Production-led sustainability: synergy of orientations, innovative climate and knowledge management practices

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Purpose Integrating contingency theory (CT) and the natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study investigates the effects of green customer orientation (GCO), green competitive orientation (GCM), innovative climate (INC) and knowledge management practices (KMP) on organizations’ green manufacturing practices (GMP) to achieve sustainable performance. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 507 Chinese manufacturing small and medium enterprises using a survey and analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. Findings All proposed hypotheses were supported. Organizations that prioritize GCO and GCM and cultivate INC and KMP are more likely to adopt GMP and achieve sustainable performance. GMP also mediates all formulated associations. Practical implications This study provides strong evidence for practitioners to foster an innovative organizational culture with effective KMP to enhance sustainable manufacturing. Organizations should also proactively adopt GMP to improve their performance. Originality/value This study incorporated green strategic orientations (GCO and GCM) with organizational capabilities (INC and KMP) into an integrative framework and tested their holistic effects on GMP to promote organizational performance. Uniting CT and the NRBV, this study offers a novel lens to unravel how green strategic orientations and organizational capabilities collectively shape GMP and drive economic, social and environmental sustainability in manufacturing SMEs.