Environmental Management Capabilities Research Articles

The Impact of Environmental Management Capabilities on the Economic Value Added of Industrial Enterprises—Empirical Evidence from China

The Impact of Environmental Management Capabilities on the Economic Value Added of Industrial Enterprises—Empirical Evidence from China

The impact of industrial robot adoption on corporate green innovation in China

Green innovation plays a crucial role in transforming economic models and achieving sustainable development in enterprises. As an important embodiment of artificial intelligence technology, how industrial robots can effectively promote the green transformation of enterprises has become an important issue. This paper examines the impact and mechanisms of industrial robot adoption on corporate green innovation, as well as its heterogeneous effects. Using data from Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2019, we find that industrial robot adoption has a significant positive impact on corporate green innovation, enhancing both its quantity and quality. Furthermore, our mechanism study reveals that industrial robot adoption can promote corporate green innovation by improving productivity and environmental management capabilities. Additionally, we investigate the moderating effects of various factors and conclude that the positive impact of industrial robot adoption on green innovation is more pronounced among the state-owned enterprises, enterprises with the intense market competition, as well as enterprises located in regions with higher carbon emissions intensity. This paper contributes to enrich the research on industrial robots and corporate green innovation, and provides a reference to improve environmental management and achieve a low-carbon economy in emerging markets.

Self-healable stretchable printed electronic cryogels for in-vivo plant monitoring

A key challenge in bioelectronics is to establish and improve the interface between electronic devices and living tissues, enabling a direct assessment of biological systems. Sensors integrated with plant tissue can provide valuable information about the plant itself as well as the surrounding environment, including air and soil quality. An obstacle in developing interfaces to plant tissue is mitigating the formation of fibrotic tissues, which can hinder continuous and accurate sensor operation over extended timeframes. Electronic systems that utilize suitable biocompatible materials alongside appropriate fabrication techniques to establish plant-electronic interfaces could provide for enhanced environmental understanding and ecosystem management capabilities. To meet these demands, this study introduces an approach for integrating printed electronic materials with biocompatible cryogels, resulting in stable implantable hydrogel-based bioelectronic devices capable of long-term operation within plant tissue. These inkjet-printed cryogels can be customized to provide various electronic functionalities, including electrodes and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), that exhibit high electrical conductivity for embedded conducting polymer traces (up to 350 S/cm), transconductance for OECTs in the mS range, a capacitance of up to 4.2 mF g−1 in suitable structures, high stretchability (up to 330% strain), and self-healing properties. The biocompatible functionalized cryogel-based electrodes and transistors were successfully implanted in plant tissue, and ionic activity in tomato plant stems was collected for over two months with minimal scar tissue formation, making these cryogel-based printed electronic devices excellent candidates for continuous, in-situ monitoring of plant and environmental status and health.

Dynamic Capabilities, Environmental Management Capabilities, Stakeholder Pressure and Eco-Innovation of Chinese Manufacturing Firms: A Moderated Mediation Model

Growing social and academic concerns toward environmental sustainability are constantly driving attention toward eco-innovation as an effective solution to environmental problems. Extant studies on drivers of eco-innovation have not fully investigated the interaction mechanisms between different factors. Drawing upon the resource-based view, stakeholder theory, and environmental literature, this paper aims to explore the mechanisms of how firm capabilities and perceived stakeholder pressure interact to facilitate eco-innovation. Based on survey data collected from 169 Chinese manufacturing firms, the results of regression analysis based on bootstrap resampling method show that environmental management system (EMS) completely mediates the relationship between dynamic capabilities (including absorptive capability and reconfiguring capability) and eco-innovation (including eco-process and eco-product innovation). Furthermore, the relationship between absorptive/reconfiguring capabilities and EMS, as well as the direct and indirect relationship between absorptive capability and eco-process innovation, is contingent upon stakeholder pressure. The direct and indirect effects become stronger when managers perceive higher stakeholder pressure. This paper contributes to answering why firms undertake environmental activities beyond compliance through specifying the interaction between firm capabilities and stakeholder pressure.

The Analysis of Environmental Cost Control of Manufacturing Enterprises Using Deep Learning Optimization Algorithm and Internet of Things

Under the background of the Internet of things (IoT), the problems between the actual production and the environment are also prominent. The environmental cost control in the production process of manufacturing enterprises are discussed to reduce the environmental cost and promote the improvement of production efficiency. First, the environmental cost under the background of IoT is analyzed. Also, the environmental cost control methods in the production process of traditional manufacturing enterprises are investigated. Second, based on the principle of traditional genetic algorithm, the fast-nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) of multiobjective genetic algorithm is introduced to complete the optimization of BP neural network (BPNN) algorithm in deep learning (DL), and the multiobjective GA optimization BPNN model is established. Finally, the multiobjective GA algorithm is used to empirically analyze the environmental cost control capability of a paper-making enterprise. It is compared with enterprises with excellent and poor environmental cost control capabilities in the same industry to find out secondary indexes. The results show that environmental costs have long-term and economic characteristics. The global search ability of BPNN optimized by multiobjective GA is improved, and the local optimal dilemma is avoided. Through empirical analysis, it is found that the comprehensive capability of the environmental cost control of the enterprise is better, scored 79 or more, and the indexes of insufficient development and advantages are obtained. As IoT rapidly develops, it is necessary to further improve the ability of enterprises in environmental cost management, which is very important to promote the development of enterprises and enhance their core competitiveness. It is hoped that this investigation can provide certain reference significance for improving the environmental cost management capability of enterprises, increasing production efficiency, and reducing environmental costs.

Management Cost Management and Resource Optimization of Construction Enterprises Based on Ecological Environment Constraints.

In recent years, with the proposal of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, the domestic economy and its development have entered a new normal, which has promoted the determination and connection of the development strategies of various countries. It has brought new opportunities for the development of domestic enterprises. In this context, it has become a trend for Chinese enterprises to go international, especially in the construction industry; due to the good potential of the “Belt and Road” initiative, it is necessary to change and update from the traditional construction industry to modern construction industry. Therefore, how to promote the coordinated development of the construction company's resource management system, meet the needs of the company's own development, and adapt to the goals of internationalization and modern management have become a problem that people are very concerned about. The current domestic environmental situation is improving in part, but it is deteriorating in general. The harm caused by environmental pollution and damage is becoming more and more obvious. The construction industry is one of the national pillar industries, and it is also an industry with high energy consumption and high pollution. Based on this, this study first introduces construction enterprise management and resource optimization methods and integrates ecological environmental protection into enterprise operating cost management. Second, it establishes an enterprise-centric resource allocation model and optimization algorithm. An empirical study was carried out on the ecological management capabilities of three construction enterprises of different sizes, namely, Industrial Group, Group A, and Construction Enterprise B, and concluded that the overall level of environmental competitiveness of construction enterprises in my country is not high, among the environmental management and construction capabilities of enterprises. The standardization ability of ecological engineering construction is relatively weak, resulting in poor overall profitability of the enterprise, and the number of green suppliers does not meet the needs of ecological development. However, under the constraints of the ecological environment, construction enterprises compete with each other to control operating costs and at the same time affect the environment. At the same time, the allocation of resources by enterprises is also more conducive to the development of ecological civilization in the industry.

Managing a portfolio of environmental projects: Focus, balance, and environmental management capabilities

AbstractThis research examines the influence of a firm's portfolio of environmental projects on its ability to efficiently improve environmental outcomes. The data comes from Chinese automotive suppliers of a western manufacturer and consists of 154 environmental project portfolios that contain 614 environmental improvement projects as well as firm‐level data from Dun & Bradstreet. A data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to estimate the firms' efficiency in transforming resources into environmental outcomes. Then an econometric analysis evaluates the impact of the portfolio effect (i.e., environmental project portfolio composition) on the firm's efficiency in improving the environment. The empirical results show that when firms reduce the heterogeneity in the types of environmental projects in their portfolios (i.e., a more focused portfolio), they can more efficiently improve environmental outcomes. However, firms may want to introduce diversity in the types of environmental projects in their portfolio (i.e., reducing the focus).The analysis shows that more environmentally capable firms can increase the diversity of the projects in their portfolios without negatively impacting outcomes. In addition, firms can better manage diversity in their portfolios when they balance socially oriented projects with technically oriented projects. This study contributes to the theory of project portfolio roles in improving environmental outcomes and offers several novel insights for project portfolio managers working to improve environmental outcomes with limited resources.

Empirical Evaluation of the Environmental Emergency Management Capability of Local Governments in China

Environmental emergency management is an important practical subject for local governments. Understanding the different dimensions of environmental emergency management capability is crucial for enabling a well-informed governance performance. Based on the crisis management 4R theory (comprising four stages: reduction, readiness, response and recovery), PPRR emergency management theory (emergency management is categorized into four stages: prevention, preparation, response and recovery), crisis life cycle theory and ISO 22320, this paper divided local government environmental emergency management capability into four dimensions of a dynamic pre–during–post process: preparedness, early warning, response and recovery. This paper applied a confirmatory factor analysis model to confirm the classification standards of the four capabilities, which are strongly correlated within environmental emergency management. We found that China’s local government environmental emergency management capability is generally at an upper-middle level, according to the empirical data. We also analyzed the regional differences in local government environmental emergency management capability across China and concluded that the environmental emergency management capability of local governments in the eastern region is higher than those in other regions. The capability levels in the central, western and northeastern regions are more similar to each other and show a decreasing distribution in the east–central–west–northeast region.

Design and Development of an Eco-Innovation Management Information System to Accelerate Firms’ Digital Transformation Strategy

It is vital for firms to measure, and, report on, the impact of eco-innovation towards their environmental performance. Additive Manufacturing is an eco-innovation that contributes towards reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing. However, there is a lack of practical tools for management to monitor and report on firms’ eco-innovation implementation and performance. This paper presents a prototype Eco-innovation Management Information System (EiMIS), developed to enable a firm’s management to systematically manage and report on eco-innovation performance. Using a top-down approach, the EiMIS is developed through utilizing the C# and SQL programming languages for the Graphical User Interface (GUI), Database Management System (DBMS) and other technologies to collect, store (into a relational database) and manage eco-innovation performance data. A 4-tier architecture enables the EiMIS to: store, view and retrieve or generate eco-innovation performance reports; and generally, manage firms’ eco-innovation performance data. This developed prototype could, help introduce information system platforms that: assist firms to collect data that can model their additive manufacturing; ease firms’ eco-innovation performance reporting; improve environmental data management capabilities; and complement firms’ digital transformation strategy.

Conceptual framework for integrating environmental sustainability into supplier selection in procurement decisions

Theories are used to improve conceptualization of research ideas. These theories enhance valuable elucidations that helps us to grasp the meaning of research findings. Nevertheless, the use of theories to promote studies in green supplier selection in procurement decisions has attracted little attention. With the emergence of sustainable procurement, public procurement practitioners in Ghana are yet to achieve relevant knowledge on green supplier selections due to insufficient knowledge and inadequate appropriate frameworks. The flagrancy of the consequences of public procurers’ failure to integrate environmental considerations into supplier selection explains the adoption of a multi-theory approach for comprehension of the dynamics of green integration into supplier selection. In this paper, the practicality of three theories for improving the understanding of the influential factors enhancing the integration of environmental sustainability into supplier selection was reviewed. The three theories are: Resource Based Theory, Human Capital Theory and Absorptive Capacity Theory. This review uncovered knowledge management, top management commitment, and environmental management capabilities as important elements needed for the integration of environmental sustainability into supplier selection in public procurement. The theoretical review yielded a framework that conceptualizes knowledge and capabilities of practitioners relevant to incorporation of environmental sustainability into supplier selection in public procurement.

An Integrated Safety, Health and Environmental Management Capability Maturity Model for Construction Organisations: A Case Study in Ghana

Safety, health and environmental (SHE) management is becoming a priority as construction companies (i.e., contractors) strive to reduce construction accidents and negative environmental impacts, conform to regulatory requirements, and sustain their competitiveness. Consequently, construction firms are expected to adopt and implement innovative SHE management systems to mitigate SHE risks effectively and efficiently. For construction firms to effectively do this, they need to have the adequate capability in respect of integrated SHE management. However, there is limited empirical insight regarding the integrated SHE management capabilities of construction companies. Furthermore, there is limited insight regarding the mechanisms for ascertaining the integrated SHE management capability of construction companies to guide such organisations towards SHE management excellence in their operations. Drawing on the capability maturity model integration (CMMI) concept, this study, by applying expert reviews (i.e., Delphi technique and the design methodology for capability maturity grids), developed an integrated Safety, Health and Environmental Management Maturity Model (iSHEM-CMM). The model offers capability maturity assessment on a five-level scale within five thematic categories and 20 integrated SHE management capability attributes. Based on an industrial validation by construction professionals, it is concluded that the maturity model is a useful assessment framework or tool for industry stakeholders, particularly construction firms, to evaluate the status of their current SHE management capabilities, identify strengths and improvement areas, and accordingly prioritise strategies/actions for improving their SHE management. Furthermore, clients who appoint construction companies could use the model as part of prequalification arrangements in selecting construction companies with an adequate SHE management capability.

In search of wind farm sustainability on the Yucatan coast: Deficiencies and public perception of Environmental Impact Assessment in Mexico

Through the analysis of the corresponding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for five wind projects set up on the Yucatan coast, in Mexico, this work seeks to draw attention to the environmental controversies that these projects generate. To carry out our analysis, we resorted to three sources of information that are part of the EIA process: (i) the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), presented by private companies, for these wind farms; (ii) observations and criticisms of the EIS, presented by the civil society during the public process to which the EIS is submitted; and (iii) the rulings emitted by the federal environmental authorities. This documentation was complemented by participation in a number of forums and some interviews. Based on this analysis, we defined a series of deficiencies in the EIA process. Accordingly, we can affirm that in Mexico, as in other countries, there is no wind energy plan capable of reconciling energy objectives with nature conservation. Renewable energy projects in Mexico have been designed solely based on the distribution of wind or solar resources, completely ignoring environmental or social issues. In this regard, a sustainable energy transition requires strengthening the environmental management capabilities of governments, and the application of mechanisms that will allow the integration of environmental variables in the early stages of decision making, using instruments such as the Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Leveraging sustainable design practices through supplier involvement in new product development: The role of the suppliers' environmental management capability

Firms often aim to develop new products in an environmentally sustainable fashion, while at the same time ensuring profitability. While firms may aim to do so themselves through internal sustainable design practices, what has increasingly become prevalent is to leverage the expertise of suppliers in such endeavors. With this framing and by relying on the resource-based view and its extensions reflected in the natural resource-based view of the firm, this study develops a conceptual model theorizing how internal resources in the form of sustainable design practices enable a firm to improve the environmental and economic performance associated with new product development initiatives. Further, we propose that (external) supplier involvement in new product development complements a firm's internal efforts to reap benefits from sustainable design practices, with this complementary effect however being contingent on the suppliers' environmental management capability. The results from testing this model with empirical survey data provide important academic and managerial insights regarding how firms should best manage their efforts to develop environmentally friendly new products through the leveraging of both internal (firm) and external (supplier) resources.

Internal Control Quality, Enterprise Environmental Protection Investment and Finance Performance: An Empirical Study of China's A-Share Heavy Pollution Industry.

As an important measure of enterprise governance, internal control can enhance the organizational rationality of the enterprise, ensure that the enterprise consciously assumes social responsibility for the protection of the natural environment and resources, and promote the sustainable development of the national economy. Using data from China’s A-share heavy pollution industry listed companies from 2009 to 2018, this study explored the relationships among internal control quality, enterprise environmental protection investment, and financial performance. The results show that the quality of internal control has a significant positive impact on enterprise environmental protection investment and financial performance. Enterprise environmental protection investment has a significant positive impact on financial performance and plays a partial intermediary role in the positive impact of internal control quality on financial performance. While expanding the theory of resource-based concepts, this study clarified the positive impact of corporate environmental management and practical behavior on corporate value and provides a theoretical basis for companies to actively implement environmental protection responsibilities, strengthen internal environmental management capabilities, and enhance corporate value. At the same time, it also provides a basis for the government to issue relevant environmental protection policies, strengthen enterprise internal control construction guidelines, and encourage third-party organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of enterprise internal control.

Environmental management capabilities for a “circular eco‐innovation”

AbstractAt a micro level, eco‐innovation marks a transition towards a circular economy (CE), and standardised routines and controls are being implemented by businesses to introduce eco‐innovative processes and thus a circular business model. Eco‐innovation applied to a circular model implies changes to companies' environmental management and accounting practices used to manage natural resources. In this context, this study analyses and measures formal and informal environmental management systems, such as certification standards and other management and environmental accounting procedures used in eco‐innovation and the CE within the dynamic capabilities theoretical framework. The study also investigates the cause‐and‐effect relationship between firms' “circular eco‐innovation” and environmental capabilities using partial least squares structural equation modelling and tests it using a sample of Spanish companies. This study offers new knowledge about the interposition of business eco‐innovation and CE‐related activities introduced by firms from the dynamic capabilities perspective.

Does a green supply chain improve corporate reputation? Empirical evidence from European manufacturing sectors

Managing supplier relationships in an environmentally responsible way may prevent risk of adverse publicity and reputational damage to the buying firm. Drawing on the stakeholder approach and the environmental management capability framework, the purpose of this paper is to gain further knowledge regarding the impact of strategies oriented to green supply chain management on a firm's corporate reputation. We test a set of hypotheses in a panel data of European manufacturing companies for a period of ten years. Our findings provide strong support for the premise that supplier selection, monitoring and partnership termination based on environmental criteria positively influence corporate reputation. Additionally, evidence suggests that the implementation of those strategies in an integral way as well as progressing towards the adoption of green supply chain management benefit a firm's reputation. This study has implications for theory and practice.

Leveraging Sustainable Design Practices through Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: The Role of Suppliers’ Environmental Management Capability

Firms often aim to develop new products in an environmentally sustainable fashion, while at the same time ensuring profitability. While firms may aim to do so themselves through internal sustainable design practices, what has increasingly become prevalent is to leverage the expertise of suppliers in such endeavors. With this framing and by relying on the resource-based view and its extensions reflected in the natural resource-based view of the firm, this study develops a conceptual model theorizing how internal resources in the form of sustainable design practices enable a firm to improve the environmental and economic performance associated with new product development initiatives. Further, we propose that (external) supplier involvement in new product development complements a firm’s internal efforts to reap benefits from sustainable design practices, with this complementary effect however being contingent on the suppliers’ environmental management capability. The results from testing this model with empirical survey data provide important academic and managerial insights regarding how firms should best manage their efforts to develop environmentally friendly new products through the leveraging of both internal (firm) and external (supplier) resources.

Organisational Attributes that Determine Integrated Safety, Health and Environmental Management Capability

Implementing separate Environmental Management System (EMS) and Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) can be costly for organisations and hence the advent of integrated management systems. The effective implementation of integrated safety, health and environmental (SHE) management would require companies to have the appropriate organisational capability. Within the academic literature, it is unclear which organisational attributes are important for ascertaining integrated SHE management capability of construction companies. This study sought to address this through a comprehensive review of literature relating to SHE management in construction and SHE management systems and models. The study revealed that organisational attributes that could determine integrated SHE management capability include: senior management commitment to SHE; SHE risks management; SHE objectives and programs; staff competencies; resources for SHE implementation; SHE roles and responsibilities; SHE communications; SHE documentation and control measures; SHE emergency plans; SHE monitoring and performance measurement; and SHE auditing and management review to capture lessons learned. These attributes could enable construction companies and other key industry stakeholders to understand construction companies’ capability to implement an integrated SHE management system.

Integrated supply chain risk management capabilities and its impact on supply chain demand management - an empirical study

Supply chain risk management has drawn tremendous attention from academic researchers and practitioners in the recent period. Several attempts were made by the practitioners and academicians to understand supply chain risks and their sources. As the supply chain environment is getting sophisticated day by day, the understanding of supply chain becomes increasingly challenging and need of the hour. This empirical paper attempts to understand the sources of supply chain risk and its effect on supply chain demand management. Survey instrument was administered to collect response from the manufacturing companies in India. Data was analysed with the help of PLS and SmartPLS 2.0 M3 was utilised to compute PLS. The result shows that the variables like supply management capability, supply chain information management and supply chain environmental uncertainty management capability are having positive impact on supply chain risk as well as on supply chain demand management. These findings will provide various insights for the practitioners and be used as a knowledge repository in the area of supply chain risk management.

Thoughts on and Construction of a Risk Management and Control System for Contaminated Sites in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Preventing the environmental risks linked to contaminated sites and guaranteeing the safety of human settlements are some of the challenges and tasks involved in the construction of world-class city clusters in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Due to differences in the political systems and land property rights between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, as well as in the levels of urbanization, industrial structures, and environmental management capabilities of the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta, the risk management and control mode of contaminated sites varies considerably within the Greater Bay Area. In this context, an analysis of the features of risk management and control in the contaminated sites of typical cities can help strengthening technical communication and cooperation, optimizing risk management and control systems. This article briefly describes the risk management and control systems adopted for polluted sites in China; in particular it elaborates on the features of these systems in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hong Kong, and Macao, which have been subjected to monitoring, contamination assessments, and renovation procedures. During our study, the risk management and control systems adopted in different cities have been analyzed and compared; moreover, we elaborated thoughts and suggestions for land planning, policy feedback, information disclosure, and alliance mechanisms. We conclude that, overall, Hong Kong and several cities of the Pearl River Delta have established effective risk management and control systems for the polluted sites, which take into account certain local characteristics. However, with the further development and reuse of contaminated sites, the building of a world-class urban agglomeration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will require safer, more refined, and more efficient risk management and control strategies. We highlight the need to exchange information among researchers in order to promote technical exchange and cooperation. This is particularly important for the risk management and control of polluted sites distributed within the two regions and nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, sine it would allow their safe reuse and efficient development.