An Empirical Study on Green Innovation Efficiency in the Green Institutional Environment

Yang Gao, Sang-Bing Tsai, Xingqun Xue, Tingzhen Ren, Xiaomin Du, Quan Chen and Jiangtao Wang
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Yang Gao: School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
Sang-Bing Tsai: School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
Xingqun Xue: School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
Tingzhen Ren: School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
Xiaomin Du: Department of Economic Management, Yingkou Institute of Technology, Yingkou 115014, China
Quan Chen: Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528400, China
Jiangtao Wang: Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Zhongshan 528400, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Previous studies have found that reverse technology spillover effects can promote industrial technology modernization in developing countries. However, it is still unknown whether reverse technology spillover effects can improve green innovation efficiency in developing countries. In particular, institutional uncertainties characteristic of transition economies have a significant impact on industrial modernization. Therefore, researching the impact of the institutional environment on the relationship between reverse technology spillover effects and green innovation efficiency is of great significance. In this paper, we use data from G20 countries as well as China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) data to measure the effects of reverse technology spillovers and adopt the threshold effect model to explore the relationship between reverse technology spillover effects and green innovation efficiency as well as the influence of the institutional environment on this relationship, based on China’s provincial panel data from 2003 to 2015. The empirical results show that the reverse technology spillover effects can effectively improve green innovation efficiency. There is a threshold for the influence of the institutional environment on the relationship between reverse technology spillover effects and green innovation efficiency. When the institutional development level surpasses the threshold value, an acceleration effect is generated. In addition, we find that the legal system is the key bottleneck in terms of improving green innovation efficiency. How to improve and perfect the path of institutional construction in China and how to enable institutions to gain threshold speed-up effects have become the major problems the Chinese government faces in institutional construction. The research results of this paper offer a reference to developing countries in regard to improving their institutions and enhancing their green innovation efficiency.

Keywords: institutional environment; sustainability; green innovation efficiency; green institutional environment; green innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

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