Technological and cultural capabilities for sustainable performance: evidence of mediating and moderating mechanisms in Ethiopian industrial parks

Purpose This study investigates how technological capabilities and green organizational culture influence firms’ sustainable performance using green knowledge management as a conversion mechanism in the context of Ethiopian industrial parks. It also examines the conditional role of government support in the relationship between technological capabilities and sustainable performance. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 331 managerial-level employees of firms operating in selected Ethiopian industrial parks. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed relationships and evaluate mediating and moderating effects. Findings The results support the positive and significant effects of technological capabilities and green organizational culture on sustainable performance. Green knowledge management significantly mediates these relationships, indicating its central role in translating technological and cultural capabilities into sustainable outcomes. Government support, while positively associated, shows an insignificant moderating effect on the link between technological capabilities and sustainable performance. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the literature by empirically integrating the resource-based view, knowledge-based view, and dynamic capability theory to explain the mechanisms through which green knowledge management fosters sustainability. The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, suggesting opportunities for longitudinal research. Originality/value This research advances the understanding of the interplay between technological capabilities, organizational culture, and sustainability by clarifying the mediating role of green knowledge management and assessing the contextual influence of government support in a low-income economy.