Research on the Influence of Confucian Management on Corporate Green Innovation

With the increasingly prominent ecological environment and resource problems in recent years, sustainable development has become a global topic. As the main and direct producer of these issues, enterprises need to implement green innovation. In the past, scholars have explored the influencing factors of corporate green innovation from different perspectives. This paper will start from the perspective of the informal system of traditional Chinese Confucian management thought, and study the role of key ideas such as “benevolence”, “righteousness” and “harmony between nature and man” in corporate green innovation in China. Based on the sample data of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2022, the empirical findings show that Confucian management has a positive promoting effect on corporate green innovation. By introducing moderating variables, it is found that regional cultural diversity can promote the influence of Confucian management on corporate green innovation, while regional social trust inhibits it. Heterogeneity analysis shows that enterprises in non-heavy polluting industries are more influenced by Confucian management in green innovation. This research not only provides the necessary theoretical basis for the practical application of Chinese traditional culture, but also provides guidance for the industry to promote the corporate green innovation.