FROM R&D COLLABORATION TO SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE: A CHAIN-MEDIATED AND MODERATED ANALYSIS

Research and development (R&D) collaborations are effective for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in acquiring resources, thereby alleviating resource constraints in innovation adoption through bricolage. However, practical issues related to resource configuration may hinder their potential to optimise sustainability performance (SP). Based on the natural resource-based view, a chain mediation model is constructed to examine how R&D collaboration influences SP through entrepreneurial bricolage and green innovation adoption (GIA), while also considering the moderating effect of digital technology adoption (DTA). Analyses are based on a sample of 349 responses from technology-based SMEs in China. According to our hypotheses, results reveal a sequential mediating effect of entrepreneurial bricolage and GIA on the relationship between R&D collaboration and SP. Moreover, this effect is strengthened in firms with high levels of DTA. Eventually, we contribute to the sustainable innovation literature by unveiling how and under which conditions R&D collaborations lead to more valuable practices.