The impact of green transformational leadership on radical green innovation

Cui Rixiao; Xia Enjun

doi:10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2026.09.012

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Science Research Management ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (9) : 123-131. DOI: 10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2026.09.012 CSTR: 32148.14.kygl.2026.09.012

The impact of green transformational leadership on radical green innovation

Cui Rixiao ¹ ,
Xia Enjun ²

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Abstract

Radical green innovation is the necessary path to truly achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable development for the country and firms. Existing studies have confirmed the impact of leadership on green innovation，but generally overlooked the role of green transformational leadership in stimulating high-quality radical green innovation. According to resource orchestration theory，this study analyzes the relationships among green transformational leadership，green research and development investment （GRDI），ambidextrous green learning and radical green innovation，and explores the chain mediating effect of GRDI and ambidextrous green learning. The data on 332 Chinese manufacturing firms is analyzed by using a mixed method. The regression analysis results indicate that green transformational leadership not only directly promote radical green innovation，but also indirectly affect it through GRDI and ambidextrous green learning，which play a chain mediation role in the above relationship. The results of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis （fsQCA） identify that three configurations lead to high radical green innovation. The findings reveal the mechanism of the role of green transformational leadership in radical green innovation from the resource orchestration perspective，and provides theoretical guidance and empirical evidence for manufacturing firms to achieve radical green innovation.

Key words

radical green innovation / green transformational leadership / green research and development investment / ambidextrous green learning

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Cui Rixiao , Xia Enjun. The impact of green transformational leadership on radical green innovation[J]. Science Research Management. 2026, 47(9): 123-131 https://doi.org/10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2026.09.012

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