Green Marketing, Organizational Culture and SME Performance: A Critical Review

Abstract

The imperative for sustainable business practices has positioned green marketing as a strategic necessity rather than a peripheral ethical choice. However, the translation of green marketing initiatives into tangible Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) performance remains complex and context-dependent. This critical review synthesizes contemporary literature to examine the nexus between green marketing—conceptualized through the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) framework—organizational culture, and SME performance. Moving beyond descriptive accounts, this paper critically evaluates the theoretical underpinnings of the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), highlighting the persistent "attitude-behavior gap" in green consumption and production. A central contribution of this review is the conceptualization of Green Organizational Culture (GOC) as a vital mediating mechanism that bridges the gap between green knowledge, strategic intent, and actualized sustainable performance. By contrasting empirical findings across developed and emerging economies, this paper exposes significant methodological limitations, notably the overreliance on cross-sectional, self-reported data, and contextual biases that marginalize emerging markets like Oman and the broader GCC region. The review culminates in a robust future research agenda, advocating for longitudinal designs, mixed-methods approaches, and the integration of digitalization into green marketing paradigms. Ultimately, this manuscript provides a foundational roadmap for scholars and practitioners aiming to leverage organizational culture to actualize green marketing potential in resource-constrained SME environments.

Keywords: Green Marketing; Organizational Culture; SME Performance; Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP); Sustainable Development.