“From identity to innovation: a multi-theoretical framework of green organizational identity, ambidextrous green innovation, and digital-enabled environmental collaboration”

• Develops an integrative conceptual framework linking Green Organizational Identity (GOI), Ambidextrous Green Innovation (AGI) , and Digital-Enabled Environmental Collaboration (EC) to explain how internal and external mechanisms jointly drive Green Innovation (GI) . • Reframes GOI as a dynamic capability that transforms environmental values into both incremental process and radical product innovation through ambidextrous innovation mechanisms . • Conceptualizes EC as a digital-enabled moderator whose effects depend on tie strength and stakeholder diversity , following a potential inverted-U (non-linear) pattern. • Integrates Resource-Based View (RBV), Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) , and Social Network Theory (SNT) into a unified multi-theoretical model bridging internal identity, relational collaboration, and digital transformation. • Introduces a systems perspective that captures dynamic feedback loops between GOI, AGI, EC, and GI, highlighting co-evolution and self-reinforcement in sustainability-driven innovation. • Offers actionable managerial and policy implications , emphasizing portfolio strategies that balance strong-trust ties with diverse partnerships. • Provides a comprehensive theoretical foundation and research propositions to guide future empirical validation across institutional, industrial, and digital contexts. Green innovation (GI) is recognized as a foundation for sustainable competitiveness, yet the mechanisms linking internal organizational identity and external collaboration remain fragmented, particularly in emerging economies undergoing digital transition. This conceptual paper develops an integrative framework connecting Green Organizational Identity (GOI), Ambidextrous Green Innovation (AGI), and Digital-Enabled Environmental Collaboration (EC). Drawing upon the Resource-Based View (RBV), Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), and Social Network Theory (SNT), the model conceptualizes GOI as a dynamic internal capability that stimulates ambidextrous innovation, balancing incremental green process improvements with radical green product breakthroughs. EC is theorized as a moderating mechanism whose effectiveness depends on collaborative tie strength and stakeholder diversity, while digitalization acts as a contextual amplifier that lowers coordination costs and broadens collaborative reach. The synthesis advances sustainability theory by uniting internal, relational, and digital enablers of innovation and by explaining the nonlinear relation that characterizes inter-organizational collaboration. Managerial and policy insights are outlined for organizations and governments seeking to accelerate green transitions within resource-constrained, digitally transforming economies.