Top management commitment and organizational culture in enhancing green innovation in the context of environmental regulations in Thailand

Purpose This study examines the impact of environmental regulations (ER) on green innovation performance (GIP) in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with a particular focus on the mediating roles of an innovative culture (IC) and top management commitment (TMC). Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data was gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to 376 manufacturing firms in Thailand's EEC. Path analysis and bootstrapping techniques were used to examine the direct and indirect relationships among ER, IC, TMC and GIP. The validity and reliability of the constructs were confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis and established scale validation procedures. Findings Environmental regulations were found to have direct and indirect positive impacts on green innovation performance. This relationship is significantly mediated by the presence of an innovative culture and top management commitment. These findings highlight the critical role of internal organizational dynamics–particularly culture and leadership–in converting regulatory pressures into opportunities for sustainable innovation. Originality/value This study integrates the resource-based view and institutional theory to explain how green innovation is driven by environmental regulations combined with internal factors, namely innovative culture and top management commitment. Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor offers novel insights into how external pressures and internal capabilities interact in a developing economy context, with implications for both policy design and strategic management.