Fostering sustainable oriented innovation via green intellectual capital: the mediating role of exaptation

Purpose Green intellectual capital (GIC) is widely recognized as a critical asset for enterprises seeking to achieve sustainable innovation advantages. Drawing on the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and dynamic capability theory, this study develops a novel theoretical framework to examine how GIC influences sustainable oriented innovation (SOI) through the mediating role of exaptation and the moderating effect of environmental dynamism. Design/methodology/approach Using two-wave survey data from 368 Chinese manufacturers, we performed hierarchical regression analysis and applied the bootstrap method to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results show that exaptation mediates the effects of green human capital (GHC), green structural capital (GSC) and green relational capital (GRC) on SOI. Furthermore, environmental dynamism enhances the positive relationship between GIC and exaptation. Originality/value Our study reveals “exaptation” as the key mediating mechanism through which GIC drives SOI, thereby elucidating the internal process of resource transformation. By integrating the NRBV and DCT, it constructs a comprehensive “resource-capability-outcome” framework that uncovers the black box between resources and innovation. Furthermore, the finding that environmental dynamism positively moderates this relationship offers new insights for building dynamic sustainable innovation mechanisms in firms.