Revisiting the relationship between environmental and financial performance in Chinese industry

Green supply chain management practices and triple bottom line performance: Insights from an emerging economy with a mediating and moderating model

The current study explores the dynamics of business practices in Pakistan's Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This research focusing on how "green supply chain management" (GSCM), Industry 4.0 technologies (IND), total quality management (TQM) and sustainable performance (SP) are interconnected. The study collected data from 382 SMEs owners and managers and data analysis was conducted utilizing by SPSS and SmartPLS. The results indicate that employ GSCM pattern has constructive impact on SMEs overall performance in terms of their social and financial aspects. Interestingly IND act as intermediaries among GSCM and sustainable performance underscoring their potential to translate sustainability efforts into outcomes. Moreover, our survey reveals that TQM have a crucial function in enriching the relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable performance by executing as a moderator. It further highlighting the value of adopting a quality focused approach to maximize the causal factor of advancements on sustainability output. The findings of this survey research offering insights for practitioners, SMEs, and policy makers alike by highlighting the significance of integrating practices such as GSCM, IND and effective quality management to enhance SME efficiency. These outcomes further contribute to an understanding of the mechanics at play, within SMEs while offering guidance for organizations maneuvering the changing landscape of sustainable business practices and IND.

The influence of carbon risk on firm value: Evidence from the European Union Emission Trading Scheme

This paper examines the impact of carbon risk induced through carbon price uncertainty in cap-and-trade policies on the value of covered firms. Specifically, the study explores the effects of policy adjustments made at the start of the third phase of the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which aimed to address an oversupply of carbon allowances. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we find that the resulting increase in policy-induced carbon risk led to value discounts for firms with insufficient carbon allowances to offset their emissions, even when carbon prices themselves remained low. The findings highlight the importance of carbon risk exposure and the resulting carbon risk channel that influences firm value in a cap-and-trade scheme.

Narcissistic CEOs, dynamic capability, and green innovation

Green innovation is currently recognized as a critical aspect for organizations to create economic value while contributing to ecological sustainability. Using the rationale of upper echelons theory, the present study introduces CEO narcissism, an important but underexplored psychological trait, and dynamic capability to probe the mechanisms driving green innovation. The regression findings show that enterprises with narcissistic CEOs do better in terms of green innovation. According to the mediation study findings, dynamic capability mediates between the CEO narcissism and corporate green innovation. In addition, the examination of mediated moderation reveals that top management risk aversion could negatively moderate this mediation effect. Such observations not only show that the CEO's personality has the potential to enhance corporate green achievements, but also discover the underlying mechanism which would provide guidance to help firms to be green.

Is sustainable operations constrained to financial stress in China’s manufacturers? The moderation effect of customer concentration

Optimizing customer structure is worthy of developing because products/services offering can promote a delightful financial situation. Inspired by this, we examine the moderation effect of customer concentration targeting at the relationship between financial stress and sustainable operations of China’s manufacturers that exercise substantial impacts on climate change and industrial prosperity. Many industrial sectors, for example, shipbuilding, nonferrous metals, electronic component manufacturing, and food processing, are involved in this study. Empirical results indicate that a higher asset-liability ratio (embodying debt-level stress) and a higher ratio of tax payment to tax rebate (embodying social-level stress) both do not impose a constraint to sustainable operations, but such operations indeed need a response from a lower ratio of total operating cost to total operating revenue (embodying operation-level stress) and a decentralized customer structure. Moreover, customer concentration offers a power to be able to enhance the anti-risk capability of financial stress at the operation-level, thus suggesting narrowing the gap between tax payment and tax rebate. Our analysis transpires that a disharmony between financial stress and sustainable operations can be buffered by decentralizing customer structure. This study contributes to a new insight around the effect of customer in harmonizing finance and sustainability issues in manufacturers of emerging markets, thereby inspiring backbone industries to reach business sustainability assisted by a broad customer group.

Do Green Banking Activities Improve the Banks’ Environmental Performance? The Mediating Effect of Green Financing

The main purpose of this study is to identify the impact of green banking activities on green financing and banks’ environmental performance. It also identifies the mediating effect of green financing on the relationship between green banking activities and environmental performance of private commercial banks (PCBs) in Bangladesh. Besides, this study also examines the major challenges and benefits of green banking development in an emerging economy like Bangladesh. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect primary data from bankers of PCBs in Bangladesh, and a final sample size of 352 was recorded. To assess the relationship among the study variables, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was employed. The empirical results revealed that green banking activities exhibit a significantly positive effect on banks’ environmental performance and sources of green financing, and that sources of green financing significantly influence banks’ environmental performance. Additionally, it was observed that green financing mediates the association between green banking activities and banks’ environmental performance. Furthermore, the study identified customers’ insufficient awareness towards green banking, high investment costs, technical obstacles, lack of capable and competent staff in appraising green credits/loans, and difficulties and complexity in assessing green projects as major challenges affecting the development of green banking in Bangladesh. Moreover, the study also discovered that increasing banks’ competitiveness, reducing long-term costs and expenses, providing online banking facilities, improving customers’ goodwill, and reducing carbon footprints are the key benefits of green banking development, as it helps in the achievement of the sustainable economic development of the country. Therefore, major theoretical and managerial policy implications are further discussed with study limitations and future research directions.

Business case complexity and environmental sustainability: Nonlinearity and optimality from an efficiency perspective

The question of whether it is possible to "do well by going green" has been debated at length in the literature on environmental sustainability, but no consensus has been reached to date. Building on stakeholder theory in that a firm's environmental sustainability can improve its competitive advantage, this study investigates the impacts of sustainable environmental practices on the competitiveness of 28 international airlines over 2010-2018. First, we use dynamic network data envelopment analysis to estimate airline operational efficiency as a measure of competitiveness. Second, we use a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model to test for nonlinearities and regime-switching behaviors between variables. Then, to account for endogeneity bias, we develop and estimate an instrumental variable PSTR (IV-PSTR) model. The empirical results indicate that the relationship between environmental sustainability and competitiveness has an inverted U shape, meaning there is an optimal level of environmental sustainability beyond which competitiveness decreases. Therefore, it is important for airline managers to understand that very high levels of investment in sustainable practices can have more negative effects compared to very little investment. The study concludes by providing implications for theory and practice.

Government Environmental Information Disclosure and Environmental Performance: Evidence from China

Government environmental information disclosure (GEID) is a key policy instrument in environmental governance. Local governments in China are improving the disclosure level of environmental information, but does the environmental information disclosed by local governments reflect the existing state of the local ecological environment? This paper analyzes the correlation between GEID and environmental performance and verifies whether or not the environmental information disclosed by local governments can reflect actual local ecological environment conditions. Based on data from Chinese cities, this paper adopts a multiple regression method, and the results show that the environmental information disclosed by governments can reflect the local environmental performance as a whole, and the higher the level of GEID, the better the local environmental performance; but the relationship between the two has significant regional differences. In eastern China, the higher the level of GEID, the better the local environmental performance. In central and western China, the correlation between GEID and environmental performance is not significant. In addition, it should be noted that the correlation between the level of GEID and the emission intensity of water pollutants is not significant in all regions. This study contributes to further clarifying the effectiveness of GEID policy and identifying a breakthrough for the optimization of environmental policies faced with the dilemma of serious environmental pollution and urgent economic development needs.

Environmental regulation and energy-environmental performance-Empirical evidence from China's non-ferrous metals industry

Environmental regulation (ER) is regarded as an important driver of environmental improvement. Taking China's non-ferrous metals industry (NFMI) as a sample, this paper discusses the relationship between ER and energy environmental performance (EEPI) in two stages, and tests the effectiveness of the "strong" Porter hypothesis. In the first stage, this paper uses the global environment DEA to construct the competitiveness index, EEPI, which represents "green" development. In the second stage, we explore the relationship between two types of ER and EEPI by using the panel Tobit model and considers the non-linear characteristics of ER and regional heterogeneity. Moreover, a mechanism analysis is conducted. The results show that: (1) at a reasonable regulatory level, this study supports the "strong" Porter hypothesis in China's NFMI. (2) Technological innovation plays a mediating effect between environmental regulation and EEPI. (3) From a national perspective, there is a significant inverted U-shaped non-linear relationship between environmental expenditure and EEPI, and a significant U-shaped non-linear relationship between environmental investment and EEPI. (4) Regional samples present heterogeneous results between ER and EEPI. Based on the conclusions, we believe that environmental regulation policies should take into account regional differences and incorporate diversified green innovations to achieve sustainable development.

Opening the Black Box: The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Technological Innovation

Environmental regulations (ERs) that can stimulate technological innovation (TI) are the key to enabling a win-win strategy that benefits both economic development and environmental protection. This study seeks to analyze the impacts of ERs on TI. Previous literature highlighted that the black box of TI can be decomposed into technology investment and technology transformation, but empirical studies on such a decomposition have largely been ignored. Moreover, a detailed discussion of the links between ERs and the decomposed components of TI has not been conducted in developing countries such as China. Our study attempts to address these research gaps by (i) decomposing TI using a novel data envelopment analysis (DEA) procedure and further analyzing the impacts of ERs on the decomposed components of TI and (ii) applying this novel methodology to Chinese context. Accordingly, this study is conducted in two stages. First, a novel application of the slack-based measure Network DEA model is developed to uncover the black box of TI using Chinese data in order to estimate the overall efficiency of technological innovation (TIE) and to decompose it into the efficiency of technology investment (TVE) and the efficiency of technology transformation (TTE). Second, a random effect Tobit model is applied to (i) investigate both the linear and nonlinear impacts of ERs on TIE in all sectors and (ii) examine whether the impacts of ERs on TVE and TTE in different subprocesses are heterogeneous or not. Our results have showed the benefits of decomposing TI: while technology transformation in China closely follows the trend of TI, the trend of technology investment is somewhat different. The estimation results further indicate that the impacts of ERs on TIE are nonlinear. Besides, ERs have heterogeneous impacts on the decomposed components of TI. The impacts of ERs on TVE are nonlinear, whereas the impacts of ERs on TTE are statistically insignificant.

The Influence of Carbon Management on the Financial Performance of European Companies

This document shows the relationship between carbon management and the financial performance of the European Union’s best market capitalization companies. Different measures are used to understand it by adopting a quantitative approach. After analyzing the validity and reliability of the construct, the study empirically tests its hypotheses by performing a multiple regression analysis with a sample of 497 companies. The study identified how factors related to carbon management could affect the financial performance of European organizations. Furthermore, it recognizes that carbon management affects profitability, in particular, ROA (Return on Assets). The study highlights the differences between companies that are considered sensitive and those that are not, as the management of emission reductions and performance impacts are handled differently.

Assessment of the effect of location and financial variables on environmental management performance for industrial goods supply chains

The paper uses data on environmental (management) performance (EP) of industrial goods companies in 14 countries to assess the impact of 3 variables on EP: companies' headquarters location, global spread (GS) & financial performance (FP). No prior study has addressed these questions for the industrial goods sector, a crucial sector in most economies. Hierarchical regression and other methods are used to test pertinent hypotheses. Among other things, the paper finds that EP differ based on regional location of the companies' headquarters. Consistent with prior research for some industries, FP and GS show no impact on EP. An auxiliary finding is that manufacturing firms outperform service firms environmentally. These results have several practical implications. For example, industrial goods companies headquartered outside Europe can learn environmental best practices in Europe, and endeavor to implement them throughout their global operations. Also, firms need not excel financially to excel environmentally. Such firms may focus on environmental excellence, knowing that investments in environmental programs would ultimately pay off. This work bridges the International Management and Sustainability Literatures, provides some guidance to managers about EP improvement and adds to our understanding of EP. It will stimulate related research in the Production and Operations Management and Environmental Management fields.

Environmental pollution policy of small businesses in Nigeria and Ghana: extent and impact

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of firms' operation and environmental protection polices in Nigeria and Ghana, where there has been a rising industrial growth amidst low regulatory and institutional frameworks. We analyze the extents to which firms' adoption of environmental protection policies affect their performances. We use firm-level data of 842 firms (447 for Nigeria and 395 for Ghana) distributed across different regions of both countries for our descriptive and econometric estimations. We find, among other things, that firms' adoption of internal policies on environmental protection is dismally low in both Nigeria (32%) and Ghana (17%), with policies focused on reducing solid (38%, Nigeria; and 35%, Ghana), gaseous (22%, Nigeria; and 44%, Ghana), and liquid (24%, Nigeria; and 14%, Ghana) pollution. Training appears to be an important intervention that can help improve firms' adoption of such policies. We also found that firms' adoption and implementation of environmental protection policies significantly improve their performance.

International trade of environmental goods in gravity models

Environmental goods are goods used or produced by industry that reduce air and water pollution and optimize the use of resources in production. Despite several Sustainable Development Goals explicitly calling for resilient and sustainable development, the diffusion of such goods is still low, especially in developing countries. Only sporadic research on the determinants of international trade of environmental goods is available. Based on the OECD classification of environmental goods, this gap is filled by adopting a gravity model, using trade data over a time span of 15 years from 1999 to 2014 across 71 countries. The central message of this paper is that environmental regulatory stringency is a key determinant of environmental goods trade. It is specifically provided evidence that a substitution effect exists between environmental regulation stringency and trade of environmental goods. In line with empirical literature on traditional gravity models, increased capacity to innovate, cultural ties, geographical proximity and financial uncertainty also play a role.

An Exploration of Circular Economy Practices and Performance Among Romanian Producers

Economic growth is the mandate of the global economy and with our planet’s population poised to reach 10 billion people, economists are searching for sustainable economic growth approaches that do not increase raw materials consumption nor deplete and damage our environment. This mandate is the heart of the Circular Economy (CE), a challenge to theoreticians and practitioners alike to continue global economic growth, but with fewer resources and protective methods for our environment. The European Union (EU) economies were early adopters of CE and are now demanding similar adoptions from its recently integrated members from the East. Romania is one of the laggard states in this transition, given its heritage and lack of economic sophistication. Our paper identifies the practices and performance of Romanian producers regarding the implementation of the CE principles, so future recommendations can be formulated. In surveying the Romanian firms, we applied a cluster analysis based on their level of green-oriented supply chain cooperation (GSCC) practices. The respondents were grouped into two clusters: “low green-oriented supply chain cooperation (GSCC) scorers” and “high green-oriented supply chain cooperation (GSCC) scorers’. The results suggest that cluster membership partially influence CE practices and fully influence CE-targeted performance.

Assessing factors that influence waste management financial sustainability

This article examines the financial sustainability of waste management activities to understand whether and how choices oriented toward environmental protection and contextual factors influence waste management companies' revenues and costs, which, in turn, affect their financial sustainability and, thus, their ongoing viability. To achieve this purpose, a three-year empirical analysis on 880 Italian municipalities was conducted. Financial sustainability was evaluated with reference to waste management companies working in these territories, and a set of quantitative and qualitative data was considered to investigate possible influencing factors. The results show that separate waste collection may positively influence companies' financial performance, while municipalities' territorial extension negatively impacts profitability. Lastly, there is no evidence of a relationship between companies' financial sustainability and the potential presence of waste disposal plants or the geographical areas in which they operate. For the analyzed companies, thus, it seems that it would be more convenient to expand business by boosting separate waste collection activities than by enlarging the territories served. These findings can support firms' decisions regarding environmental and financial issues, both of which are crucial for long-term sustainability. It can also help policy makers detect appropriate tools to support companies in implementing European Union waste management targets.

'Too-much-of-a-good-thing'? The role of advanced eco-learning and contingency factors on the relationship between corporate environmental and financial performance

Inspired by the natural-resource-based view (NRBV) theory, we attempt to shed light on a controversy which has been persistent over the last decade, concerning the relationship between corporate environmental performance (CEP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). Using the 'too-much-of-a-good-thing' (TMGT) concept, which suggests that "too much can be worse than too little," we link mixed results and consider the roles of advanced eco-learning and contingency factors in influencing the CEP-CFP relationship. Based on a sample composed of ISO 14001 certified companies in Indonesia, and analyzing the data using consistent Partial Least Squares (PLSc), we found that: the CEP-CFP relationship follows an inverted U-shape; advanced eco-learning is a significant predictor of the CEP-CFP relationship, meaning that organizations able to develop higher eco-learning capability will be better able to identify the ideal boundaries of investment in environmental performance without reducing their financial performance; and that contingency factors such as environmental strategy and firm size have a significant role in influencing the CEP-CFP relationship. The study's limitations, implications for practitioners and a future research agenda are also detailed.

Board Composition and Corporate Social Responsibility Performance: Evidence from Chinese Public Firms

This study investigates the relationship between board composition and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Specifically, we examine the impact of board composition (aspects like political experience, academic experience, overseas background, and gender diversity) on CSR performance. We test our hypotheses using data collected from 839 Chinese public firms during the period from 2008 to 2016. Applying generalized least squares regression, the study shows that the political experience, academic experience, and overseas background of the board members are positively related to the firm’s CSR performance. Moreover, we discuss the distinctive relationship between gender diversity and CSR performance in the context of Chinese culture. We extend the CSR literature by examining unique aspects of board composition in the Chinese context and offer fruitful implications for both scholars and practitioners.

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the fear of intimacy with helping professionals scale

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the internal consistency, reliability, convergent validity, known-group comparisons, and structural validity of the Chinese version of Fear of Intimacy with Helping Professionals (C-FIS-HP) scale in Macau.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used on a sample of 593 older people in 6 health centers. We used Chinese version of Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (C-ESCAS) and Morisky 4-item medication adherence scale to evaluate self-care actions and medication adherence. The internal consistency and reliability of C-FIS-HP were analyzed using the Spearman-Brown split-half reliability, Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability. Convergent validity was tested the construct of C-FIS-HP and self-care actions. Known-group comparisons differentiated predefined groups in an expected direction. Two separated samples were used to test the structural validity. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) tested the factor structure of C-FISHP using the principal axis factoring. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was further conducted to confirm the factor structure constructed in the prior EFA.

RESULTS

The C-FIS-HP had a Spearman-Brown split-half coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, and intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.96, 0.93, and 0.96, respectively. Convergent validity was satisfactory with significantly correlations between the C-FIS-HP and C-ESCAS. C-FIS-HP to differentiate the differences between high-, moderate-, and low- medication adherence groups. EFA demonstrated a two-factor structure among 297 older people. A first-order CFA was performed to confirm the construct dimensionality of C-FIS-HP with satisfactory fit indices (NFI = 0.92; IFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; CFI = 0.95 and RMSEA = 0.07) among 296 older people.

CONCLUSIONS

C-FIS-HP is a reliable and valid test for assessing helping relationships in older Chinese people. Health professionals can use C-FIS-HP as a clinical tool to assess the comfort level of patients in a helping relationship, and use this information to develop culturally sensitive therapeutic interventions and treatment plans. Further studies need to be conducted concerning the different psychometric properties, as well as the application of C-FIS-HP in various regions.