Human Agency Drivers for Eco‐Innovation: The Role of Environmental Entrepreneurship Orientation and Green Human Resource Management

ABSTRACT This study examines how human agency drives eco‐innovation by analyzing the mediating role of green human resource management (HRM) in the relationship between environmental entrepreneurship orientation (EEO) and eco‐innovation. By integrating resource orchestration theory with the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) framework, the study explains how strategic orientation and HRM practices interact to transform environmental commitment into innovation outcomes. Using data from two surveys in Spain's agri‐food and ceramic industries—contexts characterized by high environmental intensity and regulatory pressure—we apply partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. The results show that EEO positively influences green HRM, which in turn enhances eco‐innovation, thereby confirming a partial mediating effect. These findings indicate that eco‐innovation arises from the alignment between top‐down entrepreneurial orientation and bottom‐up HRM systems that mobilize human capital toward environmental goals. Overall, the study advances understanding of how strategic and organizational drivers jointly foster eco‐innovation and provides actionable guidance for managers pursuing sustainability‐driven innovation.