Data_Sheet_1_Driving frugal innovation in SMEs: how sustainable leadership, knowledge sources and information credibility make a difference.docx

This study investigates the driving factors behind frugal innovation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). It specifically examines sustainable leadership as an independent variable, considering its impact on frugal innovation, with sources of knowledge mediating this relationship and information credibility moderating the effects. Employing a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, data were gathered from 325 employees of SMEs in Pakistan. This methodology was chosen for its ability to handle complex relationships between multiple variables simultaneously, offering robust insights into the interplay among sustainable leadership, sources of knowledge, information credibility, and frugal innovation. The results reveal significant associations between sustainable leadership, sources of knowledge, information credibility, and frugal innovation. Sustainable leadership demonstrates a substantial influence on both sources of knowledge and frugal innovation. Furthermore, sources of knowledge play a vital role in mediating the relationship between sustainable leadership and frugal innovation. Information credibility emerges as a significant moderator, affecting the pathways between sustainable leadership, sources of knowledge, and frugal innovation. The findings underscore the importance of sustainable leadership and credible information sources in driving frugal innovation within SMEs. They highlight the intricate interdependencies among these variables and emphasize the pivotal role of information credibility in shaping these dynamics. These results carry significant implications for SMEs in Pakistan, shedding light on the mechanisms through which sustainable leadership and reliable knowledge sources can stimulate frugal innovation in emerging economies.

本研究探讨了中小企业（Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, SMEs）的节俭式创新驱动因素。本研究以可持续型领导作为自变量，考察其对节俭式创新的影响，同时将知识来源设为该关系的中介变量，信息可信度作为该影响的调节变量。本研究采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型（Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, 简称PLS-SEM）方法，收集了巴基斯坦境内325名中小企业员工的调研数据。选择该研究方法的原因在于其可同时处理多变量间的复杂关联，能够为剖析可持续型领导、知识来源、信息可信度与节俭式创新之间的相互作用机制提供稳健的分析视角。研究结果显示，可持续型领导、知识来源、信息可信度与节俭式创新之间存在显著关联。可持续型领导对知识来源与节俭式创新均具有显著影响。进一步而言，知识来源在可持续型领导与节俭式创新的关系中发挥了关键的中介作用。信息可信度作为显著的调节变量，会影响可持续型领导、知识来源与节俭式创新之间的作用路径。本研究结果凸显了可持续型领导与可信信息来源在推动中小企业节俭式创新中的重要性，揭示了上述变量间复杂的相互依存关系，并强调了信息可信度在塑造这些作用机制中的关键地位。上述研究结果对巴基斯坦的中小企业具有重要的实践启示，阐明了在新兴经济体中，可持续型领导与可靠知识来源可通过何种机制激发节俭式创新。