The Generativity Mindsets of Corporations: A New Perspective on Ecological Responsiveness

The dominant line of academic research suggests that external forces, such as institutional and stakeholder pressure, are the reasons driving companies to behave ecologically responsive. However, few studies consider the intrinsic motivation cultivated based on corporate values driving an enterprise's engagement in ecological responsiveness. To explore this prospect further, this study proposes the concept of the generativity mindsets of corporations and identifies the components of the generativity mindset as the mindset of the next generation, the long‐term mindset, and the altruistic mindset. This study investigated the antecedents driving ecological responsiveness, and examined the relationship among the generativity mindset, reputational demand and ecological responsiveness, as well as the effect they have on business performance. Data collected from 281 manufacturing companies is analyzed using structural equation modelling. The findings indicated that among the factors that drive companies to behave ecologically responsive, the generativity mindset of companies has a more significant effect than external reputational demand. Moreover, this study found that ecological responsiveness significantly impacts business performance. The results of this study are valuable for managers to cultivate employees with the concept of generativity mindset to carry out the company's sustainable development initiatives and shoulder even greater social responsibility. This will help companies exert important influence in society to mitigate the climate crisis.