{"title":"Leveraging AI for ESG Performance: A Global Analysis of National AI Capabilities and Sustainability in International Business","authors":"Geeho Jeon","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70162","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examines the interplay between national AI capabilities, measured by the Oxford (161 countries), Tortoise (81 countries), and Stanford (36 countries) AI Indices, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, advancing international business (IB) and sustainability scholarship. We propose AI-enabled ESG capability—a country-level construct integrating AI resources within institutional contexts—as a novel framework, synthesizing Resource-Based View, Institutional Theory, and Knowledge-Based View to address tensions between regulatory pressures and technological advantages. Employing Pearson correlation, hierarchical regression, and <i>K</i>-means clustering, we analyze AI pillars' influence on ESG, controlling for political stability, GDP per capita, internet penetration, and population size. Findings highlight Data and Infrastructure (Oxford, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.916), Talent (Tortoise, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.936), and Political Stability (Stanford, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.850) as primary drivers, with stronger effects in developed economies. Clustering reveals trade-offs: AI-dominant nations lag in ESG, while ESG-strong countries underutilize AI. These insights extend IB theories and guide multinational enterprises (MNEs) and policymakers in aligning AI with ESG through robust governance, digital infrastructure, and STEM education, fostering sustainable global value chains.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sustainable Development Pathways for Inert Industries in a Net-Zero Commitment: The Role of Digital Capabilities and Ecological Innovation","authors":"Sunan Shao, Yixuan Xiong, Shiyuan Li","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70161","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>As environmental policies grow and sustainable development becomes a priority, Digital Capability is crucial for achieving Zero Emissions Sustainable Performance in inert industries. Nevertheless, progress in achieving sustainable performance within inert industries has been slow and inadequate to meet future demands. A survey of 332 ISO 14000 certified companies in China shows that: (1) Digital capability significantly improves net-zero sustainable performance and promotes ecological innovation for zero emissions; (2) In net-zero commitments, ecological management practices and ecological process innovation have slightly stronger mediating effects than ecological product innovation. This is due to the characteristics of inert industries, often large enterprises with complex resources and management structures. This study presents a “capability-innovation-performance” framework for net-zero objectives, enhancing dynamic capability theory in sustainable transformation. It offers insights for inert industries resistant to change, and facilitating their transition to net-zero ecological practices in environmental management.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals Through Outside-In and Inside-Out Corporate Purposes","authors":"Kyoko Sasaki, Wendy Stubbs","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70167","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The growing severity of societal issues, addressed by the sustainable development goals (SDGs), has raised questions about companies' purpose and their roles in solving these issues. While scholars conceptualize two perspectives (outside-in and inside-out) on corporate purpose, it is unclear how they influence companies' actions on the SDGs. To address this knowledge gap, this article poses the research question: <i>How do outside-in and inside-out corporate purposes shape companies' actions on the SDGs</i>? Drawing upon interviews with 28 managers from 16 large companies in Australia and Japan, the article reveals that companies adopting both perspectives of corporate purpose are more advanced in implementing the SDGs than those who adopt only one perspective. The article's main contributions are the development of an “ideal type” of corporate purpose and implementation pathways to more comprehensively understand how companies can integrate the SDGs into their purpose.</p>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bsd2.70167","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sustainable Governance and ESG Awareness: Evidence From Tunisian Investors","authors":"Tarek Ben Noamene","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explores how investors in Tunisia perceive the country's 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting guidelines, with a particular focus on implications for corporate governance. Using qualitative data from 20 semistructured interviews with financial analysts, investment managers, and regulators, the findings reveal low overall awareness of the ESG framework but growing investor expectations for enhanced governance practices. These expectations include stronger board oversight, ESG-linked executive compensation, and greater organizational accountability. While ESG adoption in Tunisia remains limited, investor insights point to significant potential for ESG principles to drive corporate governance reforms and promote sustainable business strategies. The research highlights the critical role of regulatory clarity, data availability, and targeted ESG education in aligning investor and organizational objectives. This paper contributes to the literature on ESG integration in emerging markets and emphasizes the strategic importance of investor engagement in shaping governance outcomes. It also offers practical implications for policymakers and business leaders seeking to improve ESG implementation and investor confidence in transitional economies. While the study is limited by its sample size and early-stage context, it opens pathways for future comparative and longitudinal research on ESG-driven governance transformation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shama Urooj, Atta Ullah, Saif Ullah, Haitham Nobanee
{"title":"Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era: The Role of Digital Financial Capability and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance","authors":"Shama Urooj, Atta Ullah, Saif Ullah, Haitham Nobanee","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70147","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Although sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) is increasingly recognized as a vital solution to global problems, the influence of financial compliance—specifically, anti-money laundering (AML) laws on SE remains unexplored. This paper investigates the impact of digital financial capability (DFC) on sustainable entrepreneurship in 100 countries between 2012 and 2022, considering the moderating influence of AML compliance. The study incorporates various factors to develop DFC and SE indices. To address potential endogeneity, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation in the data, this study uses the two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) approach, which is assessed using Driscoll–Kraay (D–K) regression, to guarantee robust and trustworthy estimates. The findings revealed that countries within the sample, theoretically align with Dynamic Capability Theory regarding the relationship between DFC and SE. Furthermore, the moderating role of AML compliance has a positive impact on the DFC-SE relationship in advanced countries, increasing it by 20.2%. However, AML laws moderated the adverse effects of DFC on SE in developing countries by 45.8%, driven by variations in regulatory stringency between developed and developing countries. This study closes a significant gap in the literature by incorporating financial compliance into the DFC–SE relationship. These insights help entrepreneurs and financial institutions to optimize costs and promote ethical practices by understanding risk profiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bsd2.70147","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating Gender Equality Into Strategy Using Management Control Systems: Case Studies From Japanese Companies","authors":"Masahiro Hosoda, Shima Nagano, Asami Watanabe","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70154","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In Japanese companies, gender equality has been one of the most pressing sustainability issues of the day. Accordingly, there has been a strong need to discuss gender issues from the perspective of Management Control Systems (MCSs). The degree to which gender equality is integrated into organisational strategy varies, depending on the configuration of each MCS. Thus, relying on the case studies of seven Japanese companies, this study investigates the configuration of MCSs based on their use and examines the degree to which the realisation of gender equality is integrated into organisational strategy. The results revealed the configuration of MCSs typified by their use and technical, organisational and cognitive dimensions in integrating gender equality into strategy in Japanese companies. This study contributes to research on management accounting and MCSs in gender accounting by showing the configurations of MCSs in terms of how gender equality is integrated into organisational strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bsd2.70154","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Factors Affecting Corporate Climate Change Disclosures: An Empirical Investigation on Listed Firms Operating in Bangladesh","authors":"Rajib Chakraborty, Lan Sun","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70145","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study examines the impact of the various firm characteristics on the level of corporate climate change disclosure by Bangladeshi firms. It includes 450 firm-year observations for firms that are listed on Bangladesh's Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). The authors undertake a panel regression analysis to look at the relationship between various factors related to firms' characteristics and corporate climate change disclosures using ordinary least square (OLS) and two-stage least square (2SLS) methods. This study claims that larger firms and environmental award have a positive effect on the firm's propensity to disclose climate change information. However, study outcomes also find a negative relationship between climate disclosure and other firm factors such as economic performance, age, level of indebtedness, and the existence of an environmental committee. This research provides directives for business experts, policymakers, and regulatory authorities to formulate more realistic policies for business concerns to make them aware to disclose climate change information.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144536961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing Business Strategy for Sustainability: Probing the Effects of CEO Features, and Corporate Reputation in Driving ESG Outcomes","authors":"Ummar Faruk Saeed, Ishmael Wiredu","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70156","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Anchored in signaling and stakeholder theories, this study investigates the influence of CEO characteristics on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure, with a focus on the moderating roles of corporate reputation and sustainable innovation. The analysis covers the period 2013 to 2023, using a panel dataset of 368 manufacturing firms in emerging markets, particularly the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, firms across the region. To empirically test the hypotheses and address potential endogeneity, reverse causality, and dynamic firm behavior, the study employs dynamic GMM modeling. In addition, Quantile Regression (QR) is applied to uncover heterogeneous effects across varying levels of ESG disclosure. The results reveal that CEO foreign experience, compensation, interlocks, and education have a positive and significant influence on ESG disclosure, while CEO power shows a negative and significant effect. The study further finds that corporate reputation not only directly enhances ESG disclosure but also strengthens the relationship between CEO characteristics and sustainability reporting. Similarly, the interaction effect of sustainable innovation is positively associated with ESG disclosure, indicating that innovation efforts amplify the influence of CEO attributes on transparency. QR analysis reveals that these effects are pronounced in higher quantiles. Finally, the study uncovers additional layers of heterogeneity driven by global climate agreements, economic development levels, and regional dynamics within LAC. The study contributes to ESG, leadership, and corporate governance literature by offering a nuanced, multilevel perspective on sustainability disclosure, with practical implications for boards, regulators, and policymakers seeking to foster transparency and accountability in developing regions.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144536879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From Survival to Shift: Value Creation by Cross-Sector Partnerships Under Authoritarianism","authors":"Xu Kang, Thi Minh Chau Bui, Supriya Singh, Matthias Fertig","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70152","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study explores how cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) create value in authoritarian contexts, employing a goal–outcome lens to investigate the interplay between organizational intentions and realized outcomes. Drawing on five CSP cases from China and Vietnam, it demonstrates how CSPs generate intended and auxiliary value across social and market dimensions by strategically deploying “selective coupling” with dominant state logic to secure legitimacy and sustain operations, while preserving elements of market and civil-society logics to pursue their core objectives. Although this conformity stabilizes the prevailing institutional order, CSPs simultaneously introduce civil-society and market practices—such as community empowerment, awareness raising on sustainability and human rights issues, and outcome-based performance management—that incrementally expand the normative space for civil society logic. CSPs function both as stabilizers and subtle catalysts of evolutionary institutional change. In examining these dynamics, this study contributes to scholarship on value creation and institutional complexity in politically constrained contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bsd2.70152","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144519758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zaira Aniza Samsudin, Muskan Sahu, Waleed M. Alahdal, Norakma Abd Majid, Siti Nurain Muhmad
{"title":"The Moderating Effect of ESG Controversies on the Relationship Between CSR Committee and ESG Performance: Malaysian Evidence","authors":"Zaira Aniza Samsudin, Muskan Sahu, Waleed M. Alahdal, Norakma Abd Majid, Siti Nurain Muhmad","doi":"10.1002/bsd2.70158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70158","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) controversies reflect the responsibility to which corporate social responsibility (CSR) committees within firms act with genuine intentions. With the continuous development of ESG practices and the increasing number of environmental and social controversies in the Malaysian corporate environment, this study examines whether ESG controversies (ESGCON) influence the relationship between CSR committees and ESG performance among publicly listed firms in Malaysia. Additionally, the reformation of corporate governance in Malaysia has led to a growing establishment of CSR committees, providing valuable insights into the governance mechanism's impact on ESG practices in emerging markets. A quantile regression was applied to a dataset comprising 944 firms in Malaysia from 2016 to 2023. ESG scores, CSR committee data, and ESG controversy scores were extracted from the Refinitiv Eikon database to investigate the impact of ESGCON on the relationship between CSR committees and ESG performance. This study demonstrated that firms with CSR committees contribute to a strong favorable linkage with ESG performance. However, ESGCON does not exhibit a moderating effect on this relationship, although they are negatively correlated with both ESG performance and CSR committees. Moreover, firm size and GDP were found to positively and significantly influence ESG performance, while leverage displayed a complex and mixed effect. To date, no study has been done regarding the effect of ESGCON on the relationship between CSR committees and ESG performance in the Malaysian context. Hence, this study raises awareness among policymakers, practitioners, and academicians on the importance of considering ESGCON when developing policies, business strategies, and ESG initiatives. The findings also offer guidance for publicly listed firms in Malaysia to strengthen their sustainability efforts and enhance corporate governance structures to mitigate adverse effects of the risk associated with ESGCON.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":36531,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and Development","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144515058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}