Xiangxiang Lang, Ci Fang, Wen Li, Zhangchi Wang, Wenjie Cai
This paper explores how behavioral priors from entrepreneurial experience influence CEOs’ attitudes toward corporate green innovation. Drawing on imprinting theory and upper echelons theory and using a sample of Chinese manufacturing firms, we find that CEOs with entrepreneurial experience tend to underinvest in green innovation, favoring familiar, non-environmental initiatives. Further analysis shows that external pressures, such as media tone and regulatory stringency, moderate this effect, highlighting the role of external framing in correcting managerial heuristics. Our findings contribute to understanding how experience-induced cognitive biases shape strategic innovation decisions.