Identifying the impact of stakeholder and top management support on shaping environmental innovation, green product development, and environmental performance in Brazil and Portugal's plastics industry

Goal: This paper aims to identify the influence of stakeholders and top management support on environmental innovation strategy, green product innovation, and environmental performance in the context of the plastics industry of Brazil and Portugal. Methodology/approach: For the research, a survey was conducted with 94 companies in the industry, using the Partial Least Square (PLS) for data analysis. Originality/relevance: The study contributes fill the gaps in the influence of top management and external actors on sustainability-related strategies and innovations in companies in the plastics industry in Brazil and Portugal. Main findings: The results demonstrated that the stakeholders’ pressure and top management support positively influence the environmental innovation strategy of green products, and both innovations influence the environmental performance of companies in the Portuguese and Brazilian plastics industries. Theoretical contributions: The implications emphasize the impact of external elements and companies that influence environmental sustainability, enabling greater quality of life and sustainability on a global scale. Management contributions: The practical implications of the results emphasize the need for alignment between top management and the stakeholders for strategies and innovations linked to sustainability.