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Managerial attitudes, strategic intent, environmental initiatives and competitive advantage
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report empirical findings from a series of identical surveys performed regularly since 1999, with the purpose of tracking and analyzing the development of the strategic responses of SMEs in Denmark.
Abstract: To stay at the competitive forefront successful firms have for quite a while addressed environmental issues as part of their strategy. The competitive 'imperative' is however not restricted to large enterprises entirely. This paper reports empirical findings from a series of identical surveys performed regularly since 1999. The purpose has been to track and analyse the development of the strategic responses of SMEs in Denmark. Furthermore, identification of potential shifts in the influence of motivators and the impact on competitive advantage has also been focused. In so doing, evidence will be provided that allows for making recommendations with regard to possible new strategic directions. Before concluding, key implications for future research, managers and other related decision-makers are briefly addressed.
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01 Jan 1994TL;DR: In this paper, a natural resource-based view of the firm is proposed, which is composed of three interconnected strategies: pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development, and each of these strategies are advanced for each of them regarding key resource requirements and their contributions to sustained competitive advantage.
Abstract: Historically, management theory has ignored the constraints imposed by the biophysical (natural) environment. Building upon resource-based theory, this article attempts to fill this void by proposing a natural-resource-based view of the firm—a theory of competitive advantage based upon the firm's relationship to the natural environment. It is composed of three interconnected strategies: pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development. Propositions are advanced for each of these strategies regarding key resource requirements and their contributions to sustained competitive advantage.
902 citations
TL;DR: The Eurobarometer 381 Survey on SMEs, Resource Efficiency and Green Markets as mentioned in this paper analyzed the environmental responsibility of European SMEs and found that only around a fifth of the firms go beyond environmental regulations, showing the highest levels of environmental responsibility.
Abstract: There is increasing social and political awareness of the importance of developing environmental responsibility at a corporate level. When focusing on issues of responsibility, large companies are frequently perceived to be more responsible for driving climate change and resource depletion. However, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to the use of resources such as material and energy and produce approximately 64% of the pollution in Europe. Drawing on evidence from “The Eurobarometer 381 Survey on SMEs, Resource Efficiency and Green Markets”, we analyze the environmental responsibility of European SMEs, studying their compliance with environmental legislation and how several factors drive environmental orientation among SMEs. Our sample consists of 3647 SMEs operating in 38 countries. Only around a fifth of the firms go beyond environmental regulations, showing the highest levels of environmental responsibility. We conduct OLS regressions to analyze the factors that affect a positive environmental attitude among European SMEs (internal drivers being more significant than external ones) and then, to observe the positive effect of environmental responsibility and firm’s experience in offering green services/products on performance, although a conjoint effect was not found. Implications for practitioners, academics, and policy-makers are outlined.
67 citations
Cites background from "Managerial attitudes, strategic int..."
..., enhancing customer satisfaction, corporate image, and/or brand loyalty) as proposed and observed in previous literature [4,43,45]....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors considered sustainable practices (environmental practices, social practices in the workplace, and social practice in the community) as three probable mediators in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance, which is considered in terms of its financial and non-financial dimensions.
Abstract: Many scholars have investigated the direct impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on performance, but this direct association seems both spurious and ambiguous because many parameters may have an indirect influence on this relationship The present study thus considers sustainable practices—environmental practices, social practices in the workplace (SPW), and social practices in the community (SPC)—as three probable mediators in the relationship between EO and performance, which is considered in terms of its financial and non-financial dimensions We seek to show to what extent small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) sustainable practices are useful assets, which are supported by EO, to improve performance Using a structural equation modeling approach, data collected from 406 French SMEs were tested against the model Our findings reveal that EO has a positive impact on the implementation of sustainable practices and that SPW partially mediate the link between EO and performance Taken together, these findings suggest that EO plays a role in indirectly promoting performance by enhancing certain human resource management practices
42 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed a model by integrating two theoretical models, Theory of Planned Behavior and Norm Activation Theory, to explore individual factors that influence decision makers in manufacturing sector in Malaysia to adopt Green IT via the mediation of personal norms.
Abstract: Green IT has attracted policy makers and IT managers within organizations to use IT resources in cost-effective and energy-efficient ways. Investigating the factors that influence decision-makers’ intention towards the adoption of Green IT is important in the development of strategies that promote the organizations to use Green IT. Therefore, the objective of this study stands to understand potential factors that drive decisions makers in Malaysian manufacturing sector to adopt Green IT. This research accordingly developed a model by integrating two theoretical models, Theory of Planned Behavior and Norm Activation Theory, to explore individual factors that influence decision’ makers in manufacturing sector in Malaysia to adopt Green IT via the mediation of personal norms. Accordingly, to determine predictive factors that influence managerial intention toward Green IT adoption, the researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review. The data was collected from 183 decision-makers from Malaysian manufacturing sector and analyzed by Structural Equation Modelling. This research provides important preliminary insights in understanding the most significant factors that determined managerial intention towards Green IT adoption. The model of Green IT adoption explained factors which encourages individual decision-makers in the Malaysian organizations to adopt Green IT initiatives for environment sustainability.
41 citations
TL;DR: The impacts of critical elements on green supply chain management (GSCM) in the Electrical and Electronic Industries in Taiwan are discussed and results suggest that institutional pressure is an important factor affecting companies' promotion of GSCM.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impacts of critical elements on green supply chain management (GSCM) in the Electrical and Electronic Industries in Taiwan. One thousand questionnaires were sent to Electrical and Electronics Industries in Taiwan; 180 valid questionnaires were returned using AMOS 18.0 to analyze the data. Results suggest that institutional pressure is an important factor affecting companies' promotion of GSCM. Companies face the pressure exerted by the institutional environment will affect the enterprises executives' cognition and emotion on the institutional environment, thus leading to an environmental commitment. Additionally, the results demonstrate that GSCM improves the enterprises' environmental performance, economic performance and operating performance, ultimately leading to sustainable development.
10 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify four important antecedents to corporate environmentalism, namely, public concern, regulatory forces, competitive advantage, and top management commitment, and then use a political-economic framework to develop testable hypotheses.
Abstract: How does a business firm manage its relationship with the natural environment? What are the factors that influence the choice of such strategies? Does industry type matter? The authors introduce and operationalize the concept of corporate environmentalism in an effort to answer these questions. Using stakeholder theory, the authors identify four important antecedents to corporate environmentalism, namely, public concern, regulatory forces, competitive advantage, and top management commitment. The authors then use a political-economic framework to develop testable hypotheses. To test the hypotheses, the authors perform multigroup path analysis on data gathered from more than 240 firms. They find that corporate environmentalism is related to all hypothesized antecedents and that industry type moderates several of those relationships. In the high environmental impact sector, public concern has the greatest impact on corporate environmentalism, followed by regulatory forces. In the moderate environme...
925 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present strategies for building eco-advantage strategies, tools, and plans, including green-to-gold plays to drive revenues and create intangible value.
Abstract: Acknowledgments. Preface. Introduction. The Environmental Lens. Part One. Preparing for a New World. 1. Eco-Advantage. Issues and opportunities for business in an environmentally sensitive world. 2. Natural Drivers of the Green Wave. Environmental problems and how they shape markets. 3. Who's Behind the Green Wave? Stakeholders and the power they wield. Part Two. Strategies for Building Eco-Advantage. 4. Managing the Downside. Green-to-Gold Plays to reduce cost and risk. 5. Building the Upside. Green-to-Gold Plays to drive revenues and create intangible value. Part Three. What WaveRiders Do. 6. The Eco-Advantage Mindset. Looking through an environmental lens. 7. Eco-Tracking. Understanding your company's environmental "footprint". 8. Redesigning Your World. Designing for the environment and "greening" the supply chain. 9. Inspiring an Eco-Advantage Culture. Creating an organizational focus on environmental stewardship Part Four. Putting It All Together. 10. Why Environmental Initiatives Fail. Pitfalls to avoid on the way to Eco-Advantage. 11. Taking Action. Execution for sustained competitive advantage. 12. Eco-Advantage Strategy. Key Eco-Advantage plays, tools, and plans. Appendix 1. Additional Resources. Appendix 2. Methodological Overview. Appendix 3. Most Relevant Tools for Each. Green-to-Gold Play. Notes. Index.
858 citations
TL;DR: The trend toward proactive environmental management is being accelerated by public pressures on governments almost everywhere to assure a cleaner environment as mentioned in this paper. But more importantly, there is growing evidence that firms that adopt proactive Environmental management strategies become more efficient and competitive.
Abstract: Executive Overview Corporations in North America, Europe, Japan, and in most newly industrializing nations are embracing environmental protection as part of their international competitive strategies. For many firms, the shift to proactive environmental management is driven by pressures from governments, customers, employees, and competitors. Both consumers and investors are beginning to see more clearly the relationship between business performance and environmental quality. The trend toward proactive environmental management is being accelerated by public pressures on governments almost everywhere to assure a cleaner environment. Government regulations have become more stringent, legal liabilities for environmental damage have become more burdensome, and customers have become more demanding. But more importantly, there is growing evidence that firms that adopt proactive environmental management strategies become more efficient and competitive. In many countries, the public has become more vocal in deman...
856 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the determinant factors of a company's environmental proactivity through diverse practices and strategies and comment upon several variables that seem to influence the decision to implement such strategies.
Abstract: This paper reviews the literature in order to identify the determinant factors of a company’s environmental proactivity. It starts by arguing that environmental proactivity can be manifested through diverse practices and strategies and goes on to comment upon several variables that seem to influence the decision to implement such strategies. Some of these variables depict internal company features and others describe the general environment in which operations are carried out. Stakeholders’ pressure is distinguished as a central determinant factor and it is argued that all the other variables affect either the intensity of this pressure or the company’s capacity to perceive it. All the factors identified herein should be taken into account, at least as control variables, in those studies aiming at explaining and contextualizing environmental strategies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
743 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the relationship between environmental proactivity and business performance on a sample of 186 industrial companies and concluded that there is no one single response for the question of whether environmental pro-activity has positive effects on business performance.
Abstract: This paper analyses the relationship between environmental proactivity and business performance on a sample of 186 industrial companies. This relationship is approached by studying a bundle of relationships between different dimensions or manifestations of environmental proactivity and different measures of business performance. The analysis in part supports the idea that environmental management can bring about competitive opportunities for companies, although it also reveals that some environmental practices produce negative effects. It is thus concluded that there is no one single response for the question of whether environmental proactivity has positive effects on business performance and that this relationship must be disaggregated into more specific and concrete relationships.
727 citations