Green Technology Innovation

Today, the environmental damage caused by manufacturing companies has pushed the business environment toward innovative green methods. Green technology innovation is one of the most important activities in this framework. Therefore, the current research was conducted with the aim of identifying the drivers of green technology innovation for manufacturing companies in the sports industry in Iran. This research is applied in terms of its purpose and exploratory in nature, considering the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Two main steps were taken to conduct this research. The first step was a systematic review of the research literature to identify the drivers of green technology innovation, and the second step was screening and confirming the drivers using the Fuzzy Delphi method. The theoretical community of the research consisted of academic experts and executive managers, and 20 people were selected to participate in the expert questionnaire through judgmental sampling. Based on the research results, 21 effective drivers were identified in the first phase. Subsequently, based on the results of Phase 2, 18 drivers were confirmed. These drivers are: environmental regulations, digital finance and fintechs, digital transformation, research and development investment, consumer awareness of the environment, capital market openness, media attention, environmental information disclosure, environmental, social, and governance ratings, government subsidies, organizational leadership style, organizational culture, organizational strategy, behavioral decision-making characteristics of the senior management team, the company’s social responsibility toward the environment, green knowledge management, green intellectual capital, and green dynamic capabilities. Considering these drivers can promote green technology innovation for manufacturing companies in the sports industry, potentially improving their economic and environmental performance.