The Impact of Strategically Involved Middle Managers on Green Outcomes

ABSTRACT There has been extensive research on the determinants of green outcomes, particularly from a management perspective. Despite the crucial roles of middle managers (MMs) in management theory, the existing literature emphasizes top managers as the primary managerial drivers of green outcomes. This study addresses this gap by examining whether and how MMs involved in strategy (MMIS) contribute to firms' green outcomes. A total of 107 valid responses were collected through an online cross‐sectional survey with a structured questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regression and bootstrap analyses were used to test the model. The empirical results reveal that MMIS can significantly affect green innovation (GI). Additionally, for MMIS to contribute to environmental performance (EP), green dynamic capabilities (GDCs) act as an effective mediator. The results further indicate that regulatory stakeholder pressures (RSPs) moderate the relationship between MMIS and GI, whereas no moderating effect of RSPs is observed between MMIS and EP. The study suggests that while strategically involved MMs can effectively improve short‐term green outcomes (GI), enabling them to drive long‐term green outcomes (EP) requires cultivating appropriate organizational capabilities. With a unique dataset collected exclusively from MMs, the study extends the green management literature and informs practitioners about MMs as “green champions.”