Does environmental innovation have peer effects? The moderating role of slack resources and avoidance goal orientation

Abstract

Exploring the interactive patterns of environmental innovation behavior among firms is of great significance for improving the level of environmental innovation in the whole industry and achieving sustainable development. Based on social interaction theory, this study examines the peer effect of a firm's environmental innovation and the moderating effects of slack resources and avoidance goal orientation. A total of 1210 listed companies in China's manufacturing industry from 2015 to 2020 comprised the research sample, and the researchers used multiple regression analysis to analyze the data. The results indicate a peer effect of environmental innovation among firms; that is, firms' environmental innovation will positively impact the environmental innovation of other firms in the industry. Slack resources positively moderate the peer effect of environmental innovation among firms, and firms' avoidance goal orientation weakens that moderating effect. This study reveals the internal mechanism of the peer effect of environmental innovation and provides new management implications for managers' environmental-innovation decision-making.

Keywords: Avoidance goal orientation; Environmental innovation; Peer effect; Slack resource; Social interaction theory.