Background: Researchers assert that if the world's population and economy continue to grow at the current rate, the consumption of the Earth's natural resources will surpass its capacity. This scenario raises significant concerns related to environmental protection, a concept known as sustainable development. Sustainable development is defined as development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. More precisely, the strategy of sustainable development aims to establish harmony among humans and between humanity and nature. It emphasizes that sustainability requires societies to manage environmental considerations alongside economic factors in their development and performance improvement efforts. The serious environmental issues resulting from rapid economic development have led to increased attention on the sustainable performance of companies. Growing concerns regarding excessive resource consumption, environmental degradation, and social inequalities highlight the urgent need for a sustainable economy and society. To achieve sustainable performance in today's turbulent and dynamic industrial environment, companies must prioritize environmental considerations. This focus allows them to minimize environmental impacts effectively, addressing customer concerns while also reducing operational costs. Additionally, companies must manage their resources to ensure that the prices of their goods and services remain competitive. Sustainable development has emerged as a broad social goal that emphasizes the necessity of integrating and pursuing human well-being while halting environmental destruction. In this context, some entrepreneurs have sought to achieve sustainable development goals by integrating social and environmental objectives into their business practices. Due to the values and motivations driving these activities, such entrepreneurs are often referred to as sustainable entrepreneurs. This research examines the impact of Green entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities on the performance of Green innovation within agricultural and food industry cooperative companies in Mazandaran Province, investigating how these factors contribute to the success of these cooperatives in achieving sustainable performance and improvement.
Methods: The research method is applied in nature, utilizing a descriptive-causal approach for data collection, which is survey-based and cross-sectional in terms of time. The statistical population consisted of 1,300 members of agricultural production cooperatives in Mazandaran Province. Based on the Karjesi-Morgan table, 297 questionnaires were distributed among cooperative members using a cluster sampling method. Ultimately, 250 questionnaires were collected, yielding an 84% response rate, which served as the foundation for this study. The primary data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire designed to capture relevant information.
Results: The research findings indicated that Green entrepreneurial orientation has a direct, positive, and significant effect on sustainable business performance (t=5.942, β=0.266) and Green innovation performance (t=6.074, β=0.290). Additionally, Green dynamic capabilities also demonstrated a direct, positive, and significant effect on sustainable business performance (t=7.732, β=0.338) and Green innovation performance (t=8.249, β=0.390). Moreover, Green innovation performance significantly influences sustainable business performance (t=8.672, β=0.427). The study further revealed a positive and significant relationship between Green entrepreneurial orientation and sustainable business performance, with Green innovation performance acting as a mediating variable (t=4.680, β=0.124). The Variance Accounted For (VAF) statistic was calculated at 0.318, indicating that 31.8% of the total effect of Green entrepreneurial orientation on sustainable business performance is mediated by Green innovation performance. Similarly, the relationship between Green dynamic capabilities and sustainable business performance, with Green innovation performance as a mediating factor, was found to be positive and significant (t=5.781, β=0.167), with a VAF statistic of 0.329, meaning that 32.9% of the total effect of Green dynamic capabilities on sustainable business performance is explained through Green innovation performance.
Conclusion: The primary aim of this research is to determine the effects of Green entrepreneurial orientation and Green dynamic capabilities on sustainable business performance, considering the mediating role of Green innovation performance among agricultural cooperative companies in Mazandaran Province. Green entrepreneurial orientation focuses on activities that create economic value while improving and preserving the environment and minimizing negative impacts. To achieve these goals, companies must adopt Green entrepreneurial methods and develop appropriate training programs for their employees and stakeholders. It is recommended that managers of agricultural cooperative companies in Mazandaran Province create opportunities for cooperative members to learn new methods and enhance business performance by organizing training courses in Green entrepreneurship and sustainable management. Additionally, providing financial support to these cooperatives can guide them toward adopting Green entrepreneurial strategies. Such financial assistance may include grants or rewards for companies that excel in Green and sustainable entrepreneurship. Ultimately, Green entrepreneurial orientation emphasizes creating business opportunities in environmental protection, sustainable resource use, reducing environmental impacts, and delivering innovative solutions to environmental challenges.