Employer reputation is relevant not only to attract but also to retain qualified employees. While in the past financial incentives have been the most important instrument, corporate environmental responsibility (CER) is becoming more and more relevant as a determinant for employer attractiveness and employee commitment. On the basis of signaling theory, we conducted an empirical study among 215 firms in China, Germany, India and the USA. Our results reveal that green strategy & culture, green technology & products, green recruitment & evaluation and green communication positively influence the environmental reputation of a company as an employer and in turn employee commitment. The signaling effects of these CER activities are similar in Germany and the USA (developed economies) as well as in China and India (emerging economies). An exception is green communication, which has a more positive effect on environmental reputation in developed economies. We conclude with managerial and theoretical implications...

Corporate environmental responsibility, employer reputation and employee commitment: an empirical study in developed and emerging economies

Corporate environmental sustainability in the retail sector: Drivers, strategies and performance measurement

This cross-country study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of corporate environmental responsibility (CER) practices in developed and emerging countries. Based on stakeholder and institutional theory, we conducted an empirical study among firms in Germany, USA, India and China. We found support for a significant positive relationship between regulatory, market and social stakeholder influences, CER practices and business outcomes in the total and individual country samples. Regarding country differences, our data reveal significant similarities and differences between developed and emerging countries. Market stakeholder influences are stronger in developed countries, whereas regulatory and social stakeholder influences do not differ significantly between the two country groups. The relationship between CER practices and positive business outcomes is stronger in emerging than in developed countries. Implications for institutional theory and organizations are outlined. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Environmentally Sustainable Development through Stakeholder Engagement in Developed and Emerging Countries

Ecological footprint (EF): An expanded role in calculating resource productivity (RP) using China and the G20 member countries as examples

This article reports on part of a larger empirical study examining senior managers' perceptions of corporate environmental management (CEM) and reporting in China. ‘Coercive government institutional involvement’ emerged as one of the major influencing themes of CEM. The state regulatory regime has been perceived by Chinese managers to be the most influential, most complex and least predictable in terms of organizational environmental performance. The study found that environmental management systems that work in developed nations should not be directly transplanted to developing nations without considering institutional contexts. Notwithstanding China's dynamic economic boom and modernization, the State still exerts institutional influence on CEM.

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The Chinese Government's formal institutional influence on corporate environmental management

China is currently experiencing rapid economic growth. The price of this, however, is environment pollution. Many Chinese corporations are lacking in corporate environmental responsibility (CER). Therefore, this study employs data from Chinese and multinational corporations to identify why Chinese corporations seldom engage in CER by investigating their motivations and stakeholders. The results show that the most important reason why Chinese corporations do not engage in CER is the fact that their competitive strategy of cost cutting makes them limited in resources, such as money, employees, information, or added value. Further study implies that Chinese corporations face more survival pressure, though they are willing to take environmental responsibilities as multinational corporations do. The results also imply that government and social surroundings can play an important role to arouse CER consciousness of Chinese corporations in all stakeholders. Consequently, Chinese government has a heavy duty to promote corporations to respond to their CER in the long run.

Mao He

Papers

Sustainable Development and Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Evidence from Chinese Corporations