Sustainable product attributes and firm performance: The moderating role of marketing resource intensity

This paper aims to study the performance implications of sustainable product attributes (SPA) of US manufacturing firms. Specifically, it analyzes the influence of aggregate and disaggregated SPA on firm profitability. The study further explores the moderating influence of marketing resource intensity on aggregate and disaggregated SPA and firm profitability relationships. The fixed-effect regression analysis of 433 US manufacturing firms’ panel dataset reveals that aggregate and disaggregated SPA positively influence the firm profitability. The moderation analysis also confirms the positive influence of marketing resource intensity on aggregate and disaggregated SPA and firm profitability relationship. The current paper contributes to the triple-bottom-line and theory-of-the-firm literature streams by empirically studying the influence of aggregate and disaggregated SPA on firm profitability. Furthermore, this study uses the resource-based view to complement theory-of-the-firm model of SPA and empirically study the moderating role of marketing resource intensity between aggregate and disaggregated SPA and firm profitability. Finally, the findings inform the managers of the increased firm profitability by aggregate and disaggregated SPA, and the pivotal role of marketing resource intensity in strengthening the positive influence of aggregate and disaggregated SPA on US manufacturing firms’ profitability.