SUSTAINABLE MARKETING ORIENTATION AND FIRM PERFORMANCE IN EMERGING MARKETS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, GREEN INNOVATION, AND CONSUMER TRUST

ABSTRACT: Sustainable Marketing Orientation (SMO) has emerged as a strategic response to the growing call for firms to balance profitability with environmental and social responsibility. However, empirical understanding of how SMO enhances firm performance in Sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study investigates the impact of SMO on firm performance, emphasizing the mediating roles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Green Innovation (GI), and Consumer Trust. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 370 marketing and sustainability managers across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, data were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicate that SMO significantly and positively influences CSR (β = 0.46, p < 0.001), GI (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), and Consumer Trust (β = 0.38, p < 0.001). Furthermore, CSR (β = 0.33, p < 0.01) and GI (β = 0.29, p < 0.01) exert significant indirect effects on firm performance, confirming partial mediation. Consumer Trust further strengthens the sustainability–performance link by translating responsible actions into reputational capital. The findings validate Stakeholder Theory, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework, and the Resource-Based View (RBV) in an emerging-market context. Practically, the study highlights the need for African firms to institutionalize sustainability-driven marketing systems and integrate ESG principles as strategic assets for competitiveness. KEYWORDS: Sustainable Marketing Orientation, Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Innovation, Consumer Trust, Firm Performance, Emerging Markets, Sub-Saharan Africa.