IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v9y2019i1p2158244019832687.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Critical Factors Influencing the Evolution of Companies’ Environmental Behavior: An Agent-Based Computational Economic Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Yong Liu
  • Fei Li
  • Yunpeng Su

Abstract

Although a wealth of studies on companies’ environmental behavior exists, little is known about the factors with the greatest influence on the evolution of such behavior. Thus, employing empirical data on China and an agent-based simulation model, this study examines the evolution from defensive to preventive environmental behavior. The results show that community support is the most important factor in this process, followed by managers’ environmental awareness and companies’ financial ability. However, financial ability is the most significant factor in the evolution from preventive to enthusiastic environmental behavior, followed by managers’ environmental awareness and community support. Our identification of the most important factors can serve as a basis for decision makers to focus on improving the operational effectiveness of environmental policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Yong Liu & Fei Li & Yunpeng Su, 2019. "Critical Factors Influencing the Evolution of Companies’ Environmental Behavior: An Agent-Based Computational Economic Approach," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(1), pages 21582440198, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:9:y:2019:i:1:p:2158244019832687
    DOI: 10.1177/2158244019832687
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244019832687
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/2158244019832687?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. Veit, Daniel J. & Weidlich, Anke & Krafft, Jacob A., 2009. "An agent-based analysis of the German electricity market with transmission capacity constraints," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 4132-4144, October.
    2. Guerci, E. & Ivaldi, S. & Pastore, S. & Cincotti, S., 2005. "Modeling and implementation of an artificial electricity market using agent-based technology," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 355(1), pages 69-76.
    3. Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh & John M. Gowdy, 2003. "The microfoundations of macroeconomics: an evolutionary perspective," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 27(1), pages 65-84, January.
    4. Gray, Wayne B. & Deily, Mary E., 1996. "Compliance and Enforcement: Air Pollution Regulation in the U.S. Steel Industry," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 96-111, July.
    5. Wagner, Marcus, 2015. "The link of environmental and economic performance: Drivers and limitations of sustainability integration," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1306-1317.
    6. Tang, Zhi & Tang, Jintong, 2012. "Stakeholder–firm power difference, stakeholders' CSR orientation, and SMEs' environmental performance in China," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 436-455.
    7. Liu, Yong, 2014. "Barriers to the adoption of low carbon production: A multiple-case study of Chinese industrial firms," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 412-421.
    8. Dasgupta, Susmita & Laplante, Benoit & Namingi, Nlandu & Hua Wang, 2000. "Industrial environmental performance in China - the impact of inspections," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2285, The World Bank.
    9. Stuart Mestelman, 1984. "The social choice of alternative corrective devices," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 55-71, January.
    10. Farag, Hisham & Meng, Qingwei & Mallin, Chris, 2015. "The social, environmental and ethical performance of Chinese companies: Evidence from the Shanghai Stock Exchange," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 53-63.
    11. Hahn, Robert W, 1990. "The Political Economy of Environmental Regulation: Towards a Unifying Framework," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 21-47, April.
    12. Wirth, Herbert & Kulczycka, Joanna & Hausner, Jerzy & Koński, Maciej, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Communication about social and environmental disclosure by large and small copper mining companies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 53-60.
    13. Dietrich Earnhart, 2004. "The Effects of Community Characteristics on Polluter Compliance Levels," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 80(3), pages 408-432.
    14. Johnstone, Nick & Labonne, Julien, 2009. "Why do manufacturing facilities introduce environmental management systems? Improving and/or signaling performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 719-730, January.
    15. Nishitani, Kimitaka, 2009. "An empirical study of the initial adoption of ISO 14001 in Japanese manufacturing firms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 669-679, January.
    16. Harsh V. Verma & Ekta Duggal, 2015. "Environmental Concerns, Behavior Consistency of Emerging Market: Youth and Marketing," Emerging Economy Studies, International Management Institute, vol. 1(2), pages 171-187, November.
    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. Yao Song & Zhenzhen Qin & Zihao Qin, 2020. "Green Marketing to Gen Z Consumers in China: Examining the Mediating Factors of an Eco-Label–Informed Purchase," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(4), pages 21582440209, October.
    2. Yong Liu & Jin Liu & Yunpeng Su, 2021. "Low-Carbon Awareness and Behaviors: Effects of Exposure to Climate Change Impact Photographs," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, July.
    3. Zhongfu Tan & Burhan Sadiq & Tayyeba Bashir & Hassan Mahmood & Yasir Rasool, 2022. "Investigating the Impact of Green Marketing Components on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Image and Brand Trust," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-15, May.

    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. Zhengxia He & Shichun Xu & Wenxing Shen & Meiling Wang & Cunfang Li, 2019. "Exploring external and internal pressures on the environmental behavior of paper enterprises in China: A qualitative study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 951-969, September.
    2. Dietrich Earnhart & Dylan G. Rassier, 2016. "“Effective regulatory stringency” and firms’ profitability: the effects of effluent limits and government monitoring," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 111-145, October.
    3. Zach Raff & Dietrich Earnhart, 2018. "Effect Of Cooperative Enforcement Strategies On Wastewater Management," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(2), pages 1357-1379, April.
    4. Raff, Zach & Earnhart, Dietrich, 2019. "The effects of Clean Water Act enforcement on environmental employment," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-17.
    5. Yong Liu, 2018. "Exploring the Relationship between External Positive–Negative Pressures and the Carbon Management Behaviour of Industrial Firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(4), pages 628-641, July.
    6. Blackman, Allen & Guerrero, Santiago, 2012. "What drives voluntary eco-certification in Mexico?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 256-268.
    7. Liu, Beibei & He, Pan & Zhang, Bing & Bi, Jun, 2012. "Impacts of alternative allowance allocation methods under a cap-and-trade program in power sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 405-415.
    8. Zach Raff & Dietrich Earnhart, 2020. "The effect of environmental enforcement on labor: environmental workers and production workers," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 118-133, April.
    9. Earnhart, Dietrich & Segerson, Kathleen, 2012. "The influence of financial status on the effectiveness of environmental enforcement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(9-10), pages 670-684.
    10. Earnhart, Dietrich & Friesen, Lana, 2017. "The Effects of Regulated Facilities' Perceptions About the Effectiveness of Government Interventions on Environmental Compliance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 282-294.
    11. Shimshack, Jay P. & Ward, Michael B., 2008. "Enforcement and over-compliance," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 90-105, January.
    12. Xiaoyang Xu & Muhammad Imran & Muhammad Ayaz & Sonia Lohana, 2022. "The Mediating Role of Green Technology Innovation with Corporate Social Responsibility, Firm Financial, and Environmental Performance: The Case of Chinese Manufacturing Industries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.
    13. 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.
    14. Chakraborti, Lopamudra, 2016. "Do plants’ emissions respond to ambient environmental quality? Evidence from the clean water act," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 55-69.
    15. Earnhart, Dietrich & Friesen, Lana, 2021. "Use of competitive endogenous audit mechanisms by federal and state inspectors within environmental protection agencies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    16. McGuinness, Paul B. & Vieito, João Paulo & Wang, Mingzhu, 2017. "The role of board gender and foreign ownership in the CSR performance of Chinese listed firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 75-99.
    17. Xian Liu & Barrett Kirwan & Andrea Martens, 2018. "Regulatory compliance, information disclosure and peer effects: evidence from the Mexican gasoline market," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 53-80, August.
    18. Ivanova, Daniela, 2018. "Сертификацията – Инструмент За „Зелени“ Комуникации В Глобалната Търговия [Certification - a tool for “green” communications in global trade]," MPRA Paper 96038, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Daniela Ivanova & Anelia Haradinova, 2020. "The Motives and Benefits of Environmental Management Systems – the Case of Bulgarian Companies," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 418-432, September.
    20. Markus Kitzmueller & Jay Shimshack, 2012. "Economic Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 51-84, March.

    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:sae:sagope:v:9:y:2019:i:1:p:2158244019832687. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.