Universities as sustainability agents! Does green campus ensure green intellectual capital? A quantitative approach to the triggering role of green knowledge sharing and green innovation
| Date | 13 January 2025 |
| Pages | 253-278 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-03-2024-0080 |
| Published date | 13 January 2025 |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Knowledge management,HR & organizational behaviour,Organizational structure/dynamics,Accounting & finance,Accounting/accountancy,Behavioural accounting |
| Author | Ayesha Ali |
Universities as sustainability agents!
Does green campus ensure green
intellectual capital? A quantitative
approach to the triggering role
of green knowledge sharing
and green innovation
Ayesha Ali
Higher Education Commission, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –This article aims to explore the concept of green campus (GC) being implemented in Pakistan’s
universities in order to attain green intellectual capital (GIC).
Design/methodology/approach –Primary data were collected from the 20 public sector universities in the
Punjab province, Pakistan. Data analysis was conducted by using SPSS and MPLUS software.
Findings –Results confirm that green practices help universities to attain GIC. Further, the results also confirm
the mediating role of green knowledge sharing (GKS) and green innovation (GI).
Researchlimitations/implications –The data were gathered from public sector universities in Pakistan. Hence,
the findings of the present study may not be generalized to the private universities, other sectors or countries.
Practical implications –This study provides insights regarding the implementation of GC paradigm from
technological perspective. This can enhance the information exchange among sustainability practitioners in
order to introduce innovative solutions for addressing sustainability challenges.
Social implications –This study has developed a transdisciplinary policy framework that provides guidelines
for higher education institutions in Pakistan to attain GI and IC.
Originality/value –The originality lies in framing GC as a generator of GIC while also establishing a strong link
between IC, economy and the environment by demonstrating how environmental sustainability initiatives
influence economic gains through enhanced reputation, cost reduction and stakeholder engagement. This study
has developed a theoretical framework based on resource-based theory, which supports the notion that GCs will
lead to GIC by developing GKS and GI.
Keywords Good governance in higher education institutions, Green campus, Green knowledge sharing,
Green innovation, Green intellectual capital, Sustainability
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The global community, in recent decades, has become conspicuous due to its pre-occupation
with environmental challenges associated with climate change and global warming (Anthony
et al., 2019). The currently increasing legal, institutional, consumer and social pressures have
consequently driven organizations to prioritize socio-environmental concerns (Asiaei et al.,
2023). This has led sustainability to undergo a transformation from a straightforward concern
to a critical agenda of paramount importance (Anthony et al., 2019). The practice of
integrating sustainability into governance and business operations is receiving more attention
than ever before, and thus, implementing sustainable practices is one of the key activitiesof the
organizations in modern times (Van Buren, 2020;Chillakuri and Vanka, 2021). A unique and
notable trend in sustainability is the increasing sensitivity of industry and businesses to
environmental issues (Zawawi and Wahab, 2019;Severo et al., 2017). The strategic
significance of the ecological environment is evident through increasing studies that explore
the connections between corporate strategies and the natural environment (Al Issa et al., 2023).
Embracing sustainability and green business offers substantial benefits, including reduced
energy-related costs, attracting new customers, eligibility for tax incentives, heightened
Journal of
Intellectual
Capital
253
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1469-1930.htm
Received 20 March 2024
Revised 21 August 2024
5 November 2024
Accepted 9 December 2024
Journalof Intellectual Capital
Vol.26 No. 1, 2025
pp.253-278
©Emerald Publishing Limited
e-ISSN:1758-7468
p-ISSN:1469-1930
DOI10.1108/JIC-03-2024-0080
workforce morale, fostering innovation and creating a positive societal impact such as a
smaller carbon footprint and reduced landfills (Lagas, 2015). However, research indicates a
positive correlation between escalating green business strategies and performance, which
tends to decrease at higher levels of green efforts (Lin et al., 2021).
Further, there has been a global acknowledgment of the challenges related to the
environmental performance and sustainable development (SD) of businesses. Upholding
corporate environmental sustainability proves to be a formidable issue for professional
organizations, more particularly in developing nations (Shehzad et al., 2023). The relationship
between business strategy and environmental sustainability is often perceived as a delicate
balance between adopting green practices and maintaining economic performance.
Recognizing the scarcity of research in this field, the current study aims to emphasize
strategies that integrate green knowledge (GK) in organizations as an intangible asset. This is
crucial for enhancing the sustainable impacts of knowledge-intensive organizations, i.e.
healthcare in the context of developing countries (Pflugfelder, 2021). This provides the trigger
for the current study to focus on educational organizations in the context of green knowledge
and sustainability.
Environmental factors are classically considered when organizations advance their
innovation strategies (Duan et al., 2022a,b). Organizations that capitalize on environmental
management can achieve a first-mover advantage by implementing differentiation strategies,
improving their green image and gaining a competitive advantage (Wu and Chen, 2018).
Organizations working hard towards green strategies often achieve better outcomes for
employees (Hameed et al., 2022;Su and Swanson, 2019). The role of employees in solving
environmental problems is considered crucial. In this context, ecological behavior is a topic
that is receiving increased attention within the organizational perspective (Kim et al., 2019;
Luu, 2019). In this regard, the practitioners can help by offering multidisciplinary green
technical solutions (Zakaria et al., 2016).
To achieve sustainability outcomes, organizations tend to develop and disseminate
knowledge. According to Nonaka (1991), successful organizations continually produce new
knowledge, along with disseminating it extensively across the organization while embodying
these in the latest products and technologies. While few scholars object to Nonaka’snotion for
accentuating the need to transform tacit knowledge (Tsoukas, 2002) and adapting cultural
universalism (Glisby and Holden, 2003), the research offers an internationally approved
lexicon used to define a generalized theoretical framework of knowledge creation and
conversion; however, important divergences from given notions can be drawn (Walsh et al.,
2020). Hence, Nonaka’sframework (Nonaka and Toyama, 2003;Nonaka et al., 2000;Nonaka
and Takeuchi, 1995;Nonaka, 1994) is employed in this article to explain the process of
knowledge production and conversion in academic organizations.
Scholars generally categorize “knowledge” into two categories – explicit and tacit
knowledge. Nonaka’s research capitalizes on the differentiation between tacit and explicit
knowledge. Tacit knowledge is commonly known as sticky and embedded knowledge. It is
often experience-based knowledge and subjective, which does not find expression in works,
numbers, formulas, sentences, etc. In contrast, explicit knowledge is also known as leaky
knowledge, which is primarily rational and objective and is easily documented and
disseminated to others. This includes guidelines, white papers, reports, procedures, strategies
(Kakabadse et al., 2001;Nonaka and Konno, 1998), etc. Explicit knowledge may quickly lose
its significant meaning without tacit insight (Nonaka et al., 2000). Nevertheless, Nahapiet and
Ghoshal (1998, p. 247) state that “tacitness may be considered as a variable, with a degree of
tacitness being a function of the extent to which the knowledge is or can be codified or
abstracted.” Knowledge can dynamically swing between being tacit and explicit at varying
times (Nonaka et al., 2000), but some of the knowledge content may always stay tacit
(Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998).
Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) have recognized four different processes – socialization,
externalization, combination and internalization (SECI). These are the processes through
JIC
26,1
254
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
