The role of environmental sustainability in the relocation choices of MNEs: Back to the home country or welcome in a new host country?

IF 5.9 2区管理学 Q1 MANAGEMENT

Journal of International Management Pub Date : 2023-10-01 DOI:10.1016/j.intman.2023.101059

Martina Barbaglia , Roberto Bianchini , Vincenzo Butticè , Stefano Elia , Marcello M. Mariani

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

This study investigates how firms' awareness of environmental sustainability affects the revision of their internationalization strategies. Combining Stakeholder and Signalling theories, we argue that firms concerned with environmental sustainability have a higher propensity to return to their home country when confronted with the need to relocate foreign manufacturing subsidiaries, in order to match Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stakeholder expectations and enhance the effectiveness of sustainable disclosure endeavours. We also argue that the home country's environmental policy stringency, reflecting a stronger pressure by stakeholders and a higher need for effective signals, positively moderates the relationship between the firm environmental sustainability concern and the likelihood to move back home. The empirical analysis conducted on a sample of 150 relocations performed across European nations in 2002–2016 reveals that MNEs signalling their CSR are more likely to backshore only in case of rigid environmental laws, which are perceived as an opportunity to align with CSR stakeholder expectations and to amplify the benefits of disclosing the shortening of their global value chain.

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环境可持续性在跨国公司搬迁选择中的作用:回到母国还是在新的东道国受到欢迎?

本研究探讨企业的环境可持续性意识如何影响其国际化战略的修订。结合利益相关者和信号理论，我们认为关注环境可持续性的公司在面临搬迁国外制造子公司的需要时，更倾向于返回本国，以满足企业社会责任(CSR)利益相关者的期望，并提高可持续披露工作的有效性。我们还认为，母国的环境政策的严格性，反映了利益相关者更大的压力和对有效信号的更高需求，正调节了企业环境可持续性关注与迁回母国可能性之间的关系。对2002年至2016年在欧洲国家进行的150个搬迁样本进行的实证分析表明，只有在严格的环境法律下，跨国公司才更有可能表示其企业社会责任，这被视为与企业社会责任利益相关者期望保持一致的机会，并扩大披露其全球价值链缩短的好处。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of International Management MANAGEMENT-

自引率

9.80%

发文量

审稿时长

81 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of International Management is devoted to advancing an understanding of issues in the management of global enterprises, global management theory, and practice; and providing theoretical and managerial implications useful for the further development of research. It is designed to serve an audience of academic researchers and educators, as well as business professionals, by publishing both theoretical and empirical research relating to international management and strategy issues. JIM publishes theoretical and empirical research addressing international business strategy, comparative and cross-cultural management, risk management, organizational behavior, and human resource management, among others.