Organizational Culture as the Missing Link Between Green Strategy, Innovation, and Environmental Performance: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

This paper proposes an integrated conceptual framework that explains how green strategy, organisational culture, and green innovation interact to influence environmental performance. The aim is to address fragmentation in existing research and clarify the internal mechanisms that support sustainability outcomes. A theory-building approach is used, drawing on a critical synthesis of twenty-three peer-reviewed studies across green strategy, organisational culture, green innovation, and environmental management. Insights from these streams are combined to develop the framework and propositions. The review shows that green strategy, organisational culture, and green innovation each contribute to environmental performance, but they are often examined separately. The proposed framework positions organisational culture as a linking mechanism that enables strategic sustainability intent to translate into green innovation and, ultimately, environmental outcomes. Four propositions summarise the conceptual pathways. The framework is conceptual and requires empirical validation. Future studies can test the proposed relationships using quantitative or mixed-method designs and examine how external pressures interact with internal strategic and cultural conditions. The model highlights the need for alignment between strategy, culture, and innovation. It provides guidance for managers seeking to embed sustainability in organisational routines, strengthen innovation capability, and improve environmental performance. This paper is one of the few to integrate green strategy, organisational culture, green innovation, and environmental performance within a single framework. It advances sustainability theory by clarifying how internal organisational mechanisms jointly shape environmental outcomes.