Developing Green Innovations in the Wine Industry: An Applied Analysis

Winemaking is an ancestral activity characterized by its strong roots in the culture, heritage, and people of the producing regions. In addition to providing important health benefits, wine is a product that is widely accepted by society. However, the socioeconomic context is evolving at a rapid pace, and new requirements and needs are forcing companies to innovate in order to remain competitive in the markets, especially in terms of sustainability. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between green transformational leadership and green innovation, as well as the mediating effect of green motivation and green creativity in this relationship. Data were obtained from a sample of 196 Spanish companies belonging to the wine industry and, as a method of analysis, was used partial least squares structural equation modeling PLS-SEM. The results show a positive and significant relationship between green transformational leadership and green innovation in wine companies. Furthermore, green motivation and green creativity exert a mediating effect in this relationship. It is concluded that the managers of wine companies should encourage employee motivation and creativity, especially in ecological terms, by creating an environment conducive to the development of environmentally friendly innovations.