Purpose As environmental imperatives increasingly reshape competitive landscapes, the purpose of this study is to explain how strategic leadership translates sustainability-oriented vision into tangible green innovation (GI) outcomes in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in emerging economies where resource constraints remain salient. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the resource-based view and upper echelons theory, this study develops a moderated mediation framework in which green corporate entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility mediate the relationship between green strategic leadership and GI, while big data analytics capacity moderates these mechanisms. Survey data collected from 558 middle managers in SMEs were analyzed using multiple regression analysis and Hayes’ PROCESS macro. Findings The results of this study indicate that green strategic leadership exerts a significant indirect effect on GI through both green corporate entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility. Unexpectedly, big data analytics capacity was found to attenuate rather than amplify the indirect relationships, suggesting a substitution effect whereby advanced data-driven systems may reduce the strategic discretion afforded to green leaders in SME contexts. Originality/value By integrating leadership, sustainability and digital analytics perspectives, this study advances existing theory by clarifying the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which strategic leadership fosters GI in resource-constrained firms. The findings of this study also provide actionable insights for SME managers seeking to leverage leadership orientation and analytical capabilities to support sustainable innovation strategies.
Tran et al. (2026) studied this question.