Greener Pathways, Strategy, and Economic Performance: A Cross‐National Study on European Service SMEs

IF 12.5 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Business Strategy and The Environment Pub Date : 2025-01-23 DOI:10.1002/bse.4135

Emidia Vagnoni, Caterina Cavicchi, Michela Borghesi, Edoardo Trincanato, Stefano Bonnini

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Abstract

Research into how environmental management practices impact firm performance has largely overlooked the service sector's small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on industry, resource, and institution‐based strategy perspectives, this study investigates how adopting resource efficiency (RE) practices within the framework of a circular economy (CE) supports European service SMEs in achieving carbon neutrality (CN) and reducing production costs (PCs). The study also examines difficulties in adapting to environmental regulations among adopters, their associated impact on performance, and the importance of having a CN strategy. A combined permutation test conducted on 681 European service SMEs from 35 countries revealed––after controlling for sectoral differences––that SMEs without RE practices within the CE framework faced higher PCs, a critical factor for firm performance. Additionally, transportation and storage SMEs with a CN strategy demonstrated greater adoption of RE practices. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

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绿色路径、战略与经济绩效：欧洲服务业中小企业的跨国研究

对环境管理实践如何影响公司绩效的研究在很大程度上忽视了服务业的中小型企业（sme）。本研究从行业、资源和基于制度的战略角度出发，探讨了在循环经济（CE）框架内采用资源效率（RE）实践如何支持欧洲服务业中小企业实现碳中和（CN）和降低生产成本（pc）。该研究还考察了采用者在适应环境法规方面的困难，它们对绩效的相关影响，以及制定CN战略的重要性。对来自35个国家的681家欧洲服务业中小企业进行的组合排列测试显示，在控制行业差异之后，在CE框架内没有RE实践的中小企业面临更高的pc，这是公司绩效的关键因素。此外，采用CN战略的运输和仓储中小企业更多地采用了可再生能源实践。讨论了理论、实践和未来研究的意义。

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来源期刊

Business Strategy and The Environment Multiple-

CiteScore

22.50

自引率

19.40%

发文量

336

期刊介绍： Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) is a leading academic journal focused on business strategies for improving the natural environment. It publishes peer-reviewed research on various topics such as systems and standards, environmental performance, disclosure, eco-innovation, corporate environmental management tools, organizations and management, supply chains, circular economy, governance, green finance, industry sectors, and responses to climate change and other contemporary environmental issues. The journal aims to provide original contributions that enhance the understanding of sustainability in business. Its target audience includes academics, practitioners, business managers, and consultants. However, BSE does not accept papers on corporate social responsibility (CSR), as this topic is covered by its sibling journal Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. The journal is indexed in several databases and collections such as ABI/INFORM Collection, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, BIOBASE, Emerald Management Reviews, GeoArchive, Environment Index, GEOBASE, INSPEC, Technology Collection, and Web of Science.