Multinational subsidiaries and green innovation

We address the questions of whether multinational (MNC) subsidiaries are more likely to introduce green innovation (GI) than domestic firms and how intra-MNC resources are likely contribute to this effort. Using the Community Innovation Survey for 14 European countries and adopting a knowledge-based view of the MNC, our results suggest that subsidiaries have an advantage of foreignness in GI as respect to domestic firms, especially when they have an innovation mandate (i.e., competence-creating subsidiaries). Our findings also support that intra-MNC and extra-MNC cooperation for innovation increases subsidiary probability to introduce GIs, the two being substitutes. • Subsidiaries are more likely than domestic firms to green innovate. • This is especially the case for competence creating (vs exploiting) subsidiaries. • Intra-MNC cooperation and extra-MNC cooperation drives higher GI propensity. • The two networks are substitute.