IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i5p4154-d1079759.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Executive’s Environmental Protection Background and Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Xiyan Bai

    (School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao 999078, China)

  • Chan Lyu

    (School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao 999078, China)

Abstract

Green innovation is crucial to the sustainable development of corporates. The executive’s environmental protection background has an impact on their comprehensive skills, value orientation, management style, and behavioral patterns, thus playing an important role in corporate green innovation strategy. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between executives’ environmental protection background and corporate green innovation and its boundary mechanisms. Using data of A-share listed companies in China from 2007 to 2021, this relationship was empirically investigated using Stata analysis software and the establishment of a fixed-effects analysis model. Based on the upper echelons theory, this study finds that executive environmental protection background positively affects corporates’ green innovation. The above positive relationship persists when measures of green innovation and alternative regression models address robustness. Furthermore, this study explores the moderating role of the external environment and internal organizational factors (i.e., media attention and board independence). This study concludes that media attention and board independence positively moderate the positive relationship between executives’ environmental protection background and green innovation. The study contributes to the upper echelons theory and provides new insights into green innovation in emerging economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiyan Bai & Chan Lyu, 2023. "Executive’s Environmental Protection Background and Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4154-:d:1079759
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4154/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4154/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Tan, 2016. "Making the news: Heterogeneous media coverage and corporate litigation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1341-1353, July.
    2. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Agency Problems and Residual Claims," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 327-349, June.
    3. Hu, Rui & Karim, Khondkar & Lin, Karen Jingrong & Tan, Jinsong, 2020. "Do investors want politically connected independent directors? Evidence from their forced resignations in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    4. Nattawut Jenwittayaroje & Pornsit Jiraporn, 2019. "Do Independent Directors Improve Firm Value? Evidence from the Great Recession," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 19(1), pages 207-222, March.
    5. Kathy Fogel & Liping Ma & Randall Morck, 2021. "Powerful independent directors," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 50(4), pages 935-983, December.
    6. Masulis, Ronald W. & Zhang, Emma Jincheng, 2019. "How valuable are independent directors? Evidence from external distractions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(3), pages 226-256.
    7. Usama Awan & Marlen Gabriele Arnold & Ismail Gölgeci, 2021. "Enhancing green product and process innovation: Towards an integrative framework of knowledge acquisition and environmental investment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1283-1295, February.
    8. Wang, Quan-Jing & Wang, Hai-Jie & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2022. "Environmental performance, green finance and green innovation: What's the long-run relationships among variables?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    9. Adam B. Jaffe & Karen Palmer, 1997. "Environmental Regulation And Innovation: A Panel Data Study," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 79(4), pages 610-619, November.
    10. Bhimani, Hardik & Mention, Anne-Laure & Barlatier, Pierre-Jean, 2019. "Social media and innovation: A systematic literature review and future research directions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 251-269.
    11. Jing-Wen Huang & Yong-Hui Li, 2017. "Green Innovation and Performance: The View of Organizational Capability and Social Reciprocity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 309-324, October.
    12. Michael K. Bednar & Steven Boivie & Nicholas R. Prince, 2013. "Burr Under the Saddle: How Media Coverage Influences Strategic Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 910-925, June.
    13. Nan Zhou & Seung H. Park, 2020. "Growth or profit? Strategic orientations and long‐term performance in China," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(11), pages 2050-2071, November.
    14. Demirel, Pelin & Kesidou, Effie, 2011. "Stimulating different types of eco-innovation in the UK: Government policies and firm motivations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1546-1557, June.
    15. Feng Zhang & Lei Zhu, 2019. "Enhancing corporate sustainable development: Stakeholder pressures, organizational learning, and green innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 1012-1026, September.
    16. Klaus E Meyer & Mike W Peng, 2016. "Theoretical foundations of emerging economy business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(1), pages 3-22, January.
    17. Song, Malin & Fisher, Ron & Kwoh, Yusen, 2019. "Technological challenges of green innovation and sustainable resource management with large scale data," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 361-368.
    18. Antoinette Schoar & Luo Zuo, 2017. "Shaped by Booms and Busts: How the Economy Impacts CEO Careers and Management Styles," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(5), pages 1425-1456.
    19. Won-Yong Oh & Young Kyun Chang & Zheng Cheng, 2016. "When CEO Career Horizon Problems Matter for Corporate Social Responsibility: The Moderating Roles of Industry-Level Discretion and Blockholder Ownership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(2), pages 279-291, January.
    20. Yang, Hao-Chang & Feng, Gen-Fu & Zhao, Xin Xin & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2022. "The impacts of energy insecurity on green innovation: A multi-country study," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 139-154.
    21. Yingjie Hao & Congcong Fan & Yunguang Long & Jieyi Pan, 2019. "The role of returnee executives in improving green innovation performance of Chinese manufacturing enterprises: Implications for sustainable development strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 804-818, July.
    22. Sayantan Khanra & Puneet Kaur & Rojers P Joseph & Ashish Malik & Amandeep Dhir, 2022. "A resource‐based view of green innovation as a strategic firm resource: Present status and future directions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1395-1413, May.
    23. Jing Yi Yong & Mohd‐Yusoff Yusliza & Thurasamy Ramayah & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Simone Sehnem & Venkatesh Mani, 2020. "Pathways towards sustainability in manufacturing organizations: Empirical evidence on the role of green human resource management," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 212-228, January.
    24. Peiyan Zhou & Shuya Zhou & Ming Zhang & Shujuan Miao, 2022. "Executive Overconfidence, Digital Transformation and Environmental Innovation: The Role of Moderated Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-28, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fan, Yiyi & Li, Shanshan & Yang, WenQi, 2024. "The impact of the percentage of female directors on corporate ESG score," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    2. He, Yu & Lu, Shanglin & Wei, Ran & Wang, Shixuan, 2024. "Local media sentiment towards pollution and its effect on corporate green innovation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    3. Yujia Liu & Ligang Liu & Ying Li, 2023. "Executive Hometown Identity and Green Innovation in Enterprises of Heavy Polluting Industries—A Dual Perspective Based on Conscious Motivation and Resource Access," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Ying Shu & Xiaobin Zhuang & Rui Ying & Guanghua Xu, 2024. "Formal Institutional Pressure and the Integration of Corporate Environmental and Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from Listed Companies in Heavily Polluting Industries in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-20, March.
    5. Khalil Nimer & Muath Abdelqader & Cemil Kuzey & Ali Uyar, 2024. "Emission targeting and carbon emissions: The moderating effect of female directors," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3480-3504, May.
    6. Yu Yanxia, 2024. "Carbon Taxes and CO2 Emissions: A Replication of Andersson (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2019)," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19.

    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. Yu Wang & Yetaotao Qiu & Yi Luo, 2022. "CEO foreign experience and corporate sustainable development: Evidence from China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2036-2051, July.
    2. Cheng, Lulu & Xie, En & Fang, Junyi & Mei, Nan, 2022. "Performance feedback and firms’ relative strategic emphasis: The moderating effects of board independence and media coverage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 218-231.
    3. Licheng Yang & Shijie Song & Chunlin Liu, 2024. "Green signals: The impact of environmental protection support policies on firms' green innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3258-3278, May.
    4. Han Long & Gen-Fu Feng & Chun-Ping Chang, 2023. "How does ESG performance promote corporate green innovation?," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2889-2913, August.
    5. Feng, Gen-Fu & Zheng, Mingbo, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and renewable energy innovation: International evidence," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 1(2).
    6. Manjot Singh Bhatia, 2021. "Green process innovation and operational performance: The role of proactive environment strategy, technological capabilities, and organizational learning," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 2845-2857, November.
    7. Arnaldo Coelho & Jorge Ferreira & Catarina Proença, 2024. "The impact of green entrepreneurial orientation on sustainability performance through the effects of green product and process innovation: The moderating role of ambidexterity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3184-3202, May.
    8. Han, Myat Su & Ma, Shuang (Sara) & Wang, Yonggui & Tian, Qinghong, 2023. "Impact of technology-enabled product eco-innovation: Empirical evidence from the Chinese manufacturing industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    9. Sha, Yezhou & Zhang, Ping & Wang, Yiru & Xu, Yifan, 2022. "Capital market opening and green innovation——Evidence from Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    10. Wu, Jiamei & Chen, Zhibin & Guo, Chong, 2022. "How does anti-corruption affect green innovation? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 405-424.
    11. Li Dong & Xin Zhang & Jinlong Chen, 2024. "Does Investor Sentiment Drive Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-20, April.
    12. Shujie Zhang & Mengyuan Chen & Guiyao Tang, 2024. "How green human resource management can promote green competitive advantage: The role of green innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4613-4625, July.
    13. Liu, Feng & Wang, Rongping & Fang, Mingjie, 2024. "Mapping green innovation with machine learning: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    14. Shenggang Ren & Yue Wang & Yucai Hu & Ji Yan, 2021. "CEO hometown identity and firm green innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 756-774, February.
    15. Etienne Redor & Magnus Blomkvist, 2021. "Do all inside and affiliated directors hold the same value for shareholders?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(3), pages 882-895.
    16. Jinqiu He & Huiwen Su, 2022. "Digital Transformation and Green Innovation of Chinese Firms: The Moderating Role of Regulatory Pressure and International Opportunities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-21, October.
    17. Durán-Romero, Gemma & López, Ana M. & Beliaeva, Tatiana & Ferasso, Marcos & Garonne, Christophe & Jones, Paul, 2020. "Bridging the gap between circular economy and climate change mitigation policies through eco-innovations and Quintuple Helix Model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    18. Dante I. Leyva-de la Hiz & J. Alberto Aragon-Correa & Andrew G. Earle, 2022. "Innovating for Good in Opportunistic Contexts: The Case for Firms’ Environmental Divergence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(4), pages 705-721, April.
    19. Wunhong Su & Chun Guo & Xiaobao Song, 2022. "Media coverage, Environment Protection Law and environmental research and development: evidence from the Chinese-listed firms," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6953-6983, May.
    20. Dan Huang & Jie Cheng & Xiaofeng Quan & Yanling Wu, 2024. "Managerial attention to environmental protection and corporate green innovation," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1047-1081, October.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4154-:d:1079759. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.