Entrepreneurial Leadership and Green Innovation – Model

Abstract

The Entrepreneurial Leadership and Green Innovation–Model, developed by Ali et al. (2023), establishes and tests a complex moderated mediation framework rooted in the upper echelons theory. This model aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism connecting managerial entrepreneurial leadership behaviors to the adoption of Green Innovation (GI) within firms. Specifically, the scale investigates the mediating role played by organizational learning culture in this relationship, and how the external context, characterized by environmental dynamism, moderates the mediating effect.

The instrument items were adapted from previous scholarly work and rigorously validated using a back-translation technique (Berry, 1980) and a pilot study involving Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in China to ensure conceptual and cultural equivalence. The final validation reported satisfactory results concerning the model’s factor structure, its strong reliability, and its validity measures.

Keywords

Entrepreneurial Leadership, Environmental Dynamism, Green Innovation, Organizational Learning Culture, Upper Echelons Theory, Moderated Mediation Model, Organizational Measures.

Authors

Ali, Adnan; Jiang, Xu; Ali, Afzaal; Qadeer, Abdul.

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Purpose

The central purpose of this comprehensive measurement model is the empirical evaluation of a four-factor moderated mediation framework. This framework aims to formally test the pathways through which entrepreneurial leadership, specifically at the executive level (consistent with the upper echelons perspective), translates into the adoption of Green Innovation strategies by organizations.

The instrument is designed to capture the complex interplay between internal organizational factors, such as organizational learning culture, and external market conditions, such as environmental dynamism, as they influence the efficacy of entrepreneurial leadership in promoting environmental sustainability efforts.

Construct

The primary constructs measured by this instrument are integral components of the proposed organizational model. These include Entrepreneurial Leadership, Green Innovation (GI), Organizational Learning Culture, and Environmental Dynamism. These constructs collectively form the variables necessary to test the proposed moderated mediation model.

Entrepreneurial Leadership refers to the strategic direction and behavior exhibited by top management that encourages innovation and proactive risk-taking. Green Innovation represents the firm’s adoption of new or modified processes, products, or services that contribute to environmental sustainability.

Validity

Robust evidence supporting both convergent validity and discriminant validity was established during the scale development process. For convergent validity, all calculated values for the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) surpassed the recommended threshold of 0.5, confirming that the items effectively measure their intended constructs.

Discriminant validity was further supported by statistical analysis, adhering to the criteria proposed by Anderson & Gerbing (1988). The square root of the AVE for each individual construct was found to be statistically greater than its correlation coefficient with all other constructs in the model, indicating that the variables are distinct and separate measures.

Reliability

The instrument demonstrated high levels of internal consistency and stability across all measured constructs. The reliability assessment utilized standard psychometric indices, including Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability (CR).

The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the various scales within the model ranged from .729 to .871, successfully surpassing the commonly accepted cutoff value of 0.70 (Hair et al., 1998). Additionally, all Composite Reliability (CR) values were reported to be above the 0.7 standard (Hair et al., 2010), confirming the measure’s strong internal consistency across all underlying factors.

Factor Analysis

The structural integrity of the model was confirmed through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) conducted on the proposed four-factor structure (Entrepreneurial Leadership, Organizational Learning Culture, Environmental Dynamism, and Green Innovation). The CFA results indicated a satisfactory fit of the measurement model to the collected data, evidenced by robust fit indices: χ²/df = 2.63 (p < .001), CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.92, NFI = 0.94, RMR = 0.03, and RMSEA = 0.04.

To ensure the findings were not contaminated by measurement artifacts, Common Method Bias (CMB) was assessed using Harman’s single-factor test, based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as recommended by Podsakoff (2003). The results showed that while the factors collectively explained 74.486% of the total variance, the largest single factor accounted for only 31.612%. Since this value is below the typically concerning threshold of 50%, the researchers concluded that CMB was not a significant issue impacting the study’s findings.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: The instrument consists of 30 items utilizing a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 7 (“strongly agree”). The test was administered via interview.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human participants (male and female) in the adulthood age range (18 years and older).

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Population Details: Respondents were high-level managers and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from business firms located in China.

Test Methodology: The development involved rigorous validation steps including Test Validity, Content Validity, Convergent Validity, and Discriminant Validity. Reliability was established through Internal Consistency measures. The final structure was confirmed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to construct the final Measurement Model.

Keywords

Conservation (Ecological Behavior), Consumer Research, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Organizational Climate, Organizational Learning, Organizational and Occupational Measures, Corporate Social Responsibility.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Ali, Adnan: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8836-8851; Jiang, Xu: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1388-3469; Ali, Afzaal: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7323-6781; Qadeer, Abdul: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0786-2223.

Affiliation Email addresses: Jiang, Xu: [email protected]. (Note: Email data for Ali, Adnan, Ali, Afzaal, and Qadeer, Abdul is not available in the source content.)

Correspondence Address: Jiang, Xu: Xi’an Jiaotong University, School of Management, No.28, Xianning West Road, Shaanxi, Xi’an, China, 710049, [email protected].

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: To use this instrument or inquire about usage rights, please contact the corresponding author, Jiang, Xu.

Commercial Use: No

Fee: No

Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

Ali, A., Jiang, X., Ali, A., & Qadeer, A. (2023). A moderated mediation model linking entrepreneurial leadership to green innovation: An upper echelons theory perspective. Creativity and Innovation Management, 32(1), 41–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12538

Note: The methodology for cross-cultural adaptation utilized the back-translation technique described by Berry, J. W. (1980).

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Items of the Entrepreneurial Leadership and Green Innovation–Model

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

No data is Available