Top Management, Green Innovations, and the Mediating Effect of Customer Cooperation in Green Supply Chains

Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of customer cooperation in green supply chain relationships. Employing 181 manufacturer–customer relationships, we test the mediating effect of customer cooperation on the process and managerial innovations. As proposed, customer cooperation positively mediates the relationship between top management commitment and process innovation. However, customer cooperation fails to mediate the relationship between top management commitment and managerial innovation. The findings suggest that the magnitude of customer cooperation increases the adoption of green innovations between supply chain partners to mitigate the negative impact on the environment. Furthermore, customer cooperation enforces a sense of mutuality between supply chain partners to diminish the impact of carbon footprint.