Green innovation practices and consumer resistance to green innovation products: Moderating role of environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior

“Green innovation” and “green products” are buzzwords in the current era. However, consumers habitually resist innovative appliances that differ from the conventional ones. This study investigates the influence of green innovation practices on consumer resistance to green innovation products and the moderating influence of environmental awareness and pro-environmental behaviors based on the diffusion of innovation and expectation theories. A cross-sectional online survey of 750 SME employees revealed numerous significant causal associations between green innovation practices and consumer resistance to green product innovation. Additionally, the moderating effect of environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior was assessed. The results supported the predicted moderating relationships. This study contributes to the body of knowledge for green product manufacturers worldwide and provides key insights to the SMEs. This study also has several theoretical and practical implications as well as the future research prospects.