Sustainability-Oriented Entrepreneurship: Examining the Role of Green Innovation and Stakeholder Engagement in Business Growth

Authors

  • Mislan Sihite Universitas Methodist Indonesia
  • Ma'rifah Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Sultan Adam
  • Sendy Salsabla Saifuddin Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Sultan Adam
  • Yenie Eva Damayanti Universitas Islam Raden Rahmat
  • Ade Onny Siagian Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56442/ijble.v7i1.1344

Keywords:

Sustainability-Oriented Entrepreneurship, Green Innovation, Stakeholder Engagement, Business Growth, SMEs

Abstract

This study investigates the role of green innovation and stakeholder engagement in driving business growth within sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial firms. With increasing environmental and social pressures, entrepreneurs are challenged to integrate sustainability into their core business strategies while achieving competitive advantages. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 250 sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs and managers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a structured survey. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among green innovation, stakeholder engagement, and business growth. The results indicate that both green innovation and stakeholder engagement have significant positive effects on business growth, with evidence of synergistic interaction between the two factors. These findings underscore the strategic importance of sustainability-oriented practices, highlighting that environmental innovation and active stakeholder collaboration can simultaneously enhance firm performance and societal value. The study contributes to theory by integrating resource-based and stakeholder perspectives in entrepreneurial sustainability and offers practical guidance for entrepreneurs and policymakers seeking to achieve economic success while addressing environmental and social challenges.

References

Adams, R., Jeanrenaud, S., Bessant, J., Denyer, D., & Overy, P. (2016). Sustainability‐oriented innovation: A systematic review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 18(2), 180–205.

Adiguzel, Z., & Sonmez Cakir, F. (2025). Empowering sustainability: green entrepreneurial orientation, innovative strategies, culture and operational performance. Management Decision.

Afum, E., Issau, K., Agyabeng-Mensah, Y., Baah, C., Dacosta, E., Essandoh, E., & Agyenim Boateng, E. (2023). The missing links of sustainable supply chain management and green radical product innovation between sustainable entrepreneurship orientation and sustainability performance. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 21(1), 167–187.

Ahmadov, T., Ulp, S., & Gerstlberger, W. (2024). Role of stakeholder engagement in sustainable development in Estonian small and medium-sized enterprises. Green and Low-Carbon Economy, 2(4), 277–286.

Al-Swidi, A. K., Al-Hakimi, M. A., Al Koliby, I. S., Zaid, M. A. K., & Khan, M. F. (2025). Harnessing intellectual capital for green innovation through entrepreneurial orientation. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication.

Al Halbusi, H., Popa, S., Alshibani, S. M., & Soto-Acosta, P. (2025). Greening the future: Analyzing green entrepreneurial orientation, green knowledge management and digital transformation for sustainable innovation and circular economy. European Journal of Innovation Management, 28(5), 1916–1942.

Alshukri, T., Seun Ojekemi, O., Öz, T., & Alzubi, A. (2024). The interplay of corporate social responsibility, innovation capability, organizational learning, and sustainable value creation: does stakeholder engagement matter? Sustainability, 16(13), 5511.

Amankwah‐Amoah, J., Danso, A., & Adomako, S. (2019). Entrepreneurial orientation, environmental sustainability and new venture performance: Does stakeholder integration matter? Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(1), 79–87.

Andersén, J. (2022). An attention-based view on environmental management: The influence of entrepreneurial orientation, environmental sustainability orientation, and competitive intensity on green product innovation in Swedish small manufacturing firms. Organization & Environment, 35(4), 627–652.

Bressan, A., & Pedrini, M. (2020). Exploring sustainable-oriented innovation within micro and small tourism firms. Tourism Planning & Development, 17(5), 497–514.

Cheng, C. C. J. (2020). Sustainability orientation, green supplier involvement, and green innovation performance: Evidence from diversifying green entrants. Journal of Business Ethics, 161(2), 393–414.

Collins, H. (2019). Our Common Purpose: Understanding the Relationship between Small and Medium Enterprises and their Stakeholders within Sustainability-oriented Innovation. International Journal of Sustainability Policy & Practice, 15(2).

Decarolis, R. (2015). Organizational capabilities for stakeholder engagement in sustainability-oriented innovation.

Elkington, J. (1997). The triple bottom line. Environmental Management: Readings and Cases, 2, 49–66.

Feng, T., Li, Z., Shi, H., & Jiang, W. (2022). Translating leader sustainability orientation into green supply chain integration: a missing link of green entrepreneurial orientation. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 37(12), 2515–2532.

Frare, A. B., & Beuren, I. M. (2022). The role of green process innovation translating green entrepreneurial orientation and proactive sustainability strategy into environmental performance. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 29(5), 789–806.

Freeman, R. E., Harrison, J. S., & Zyglidopoulos, S. (2018). Stakeholder theory: Concepts and strategies. Cambridge University Press.

Galindo-Martín, M.-A., Castaño-Martínez, M.-S., & Méndez-Picazo, M.-T. (2020). The relationship between green innovation, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. Sustainability, 12(11), 4467.

Gast, J., Gundolf, K., & Cesinger, B. (2017). Doing business in a green way: A systematic review of the ecological sustainability entrepreneurship literature and future research directions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 147, 44–56.

Goodman, J., Korsunova, A., & Halme, M. (2017). Our collaborative future: Activities and roles of stakeholders in sustainability‐oriented innovation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(6), 731–753.

Harsanto, B., Mulyana, A., Faisal, Y. A., Shandy, V. M., & Alam, M. (2022). A systematic review on sustainability-oriented innovation in the social enterprises. Sustainability, 14(22), 14771.

Huang, J., & Zhou, P. (2025). Open innovation and entrepreneurship: A review from the perspective of sustainable business models. Sustainability, 17(3), 939.

Khizar, H. M. U., Iqbal, M. J., & Rasheed, M. I. (2021). Business orientation and sustainable development: A systematic review of sustainability orientation literature and future research avenues. Sustainable Development, 29(5), 1001–1017.

Kramer, M. R., & Porter, M. (2011). Creating shared value (Vol. 17). FSG Boston, MA, USA.

Krara, W., Alzubi, A., Khadem, A., & Iyiola, K. (2025). The nexus of sustainability innovation, knowledge application, and entrepreneurial success: Exploring the role of environmental awareness. Sustainability, 17(2), 716.

Maletič, M., Maletič, D., Dahlgaard, J. J., Dahlgaard-Park, S. M., & Gomišček, B. (2016). Effect of sustainability-oriented innovation practices on the overall organisational performance: An empirical examination. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 27(9–10), 1171–1190.

Martini, M., Marafioti, E., & Carminati, M. (2020). Exploring the Role of Stakeholder Engagement for the Development of Sustainable Innovation Strategies. In Governance and Management of Sustainable Innovation: Learning from Experience to Shape the Future (pp. 75–96). Springer.

Ooi, S. K., Yang, S., & Adeneye, Y. B. (2025). Sustainable development practices as a mediator: Linking entrepreneurial orientation to SME business performance. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 1–25.

Sarango-Lalangui, P., Castillo-Vergara, M., Carrasco-Carvajal, O., & Durendez, A. (2023). Impact of environmental sustainability on open innovation in SMEs: An empirical study considering the moderating effect of gender. Heliyon, 9(9).

Schaltegger, S., & Wagner, M. (2011). Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: categories and interactions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 20(4), 222–237.

Shahid, S., & Reynaud, E. (2022). Individuals’ sustainability orientation and entrepreneurial intentions: the mediating role of perceived attributes of the green market. Management Decision, 60(7), 1947–1968.

Urbinati, A., Shams Esfandabadi, Z., & Messeni Petruzzelli, A. (2023). Assessing the interplay between Open Innovation and Sustainability‐Oriented Innovation: A systematic literature review and a research agenda. Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, 32(3), 1078–1095.

van Lieshout, J. W. F. C., Nijhof, A. H. J., Naarding, G. J. W., & Blomme, R. J. (2021). Connecting strategic orientation, innovation strategy, and corporate sustainability: A model for sustainable development through stakeholder engagement. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(8), 4068–4080.

Zameer, H., Yasmeen, H., Wang, Y., & Saeed, M. R. (2024). Sustainability-oriented corporate strategy: green image and innovation capabilities. Management Decision, 62(6), 1750–1774.

Downloads

Published

2026-01-21

How to Cite

Sihite, M., Ma’rifah, M., Saifuddin, S. S., Damayanti, Y. E. ., & Siagian, A. O. (2026). Sustainability-Oriented Entrepreneurship: Examining the Role of Green Innovation and Stakeholder Engagement in Business Growth. International Journal of Business, Law, and Education, 7(1), 177 - 187. https://doi.org/10.56442/ijble.v7i1.1344

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2