How ambidextrous leadership drives sustainable project performance through green knowledge and innovation

Purpose Leaders play a pivotal role in the success of every project. However, the significance of ambidextrous leadership in improving sustainable project performance remains insufficiently explored. Consequently, this study examines the serial mediation effects of green knowledge sharing and product innovativeness on the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and sustainable project performance, with environmental features considered as a moderating boundary condition. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in multiple waves from 300 employees and their managers in manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan through simple random sampling. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling in SmartPLS 4. Findings The findings show that ambidextrous leadership has a positive and significant impact on sustainable project performance. Additionally, the results confirm that green knowledge sharing and product innovativeness sequentially mediate the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and sustainable project performance. Moreover, environmental features significantly and positively moderate the relationship between product innovativeness and sustainable project performance. Originality/value This study demonstrates that specific leadership behaviors are crucial in improving sustainable project performance, underscoring the importance of the ambidextrous leadership model. Additionally, green knowledge sharing and product innovativeness, as sequential mediators, enhance sustainable project performance, representing a significant contribution of this study.