Firm resources and the development of environmental sustainability among small and medium‐sized enterprises: Evidence from the Australian wine industry

Scholars and industry professionals want clarification of the specific firm resources that influence the adoption and development of environmentally sustainable strategies. This paper, set in the context of the Australian wine industry, explores different firm resources that are beneficial for environmentally sustainable development and examines the role of management attitudes and norms in moderating this relationship. It establishes which resources small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) should invest in to be more successful in following environmental principles. The findings of a survey of the owner‐managers of Australian wine‐producing SMEs are reported, and partial least squares structural equation modelling is utilized to analyze the data. Results clearly indicate that successful firms that manage their resources more effectively influence the application of environmental behaviour, with one distinct resource significantly influencing the disclosure of such behaviour. A moderating effect is established which supports the notion that pro‐environmental decision‐making in SMEs is heavily influenced by the attitudes and norms held by management.     

An analysis of environmental sustainability in small & medium‐sized enterprises: Patterns and trends

One of the greatest challenges facing the world today is climate change. The need to consistently advance with environmentally sustainable practices in today's businesses is crucial, and businesses are demanded to be more environmentally sustainable every day. This study conducts an analysis of the literature on small and medium‐sized enterprises' (SMEs) environmental sustainability by carefully examining 122 studies from 58 journals published from 2013 to 2019. We investigate the trends in drivers and barriers of sustainability adoption to inform both SMEs managers and policymakers. Our results also classify the reviewed studies on the basis of their methodologies and show the distribution of studies across industry sectors and locations in order to set directions for future research on sustainability practices of SMEs.     

High‐performance work systems and workplace performance in small,medium‐sized and large firms

This article draws on the Organisational Growth and Development (OGD) life cycle model to explore the relationship between high‐performance work systems (HPWS) and performance in firms of different size, thereby extending understanding of congruence or ‘best fit’ theory within strategic HRM debates. With reference to management control theory, economies of scale and the availability of specialist managerial skills, the article hypothesises that while an HPWS–performance relationship might exist in small, medium‐sized and large firms, the relationship will be stronger in large firms than in both small and medium‐sized firms, and stronger in medium‐sized firms than in small firms. Analysis of data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey demonstrates, however, that there is no association between HPWS and workplace performance in medium‐sized firms, in contrast to the positive relationship between HPWS and performance found in large firms and between HPWS and labour productivity in small firms.     

Understanding environmental management practices: integrating views from strategic management and ecological economics

This paper proposes an integrating framework, based on theoretical concepts from the fields of strategic management and ecological economics, to enhance our understanding of environmental management practices (EMPs) and their relationship to sustainable competitive advantage. Starting with an expansion of the resource‐based view of the firm to include the natural environment, the article next engages the interdisciplinary field of ecological economics and its thermodynamic approach to ‘joint production’ to provide additional insights into the challenges and opportunities brought by a bio‐physically constrained economy. Informed by this understanding, the article then categorizes examples of EMPs drawn from the literature and discusses their potential impact on competitiveness. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for future research in the hope that the proposed framework will stimulate debate and lead to a fuller understanding of the impact of environmental management in the 21st century. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

It is merely a matter of time: A meta‐analysis of the causality between environmental performance and financial performance

Research on the relationship between corporate environmental performance (CEP) and financial performance (CFP) continuously receives high attention in both general media and academic publications. One central issue concerns the causal effects between the two constructs. Because existing primary literature is characterized by its heterogeneous study designs and mixed empirical evidence, the aim of this paper is to explicitly shed light on the causality effects between CEP and CFP by means of a meta‐analysis of 893 empirical estimates from 142 CEP–CFP studies. Our findings suggest that in the short run (1 year), financial resources can increase a firm's environmental performance as proposed by the slack resources hypothesis; however, the effects disappear in the long run (after more than 1 year). Conversely, increasing environmental performance has no short‐term effect on a corporate financial performance, whereas a firm significantly benefits in the long term, which is in accordance with the Porter hypothesis. Overall, our results show that the causality between environmental performance and financial performance depends on the time horizon.     

Effects of greenwashing on financial performance: Moderation through local environmental regulation and media coverage

Recent research suggests that the effect of greenwashing and corporate financial performance (CFP) is ambiguous. This call for study the contextual factors that create contingencies in the greenwashing–CFP relationship. Using a sample of 2816 observations covering 735 Chinese-listed firms in 21 different industries from 2013 to 2017, this research examines the effect of greenwashing on CFP and explores the moderating effects of local environmental regulation, media visibility and media favourability. Results show that greenwashing positively affects CFP and effect weakened with stringent environmental regulations and reversed with low media favourability. Our finding implies that stakeholders could hardly identify greenwashing in the context of an emerging economy with high-level information asymmetry. However, local environmental regulation and negative media coverage could reduce this information asymmetry, making greenwashing easier to be identified. It is the first study to investigate greenwashing–CFP relationship from institutional environment perspective.     

Environmental management practices and financial performance using data envelopment analysis in Japan: The mediating role of environmental performance

This study investigates the relationship between environmental management practices (EMPs) and financial performance (FP) and consequently ascertains whether environmental performance (EP) can mediate the EMPs–FP nexus. Distinctly using data envelopment analysis and generalised method of moments techniques to analyse a comprehensive dataset of Nikkei 225 listed firms from 2007 to 2018 (1920 firm-year observations), our findings first suggest that EMPs have a positive effect on FP. Second, the desired EP can be achieved through the adoption of comprehensive EMPs. Third, improved EP has a substantial impact on shaping the EMPs' effect on FP. These findings are consistent with the predictions of resource-based view and institutional theories. The results are robust to controlling for different types of alternative measures and endogeneities. The findings have important implications for academics, investors, managers, policymakers and regulators.     

Sustainable development of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises in the European Union: A taxonomy of circular economy practices

This paper focuses on the implementation of circular economy (CE) practices in small‐ and medium‐sized firms in all 28 European Union (EU) countries. The analyses take into account the hierarchical nature of the collected data as firms are nested within EU countries, that is, the heterogeneity between different types of firms and countries according to practices and attitudes towards CE. The multilevel latent class model identifies groups of firms and groups of EU countries that are homogeneous in terms of CE, that is, how the homogeneous groups of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are distributed across the groups of EU countries. These results, together with the fact that firms with similar CE attitudes and practices have different demographic and business profiles across groups of countries, shed further light on the topic of green behavior in the EU with implications for businesses' environmental policies. Moreover, indications emerge that European policies favoring the implementation of CE practices should be targeted at least for subgroups of European countries, considering the different composition by typology of SMEs operating in their territories and that, at the same time, policies should be defined within each group of countries to account for the specific features of each of the four classes of SMEs.     

Corporate governance beyond the shareholder–stakeholder dichotomy: Lessons from Japanese corporations' environmental performance

Although corporate environmental performance (CEP) is determined by corporate governance (CG) typified by board and ownership structures, in‐depth research on stakeholder‐oriented CG is sparse. This study seeks to fill this void and promote an alternative vision of good governance. Japanese corporations have often been criticized for their stakeholder‐oriented practices such as less independent boards and the dominance of stable domestic shareholders. However, these practices are not necessarily problematic if effective monitoring mechanisms are in place. Using a database of Japanese listed corporations over 2012–2015, this study shows that both board size and composition enhance CEP, confirming the advisory function of boards. Contrastingly, foreign blockholders, who are expected to play a monitoring role, significantly constrain CEP. Japanese corporations are evolving toward a hybrid CG that aims to narrow the shareholder–stakeholder divide, and the findings will offer useful lessons for the modification of shareholder‐oriented CG.     

Circular economy to enhance sustainability of small and medium‐sized enterprises

The circular economy (CE) represents a major paradigm shift of moving from the concepts of linear to circular supply chains across multiple industries. Although some aspects of CE adoption within industrial supply chains have been researched extensively (particularly addressing challenges of design, implementation, and operations), the research that relates CE practices with sustainability performance to reveal the current state of CE practices within small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) is scant. The aim of this research was to facilitate SMEs to achieve greater sustainability through CE implementation. This research addresses three research questions—How are CE fields of action related to sustainability performance? What are the issues, challenges, and opportunities of adopting CE in SMEs? And what key strategies, resources, and competences facilitate effective implementation of CE in SMEs? This study adopts a mixed method approach (qualitative and quantitative) using survey research, focus group, and case studies; 130 randomly selected SMEs within the Midlands of the United Kingdom have been surveyed, and the responses are analysed using statistical tools along with findings from focus groups and case studies. The study reveals that all CE fields of action (take, make, distribute, use, and recover) of SMEs are correlated to economic performance, but only make and use are related to environmental and social performance. The study further derives strategies, resources, and competences for achieving sustainability across all the CE field of actions. Additionally, this research reveals the issues and challenges, strategies, resources, and competences required for implementing CE in SMEs.     

Why SMEs invest in environmental measures: sustainability evidence from small and medium‐sized printing firms

Why do SMEs invest in environmental measures? From the literature we know that most SMEs are rather slow in adopting these sustainable measures, but then the following question arises: why are other SMEs fast in this respect? From our research, it becomes clear that improving the working conditions is the most important reason why these fast‐going SMEs invest in environmental measures, as this probably improves their employees' motivation and performance. This explanation connects ‘planet’ and ‘people’ with each other, and does not exclude ‘profit’, which completes the traditional sustainability circle. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Strategic stakeholder management,environmental corporate social responsibility engagement,and financial performance of stigmatized firms derived from Chinese special environmental policy

We draw upon the stigma literature and strategic stakeholder management model to develop a framework capable of explaining the link between environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) engagement and financial performance of stigmatized firms, taking stakeholder‐oriented governance and density of local stigmatized firms into consideration. Using a uniquely compiled dataset of Chinese firms specifically monitored by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, we conducted propensity score matching analysis to estimate the impact of stigma on corporate financial performance and corporate environmental responsibility. The result shows that the financial performance of stigmatized firms is negatively affected by the stigma label, spurring them to engage in more ECSR than their peers to improve their legitimacy. Though ECSR engagement of stigmatized firms is found to be negatively associated with their financial performance in current study. Our results also confirm that (a) the financial performance of stigmatized firms is positively affected by two proxies for corporate stakeholder‐oriented governance (i.e., institutional ownership and corporate transparency) and negatively affected by the density of local stigmatized firms; (b) corporate stakeholder‐oriented governance compensates for the negative effect of ECSR engagement; (c) high intensity of local stigmatized firms provides focal firms with an opportunity to improve their financial performance through ECSR engagement; and (d) the positive effects of corporate stakeholder‐oriented governance are diminished by the density of local stigmatized firms.     

Environmental sustainability orientation,competitive strategy and financial performance

Extant research has established that environmental sustainability orientation (ESO) has a positive influence on performance outcomes. Nevertheless, several contingencies tend to affect the strength of this relationship. In this study, we draw on natural resource‐based theory to introduce competitive strategies as moderators in the ESO–performance nexus. Using time‐lagged data obtained from 269 firms in Ghana, this study finds that firms pursuing the differentiation strategy can positively boost performance outcomes with ESO than without differentiation strategy. We also find that firms can use the low‐cost or the integrated strategy to get higher impact on performance with ESO, respectively. Based on the results, firms in Ghana do not need differentiation strategy in order to boost the effect of ESO on financial performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Sustainability and financial performance of small and medium sized enterprises: A bibliometric and systematic literature review

Based on a 20‐year dataset collected from the Web of Science database, this study aims to present a comprehensive knowledge map of the intellectual structure of the field of study of sustainability and financial performances in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). A bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review method were employed by analyzing articles published between 1999 and 2018, using the VOSViewer software. The study provides an overview of articles, authors, the most influential journals, and themes of research. The results reveal the existence of three themes in research: the role of innovation and entrepreneurship and their impact on sustainability in SMEs (cluster 1), corporate social responsibility in the context of SMEs (cluster 2), and green management and environmental issues for SMEs (cluster 3). In sum, this paper discusses prominent insights from the research analyses and recommends future research directions for the field.     

Green supply chain integration and financial performance: A social contagion and information sharing perspective

Although green supply chain integration (GSCI) has received wide attention, how it diffuses among supply chain members to affect the manufacturer's performance is still unclear. This study examines the relationships among GSCI, information sharing, and financial performance from a social contagion lens. By conceptualizing GSCI into three forms, two types of contagion mechanisms (i.e., cohesion and structural equivalence) were identified to investigate the underlying contagion effects between different forms of GSCI and the effects of various GSCI on information sharing and financial performance. Survey data were collected from 206 Chinese manufacturers and analyzed using structural equation modeling to test hypotheses. The results indicate that green supplier integration directly promotes green internal integration, green customer integration, and information sharing with suppliers. Green internal integration positively influences green customer integration and financial performance. Green customer integration enhances information sharing with customers. Both information sharing with suppliers and customers improve financial performance. This study contributes to the GSCI literature and provides novel managerial implications for manufacturers.     

The moderating effect of innovation on the relationship between environmental and financial performance: Evidence from high emitters in Australia

This study examines whether environmental-related innovation moderates the association between environmental and financial performance measured respectively as carbon emissions and return on assets (ROA). The sample comprises 119 companies subject to Australia's National Greenhouse Energy Reporting Act (NGER) for the period 2009–2017. The results show that environmental innovation positively moderates the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance. The findings also imply that the impact of environmental innovation in improving environmental performance is observable with a 1-year lag. The results are robust to the alternative financial performance measures of Tobin's Q and Altman's Z score. The findings have important implications for company managers and policymakers and provide useful information on innovation's role in enhancing environmental and financial performance.     

Environmental performance,sustainability, governance and financial performance: Evidence from heavily polluting industries in China

This study seeks to contribute to the existing business strategy and the environment literature by examining the effect of governance structures on Chinese firms' environmental performance, and consequently ascertain the extent to which the financial performance–environmental performance nexus is moderated by governance mechanisms. Using a sample of Chinese companies from heavily polluting industries over a 5-year period, our baseline findings suggest that, on average, board size and governing board meetings are positively associated with Chinese firms' environmental performance, whilst board independence and gender diversity have positive, but insignificant association with firms' environmental performance. Our evidence suggests further that the examined internal governance mechanisms have a mixed moderating effect on the link between financial performance and environmental performance. Our findings have important implications for company executives, environmental activists, policy-makers, and regulators. Our results support insights drawn from agency, resource dependence, stakeholder, and legitimacy theories.     

Stakeholder Engagement in Sustainable Enterprise: Evolving a Conceptual Framework,and a Case Study of ITC

An intensive debate has been occurring among academics, consultants and corporate executives, resulting in many definitions of a more humane, more ethical and more transparent manner of conducting business. They have created, supported or criticized related concepts such as sustainable development, corporate citizenship, sustainable entrepreneurship, the triple bottom line, business ethics and corporate social responsibility (Van Marrewijk, 2003 ). In the midst of LPG (liberalization, privatization and globalization), with market expansion occurring and the customer base needing to be widened for long‐term profitability, can enterprise opt for sustainability through the stakeholder approach? Interestingly, the ITC (Imperial Tobacco Company) is a firm committed to the core values of sustainable development in agrobusiness and in other activities, which has made the corporation well known for its stand on sustainability. Hence, this study begins with a brief literature review on sustainable enterprise and an introduction to familiarize the reader with the case organization, to examine what has made the ITC remain a stalwart in sustainable development and to identify the factors that drive the ITC's vision of sustainability. Based on the identified factors, total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) has been used to evolve a framework of sustainable enterprises on the star model (Sushil, 2010 ), which explains the customer and the government as driving factors for sustainability along with the triple bottom line. To validate our study, data on surrogate measures of some of the variables have been taken from the annual reports of the ITC and the validation is performed using linear regression analysis. Finally, the future research scope and limitations of the study are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

Sustainable tourism in Greek islands: the integration of activity‐based environmental management with a destination environmental scorecard based on the adaptive resource management paradigm

Tourism is a major industry that can lead to economic gains as well as to degraded environment and social infrastructure. Tourism has the potential to destroy the available common environmental resources through overuse and poor management practices, as limited information disclosure and poor monitoring of actions encourage the perpetuation and extension of environmental problems. Based on the adaptive resource management paradigm for addressing problems related to the use of the commons, this paper suggests a methodology for the development of a management tool that can provide island hotels with a continuous flow of timely, relevant, accurate and objective information on the environmental impact of critical corporate activities. The tool, named the destination environmental scorecard (DES), draws on activity‐based management concepts and can help local hotel SMEs measure and compare their performance against certain standards and thus conduct operations in a responsible and measurable way to the benefit of both business financial performance and regional sustainability. The paper presents the DES operational characteristics and the potential benefits from its implementation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.