Sustainability practices and complementor innovation capability: a PLS-SEM serial mediation model of market pressure and strategic alliances

Purpose This paper explores how digital, environmental, social, and governance (DESG) frameworks affect complementor sustainability innovation capability (CIC) in platform ecosystems. It also looks at the serial mediating roles of market pressure (MPS) and complementor strategic alliances (CSA) and whether MPS acts as a moderator of the relationship between CSA and CIC. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey of 429 platform-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ride-hailing, e-commerce, and fintech sectors in Ghana was carried out using purposive sampling. To test the proposed relationships, the study applied partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that DESG has a positive impact on CIC, which supports the role of governance in sustainability-driven innovation. Both MPS and CSA serially and individually mediate the relationship. However, MPS negatively affects CIC, while CSA has a significant effect on the relationship. Practical implications Platform owners should ensure that governance structures, incentives, and digital tools are in place to encourage sustainability innovation. Policymakers need to regulate so that small firms’ innovation capacity is not stifled by regulatory pressures. Originality/value This paper builds on institutional and dynamic capabilities theories to develop a serial mediation model explaining how DESG governance, strategic alliances, and market pressure drive sustainability innovation in platform-based SMEs, focusing on emerging economies, which remain underexplored in existing literature.