Innovating for Sustainability: The Role of Knowledge Management in Driving Performance in the Spanish Wine Industry

Abstract

This study examines how Knowledge Management (KM)—encompassing the acquisition, transfer, and application of knowledge—affects Sustainable Performance (SP) in the Spanish wine industry. Specifically, it investigates the mediating role of Green Innovation (GI) and the moderating role of Collaborative Culture (CC) in this relationship. A conceptual model, grounded in prior research, is tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 202 Spanish wineries. The findings reveal a positive relationship between KM and SP, with GI acting as a mediator and CC enhancing the KM-SP connection. This research is original in two respects: it is the first to explore the KM-SP relationship within the wine sector and the first to incorporate CC as a moderating variable in this context, providing new insights into the dynamics of knowledge, innovation, and sustainability in wineries.