks: Governance of voluntary sustainability standards and farmer welfare in Peru," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 6471-6492, December.
    16. Ali Uyar & Habiba Al-Shaer & Cemil Kuzey & Abdullah S. Karaman, 2026. "Board characteristics and aggressive CSR engagement: Do CSR committees provoke or restrain?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 269-311, January.
    17. Yuemei Ding & Dequan Zheng & Xiaoyu Niu, 2023. "Collaborative Green Innovation of Livestock Product Three-Level Supply Chain Traceability System: A Value Co-Creation Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-28, December.
    18. Xingwei Li & Jiachi Dai & Jinrong He & Jingru Li & Yicheng Huang & Xiang Liu & Qiong Shen, 2022. "Mechanism of Enterprise Green Innovation Behavior Considering Coevolution Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-19, August.
    19. Zhang, Yingying & Wang, Xinpeng & Feng, Nianqiao, 2024. "The path of green finance to promote the realization of low-carbon economic transformation under the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals: Theoretical model and empirical analysis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    20. Xu, Yong & Zhao, Xin & Wang, Jian & Xie, Peijun, 2023. "Clarifying the dispute of corporate social responsibility: Evidence from green technological innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:4060-4074. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.