IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/corsem/v29y2022i5p1158-1172.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable development—Direct and indirect effects between economic, social, and environmental dimensions in business practices

Author

Listed:
  • Svante Andersson
  • Göran Svensson
  • Francisco‐Jose Molina‐Castillo
  • Carmen Otero‐Neira
  • John Lindgren
  • Niklas P. E. Karlsson
  • Hélène Laurell

Abstract

This study investigates the direct and indirect effects between economic, social and environmental dimensions of triple bottom line (TBL), based on a questionnaire survey and cross‐industrial sample in Sweden. The analyses apply partial least squares structural equation models. The study tests the direct and indirect effects between economic, social, and environmental dimensions of TBL and offers additional validity and reliability to establish the measurement and structural properties between the dimensions of TBL. The study extends earlier findings by explicitly discussing how the three TBL goals relate to each other and shows how the dynamic capability view can be a fruitful lens to investigate business sustainability. Some differences in sustainability business practices caused by differences in national cultures are identified. Sustainability reporting in a strong uncertainty avoidance (UA) country happens in accordance with regulations and laws. Conversely, for weak UA cultures, reporting and compliance with regulations are ways to build trust with stakeholders. That is, reporting is more transparent and widespread in weak UA countries. The study also provides a foundation to guide companies' actions of business sustainability. The model shows companies how to establish the order of actions undertaken across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. In addition, it clarifies that the economic dimension exerts an effect on the social and environmental dimensions. The model also grasps long‐term economic performance by including competitiveness and brand value, while earlier research mainly has focused on more short‐term measurements as return on assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Svante Andersson & Göran Svensson & Francisco‐Jose Molina‐Castillo & Carmen Otero‐Neira & John Lindgren & Niklas P. E. Karlsson & Hélène Laurell, 2022. "Sustainable development—Direct and indirect effects between economic, social, and environmental dimensions in business practices," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1158-1172, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:29:y:2022:i:5:p:1158-1172
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.2261
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2261
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/csr.2261?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. Dan Caprar & Benjamin Neville, 2012. "“Norming” and “Conforming”: Integrating Cultural and Institutional Explanations for Sustainability Adoption in Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(2), pages 231-245, October.
    2. Rodrigo Lozano, 2015. "A Holistic Perspective on Corporate Sustainability Drivers," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(1), pages 32-44, January.
    3. Nina Evans & Janet Sawyer, 2010. "CSR and stakeholders of small businesses in regional South Australia," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 6(3), pages 433-451, August.
    4. Jijun Gao & Pratima Bansal, 2013. "Instrumental and Integrative Logics in Business Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 241-255, January.
    5. Salzmann, Oliver & Ionescu-somers, Aileen & Steger, Ulrich, 2005. "The Business Case for Corporate Sustainability:: Literature Review and Research Options," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 27-36, February.
    6. Qamar Farooq & Peihua Fu & Xuan Liu & Yunhong Hao, 2021. "Basics of macro to microlevel corporate social responsibility and advancement in triple bottom line theory," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 969-979, May.
    7. Steve Evans & Doroteya Vladimirova & Maria Holgado & Kirsten Van Fossen & Miying Yang & Elisabete A. Silva & Claire Y. Barlow, 2017. "Business Model Innovation for Sustainability: Towards a Unified Perspective for Creation of Sustainable Business Models," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 597-608, July.
    8. Hanan Alhaddi, 2015. "Triple Bottom Line and Sustainability: A Literature Review," Business and Management Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 1(2), pages 6-10, September.
    9. David J Teece, 2014. "A dynamic capabilities-based entrepreneurial theory of the multinational enterprise," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(1), pages 8-37, January.
    10. Susumu Ueno & Uma Sekaran, 1992. "The Influence of Culture on Budget Control Practices in the USA and Japan: An Empirical Study," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 23(4), pages 659-674, December.
    11. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    12. Jarvis, Cheryl Burke & MacKenzie, Scott B & Podsakoff, Philip M, 2003. "A Critical Review of Construct Indicators and Measurement Model Misspecification in Marketing and Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 30(2), pages 199-218, September.
    13. Kevin Baird & Sophia Su & Amy Tung, 2018. "Organizational Culture and Environmental Activity Management," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 403-414, March.
    14. Soares, Ana Maria & Farhangmehr, Minoo & Shoham, Aviv, 2007. "Hofstede's dimensions of culture in international marketing studies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 277-284, March.
    15. Naresh K. Malhotra & Sung S. Kim & Ashutosh Patil, 2006. "Common Method Variance in IS Research: A Comparison of Alternative Approaches and a Reanalysis of Past Research," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(12), pages 1865-1883, December.
    16. Ante Glavas & Jenny Mish, 2015. "Resources and Capabilities of Triple Bottom Line Firms: Going Over Old or Breaking New Ground?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 623-642, March.
    17. María del Mar Miras‐Rodríguez & Amalia Carrasco‐Gallego & Bernabé Escobar‐Pérez, 2015. "Are Socially Responsible Behaviors Paid Off Equally? A Cross‐cultural Analysis," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(4), pages 237-256, July.
    18. Sarstedt, Marko & Ringle, Christian M. & Smith, Donna & Reams, Russell & Hair, Joseph F., 2014. "Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): A useful tool for family business researchers," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 105-115.
    19. Martina K. Linnenluecke & Sally V. Russell & Andrew Griffiths, 2009. "Subcultures and sustainability practices: the impact on understanding corporate sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 432-452, November.
    20. Nazim Hussain & Ugo Rigoni & René P. Orij, 2018. "Corporate Governance and Sustainability Performance: Analysis of Triple Bottom Line Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 411-432, May.
    21. Wendy L. Tate & Lydia Bals, 2018. "Achieving Shared Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Value Creation: Toward a Social Resource-Based View (SRBV) of the Firm," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 803-826, October.
    22. Zeeshan Ullah & Ahmad Arslan & Vesa Puhakka, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility strategy, sustainable product attributes, and export performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1840-1853, November.
    23. Birger Wernerfelt, 1984. "A resource‐based view of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 171-180, April.
    24. Darrel Brown & Jesse Dillard & R. Scott Marshall, 2006. "Triple Bottom Line: A business metaphor for a social construct," Working Papers 0602, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Mar 2006.
    25. Geert Hofstede, 1983. "The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 14(2), pages 75-89, June.
    26. Lu Qiu & Xiaowen Jie & Yanan Wang & Minjuan Zhao, 2020. "Green product innovation, green dynamic capability, and competitive advantage: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 146-165, January.
    27. Yu-Hsien Lin & Yu-Shan Chen, 2017. "Determinants of green competitive advantage: the roles of green knowledge sharing, green dynamic capabilities, and green service innovation," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 1663-1685, July.
    28. Graham Hubbard, 2009. "Measuring organizational performance: beyond the triple bottom line," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 177-191, March.
    29. Gallego-Álvarez, Prof. Isabel & Ortas, Prof. Eduardo, 2017. "Corporate environmental sustainability reporting in the context of national cultures: A quantile regression approach," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 337-353.
    30. Deephouse, David L. & Newburry, William & Soleimani, Abrahim, 2016. "The effects of institutional development and national culture on cross-national differences in corporate reputation," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 463-473.
    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. José Manuel Maside‐Sanfiz & Óscar Suárez Fernández & María‐Celia López‐Penabad & Mohammad Omar Alzghoul, 2024. "Does corporate social performance improve environmentally adjusted efficiency? Evidence from the energy sector," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1510-1530, May.
    2. Huy‐Cuong Vo Thai & Trinh Hoang Hong Hue & Pei‐fen Chen & My‐Linh Tran, 2024. "Unraveling the influence of human capital and stakeholder engagement on corporate digital responsibility: Implications for firm performance in Southeast Asia enterprises," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1934-1958, May.
    3. Maria Elena Latino & Marta Menegoli & Maria Chiara De Lorenzi, 2024. "A pattern‐based tool to support companies in sustainability‐oriented business strategies: grounded theory research in agribusiness," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 3348-3367, July.
    4. Aisha Issa & Amir Khadem & Ahmad Alzubi & Ayşen Berberoğlu, 2024. "The Path from Green Innovation to Supply Chain Resilience: Do Structural and Dynamic Supply Chain Complexity Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-33, April.
    5. Riggs, Randy & Felipe, Carmen M. & Roldán, José L. & Real, Juan C., 2024. "Information systems capabilities value creation through circular economy practices in uncertain environments: A conditional mediation model," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).

    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. Phong Nguyen, Nguyen & Adomako, Samuel & Ahsan, Mujtaba, 2023. "The base-of- the-pyramid orientation and export performance of Vietnamese small and medium enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    2. Ying Guo, 2023. "External Knowledge Acquisition and Green Innovation in Chinese Firms: Unveiling the Impact of Green Dynamic Capabilities," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, July.
    3. Tu Thanh Hoai & Nha Nguyen Minh & Hien Vo Van & Nguyen Phong Nguyen, 2023. "Accounting going green: The move toward environmental sustainability in Vietnamese manufacturing firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 1928-1941, July.
    4. Thaís Vieira Nunhes & Merce Bernardo & Otávio José de Oliveira, 2020. "Rethinking the Way of Doing Business: A Reframe of Management Structures for Developing Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-32, February.
    5. Miska, Christof & Szőcs, Ilona & Schiffinger, Michael, 2018. "Culture’s effects on corporate sustainability practices: A multi-domain and multi-level view," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 263-279.
    6. Zhang-Zhang, YingYing & Rohlfer, Sylvia & Varma, Arup, 2022. "Strategic people management in contemporary highly dynamic VUCA contexts: A knowledge worker perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 587-598.
    7. John Manso Frimpong & Jacob Kuutoume & Christiana Abrafi Gyamfi, 2024. "Supply Chain Integration and Organizational Resources and Capabilities: The Moderating Effect of Stakeholders’ Support," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 14(4), pages 72-82, July.
    8. Fosso Wamba, Samuel & Queiroz, Maciel M. & Trinchera, Laura, 2024. "The role of artificial intelligence-enabled dynamic capability on environmental performance: The mediation effect of a data-driven culture in France and the USA," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    9. Akhtar, Pervaiz & Khan, Zaheer & Tarba, Shlomo & Jayawickrama, Uchitha, 2018. "The Internet of Things, dynamic data and information processing capabilities, and operational agility," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 307-316.
    10. Jimin Shim & Joonho Moon & Won Seok Lee & Namho Chung, 2021. "The Impact of CSR on Corporate Value of Restaurant Businesses Using Triple Bottom Line Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    11. Ana Criado-Gomis & M. Ángeles Iniesta-Bonillo & Amparo Cervera-Taulet, 2018. "Sustainable entrepreneurial orientation within an intrapreneurial context: effects on business performance," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 295-308, June.
    12. Coulet, Jean-Claude, 2019. "The organization activity: A foresight approach of theoretical knowledge evolution in management science," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 160-168.
    13. Abel Duarte Alonso & Seng K. Kok & Seamus O'Brien, 2019. "Understanding Approaches To Innovation Through The Dynamic Capabilities Lens: A Multi-Country Study Of The Wine Industry," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(06), pages 1-30, August.
    14. Issam Laguir & Sachin Modgil & Indranil Bose & Shivam Gupta & Rebecca Stekelorum, 2023. "Performance effects of analytics capability, disruption orientation, and resilience in the supply chain under environmental uncertainty," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 324(1), pages 1269-1293, May.
    15. Patrizia Gazzola & Roberta Pezzetti & Stefano Amelio & Daniele Grechi, 2020. "Non-Financial Information Disclosure in Italian Public Interest Companies: A Sustainability Reporting Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-16, July.
    16. Ayden, Yuksel & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Glaister, Keith W. & Demirbag, Mehmet, 2021. "Exploring the internationalization strategies of Turkish multinationals: A multi-perspective analysis," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).
    17. García-Granero, Eva M. & Piedra-Muñoz, Laura & Galdeano-Gómez, Emilio, 2020. "Measuring eco-innovation dimensions: The role of environmental corporate culture and commercial orientation," MPRA Paper 119909, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Ismael Barros-Contreras & Héctor Pérez-Fernández & Natalia Martín-Cruz & Juan Hernangómez B., 2023. "Can we make family social capital flourish? The moderating role of generational involvement," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 655-673, September.
    19. Tyrone T. Lin & Shu-Yen Hsu & Chiao-Chen Chang, 2019. "Evaluation of Decision-Making for the Optimal Value of Sustainable Enterprise Development under Global 100 Index Thinking," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-21, February.
    20. Robertson, Jeandri & Caruana, Albert & Ferreira, Caitlin, 2023. "Innovation performance: The effect of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities in cross-country innovation ecosystems," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).

    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:wly:corsem:v:29:y:2022:i:5:p:1158-1172. 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: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1535-3966 .

    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.