Revisiting organizational performance through Green IT and IS: a meta-analysis of the moderating role of national Green IT/IS context

Purpose As sustainability becomes increasingly important in organizational strategy, there is a growing need to explore how Green Information Technology (IT), and Information Systems (IS) adoption can drive various dimensions of performance. This paper clearly investigates the methodological and empirical link between Green IT/IS and organizational performance outcomes, emphasizing moderators such as national Green IT/IS context, firm size, and type of performance. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted using 34 empirical studies comprising 11,333 observations. To capture contextual variations, subgroup analyses were performed across four dimensions: Green IT versus Green IS, performance types (environmental, financial, and other operational outcomes), national Green IT/IS implementation levels (measured by The Global Competitiveness Report, 2017–2018), and firm size (large firms versus SMEs). Findings The results confirm that Green IT/IS adoption significantly improves organizational performance, particularly by enhancing environmental outcomes. The effect is stronger in countries with lower levels of Green IT/IS implementation, emphasizing the importance of national policies and infrastructure. While firm size shows a weak overall moderating effect, its influence becomes more pronounced when distinguishing between Green IT and Green IS, highlighting the need for tailored strategies. Originality/value Methodologically, this study offers a new meta-analysis approach that merges results reported and then rigorously checks the findings using heterogeneity, subgroup, and robustness tests. A newly constructed National Green IT/IS Index, derived from global competitiveness report indicators, enables the first quantitative test of institutional context alongside firm-level moderators (size and performance type). Substantively, the analysis integrates 34 cross-country studies and three distinct performance dimensions (environmental, financial, and others), yielding the first pooled estimates that disentangle Green IT from Green IS impacts. The findings provide managers and policymakers with evidence-backed guidance on tailoring Green IT/IS initiatives to country readiness and organizational characteristics, thus maximizing both competitive advantage and sustainability outcomes.