Effects of Executive Sustainability Compensation on Nonexecutive Employee Behavior

IF 13.2 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Business Strategy and The Environment Pub Date : 2026-10-06 DOI:10.1002/bse.71630

Natalie Rupp

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

ABSTRACT In response to growing awareness of climate change and increasing regulatory sustainability requirements, many companies now link executive compensation to specific sustainability criteria. Although prior research has examined the effects of such incentives on executive behavior, this study explores how executive sustainability‐linked compensation and leadership tone influence the sustainable behavior of nonexecutive employees. Using an online experiment, I find that informing nonexecutive employees about executive bonuses tied to sustainability targets significantly increases their likelihood of making sustainable decisions. In contrast, tone from the top information does not have a statistically significant effect. The results have important implications for theory, practice, and policy by highlighting transparent communication of sustainability‐linked executive incentives as a simple yet powerful tool for fostering sustainable change among nonexecutive employees as well. Ultimately, this study contributes to advancing the understanding of employee‐level sustainability efforts and offers practical strategies to support the sustainable transformation of business and society.

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高管可持续性薪酬对非执行员工行为的影响

随着人们对气候变化意识的提高和监管机构对可持续发展要求的提高，许多公司将高管薪酬与具体的可持续发展标准联系起来。虽然之前的研究已经考察了这些激励对高管行为的影响，但本研究探讨了与高管可持续性相关的薪酬和领导语气如何影响非高管员工的可持续性行为。通过一项在线实验，我发现，告知非执行员工与可持续发展目标挂钩的高管奖金，显著提高了他们做出可持续发展决策的可能性。相反，来自顶部信息的音调在统计上没有显著的影响。研究结果对理论、实践和政策都有重要意义，因为它强调了与可持续发展相关的高管激励机制的透明沟通，这是一种简单而有力的工具，可以促进非高管员工的可持续变革。最终，本研究有助于增进对员工层面可持续发展努力的理解，并为支持企业和社会的可持续转型提供切实可行的策略。

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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.