A meta-analysis of environmental innovation and firm performance

Environmental innovation is an important variable in the study of strategic management. However, studies on the effect of environmental innovation have drawn different conclusions. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to reanalyze the relationship between environmental innovation and firms' performance, based on 33 empirical studies, and we evaluated the moderating effects of the economic development level of a country, cultural background, industry diversity, and data types. The results showed that environmental innovation can positively promote both firms' financial performance and environmental performance. In developed countries and Eastern culture, environmental innovation has a stronger effect on firms' financial performance, and the effect of environmental innovation on environmental performance is stronger within the context of developing countries.