Christian Richter Østergaard, Jacob Rubæk Holm, Torben Schubert
{"title":"Employee Diversity and Environmental Innovation: The Roles of Gender, Nationality, and Education","authors":"Christian Richter Østergaard, Jacob Rubæk Holm, Torben Schubert","doi":"10.1002/bse.70047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70047","url":null,"abstract":"This paper investigates the roles of employee diversity for environmental innovations in firms. Utilizing firm‐level survey data on environmental innovations and employer–employee register data, we construct measures of employee diversity across education, nationality, and gender for over 6500 Swedish firms. We argue, grounded in the Lundvall–Johnson conceptualization of knowledge, that the positive role of employee diversity stems from knowledge diversity. We find empirical support for this, demonstrating that national and educational diversity positively influence the likelihood that a firm has introduced environmental innovations. Finally, we find that a negative role from demographic diversity creating fault lines entails that the positive association between diversity and environmental innovation may diminish at higher levels of diversity due to the emergence of negative fault lines.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"656 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chedrak Chembessi, Sébastien Bourdin, André Torre, Christophe Beaurain
{"title":"Creating Territorial Value Through Circular Economy: Why Proximities Matter?","authors":"Chedrak Chembessi, Sébastien Bourdin, André Torre, Christophe Beaurain","doi":"10.1002/bse.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70043","url":null,"abstract":"The circular economy (<jats:sc>CE</jats:sc>) represents a strategic approach to improving business sustainability. Worldwide, many companies have been adopting or implementing circular initiatives. However, the contribution of these circular practices to territorial value creation remains insufficiently explored. This study examines how <jats:sc>CE</jats:sc> initiatives generate territorial value through the activation of different forms of proximity—geographical, relational and institutional. Based on 70 semistructured interviews with 51 stakeholders in the Kamouraska region (Canada) and in La Rochelle (France), this research discusses how businesses, policymakers and community actors collaborate to optimise resource flows, foster innovation and enhance environmental performance. The findings reveal that <jats:sc>CE</jats:sc> initiatives strengthen local socio‐economic networks, facilitate knowledge cocreation and improve firms' adaptability to sustainability transitions. The use of proximity mechanisms enables companies to embed <jats:sc>CE</jats:sc> principles more effectively in their strategic models, which increases resilience and competitiveness. The results emphasise the importance of integrating <jats:sc>CE</jats:sc> beyond firm‐level practices and recognising the role of territorial governance in supporting sustainable regional or territorial ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ESG Performance and Green Innovation Nexus: Insights From Indian Manufacturing Titans","authors":"Mithilesh Gidage, Shilpa Bhide","doi":"10.1002/bse.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70041","url":null,"abstract":"The existing literature highlights the influence of green intellectual capital (GIC), green finance (GF), and green innovation (GI) on firms' environmental performance; however, significant gaps persist regarding their impact on ESG performance. To address this gap, our study delves into the intricate interplay between GIC, GF, GI, and ESG performance. In this study, we posit that the interplay among GIC, GF, GI, and ESG performance is more complex than traditionally acknowledged. Contrary to previous assumptions, we posit that GIC and GF do not directly correlate with ESG performance. Instead, we propose that GI acts as a mediator between GIC, GF, and ESG performance. Moreover, we argue that ESG strategies not only directly affect ESG performance but also moderate the relationship between GI and ESG outcomes. To substantiate our assertions, we employ structural equation modeling using data collected from senior decision‐makers in 77 Indian manufacturing firms listed on the NIFTY India Manufacturing Index. Our empirical findings provide robust support for most hypotheses, shedding light on the nuanced dynamics within the realm of ESG performance.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"147 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144479012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hassan Rahnama Haratbar, Peter T. L. Popkowski Leszczyc, Claudia Gonzalez‐Arcos
{"title":"The Effect of Self‐Concept Components on Sustainable Food Choice","authors":"Hassan Rahnama Haratbar, Peter T. L. Popkowski Leszczyc, Claudia Gonzalez‐Arcos","doi":"10.1002/bse.70034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70034","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the growing global adoption of sustainable food consumption, the role of self‐concept (including self‐esteem, self‐image, and ideal self) and mindset (beliefs about personal growth and adaptability) in shaping these choices remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap through an online survey of consumers of sustainable foods. Our findings reveal that self‐concept, specifically self‐esteem, environmental self‐image, and environment‐oriented ideal self, significantly influence sustainable food choices. Additionally, individuals with a growth mindset, who believe in adaptability and personal development, are more likely to engage in eco‐friendly consumption. In contrast, this relationship is not evident among those with a fixed mindset. By integrating self‐concept and mindset, this study provides a more nuanced perspective on sustainable consumption behavior. The paper concludes with actionable strategies to foster consumer engagement and promote the adoption of sustainable foods.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"245 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christine Reitmaier, Wolfgang Schultze, Ramona Paul, Jennifer Weißinger
{"title":"Does It Pay to Be Green? A Total Quality Perspective","authors":"Christine Reitmaier, Wolfgang Schultze, Ramona Paul, Jennifer Weißinger","doi":"10.1002/bse.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70019","url":null,"abstract":"The question of whether, when, and how efforts for better corporate environmental performance (CEP) improve corporate financial performance (CFP) remains controversial. We revisit this question from a total quality perspective, which unites previous research and highlights interdependencies between mediators of the CEP–CFP relationship. Total quality comprises internal process and product quality as well as stakeholders' perceptions. We use structural equation modeling in a German survey dataset and analyze two sample periods with different regulations and stakeholder expectations on CEP (2005–2010 and 2017–2022). For both samples, we find that better CEP leads to significantly better internal and external quality and also increased costs. For the early period, the improvements translate into higher revenues via external quality. For the more recent period, the improvements decrease costs via process quality. In both samples, we find a neutral effect on net CFP, implying that the documented cost or revenue benefits of green investments are counterbalanced by the associated additional costs.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"269 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty and ESG Reporting on Financial Performance of Hospitality Companies","authors":"Samta Jain, Aditya Banerjee","doi":"10.1002/bse.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70042","url":null,"abstract":"The objectives of this paper are manifold: first, to explore the relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and the financial performance of hospitality companies (hotels and entertainment), and second, to assess how this relationship is shaped by environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting. Drawing on a comprehensive international dataset from 14 developed countries spanning 2013 to 2022, the study contributes to the emerging literature on ESG and EPU by analysing how ESG factors influence the link between EPU and corporate financial performance through dynamic panel data regression. Findings of the study indicate that the policy‐related uncertainty has a detrimental impact on the financial performance of hospitality companies. Furthermore, this relationship is not restricted to the current financial performance only; in fact, the detrimental impact of policy‐related uncertainty sustains at 1‐year lagged level, thereby affecting negatively the subsequent year's financial performance. Interestingly, companies with high scores in overall ESG, as well as in individual environmental or governance dimensions, do not perform better during periods of heightened uncertainty compared to those with lower sustainability scores. However, firms with socially solid performance manage to navigate rising business uncertainty more effectively, implying that hospitality firms should value their employees and create an environment of inclusivity and growth for them to succeed.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Niccolò Maria Todaro, Gianluca Gionfriddo, Owais Ur Rehman Khan, Tiberio Daddi
{"title":"Enablers and Constraints of Environmental Sustainability Integration: A Structuration Perspective on Professional Sports Organizations","authors":"Niccolò Maria Todaro, Gianluca Gionfriddo, Owais Ur Rehman Khan, Tiberio Daddi","doi":"10.1002/bse.70035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70035","url":null,"abstract":"Integrating environmental sustainability (ES) into organizational strategies and operations remains a persistent challenge, particularly in fields where environmental concerns are not yet embedded within dominant institutional norms and standards of behavior. In such contexts, ES risks being overshadowed by economic and operational priorities, hindering meaningful organizational change toward sustainability. This study addresses this challenge by examining how ES is integrated within organizations operating in a field where it is still in the early stages of institutionalization—namely, the European football sector. Drawing on structuration theory, the research applies the notions of signification, legitimation, and domination as sensitizing devices to explore factors that enable or constrain organizations in gradually altering societal structures to embed environmental concerns into strategies and operations. Methodologically, the study draws on a multiple case study of four National Football Associations operating in Europe. By focusing on the football sector, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how organizations respond to institutional pressures for ES in the absence of fully established norms, exercising agency to shape meanings, transform expectations of behavior, and mobilize power and resources to drive organizational change toward sustainability.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Soft” Climate Change Exposure and Firm Performance Across Countries: Legitimacy Theory Perspective","authors":"Naimat U. Khan, Mushtaq Hussain Khan","doi":"10.1002/bse.70029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70029","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines the impact of a firm‐level ‘soft’ measure of climate change exposure on the performance of 6228 companies across 40 countries (2001–2021) using legitimacy theory. We find that the relationship between climate change and performance is contingent upon industry and the content of climate change exposure (opportunities, regulatory, and physical). Industry‐level analysis reveals that the top 10 high‐exposure industries generally experience negative performance impacts, whereas the bottom 10 low‐exposure industries exhibit positive effects. In terms of content, physical exposure positively affects performance, regulatory exposure negatively impacts performance, and opportunity exposure shows an insignificant positive effect. Climate change thus presents industry‐ and content‐specific risks and opportunities, highlighting the need for targeted policy incentives to encourage genuine climate‐related investments. Theoretically, climate exposure conveys either symbolic legitimacy (tokenism without real impact) or substantive legitimacy (genuine, tangible effects), depending on industry context and the nature of exposure.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"333 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144328604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sven Wunder, Cecilia Fraccaroli, Joseph W. Bull, Trishna Dutta, Alison Eyres, Megan C. Evans, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, Julia P. G. Jones, Martine Maron, Bart Muys, Andrea Pacheco, Asger Strange Olesen, Thomas Swinfield, Yitagesu Tekle Tegegne, Thomas B. White, Han Zhang, Sophus O. S. E. zu Ermgassen
{"title":"Biodiversity Credits: An Overview of the Current State, Future Opportunities, and Potential Pitfalls","authors":"Sven Wunder, Cecilia Fraccaroli, Joseph W. Bull, Trishna Dutta, Alison Eyres, Megan C. Evans, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, Julia P. G. Jones, Martine Maron, Bart Muys, Andrea Pacheco, Asger Strange Olesen, Thomas Swinfield, Yitagesu Tekle Tegegne, Thomas B. White, Han Zhang, Sophus O. S. E. zu Ermgassen","doi":"10.1002/bse.70018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70018","url":null,"abstract":"Biodiversity credits are an emerging vehicle for pro‐environmental financing, yet much uncertainty remains around how and when they could boost biodiversity conservation. Here we define what biodiversity credits are and explore impact pathways through a proposed theory of change. Based on evidence from 34 pilot projects and a review of lessons from related market‐based incentives for conservation, we further explore potential opportunities and pitfalls, including future supply and demand, bundling/stacking options, and needed social safeguards. We explore how biodiversity credits can better tackle challenges linked to additionality, permanence, leakage, and commensurability. While new monitoring technologies can help quantify biodiversity, trade‐offs exist between simple metrics enabling liquid markets and costlier ones more adequately representing biodiversity. To avoid past mistakes, sound credit design and implementation require more robust crediting baselines, standards, governance, and impact evaluation. Quality credits will be more expensive than those cutting integrity corners, which may dampen the expected biodiversity credit boom.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144311528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Companies Move to Circularity: Internal Reorganizing and Adjustment of External Collaboration","authors":"Alexander Fliaster, Karolina Bähr","doi":"10.1002/bse.4347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.4347","url":null,"abstract":"Firms in various industries strive to narrow, slow down, and close resource flows, moving toward a circular economy (<jats:sc>CE</jats:sc>). We theorize that the transformation of established companies toward <jats:sc>CE</jats:sc> includes two critical interconnected dimensions—adjustment of external collaboration relationships and internal reorganization. We conducted a qualitative study in the plastics industry to explore them empirically. Our analysis indicates that established firms adapt their external collaborations in four ways: companies modify the criteria of partner selection and the strength of dyadic relationships, add new partners and roles in the value chain, and consolidate the external collaboration network. These collaboration adjustments are accompanied by three key facets of internal transformation—reorganization of permanent and temporary organizational structures and processes. Finally, our study provides new insights into the interplay of the intra‐ and interorganizational dimensions of the shift toward the <jats:sc>CE</jats:sc>.","PeriodicalId":9518,"journal":{"name":"Business Strategy and The Environment","volume":"145 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144311532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}