Environmental Proactivity Research Articles

Social Economy, Environmental Proactivity, Eco-Innovation and Performance in the Spanish Wine Sector

Concerned about climate change, cooperatives in the wine sector are beginning to adapt their strategies, guided by cooperative principles that encompass high social responsibility and the pursuit of community values. In this context and focused on the analysis of the decisions that drive firms to be more environmentally sustainable, our goal is twofold. On the one hand, we wish to examine whether there exist differences between cooperative and non-cooperative firms as regards their environmental proactivity. On the other hand, we hope to demonstrate the diversity of behaviors within the category of cooperative firms, identifying the possible patterns of environmental proactivity in Spanish cooperatives in the wine sector. We first conducted a difference of means t-test for independent samples (n = 251; sampled in 2017)—cooperatives (51) vs. non cooperative firms (200)- and then a two-stage cluster analysis and a subsequent variance analysis, using SPSS 24. Our results show no significant differences between cooperative and non-cooperative firms concerning their environmental behavior and underlines the diversity within the cooperatives in the wine sector as regards their environmental proactivity, revealing the existence of proactive, preventive and activist patterns of behavior. These patterns also show differences in the motivations for their environmental behaviors and their assessment of financial performance.

From institutional pressure to the sustainable development of firm: Role of environmental management accounting implementation and environmental proactivity

AbstractThe current study purposes to assess the impact of institutional pressures (coercive, mimetic, and normative) on environmental performance of the firm along with the mediation of implementation of environmental management accounting and moderation of environmental proactivity between them. Quantitative data are collected through structured questionnaire from 500 middle‐level and top‐level managers and owners of manufacturing firms of Pakistan. Data are analyzed through SPSS and AMOS in which structural equation modeling in performed to assess hypotheses. Findings show that coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures are significant derivers of environmental performance. It is further found that coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures significantly enhance the implementation of environmental management accounting, which in turn enhances the environmental performance of the firm. Furthermore, environmental proactivity is found to be a significant moderator between mimetic pressure and environmental performance while no moderation by environmental proactivity is confirmed in relationships of coercive pressure and normative pressure with environmental performance. The current findings are anticipated to assist practitioners in strategy development and execution to improve environmental performance of the firm and policymaking to control environmental impacts of businesses and improve environmental conditions in the country. The current study is the first one to empirically examine the moderating role of environmental proactivity and mediating role of execution of environmental management accounting between institutional pressures and environmental performance in context of Pakistan; so, it will open new areas of discussion and analysis for researchers in the domain of institutional theory.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROACTIVITY ON ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE: AN EXTENSION OF NATURAL RESOURCE-BASED VIEW THEORY (NRBV)

Extensive use of global resources and the associated environmental impacts continue to grow. As a result, green operations have received continuous attention from the business sector in recent years. However, only a few studies unpacked its dimension and examined environmental management accounting (EMA) and the firm's performance. The purpose of this paper is to (i) review the connection of holistic accounting approach of EMA and environmental performance in the extant literature and (ii) deepen the theory of NRBV by incorporating environmental proactivity as a moderator in the framework to provide an additional theoretical explanation to environmental performance in the context of ISO 14001 companies in Malaysia. Using the data of 145 companies, this study revealed that environmental proactivity moderates the relationship between EMA and environmental performance. Interestingly, we also found that EMA showed positive relationship on environmental performance. The research findings will be particularly important for ISO 14001 companies in developing their strategies and policies to achieve sustainable performance. Furthermore, the outcome will give some remarkable insights for managers to identify the current standing of their firm’s environmental performance.

Corporate Environmental Proactivity: Evidence from the European Union's Emissions Trading System

AbstractIn the presence of environmental policy, how do regulated firms respond? The answer is crucial for the design and effectiveness of policy regimes intended to mitigate environmental damage. We investigate whether particular types of firms are more likely to be proactive; in other words, which firms tend to behave in a manner most consistent with the desired policy outcomes. Using data on per‐firm ‘verified’ and ‘allocated’ emissions from the European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 2005 till 2016, and given that some firms exceed or undershoot the allocated allowances by a large margin, we posit that this and related measures are useful proxies for a firm's proactiveness in responding to environmental policy. We find that public firms are less likely than private firms to be proactive, whilst the same is found for firms in common rather than civil law countries and for state‐owned firms. Strikingly, proactiveness is associated both with greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and poorer firm performance, suggesting there is an economic cost to good environmental behaviour. Whilst the EU ETS is reducing emissions, it is not yet adequately compensating proactive firms or penalizing those who pollute – better system design could aid this further.

Environmental Proactiveness and the Power Sector: The Indian Scenario

From the study it is concluded that after implementation of the scheme, 93% respondents stated that they have been provided irrigation facilities for farming to enhance agriculture productivity. Around 91.8% respondents admitted that due to the provision of irrigation facilities for farming, the production of commercial crops (89.5% respondents) have increased and 91.8% respondents stated that agriculture lands have been covered under cultivation.

PERSISTENT THEMES IN WHERE WE LIVE AS WE ARE LIVING OUR VERY OLD LIVES

After living in our suburban house in Pennsylvania for over five decades, as long term gerontologists we moved to Massachusetts. First, we rented a house for three years; then the homeowner decided to sell and we declined to buy. Now in our 90’s, we have been residents for four years of a town house in a retirement community in Massachusetts that emphasizes independence over dependency; it provides no meals or direct health care services. It is now our home and we have found that several themes persevere: (1) We adapt to the increasing presence of vulnerability in ourselves and in other older persons. (2) We try to maximize our sense of residential comfort and mastery (Golant, 2015) by asserting environmental proactivity ( Lawton , 1987). This reflects the continuity (Atchley, 1989) of our lives. (3) We recognize the ever-present complexities in our responses to personal and societal themes of ageism.

Are Environmental Vanguard Firms More Proactive Towards Environmental Conservation? An Empirical Study of Power Sector Firms in India

Environmental protection is a crucial issue for environmentalists and researchers. Almost every stakeholder in the industrial production process of a product is concerned about the detrimental effects on the environment due to emissions. Though environmental regulations are in place, some firms across diverse industrial sectors are considered as the environmental vanguard, i.e., leaders in environmental protection. Does being environmental vanguard result in environmental proactivity? This paper, through an empirical study of Indian power sector firms, studies the environmental proactivity of the firms who are known to be leaders in the adoption of environmental protection norms. A questionnaire-based survey method is used to analyse the responses statistically. The study uses 280 responses for the analysis of the data. Eight hypotheses are proposed and tested statistically through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The statistical analysis reveals that the firms who are environmental vanguard are more proactive towards environmental protection. The findings of the study can be useful for the policymakers and environmental managers in the formulation of policies which can be considered as a benchmark for the firms for the protection of the environment.

Strategizing contractor firms to deliver green construction projects: conceptual framework

Delivering green construction (GC) projects is not an easy task for inefficient or inexperienced contractor due to added requirements. This paper conceptualizes firm strategies in delivering green projects by focusing on enhancing firm resources. Journal articles with keywords such as ‘green construction’, ‘green project’, ‘sustainable construction’, ‘resources and capabilities’, ‘contractor strategies’, and so forth in the title, abstract or keywords of the publications were reviewed. Articles published from 2000 to 2018 in Scopus database were selected. The current literature on firm resources mainly focused on four assets (personal, financial, technological and organizational) and four capabilities (technical, innovative, managerial competency and collaborative). These assets and capabilities are necessary for contractor firms to survive in the industry. Capitalizing on these resources, this paper proposes seven strategies: human resource strategy, innovation strategy, financial strategy, smart collaboration strategy, environmental pro-activeness strategy, management enhancement strategy and information and communication strategy, for contractor to effectively deliver green project. Using Resource Based View (RBV) and Resource Mobilisation Theory (RMT), a conceptual framework is produced connecting firm resources and Resource Mobilisation Strategies (RMS). This paper shall benefit contractors and academician as it extended the knowledge on firms’ resources and recommend ways to strategize green delivery.

What determines environmental proactiveness in the Indian cement sector? An empirical study

The lack of clarity in the environmental strategies has created uncertainty towards industrial efforts to protect the environment. However, some firms are more apprehensive regarding environmental protection in comparison to their counterparts. What determines the environmental proactiveness of these firms which go beyond extant laws to adopt proactive environmental strategies (PES)? This article, through an empirical study of the Indian cement sector, identifies the determinants of adoption of PES. Quantitative analysis of survey data from 310 respondents identifies four determinants; organisational capability, market benefits, stakeholder pressure, and environmental risk management. Four hypotheses are proposed to test the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) outcome. Organisational capability and market benefits are observed to be the key determinants. The study determines the strength of the identified determinants on PES adoption using structural equation modelling (SEM) and path analysis. Path analysis ranks the determinants in the order; organisational capability, market benefits, environmental risk management and stakeholder pressure. The evidence based findings from the research are expected to be useful for the environmental management practitioners as well as academicians. On the global front, the developing countries having identical socio-economic and political structure may gain from the findings of the study.

Desempeño y proactividad ambiental en pequeños negocios mezcaleros de Oaxaca, México

1) Objetivo. Analizar la relación entre stakeholders, proactividad ambiental y desempeño de negocios mezcaleros en Oaxaca, México. 2) Método: trabajo estadístico no experimental y transversal con base en un cuestionario estructurado y una muestra de 100 negocios. 3) Resultados. La planificación ambiental, la concienciación ambiental y los clientes influyen positivamente sobre el desempeño. 4) Limitaciones del estudio/Implicaciones. Con una muestra más grande, podrían utilizarse técnicas estadísticas que proporcionen un panorama más completo de la relación entre las variables analizadas. 5) Originalidad/Valor. Esta investigación es uno de los primeros trabajos en analizar la proactividad ambiental en negocios mezcaleros. 6). Hallazgos y Conclusiones. La proactividad ambiental es la variable que media el efecto de los stakeholders sobre el desempeño, cuando la literatura indica lo contrario. 7). Implicaciones. El contexto y tipo de negocios brinda nuevos elementos para la teoría y alternativas estratégicas que buscan mejorar el desempeño organizacional.

Organizational Learning and Green Innovation: Does Environmental Proactivity Matter?

Emerging economies face the challenge of striking a balance between development and the environment. To adapt to the changes, organizations must develop dynamic capabilities for green innovation and corporate sustainability. Based on a resource-based view integrated with contingency and stakeholder theories, this study examines how strategic contingency makes differences in the transformation between learning and performance resources through innovation efforts. Oriented toward external and internal stakeholders, respectively, learning resources comprise absorptive capacity and transformative capability, innovation efforts include green product innovation and green process innovation, and performance resources contain green image and competitive advantage. Depicting their mediating relationships moderated by environmental proactivity, the research model is supported by survey observations collected from over 300 organizations in China. Environmentally proactive organizations are found to have more balanced dynamic capability development than those that are more reactive. To optimize green innovation, therefore, organizations need to embrace an ecological strategy and engage employees in learning.

Bridging Market Demand, Proactivity, and Technology Competence with Eco-Innovations

This study develops a contingency framework by drawing upon on the perspectives of resource-based view, stakeholder, and open innovation to investigate how and when market demand, environmental proactivity, and technology competence affect a firm¡¯s decision on the scope of eco-innovation. A sample composed of 1,717 service firms is utilized to test the hypotheses. A zero-truncated negative binomial approach is adopted to analyze the data. The results reveal that innovation openness plays a significant moderating role in the influence of proactivity and technology competence on the scope of eco-innovation. Specifically, environmental proactivity has a stronger effect on the scope of eco-innovation under high levels of search breadth and depth strategy. Moreover, technology competence has more influence on the scope of eco-innovation under a high level of search breadth. In addition, the results reveal that market demand positively affects the scope of eco-innovation.

CEOs’ Religiosity and Corporate Environmental Proactivity

How does a CEO’s religiosity influence his/her firm’s proactive behaviors to promote environmental integrity, a pillar of sustainable development? Previous studies of corporate environmental proact...

How do integrated quality and environmental management practices affect firm performance? Mediating roles of quality performance and environmental proactivity

AbstractBased on a sample of 208 Turkish firms, this paper investigates the integration of two management systems, quality management and environmental management, and explores the effect of this integration on firm performance. First, a conceptual framework was developed, relying on the premises of the resource‐based view. Second, mediating roles of quality performance and environmental proactivity were examined on the association between integrated quality and environmental management systems and firm performance. Among the underlying trends, both quality performance and environmental proactivity were found to fully mediate the relationship between integrated quality and environmental management and firm performance.

Environmental Proactivity and Firms’ Performance: Mediation Effect of Competitive Advantages in Spanish Wineries

The main aim of this paper is to show the extent to which environmental proactivity is able to generate competitive advantages in a firm in order to improve their economic-financial performance by introducing the role of managerial perception into the analysis. This study focuses on Spanish wineries and their environmental practices and covers a total of 4598 wineries with a sample of 142 valid responses during the month of November 2015. The results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, there is positive environmental proactivity in terms of obtaining both cost-based and differentiation-based competitive advantages. Likewise, this proactivity has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance. Secondly, obtaining differentiation-based competitive advantages has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance although a negative impact on performance itself. There is, however, no significant evidence of the impact of cost-based competitive advantages on financial performance nor on the perception of performance itself, nor the impact of environmental proactivity on financial performance.

CSR and green economy: Determinants and correlation of firms’ sustainable development

AbstractThe determinants of accountability and their links to environmental performance have been extensively studied, but without reaching solid conclusions, especially among SMEs. The once promising approaches of CSR and green economy are subject to mistrust, partly derived from a lack of awareness and understanding of what companies really do and why.This paper examines the determinants and empirical interrelations between accountability standards and environmental proactivity within a comprehensive group of companies. From a regional focus reflecting the transversal cultural and socioeconomic circumstances linked to the context, an empirical research for 297 companies in the region of Aragon (Spain) was conducted, studying their environmental disclosure and performance, as well as the managerial determinant factors.The findings confirm the relevance of companies’ internal factors as determinants for accountability, but also the significance of geographical factors in green companies’ relationship with stakeholders. The positive correlation between accountability and environmental proactivity suggests distinctive business strategies towards compliance and stakeholder engagement.

Personal values in protecting the environment: The case of North America

Abstract In recent years, the environmental protection has become of utmost importance, not only by governments and authorities responsible for its supervision but also citizens are increasingly behaving respectfully with the environment. Economic growth, especially in emerging economies, entails greater environmental impacts, while more developed countries have a more pro-environmental attitude. This paper aims to analyze the individual environmental values and behaviors of the citizens of the most developed economies of the world located in North America. The personal behaviors for the environment and their differentiation with respect to European countries are analyzed. The data provided by the World Values Survey Association, with a sample of more than 10,000 individuals belonging to The United States and Canada, have been used to conduct the study. The empirical analysis is addressed through a model of structural equations, where the different hypotheses can be contrasted. The work analyzes the relationships between attitudes, actions, and environmental proactivity of the individuals evaluated to compare it with previous studies conducted in Europe.

English

English

Effects of environmental pro-activeness on financial performance in South Africa: short panel vector autoregressions analysis

Employing impulse response function analysis in short panel vector autoregressions, we examined the response of financial performance proxies namely return on asset, return on sale, equity returns and market value of equity deflated by sales to shocks in environmental pro-activeness, measured by energy usage intensity and emissions intensity of JSE's SRI firms for the period 2008-2014. The results showed that while financial measure, return on asset responds negative to shocks in environmental pro-activeness, measured by energy usage intensity in the first four years, the financial measure tends to respond positive to shocks in environmental pro-active measured by emissions intensity at each time responsive period. On the contrary, return on sale tends to show negative response to shocks energy usage intensity at each time responsive period, but a positive response to shocks in emissions intensity in the first 2 years and the last 2 years. Furthermore, the paper found that shocks in 'end of pipe' activities value drives equity returns only in year 1. Shocks in 'prevention' and 'end of pipe' activities seemed to show value destroying tendencies on market value of equity deflated by sale at each time responsive period.

Effects of environmental pro-activeness on financial performance in South Africa: short panel vector autoregressions analysis

Effects of environmental pro-activeness on financial performance in South Africa: short panel vector autoregressions analysis