Radical product sustainability oriented innovation (SOI) and triple-bottom-line (3BL) performance: findings from Malaysian and Singaporean B2B firms

Abstract

Despite the ongoing debate, there is an absence of research in finding the relationship between radical product sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) and firm's triple-bottom-line (3BL) performance. While radical product SOIs may lead to 3BL performance, they may also be fraught with commercialization risks and uncertainty. This study aims to examine the relationship between radical product SOI and firm's 3BL performance in a business-tobusiness (B2B) context with a mediating variable - radical innovation uncertainty. Using a multi-informant approach, survey data were collected from 187 Malaysian and Singaporean privately-owned B2B firms involved in R&D and NPD activities, provided by 326 R&D and marketing managers. The radical product SOI was found to have a significant positive effect on radical innovation uncertainty, which is negatively related to 3BL performance dimensions i.e., environmental, social, and financial. Moreover, this study examines the moderated-mediation effect by industry type, service vs. manufacturing: it moderates the negative mediation effect of radical innovation uncertainty, and this effect is weaker for service firms compared to manufacturing firms. The findings offer clear guidelines to B2B managers for the marketing and development of radical product SOI and facilitate firms' 3BL performance. The study also acknowledges its limitations and suggests potential avenues for future research.