Scientific leadership and sustainable innovation in Chinese knowledge-intensive firms: unpacking the roles of talent ecosystem and green innovation capability

Drawing upon dynamic capabilities theory, this study investigates how scientific leadership shapes sustainable innovation through the mediating mechanisms of talent ecosystem and green innovation capability in Chinese knowledge-intensive firms. Using multi-source survey data from 287 firms across high-technology sectors, the researcher found that scientific leadership positively influences both talent ecosystem development and green innovation capability. Furthermore, talent ecosystem and green innovation capability partially mediate the relationship between scientific leadership and sustainable innovation. Additionally, environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between green innovation capability and sustainable innovation, such that the relationship is stronger in highly dynamic environments. These findings contribute to the leadership and innovation literature by elucidating the micro-foundations of sustainable innovation and highlighting the critical role of scientific leadership in fostering organizational capabilities for environmental sustainability.