The Formation Mechanism of Corporate Sustainable Innovation Capability: An Integrated Theoretical Framework Based on Dynamic Capabilities and ESG Orientation

摘要

Under the background of carbon neutrality and sustainable development, firms need to transform ESG orientation into substantive sustainable innovation capability. Drawing on institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and dynamic capabilities theory, this study develops an integrated framework linking ESG orientation, dynamic capability microfoundations, and sustainable innovation capability. It argues that ESG orientation does not automatically generate sustainable innovation outcomes; rather, its effect depends on firms’sensing,seizing,and reconfiguring capabilities. Institutional pressure is further proposed as a boundary condition influencing this transformation process. The study provides a theoretical explanation for how firms can move beyond symbolic ESG disclosure and build sustainable product and process innovation capabilities, offering a foundation for future empirical research using panel data or structural equation modeling.