From eco-intelligence to eco-competitiveness: the strategic interplay of green innovation and knowledge spillover

Purpose Green intellectual capital (GIC) is acknowledged for its contribution to sustainability and firm performance; its effect on green cost competitive advantage (GCCA) and green differentiation competitive advantage (GDCA) remains underexplored within the environmental management literature. To address this research gap, this study applies social capital theory (SCT) to develop and test a moderated and mediation model examining the pathways and contingencies through which GIC influences GCCA and GDCA. Design/methodology/approach The data set of 456 respondents from the Pakistani hotel sector has been collected using a simple random sampling technique. We analyzed regression, moderation and mediation analyses using PLS-SEM. Findings The findings reveal that GIC significantly enhances both GCCA and GDCA. Green innovation (GI) partially mediates these relationships, while knowledge spillover (KOF) moderates the effects of GIC on both GI and GCA. Originality/value Our study advances the literature on intellectual capital and environmental management by elucidating the strategic role of GIC in achieving green competitive advantage and by identifying the underlying GI as mediating, and KOF as moderating mechanisms that facilitate this effect.