Analysis of the Paths Affecting Corporate Green Innovation in Resource-Based Cities: A Fuzzy-Set QCA Approach

Green innovation is essential for companies to achieve their dual carbon goals. However, academics have been researching how to encourage enterprises in resource-based cities to take the initiative to implement green innovations. In contrast, we construct a configurational framework based on organizational ecology theory and propose that corporate green innovation does not depend on a single condition, but on the interaction of spatial agglomeration, digital economy, and institutional environment. We identify and explore six conditions that influence corporate green innovation in this study based on a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of firms in resource-based cities. We show that high-level corporate green innovation can be achieved through different combinations of antecedent conditions. There is also a clear influence of synergy between spatial agglomeration, digital economy, and institutional environment, which can jointly promote corporate green innovation. This study provides a more systematic explanation of how companies can raise their levels of green innovation, as well as valuable insights for companies seeking to improve their green innovation awareness proactively.