Hope for Success as a Source of Eco-Innovation: The Psychological Foundations of Green Technologies in the Approach of Prof. Marcin Staniewski
Purpose: The aim of this article is to reconstruct and theoretically model the psychological determinants of eco-innovation, understood as the ability of economic entities to initiate and sustain environmental innovation in conditions of uncertainty. The article aims to demonstrate that the development of green technologies is conditioned by a specific configuration of psychological determinants – hope for success, a sense of agency and long-term orientation – reconstructed on the basis of the scientific achievements of Prof. Marcin Staniewski in the field of psychology of success and entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: The study is theoretical and empirical in nature and is based on the integration of economic psychology, behavioural economics and the economics of innovation. A critical review of the literature, hermeneutic analysis of psychological and economic concepts, and conceptual modelling of the relationship between hope for success and eco-innovation were used. The proposed model was operationalised and designed for empirical verification using quantitative research and structural equation modelling. Findings: The analysis indicates that eco-innovation is based on extended rationality, in which technological and regulatory factors are structurally linked to psychological mechanisms. Hope for success enables maintaining a focus on environmental goals in conditions of high risk and uncertainty, a sense of agency mediates the translation of motivation into real innovative actions, while a long-term orientation stabilises commitment to green technologies despite delayed economic and environmental effects. Practical implications: The results of the study provide guidance for managers, innovators and public decision-makers, emphasising the importance of strengthening psychological competencies, a sense of agency and stable institutional frameworks conducive to long-term investment in green technologies. Effective support for eco-innovation requires not only financial and regulatory instruments, but also measures aimed at sustaining hope and a sense of purpose. Originality/value: The article makes an original theoretical contribution by systematically applying Prof. Marcin Staniewski's concept of hope for success to the analysis of eco-innovation. It expands the literature on environmental innovation by proposing a psychological model explaining the differences in the ability of economic entities to undertake and maintain innovative activities in the process of environmental transformation.