Environmental strategy and low waste operations: exploring complementarities

Organizations require guidance on the most effective functional areas in which to invest in order to improve and sustain environmental performance. As managerial practices progress from concerns with compliance towards practices seeking competitive advantage, more theory is needed regarding the manner in which corporate strategy and operational practices influence environmental performance. This research considers the potential for previously under‐researched complementarities between strategy and operations and the bridging role of environmentally specific practices such as the use of environmental experts as determinants of environmental performance. Using a sample of manufacturing firms, this study explores the relative contribution to environmental performance of strategic intentions, core operational practices such as data and quality management and environmentally specific practices that link strategy to operations. The most significant influence on environmental performance was found to be environmental expertise – which creates a bridge between strategy and operations – and information‐intensive practices such as quality and data management. Strategic intentions or core operational practices in isolation were not considered sufficient support to successfully maintain or improve environmental performance. This research provides a contribution to our understanding of interactions between those functions that have the greatest influence on environmental performance management in manufacturing firms. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

AN ECONOMICALLY LIBERAL EUROPEAN UNION WILL NOT BE DELIVERED BY THE EU REFORM TREATY

There is little doubt that the EU's Reform Treaty is a very substantial document with significant implications for business and the economy. Unfortunately, there is little in the Treaty that would appear to promote liberal economic policies. On the contrary, there are at least two developments that should cause concern. The first is the Charter of Fundamental Rights which will probably have significant, anti-liberal, implications for Britain's labour market laws. And the second is the removal of 'free and undistorted competition' from the list of the EU's objectives in the main body of the Treaty.     

The profitability of vertical integration

This paper examines the profitability of vertical integration using alternate indices of vertical integration Our results suggest that the profitability-vertical integration relation is highly sensitive to the specification of the vertical integration measure used.     

Communication of Private Information and the Valuation of Initial Public Offerings in Singapore

This study examines a sample of 108 initial public offerings in Singapore between 1987 and 1993, and documents the effects of four channels of entrepreneurial communication, that is, retained ownership, audited report, auditor choice and underwriter choice on the valuation of new issues. Our results indicate that retained ownership and book value of equity are significantly and positively associated with the valuation of initial public offerings in Singapore. Underwriter choice and auditor choice are not significant in explaining the valuation of initial public offerings. Issues listed on the Main Board are valued higher than those on Sesdaq (Stock Exchange of Singapore Dealing and Automated Quotation). Firms choosing the auction system are valued higher than those choosing the fixed system.
This paper provides evidence on the valuation of new issues in an emerging market in the Asia-Pacific region. The results are of interest to investors, investment bankers and companies seeking a listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange. We provide some insights on how new issues in the Singapore market are valued.     

The Link Between Corporate Social and Financial Performance: Evidence from the Banking Industry

The purpose of this investigation is to extend earlier research on the relationship between corporate social and financial performance. The unique contribution of the study is the empirical analysis of a sample of companies from the banking industry and the use of Community Reinvestment Act ratings as a social performance measure. The empirical analysis solidly supports the hypothesis that the link between social and financial performance is positive.