The current study aims to investigate the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices, environmental management practices (EMP), green innovation (GI), green competitiveness and firms’ financial (FP) and environmental performance (EP) in a developing country by considering both EMP and GI as mediator variables of the above relationships.
The authors collected data from 203 manufacturing companies through a survey questionnaire while also using partial least square structural equation modeling to analyze the collected data and validate the research hypotheses.
The study findings indicate that implementation of TQM practices encourages the adoption of EMP and GI. Furthermore, it was found that EMP significantly (partially) mediates the relationship between TQM and GI and that GI fully mediates the relationship between TQM practices, green competitiveness and firms’ financial and environmental performance.
This study has some limitations, as it was conducted uniquely on Tunisian manufacturing firms, and therefore, its findings may not be generalized to other sectors or countries. Moreover, the study findings can provide important insights for top and middle managers of manufacturing companies in Tunisia by highlighting the critical role of GI in enhancing green competitiveness and financial and environmental performance.
This study presents an integrated framework that combines contemporary concepts such as TQM, environmental (sustainability) practices, GI, green competitiveness and financial and environmental performance, which have rarely been highlighted in previous studies.
