Introduction: Amid global ecological crises and China’s “dual-carbon” goals, green innovation has emerged as a crucial strategy for sustainable development. However, the phenomenon of “green innovation bubbles”—where innovation input and actual environmental output are misaligned—raises concerns about the effectiveness of such efforts. This study explores how corporate strategic alliances influence the formation of green innovation bubbles and examines the moderating role of new-quality productivity.Methods: Drawing on resource dependence theory and signaling theory, we constructed a panel dataset of 2,346 Chinese A-share listed companies from 2015 to 2022. We developed a Green Patent Bubble Index (GPBI) based on green patent growth, citation frequency, and structural quality. Regression analyses were conducted to assess the direct, moderating, and mediating effects of strategic alliances, new-quality productivity, information asymmetry, and policy resource acquisition.Results: Findings indicate that strategic alliances significantly contribute to green innovation bubbles. Horizontal and diversification alliances amplify this effect, whereas vertical alliances mitigate it. New-quality productivity negatively moderates the alliance-bubble relationship, meaning firms with stronger innovation capacities are less prone to bubbles. Information asymmetry and policy resource acquisition both serve as significant mediators in this process. The bubble effect is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises and in regions with weaker environmental regulations.Discussion: These findings reveal the dual nature of strategic alliances—serving both substantive and symbolic purposes—and highlight the risks of misallocated innovation under policy-driven incentives. The results underscore the importance of firm-level absorptive capacity and regulatory strength in curbing superficial green innovation. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and investors seeking to promote authentic and effective green innovation aligned with environmental and public health objectives.

Introduction: In the digital era, Generation Z employees are increasingly influenced by social media driven peer norms. While traditional turnover models focus largely on internal organizational factors, the impact of external digital psychosocial stressors on employee retention remains largely overlooked. Drawing on social comparison theory, this study investigates the relationship between social expectation pressure and turnover intention, with upward social comparison acting as a mediating mechanism. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 542 Generation Z employees working in Chinese e-commerce firms. Validated scales were used to measure social expectation pressure, upward social comparison, and turnover intention. Hierarchical regression, confirmatory factor analysis, Bootstrapping via PROCESS macro, and robustness checks including propensity score matching and multi-group analysis were employed. Results: Social expectation pressure showed a significant positive association with turnover intention ( β = 0.324, p < 0.001). Upward social comparison partially mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.178, 95% CI = [0.111, 0.247]), accounting for 55.6% of the total effect. These statistical relationships remained consistent across different organizational contexts. Discussion: The study broadens turnover research by introducing social expectation pressure as a relevant external psychosocial factor and confirms the mediating role of upward social comparison in the digital workplace. The findings offer theoretical and practical insights for understanding employee withdrawal behavior in social media saturated environments. Furthermore, they underscore the need for organizations to recognize and manage the social and psychological dynamics that shape the career decisions of Generation Z employees, conceptualizing turnover intention as a key manifestation of these broader career choices.