Identification of Causal Factors Influencing Sustainable Marketing Strategic Orientation in Team Resilience with an Emphasis on Green Innovation and Absorptive Capacity

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the causal factors affecting sustainable marketing strategic orientation in team resilience, with a focus on green innovation and absorptive capacity. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining qualitative grounded theory (Atlas.ti 7) and quantitative structural equation modeling using Smart PLS-SEM for data analysis. Two types of questionnaires were used for data collection: an unstructured questionnaire in the qualitative phase and a semi-structured one in the quantitative phase. The statistical population consists of business experts and scholars, including university professors from the University of Tehran and Mohaghegh Ardabili University in the fields of management, marketing, entrepreneurship, and innovation, as well as managers of knowledge-based companies in Tehran province at operational, middle, and senior levels in the financial sector. Additionally, senior managers of knowledge-based enterprises located in science and technology parks in Tehran with experience in corporate strategic planning were included. The results led to the development of a model comprising three main components influencing absorptive capacity: green innovation (β = 0.559, P = 0.00), team learning (β = 0.407, P = 0.00), and causal factors of sustainable strategic orientation (β = 0.226, P = 0.00). Accordingly, the findings demonstrate that absorptive capacity and green innovation play key causal and influential roles in strengthening sustainable marketing strategic orientation, while team learning acts as a reinforcing construct within this process.



Results: The qualitative model revealed the causal and contextual relationships among the variables, demonstrating that absorptive capacity and green innovation act as key causal factors in advancing sustainable strategic marketing orientation, while team learning serves as a reinforcing construct within this process. Subsequently, the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling. The final model consisted of three interconnected dimensions of sustainable strategic marketing orientation: green innovation, team learning, and the causal factors influencing absorptive capacity.

Conclusion: The findings led to the development of a model with three main components: green innovation, team learning, and the causal factors of sustainable strategic orientation on absorptive capacity.

Keywords: Strategic Marketing Orientation, Sustainable Marketing, Team Resilience, Green Innovation, Absorptive Capacity.

The qualitative model revealed the causal and contextual relationships among the variables, demonstrating that absorptive capacity and green innovation act as key causal factors in advancing sustainable strategic marketing orientation, while team learning serves as a reinforcing construct within this process. Subsequently, the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling. The final model consisted of three interconnected dimensions of sustainable strategic marketing orientation: green innovation, team learning, and the causal factors influencing absorptive capacity.

This study employs a mixed-method approach: qualitative (grounded theory using Atlas.ti-07) and quantitative (structural equation modeling using SmartPLS-SEM) to analyze the collected data. For data gathering, two questionnaires were used: an unstructured one in the qualitative phase and a semi-structured one in the quantitative phase. The statistical population consists of business experts and scholars, including university professors from the University of Tehran and Mohaghegh Ardabili University in the fields of management, marketing, entrepreneurship, and innovation, as well as managers of knowledge-based companies in Tehran Province at operational, middle, and senior levels in the financial sector, along with senior managers of knowledge-based businesses located in Tehran’s science and technology parks who have prior experience in corporate strategy formulation.