Innovation is a key element for companies that aim to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. Recently, a great number of academics and practitioners have focused on the role of cultural values to provide further incentives to firms to invest more in innovation that will give them a market edge. The purpose of this paper is to provide further insights into the relationship between cultural values and innovation. Primary data were collected from top managers in medium- and large-sized enterprises to determine how cultural values affect four types of technological innovation. The results indicate that two cultural values have a significant influence on firms’ innovative practices. Collectivism and uncertainty avoidance have a significant negative impact on radical, process and product innovation. Thus, we argue that managers who emphasize their personal ambitions and are comfortable with ambiguity are more likely to achieve innovation in their organization.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the influence of cultural values on perceptions of corporate sustainable development (CSD). In recent years, the intensity of the connection between cultural values and SD has been a heavily debated topic. Subsequently, this issue has gained considerable attention from management academics. Design/methodology/approach: To shed light on this phenomenon, this study uses econometric techniques (linear regression) and conducts a survey of business executives in medium and large firms to search for evidence that cultural values significantly affect perceptions of CSD. Findings: The findings indicate that forward-looking executives who envision themselves as individuals rather than members of a group exhibit more positive perceptions of CSD practices than the rest. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical assessment of cultural values on the perceptions of the three aspects (economic, social and environmental) of CSD.

In recent decades, sustainability reporting has received increasing business and academic attention. However, the management literature is limited regarding recent trends in the issues disclosed in these reports. In this era of multiple socio-economic crises (e.g., the global energy crisis, the Russo–Ukrainian war, and the COVID-19 pandemic), large companies have an even greater responsibility to the communities in which they operate. Given the above, the aim of this study was to examine recent sustainability reports and identify issues related to community impact. Specifically, the sustainability reports of S&P500 companies were analyzed using the Structural Topic Model in R. The results showed that the most common topics in sustainability disclosures related to community impact were “donations” and “STEM education”. Although “donations” as a topic was expected, “STEM education” emerged to highlight the importance of technology in today’s business world. These findings have important managerial and theoretical implications for sustainability reporting.

In response to the increasing demand for environmentally friendly products and the parallel rise of deceptive green marketing practices, this study examines the impact of greenwashing awareness and green perceived benefits on consumers’ propensity to purchase green products, with a focus on the mediating role of green consumer confusion. Drawing upon data collected from 300 consumers in Greece through an online questionnaire, this study employed validated measurement scales and used multiple regression analyses to test its hypotheses. The findings reveal that both greenwashing awareness and green perceived benefits positively influence green purchase propensity. Additionally, green consumer confusion mediates the relationship between greenwashing awareness and green purchase propensity, indicating that the awareness of greenwashing reduces confusion and enhances consumers’ likelihood to choose genuinely green products. This study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated model that connects greenwashing awareness, green consumer confusion, and green perceived benefits in shaping green purchase propensity. Finally, the findings offer valuable insights for organizations to design clearer, more trustworthy green marketing strategies that minimize consumer confusion and foster informed green purchasing decisions.