Purpose

Leveraging upper echelon theory and knowledge-based view of the firm, this paper aims to explore how chief executive officers’ (CEO) sustainability orientation influences explorative and exploitative knowledge management practices, which in turn influence incremental and radical sustainable innovation under boundary conditions of CEOs’ temporal focus and regional affiliation in the home country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a nonprobability convenience sampling strategy. Using survey-based research, the authors tested the study hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modeling on a sample of 298 CEOs from Indian small and medium enterprises. This study also tested the reliability and validity of the study variables by using internal consistency tests and convergent and discriminant validity procedures.

Findings

The study finds that CEO sustainability orientation affects incremental and radical sustainable innovation via the mediating effect of explorative and exploitative knowledge management practices. Furthermore, CEOs’ past temporal focus increases the influence of orientation on exploitative knowledge management. In contrast, future temporal focus increases the influence of CEO sustainability orientation on exploratory knowledge management practices. Finally, CEOs from the southwest, west and northwest regions of India increase the influence of exploratory knowledge management on radical sustainable innovation.

Research limitations/implications

This study has significant implications for understanding upper-echelon factors that drive knowledge management practices. CEO temporal focus (time orientation) and demographic aspects (regional affiliation) influence CEOs’ investment in different knowledge management and, hence, sustainable innovation management practices. However, this study does not explore cross-cultural differences and the role of the entire top management team in influencing sustainability values on sustainability innovation via knowledge management practices.

Practical implications

This study comprehends upper-echelon factors that drive investment in knowledge management and sustainable innovation practices. Findings imply that CEOs with past and future temporal focus can influence sustainable innovation, but their investment in knowledge management strategies differs. Past temporal-focused CEOs invest more in exploitative and future temporal focus more in explorative knowledge management for influencing sustainable innovation.

Originality/value

The study provides novel insights into the influence of upper-echelon traits on knowledge management and sustainable innovation practices. Extant literature has largely explored firm-level factors such as organizational culture influencing a firm's knowledge management practices. However, by integrating the upper echelon with the knowledge-based view of the firm, we explain how the traits of the CEO, especially the temporal perspective, influence knowledge management and sustainable innovation practices of firms.

中文翻译：

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管理价值观和可持续导向的创新：检查知识探索与利用实践的作用

 目的

本文旨在利用高层理论和基于知识的公司观，探讨首席执行官（CEO）的可持续发展导向如何影响探索性和利用性知识管理实践，进而影响首席执行官边界条件下的渐进式和激进式可持续创新' 母国的时间焦点和区域归属。

设计/方法论/途径

本研究采用了非概率便利抽样策略。作者通过基于调查的研究，使用偏最小二乘结构方程模型对来自印度中小企业的 298 名首席执行官进行了样本测试，测试了研究假设。本研究还通过使用内部一致性检验以及收敛和判别效度程序来测试研究变量的信度和效度。

 发现

研究发现，首席执行官的可持续发展导向通过探索性和利用性知识管理实践的中介作用影响增量和激进的可持续创新。此外，首席执行官过去的时间关注增加了导向对剥削性知识管理的影响。相比之下，未来时间焦点会增加首席执行官可持续发展导向对探索性知识管理实践的影响。最后，来自印度西南、西部和西北地区的首席执行官增加了探索性知识管理对根本性可持续创新的影响。

研究局限性/影响

这项研究对于理解推动知识管理实践的高层因素具有重要意义。 CEO 的时间焦点（时间导向）和人口统计方面（区域关系）影响 CEO 对不同知识管理的投资，从而影响可持续创新管理实践。然而，这项研究并没有探讨跨文化差异以及整个高层管理团队在通过知识管理实践影响可持续发展创新价值观方面的作用。

 实际影响

这项研究涵盖了推动知识管理和可持续创新实践投资的高层因素。研究结果表明，关注过去和未来时间的首席执行官可以影响可持续创新，但他们对知识管理策略的投资有所不同。过去注重时间的首席执行官更多地投资于利用性，而未来的首席执行官则更多地投资于探索性知识管理，以影响可持续创新。

 原创性/价值

该研究为高层特质对知识管理和可持续创新实践的影响提供了新颖的见解。现有文献主要探讨了公司层面的因素，例如影响公司知识管理实践的组织文化。然而，通过将高层与公司的知识基础观相结合，我们解释了首席执行官的特质，特别是时间视角，如何影响公司的知识管理和可持续创新实践。