Driving business sustainability through leadership, knowledge, and commitment: the mediating role of innovation culture in an emerging economy

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Ristiaji Ari Wibowo, Dewie Tri Wijayati Wardoyo, Dian Anita Nuswantara, Lilis Puspitawati

2026 Cogent Business and Management Vol. 13 Issue 1 Article Cited by 0 SDG 9SDG 17 Quartile

Abstract

This study addresses the fragmented understanding of how internal organisational capabilities jointly drive business sustainability, particularly in knowledge-intensive firms within emerging economies. While prior research has examined leadership, knowledge management, and organisational commitment in isolation, limited attention has been given to their integrated effects and the underlying mechanisms linking them to sustainable performance. This study investigates the direct and indirect relationships among visionary leadership, knowledge management, and organisational commitment, with innovation culture as a mediating construct, in telecommunication consulting firms in Indonesia. A cross-sectional survey of 360 managerial and professional employees was used; the data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that all three antecedents significantly influence business sustainability, both directly and indirectly through innovation culture, which acts as a partial mediator. The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power, highlighting the central role of innovation-oriented culture in translating organisational capabilities into sustainable outcomes. Theoretically, this study advances the integration of the resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities perspective to explain sustainability in emerging-market contexts. In practice, it provides sector-specific insights to strengthen internal capabilities, enhancing long-term organisational resilience and competitiveness. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Affiliations

Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Accounting Study Programme, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Komputer Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia

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