IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v23y2014i4p254-271.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Road to Sustainability: Exploring the Process of Corporate Environmental Strategy Over Time

Author

Listed:
  • Giorgos Papagiannakis
  • Irini Voudouris
  • Spyros Lioukas

Abstract

We explore corporate environmental strategy over time, investigating the patterns of evolving environmental investment decisions. Longitudinal case studies provide evidence that environmental strategy evolves through a feedback process, wherein outcomes of earlier decisions have an impact on subsequent decisions. Specifically, positive feedback from outcomes like innovation triggers higher goals, enhancing the undertaking of advanced investments, whereas negative feedback from outcomes, such as increased costs, decelerates the adoption of further investments. The study points to an emergent view of environmental strategy, where capabilities that are gradually developed in concomitance with environmental outcomes lead to an upgrading of environmental goals, thus triggering the feedback process. The process eventually culminates in higher levels of environmental conduct, being more and more integrated with business strategy and competitive advantage. Managers' values and environmental attitudes influence environmental decisions and actions, affecting the acceleration of the feedback process and the magnitude of responses. Managerial implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Giorgos Papagiannakis & Irini Voudouris & Spyros Lioukas, 2014. "The Road to Sustainability: Exploring the Process of Corporate Environmental Strategy Over Time," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 254-271, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:23:y:2014:i:4:p:254-271
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1781
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1781
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.1781?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kristel Buysse & Alain Verbeke, 2003. "Proactive environmental strategies: a stakeholder management perspective," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 453-470, May.
    2. R. Scott Marshall & Mark Cordano & Murray Silverman, 2005. "Exploring individual and institutional drivers of proactive environmentalism in the US Wine industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 92-109, March.
    3. Roberto Fernández Gago & Mariano Nieto Antolín, 2004. "Environmental management and strategic positioning of Spanish manufacturing industries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(1), pages 33-42, January.
    4. Ingemar Dierickx & Karel Cool, 1989. "Asset Stock Accumulation and Sustainability of Competitive Advantage," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(12), pages 1504-1511, December.
    5. Bernd Siebenhüner & Marlen Arnold, 2007. "Organizational learning to manage sustainable development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(5), pages 339-353, July.
    6. Caroline D. Ditlev‐Simonsen & Atle Midttun, 2011. "What motivates managers to pursue corporate responsibility? a survey among key stakeholders," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(1), pages 25-38, January.
    7. Magali Delmas & Michael W. Toffel, 2004. "Stakeholders and environmental management practices: an institutional framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 209-222, July.
    8. Ans Kolk & Anniek Mauser, 2002. "The evolution of environmental management: from stage models to performance evaluation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(1), pages 14-31, January.
    9. Mike Simpson & Nick Taylor & Karen Barker, 2004. "Environmental responsibility in SMEs: does it deliver competitive advantage?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 156-171, May.
    10. Banerjee, Subhabrata Bobby, 2002. "Corporate environmentalism: the construct and its measurement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 177-191, March.
    11. Antony Paulraj, 2009. "Environmental motivations: a classification scheme and its impact on environmental strategies and practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 453-468, November.
    12. Mark P. Sharfman & James W. Dean Jr, 1997. "Flexibility in Strategic Decision Making: Informational and Ideological Perspectives," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(2), pages 191-217, March.
    13. Ingemar Dierickx & Karel Cool, 1989. "Asset Stock Accumulation and the Sustainability of Competitive Advantage: Reply," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(12), pages 1514-1514, December.
    14. Pratima Bansal, 2005. "Evolving sustainably: a longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 197-218, March.
    15. Sandra A. Waddock & Samuel B. Graves, 1997. "The Corporate Social Performance–Financial Performance Link," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(4), pages 303-319, April.
    16. Shirish Sangle, 2010. "Empirical analysis of determinants of adoption of proactive environmental strategies in India," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 51-63, January.
    17. Marcus Wagner & Nguyen Van Phu & Théophile Azomahou & Walter Wehrmeyer, 2002. "The relationship between the environmental and economic performance of firms: an empirical analysis of the European paper industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(3), pages 133-146, September.
    18. Ricky Y. K. Chan, 2005. "Does the Natural‐Resource‐Based View of the Firm Apply in an Emerging Economy? A Survey of Foreign Invested Enterprises in China," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 625-672, May.
    19. Aseem Prakash, 2001. "Why do firms adopt ‘beyond‐compliance’ environmental policies?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(5), pages 286-299, September.
    20. Andrew M. Pettigrew, 1990. "Longitudinal Field Research on Change: Theory and Practice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(3), pages 267-292, August.
    21. Javier González‐Benito & Óscar González‐Benito, 2006. "A review of determinant factors of environmental proactivity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(2), pages 87-102, March.
    22. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    23. Klein, Howard J., 1991. "Further evidence on the relationship between goal setting and expectancy theories," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 230-257, August.
    24. Michael Lenox & Andrew King, 2004. "Prospects for developing absorptive capacity through internal information provision," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 331-345, April.
    25. Yuriko Nakao & Akihiro Amano & Kanichiro Matsumura & Kiminori Genba & Makiko Nakano, 2007. "Relationship between environmental performance and financial performance: an empirical analysis of japanese corporations," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 106-118, February.
    26. Pratima Bansal, 2003. "From Issues to Actions: The Importance of Individual Concerns and Organizational Values in Responding to Natural Environmental Issues," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(5), pages 510-527, October.
    27. Oana Branzei & Teri Jane Ursacki‐Bryant & Ilan Vertinsky & Weijiong Zhang, 2004. "The formation of green strategies in Chinese firms: matching corporate environmental responses and individual principles," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(11), pages 1075-1095, November.
    28. Klaus E. Meyer, 2006. "Globalfocusing: From Domestic Conglomerates to Global Specialists," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(5), pages 1109-1144, July.
    29. William Q. Judge & Thomas J. Douglas, 1998. "Performance Implications of Incorporating Natural Environmental Issues into the Strategic Planning Process: An Empirical Assessment," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 241-262, March.
    30. Julie L. Hass, 1996. "Environmental (‘Green’) Management Typologies: An Evaluation, Operationalization And Empirical Development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 59-68, June.
    31. Robert D. Klassen & Curtis P. McLaughlin, 1996. "The Impact of Environmental Management on Firm Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(8), pages 1199-1214, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mônica Cavalcanti Sá de Abreu, 2009. "How to define an environmental policy to improve corporate sustainability in developing countries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(8), pages 542-556, December.
    2. David G Hyatt & Nicholas Berente, 2017. "Substantive or Symbolic Environmental Strategies? Effects of External and Internal Normative Stakeholder Pressures," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(8), pages 1212-1234, December.
    3. Chin‐jung Luan & Chengli Tien & Pei‐hua Wu, 2013. "Strategizing Environmental Policy and Compliance for Firm Economic Sustainability: Evidence from Taiwanese Electronics Firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(8), pages 517-546, December.
    4. Jeremy Galbreath & Chia‐Yang Chang & Daniel Tisch, 2023. "The impact of a proactive environmental strategy on environmentally sustainable practices in service firms: The moderating effect of information use value," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5420-5434, December.
    5. Qi Guoyou & Zeng Saixing & Tam Chiming & Yin Haitao & Zou Hailiang, 2013. "Stakeholders' Influences on Corporate Green Innovation Strategy: A Case Study of Manufacturing Firms in China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, January.
    6. Corinna Dögl & Michael Behnam, 2015. "Environmentally Sustainable Development through Stakeholder Engagement in Developed and Emerging Countries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 583-600, September.
    7. Su‐Yol Lee, 2012. "Corporate Carbon Strategies in Responding to Climate Change," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 33-48, January.
    8. Dayna Simpson & Danny Samson, 2010. "Environmental strategy and low waste operations: exploring complementarities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(2), pages 104-118, February.
    9. Quang Le Van & Thanh Viet Nguyen & Manh Hung Nguyen, 2019. "Sustainable development and environmental policy: The engagement of stakeholders in green products in Vietnam," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 675-687, July.
    10. Elena Fraj‐Andrés & Eva Martínez‐Salinas & Jorge Matute‐Vallejo, 2009. "Factors affecting corporate environmental strategy in Spanish industrial firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(8), pages 500-514, December.
    11. Julia Wolf, 2013. "Improving the Sustainable Development of Firms: The Role of Employees," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 92-108, February.
    12. Elisa Alt & Emilio Díez-de-Castro & Francisco Lloréns-Montes, 2015. "Linking Employee Stakeholders to Environmental Performance: The Role of Proactive Environmental Strategies and Shared Vision," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 167-181, April.
    13. Concepción Garcés-Ayerbe & Pilar Rivera-Torres & Josefina L. Murillo-Luna & Cristina Suárez-Gálvez, 2022. "Does it pay more to be green in family firms than in non-family firms?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1365-1386, July.
    14. Kay H. Hofmann & Gregory Theyel & Craig H. Wood, 2012. "Identifying Firm Capabilities as Drivers of Environmental Management and Sustainability Practices – Evidence from Small and Medium‐Sized Manufacturers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(8), pages 530-545, December.
    15. Francesco Calza & Giorgia Profumo & Ilaria Tutore, 2016. "Corporate Ownership and Environmental Proactivity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 369-389, September.
    16. Rüdiger Hahn, 2013. "ISO 26000 and the Standardization of Strategic Management Processes for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(7), pages 442-455, November.
    17. Yang Chen & Guiyao Tang & Jiafei Jin & Ji Li & Pascal Paillé, 2015. "Linking Market Orientation and Environmental Performance: The Influence of Environmental Strategy, Employee’s Environmental Involvement, and Environmental Product Quality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 479-500, March.
    18. Chan, Ricky Y.K., 2010. "Corporate environmentalism pursuit by foreign firms competing in China," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 80-92, January.
    19. Ricky Y. K. Chan & Katherine H. Y. Ma, 2016. "Environmental Orientation of Exporting SMEs from an Emerging Economy: Its Antecedents and Consequences," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 597-632, October.
    20. Rupert J. Baumgartner, 2014. "Managing Corporate Sustainability and CSR: A Conceptual Framework Combining Values, Strategies and Instruments Contributing to Sustainable Development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(5), pages 258-271, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:23:y:2014:i:4:p:254-271. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.