Effects of environmental orientation on agricultural enterprises’ performance: mediation and moderation analyses

Contradictory findings on the relationship between environmental orientation and performance are reported in the existing literature. The omission of crucial mediating variables and boundary conditions may help explain these conflicting findings. Building on the natural resource-based view, this study explores how environmental orientation influences enterprises’ performance through the mediating effect of green production and the moderating effect of green training. Survey responses from 206 Chinese agricultural enterprise managers reveal that environmental orientation is positively associated with environmental and financial performance. Green production partially mediates the relationship between environmental orientation and environmental and financial performance. The positive effect of environmental orientation on green production is strengthened when green training is higher. Findings contribute to extant research on environmental orientation and enterprises’ performance as well as provide a basic framework to understand how an enterprise can achieve sustainable and healthy development through green production and green training.