IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i5p7166-7184.html

Paving the Pathways Toward Sustainable Innovation: Underperformance Duration and Corporate Innovation Willingness

Author

Listed:
  • Jintao Lu
  • Zijun Guo
  • Sanjay Kumar Singh
  • Xiaolin yuan
  • Malin Song

Abstract

Growth enterprise markets (GEM) firms aiming to achieve sustainable innovation still face underperformance due to uncertainty in the business environment. In fact, as underperformance duration increases, many GEM firms still show a sustained and strong willingness to innovate, which has seldom been systematically explored in existing studies. Based on corporate behavior theory and stakeholder theory and using data of Chinese listed on the A‐share market from 2016 to 2021, the impact mechanism of underperformance duration on corporate innovation willingness was empirically examined by employing multiple regression analysis. The results show that the primary transmission mechanism through which the underperformance duration enhances innovation willingness is by inhibiting corporate social irresponsibility; earnings management motivation (EMM) and the degree of industry competition jointly moderate the relationship between underperformance duration and innovation willingness. This study offers practical insights for firms seeking to improve their financial performance, achieve sustainable innovation, and build sustainable development competitive advantage.

Suggested Citation

  • Jintao Lu & Zijun Guo & Sanjay Kumar Singh & Xiaolin yuan & Malin Song, 2025. "Paving the Pathways Toward Sustainable Innovation: Underperformance Duration and Corporate Innovation Willingness," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 7166-7184, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:5:p:7166-7184
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3503
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3503
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3503?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. Renneboog, Luc & Ter Horst, Jenke & Zhang, Chendi, 2008. "Socially responsible investments: Institutional aspects, performance, and investor behavior," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1723-1742, September.
    2. Mingming Feng & Xiaodan Wang & Jerry Glenn Kreuze, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility and firm financial performance," American Journal of Business, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(3-4), pages 106-133, August.
    3. Chao Hung Wang & Wei‐Jr Juo, 2021. "An environmental policy of green intellectual capital: Green innovation strategy for performance sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3241-3254, November.
    4. Stephen Brammer & Andrew Millington, 2005. "Profit maximisation vs. agency: an analysis of charitable giving by UK firms," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 29(4), pages 517-534, July.
    5. Cle‐Anne Gabriel & Kamran Shafique, 2024. "An ethical salience framework to achieve sustainable development goals," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 3213-3225, August.
    6. Xin Cui & Shouyu Yao & Zhenming Fang & Hua Wang, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty exposure and earnings management: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(3), pages 3937-3976, September.
    7. Yu-Shan Wang & Yi-Jie Chen, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: event study cases," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 12(2), pages 193-219, July.
    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. Jintao Lu & Zuxin Song & Mohamed Hani Gheith & Ciro Troise & Stefano Bresciani, 2026. "Internal Dynamics of SMEs for Their Sustainable Development: Investigating the Antecedents and Outcomes of Sustainable Innovation Behavior and ESG Strategies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 1866-1879, February.

    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. Barontini, Roberto & Gioja, Luigi, 2025. "The market power of ESG index providers: The effects of rebalancing ESG-themed indices," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(PA).
    2. Amr S. Abdallah & Hala Amin & Mohammed Abdelghany & Ahmed A. Elamer, 2025. "Antecedents and consequences of intellectual capital: a systematic review, integrated framework, and agenda for future research," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(4), pages 3067-3118, December.
    3. Xueyan Dong & Jingyu Gao & Sunny Li Sun & Kangtao Ye, 2021. "Doing extreme by doing good," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 291-315, March.
    4. Zhen Li & Yitong Sun & Jinhao Liu & Yi Li & Zhifang Zhou, 2024. "Corporate violations and bank debt cost: The insurance effect of corporate social responsibility," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 4487-4503, September.
    5. Hajar Mouatassim Lahmini & Abdelmajid Ibenrissoul, 2017. "Quel effet de la Responsabilité Sociétale de l'Entreprise sur la performance financière d'un opérateur minier/ Approche par l'Analyse Coûts-Bénéfices," Post-Print hal-01746022, HAL.
    6. Alan Gregory & Julie Whittaker, 2013. "Exploring the Valuation of Corporate Social Responsibility—A Comparison of Research Methods," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(1), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Tan, Yeng-May & Szulczyk, Kenneth & Sii, Yew-Hei, 2023. "Performance of ESG-integrated smart beta strategies in Asia-Pacific stock markets," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    8. Jesús Manuel Palma-Ruiz & Julen Castillo-Apraiz & Raúl Gómez-Martínez, 2020. "Socially Responsible Investing as a Competitive Strategy for Trading Companies in Times of Upheaval Amid COVID-19: Evidence from Spain," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-13, July.
    9. Bin Wang & Chenchen Wei & Longmei Shi & Xiaoqiang Cheng & Xueqin Shi, 2025. "ESG and firm operational efficiency: evidence from Chinese listed companies," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 681-714, January.
    10. Mónica García-Melón & Blanca Pérez-Gladish & Tomás Gómez-Navarro & Paz Mendez-Rodriguez, 2016. "Assessing mutual funds’ corporate social responsibility: a multistakeholder-AHP based methodology," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 244(2), pages 475-503, September.
    11. Awijen, Haithem & Ben Zaied, Younes & Ben Jabeur, Sami, 2025. "Mobilizing FDI in natural resources in the post-COP28 era: Spatial drivers, natural capital, and sustainability dynamics," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    12. Alice Martini, 2019. "Socially responsible investing: from the ethical origins to the sustainable development framework of the european union," Public Finance Research Papers 36, Istituto di Economia e Finanza, DSGE, Sapienza University of Rome.
    13. Luger, Michaela & Hofer, Katharina Maria & Floh, Arne, 2022. "Support for corporate social responsibility among generation Y consumers in advanced versus emerging markets," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2).
    14. Gebhardt, Beate & Hellstern, Laura, "undated". "Die Kraft von Awards. Umfrage unter Unternehmen und Vergabeinstitutionen in Deutschland 2023," Working Papers 338798, Universitaet Hohenheim, Institute of Agricultural Policy and Agricultural Markets.
    15. Francesco Gangi & Antonio Meles & Eugenio D'Angelo & Lucia Michela Daniele, 2019. "Sustainable development and corporate governance in the financial system: Are environmentally friendly banks less risky?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 529-547, May.
    16. Wang, Moran & Li, Xuerong & Wang, Shouyang, 2021. "Discovering research trends and opportunities of green finance and energy policy: A data-driven scientometric analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    17. Francesco Gangi & Mario Mustilli & Nicola Varrone & Lucia Michela Daniele, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Banks’ Financial Performance," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(10), pages 42-58, October.
    18. Muhammad Suhail Rizwan & Asifa Obaid & Dawood Ashraf, 2017. "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Default Risk: Empirical evidence from US Firms," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 9(3), pages 36-70, September.
    19. Hirschberger, Markus & Steuer, Ralph E. & Utz, Sebastian & Wimmer, Maximilian, 2012. "Is socially responsible investing just screening? Evidence from mutual funds," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2012-025, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    20. Alena Kocmanová & Marie Pavláková Dočekalová & Tomáš Meluzín & Stanislav Škapa, 2020. "Sustainable Investing Model for Decision Makers (Based On Research of Manufacturing Industry in the Czech Republic)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-27, October.

    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:5:p:7166-7184. 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.