Circular economy practices, green innovation and financial performance: The moderating role of big data analytics

Abstract

Environmental pollution and resource degradation have prompted researchers and policymakers to seek solutions. Circular economy practices (CEP) can help enterprises reduce emissions into the environment and move towards sustainable development. CEP has been studied widely in developed countries but less studied in developing countries due to the limited application of CEP in enterprises and the limitation of data. This paper aims to analyse the effect of CEP on financial performance, including revenue, profit and ROA. We also analyse the mediating role of green innovation and the moderating role of big data analytics in the relationship between CEP and financial performance. The natural resource based view (NRBV) theory is used to explain the relationship between variables and establish research hypotheses. We collected data from 413 Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises and used the regression method to test the research hypotheses. The results show that CEP positively impacts financial performance through the mediating role of green innovation. Besides, big data analytics also positively impacts the relationship between CEP and green innovation. In addition to the main results above, digital transformation positively impacts financial performance, but quality management practices do not affect financial performance. The research results are empirical evidence for enterprises considering implementing CEP to move towards sustainable development.