Over the last decade, sustainability has evolved from a peripheral corporate concern into a central strategic priority for organizations worldwide. Increasing environmental challenges, social expectations and regulatory pressures have compelled organizations to integrate sustainability principles into their business models and daily operations. At the same time, organizations face growing demands for innovation in order to remain competitive, improve efficiency and respond effectively to rapidly changing market conditions. Consequently, understanding how sustainability-related attitudes and practices influence innovation has become an important area of academic and managerial interest.

Innovation is increasingly recognized as a critical capability that enables organizations to create value while addressing environmental and social challenges. However, organizational innovation is ultimately driven by employees through their willingness to generate, promote and implement new ideas. This behavior, commonly referred to as Innovative Work Behavior (IWB), plays a fundamental role in organizational adaptability and long-term success. Previous studies have demonstrated that innovative behavior is influenced not only by individual characteristics such as creativity, motivation and personal values, but also by organizational factors including leadership, culture and support mechanisms.

Within this context, sustainability orientation has emerged as a potentially important driver of innovative behavior. Sustainability orientation can be examined from two complementary perspectives. At the individual level, it reflects employees' personal values, environmental awareness, and commitment to sustainable development. At the organizational level, sustainability orientation refers to the extent to which organizations incorporate environmental and social responsibility into their strategies, policies and operational practices. Existing literature suggests that both dimensions may contribute to innovation by encouraging employees to identify opportunities for improvement, reduce waste and develop creative solutions that support sustainable objectives. Despite the growing body of literature examining sustainability and innovation, relatively limited attention has been devoted to the perceived alignment between employees' sustainability values and the sustainability orientation of their organizations. Furthermore, empirical evidence from the Greek organizational context remains scarce.

Greece represents an interesting research setting because organizations are increasingly facing pressures related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, digital transformation and sustainable business practices. At the same time, many Greek organizations continue to operate within relatively hierarchical structures and face resource constraints compared with larger European economies. Understanding how sustainability orientation influences innovative work behavior in this context may therefore provide valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners.

Despite growing interest in sustainability and innovation, research findings remain fragmented. Some studies argue that sustainability-oriented leadership and organizational practices stimulate employee innovation, while others suggest that sustainability initiatives alone are insufficient to generate innovative behavior without adequate organizational support and individual capabilities. Furthermore, relatively little attention has been given to the alignment between employees’ personal sustainability values and the sustainability practices adopted by their organizations. When employees perceive a mismatch between these two dimensions, a “sustainability gap” may emerge, potentially reducing motivation, engagement and innovative contributions.

The present study seeks to address this gap in the literature by examining the relationship between sustainability orientation and innovative work behavior within the Greek organizational context. More specifically, the study investigates the effects of individual sustainability orientation, corporate sustainability orientation, organizational support and the perceived sustainability gap on employees’ innovative behavior. By focusing on employees working across various industries and sectors in Greece, the research provides evidence from a context that remains relatively underexplored in sustainability and innovation studies. The study addresses the following research questions:

1. Does individual sustainability orientation influence innovative work behavior?
2. Does corporate sustainability orientation influence innovative work behavior?
3. Does a sustainability gap reduce innovative work behavior?
4. Does organizational support strengthen innovative behavior?

Drawing upon Social Exchange Theory and the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, this thesis proposes that employees are more likely to engage in innovative work behavior when they perceive strong support for sustainability both personally and organizationally. Furthermore, the study argues that organizational support may strengthen innovation outcomes, while misalignment between employee values and organizational sustainability practices may hinder innovative efforts.

This study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, it examines sustainability orientation and innovation within the under-researched Greek context. Second, it simultaneously considers individual and organizational sustainability dimensions. Third, it introduces the sustainability gap as a factor potentially influencing innovative work behavior. The findings of this research are expected to contribute both theoretically and practically. From a theoretical perspective, the study expands current understanding of how sustainability-related factors influence employee innovation. From a managerial perspective, the results may help organizations design sustainability initiatives and support mechanisms that foster greater employee engagement and innovative behavior. Ultimately, understanding the relationship between sustainability orientation and innovation can assist organizations in achieving both competitive advantage and long-term sustainable development.