Environmental products and sustainability awardsthe intangible benefits of sustainability strategies

  1. Isabel-María García-Sánchez 1
  2. Juan Ramón Piñeiro-Chousa 2
  3. Cristina Aibar-Guzmán 2
  4. Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán 2
  1. 1 Universidad de Salamanca
    info

    Universidad de Salamanca

    Salamanca, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02f40zc51

  2. 2 Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
    info

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

    Santiago de Compostela, España

    ROR https://ror.org/030eybx10

Revista:
Esic market

ISSN: 0212-1867

Ano de publicación: 2024

Volume: 55

Número: 1

Tipo: Artigo

DOI: 10.7200/ESICM.55.353 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso aberto editor

Outras publicacións en: Esic market

Resumo

Objective: To analyse the impact of companies' commitment to the production and distribution of environmental products on the winning of sustainability awards, and whether it is affected by the effects of the crisis and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Methodology: Based on a sample of 718 companies from 35 countries and data from 2013 to 2022, a logistic regression for panel data was used. Results: The results show that the production and distribution of environmental products is positively associated with winning sustainability awards, and this effect is slightly stronger in the uncertainty period that characterises the years 2020 to 2022. Sustainable packaging initiatives and end-of-life recovery and recycling initiatives are the attributes with the greatest weight in external recognition, although the latter starts to become relevant in the uncertainty period. Furthermore, both producing and distributing sustainable products and winning sustainability awards have a positive and significant impact on customer satisfaction. Limitations: The sample consists of the world’s largest companies, so the results might differ if smaller companies were analysed. The dependent variable is binary, which did not allow us to examine in detail the impact of environmental products on companies’ external recognition. Practical implications: The results may encourage managers to produce and distribute sustainable products to increase external recognition and customer satisfaction and provide guidance on the attributes to be developed. They could guide policy-makers in making companies more resilient to crises by encouraging them to innovate environmentally in their products.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Adam, N. A., & Alarifi, G. (2021). Innovation practices for survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the COVID-19 times: the role of external support. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 10(1), article 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-021-00156-6
  • Aibar-Guzmán, B., Aibar-Guzmán, C., Piñeiro-Chousa, J. R., Hussain, N., & García-Sánchez, I. M. (2023). The benefits of climate tech: Do institutional investors affect these impacts? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 192, article 122536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122536
  • Aibar-Guzmán, B., García-Sánchez, I. M., Aibar-Guzmán, C., & Hussain, N. (2022). Sustainable product innovation in agri-food industry: Do ownership structure and capital structure matter? Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(1), article 100160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2021.100160
  • Aibar-Guzmán, C., & Somohano-Rodríguez, F. M. (2021). Do consumers value environmental innovation in product? Administrative Sciences, 11(1), article 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci11010033
  • Alam, S. S., & Islam, K. Z. (2021). Examining the role of environmental corporate social responsibility in building green corporate image and green competitive advantage. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 6(1), article 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-021-00062-w
  • Allam, Z., Bibri, S. E., & Sharpe, S. A. (2022). The rising impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war: energy transition, climate justice, global inequality, and supply chain disruption. Resources, 11(11), article 99. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources11110099
  • AL-Ghaswyneh, O. F. M. (2019). Factores que afectan el comportamiento de decisión de los consumidores de comprar productos ecológicos. ESIC Market, 50(163), 419-449. https://doi.org/10.7200/esicm.163.0502.4
  • Álvarez-González, P., López Miguens, M. J., & González-Vázquez, E. (2015). El perfil del consumidor ecológico en España. ESIC Market, 46(151), 269-297. https://doi.org/10.7200/esicm.151.0462.1e
  • Amankwah-Amoah, J., Khan, Z., & Wood, G. (2021). COVID-19 and business failures: The paradoxes of experience, scale, and scope for theory and practice. European Management Journal, 39(2), 179-184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2020.09.002
  • Baah, C., Opoku-Agyeman, D., Acquah, I. S. K., Agyabeng-Mensah, Y., Afum, E., Faibil, D., & Abdoulaye, F. A. M. (2021). Examining the correlations between stakeholder pressures, green production practices, firm reputation, environmental and financial performance: Evidence from manufacturing SMEs. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 27, 100-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.10.015
  • Benjamin, S. J., & Biswas, P. K. (2022). Does winning a CSR Award increase firm value?. International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, 19(3), 313-329. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41310-022-00142-8
  • Boubaker, S., Liu, Z., & Zhan, Y. (2022). Customer relationships, corporate social responsibility and stock price reaction: lessons from China during health crisis times. Finance Research Letters, 47, article 102699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.102699
  • Castro-González, S., & Bande Vilela, B. (2016). Influencia de las emociones en la relación entre la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa y la lealtad del consumidor. ESIC Market, 47(155), 397-421. https://doi.org/10.7200/esicm.155.0473.1e
  • Chen, Y. S. (2010). The drivers of green brand equity: Green brand image, green satisfaction, and green trust. Journal of Business Ethics, 93, 307-319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0223-9
  • Conz, E., & Magnani, G. (2020). A dynamic perspective on the resilience of firms: A systematic literature review and a framework for future research. European Management Journal, 38(3), 400-412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2019.12.004
  • da Costa, J. P., Silva, A. L., Barcelò, D., Rocha-Santos, T., & Duarte, A. (2023). Threats to sustainability in face of post-pandemic scenarios and the war in Ukraine. Science of the Total Environment, 892, article 164509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.16450
  • Dangelico, R. M., & Pujari, D. (2010). Mainstreaming green product innovation: Why and how companies integrate environmental sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 95, 471-486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0434-0
  • Dobrick, J., Klein, C., & Zwergel, B. (2023). Size bias in Refinitiv ESG data. Finance Research Letters, 55, article 104014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104014
  • Erickson, J. L. (2015). Dangerous Trade: Arms Exports, Human Rights, and International Reputation. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • E-Vahdati, S., Wan-Hussin, W. N., & Mohd Ariffin, M. S. (2023). The Value Relevance of ESG Practices in Japan and Malaysia: Moderating Roles of CSR Award, and Former CEO as a Board Chair. Sustainability, 15(3), article 2728. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032728
  • Font, X., & Tribe, J. (2001). Promoting green tourism: The future of environmental awards. International Journal of Tourism Research, 3(1), 9-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/1522-1970(200101/02)3:1<9::AID-JTR244>3.0.CO;2-Q
  • Fombrun, C. J. (2005). A world of reputation research, analysis and thinking—building corporate reputation through CSR initiatives: evolving standards. Corporate Reputation Review, 8, 7-12. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.crr.1540235
  • Freeman, R. E., Phillips, R., & Sisodia, R. (2020). Tensions in stakeholder theory. Business & Society, 59(2), 213-231. https://doi.org/10.1177/000765031877375
  • Ghobadian, A., Han, T., Zhang, X., O’Regan, N., Troise, C., Bresciani, S., & Narayanan, V. (2022). COVID-19 pandemic: the interplay between firm disruption and managerial attention focus. British Journal of Management, 33(1), 390-409. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12556
  • Haarhaus, T., & Liening, A. (2020). Building dynamic capabilities to cope with environmental uncertainty: The role of strategic foresight. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 155, 120033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120033
  • Hantoko, D., Li, X., Pariatamby, A., Yoshikawa, K., Horttanainen, M., & Yan, M. (2021). Challenges and practices on waste management and disposal during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Environmental Management, 286, article 112140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112140
  • He, H., & Harris, L. (2020). The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on corporate social responsibility and marketing philosophy. Journal of Business Research, 116, 176-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.030
  • Hitt, M. A., Holmes Jr, R. M., & Arregle, J. L. (2021). The (COVID-19) pandemic and the new world (dis) order. Journal of World Business, 56(4), article 101210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2021.101210
  • Ioannou, I., Kassinis, G., & Papagiannakis, G. (2023). The impact of perceived greenwashing on customer satisfaction and the contingent role of capability reputation. Journal of Business Ethics, 185(2), 333-347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05151-9
  • Küçüksayraç, E. (2015). Design for sustainability in companies: strategies, drivers and needs of Turkey’s best performing businesses. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 455-465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.01.061
  • Lai, H., Wang, F., & Guo, C. (2022). Can environmental awards stimulate corporate green technology innovation? Evidence from Chinese listed companies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 14856-14870. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16632-1
  • Lee, K. H., Lee, M., & Gunarathne, N. (2019). Do green awards and certifications matter? Consumers’ perceptions, green behavioral intentions, and economic implications for the hotel industry: A Sri Lankan perspective. Tourism Economics, 25(4), 593-612. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816618810563
  • Li, J., Yi, X., Shi, W., & Zhang, D. (2018). Do CSR Awards Motivate Award Winners’ Competitors to Undertake CSR Activities?. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2018(1), p. 14718. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2018.180
  • López-Menchero, T. B., & Delgado de Miguel, J. (2015). Influencia de la Marca de Distribuidor en la evaluación del consumidor hacia productos de alimentación. ESIC Market, 46(151), 371-392. https://doi.org/10.7200/esicm.151.0462.3e
  • LSEG Data & Analytics (2023). Environmental, Social and Governance Scores from LSEG - December 2023. Available online at https://www.lseg.com/content/dam/data-analytics/en_us/documents/methodology/lseg-esg-scores-methodology.pdf. Retrieved on 02/02/2023
  • Lyon, T., Lu, Y., Shi, X., & Yin, Q. (2013). How do investors respond to Green Company Awards in China?. Ecological Economics, 94, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.06.020
  • Majer, J. M., Henscher, H. A., Reuber, P., Fischer-Kreer, D., & Fischer, D. (2022). The effects of visual sustainability labels on consumer perception and behavior: A systematic review of the empirical literature. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 33, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.06.012
  • Mattera, M., & Soto, F. (2023). Dodging the bullet: overcoming the financial impact of Ukraine armed conflict with sustainable business strategies and environmental approaches. The Journal of Risk Finance, 24(1), 122-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRF-04-2022-0092
  • Mattera, M., Alba Ruiz-Morales, C., Gava, L., & Soto, F. (2022). Sustainable business models to create sustainable competitive advantages: strategic approach to overcoming COVID-19 crisis and improve financial performance. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 32(3), 455-474. https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-03-2021-0035
  • Mattera, M., Soto Gonzalez, F., Alba Ruiz-Morales, C., & Gava, L. (2021). Facing a global crisis-how sustainable business models helped firms overcome COVID. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 21(6), 1100-1116. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-07-2020-0309
  • McKinsey & Copany (2023). Sustainability in packaging: US survey insights. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/packaging-and-paper/our-insights/sustainability-in-packaging-us-survey-insights
  • Metsiou, A., Broni, G., Papachristou, E., & Kiki, M. (2023). Business Ethics Covid and War in the Center of Lignite Production. Journal of Finance & Investment Analysis, 12(1), 11-30. https://doi.org/10.47260/jfia/1212
  • Mikalef, P., & Krogstie, J. (2020). Examining the interplay between big data analytics and contextual factors in driving process innovation capabilities. European Journal of Information Systems, 29(3), 260-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2020.1740618
  • Mišík, M., & Nosko, A. (2023). Post-pandemic lessons for EU energy and climate policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Introduction to a special issue on EU green recovery in the post-Covid-19 period. Energy Policy, 177, article 113546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113546
  • Mohd Suki, N. (2017). Green products usage: structural relationships on customer satisfaction and loyalty. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 24(1), 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2016.1169563
  • Morgan, C., & Townsend, C. (2022). Why the drive: The utilitarian and hedonic benefits of self-expression through consumption. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, article 101320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101320
  • Ottman, J. A., Stafford, E. R., & Hartman, C. L. (2006). Avoiding green marketing myopia: Ways to improve consumer appeal for environmentally preferable products. Environment: science and policy for sustainable development, 48(5), 22-36. https://doi.org/10.3200/ENVT.48.5.22-36
  • Posen, H. E., Yi, S., & Lee, J. (2020). A contingency perspective on imitation strategies: When is “benchmarking” ineffective? Strategic Management Journal, 41(2), 198-221. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3101
  • Pritchard, M., & Wilson, T. (2018). Building corporate reputation through consumer responses to green new products. Journal of Brand Management, 25(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-017-0071-3
  • Qiu, L., Jie, X., Wang, Y., & Zhao, M. (2020). Green product innovation, green dynamic capability, and competitive advantage: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(1), 146-165. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1780
  • Safari, A., & Saleh, A. S. (2020). Key determinants of SMEs’ export performance: a resource-based view and contingency theory approach using potential mediators. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(4), 635-654. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-11-2018-0324
  • Sarkodie, S. A., & Owusu, P. A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on waste management. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23, 7951-7960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00956-y
  • Su, W., & Junge, S. (2023). Unlocking the recipe for organizational resilience: A review and future research directions. European Management Journal, 41(6), 1086-1105 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.03.002
  • Tetrault Sirsly, C. A., & Lvina, E. (2019). From doing good to looking even better: The dynamics of CSR and reputation. Business & Society, 58(6), 1234-1266. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650315627996
  • Uyar, A., Kuzey, C., & Karaman, A. S. (2022). ESG performance and CSR awards: Does consistency matter?. Finance Research Letters, 50, article 103276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.103276
  • Wang, Y., Hong, A., Li, X., & Gao, J. (2020). Marketing innovations during a global crisis: A study of China firms’ response to COVID-19. Journal of Business Research, 116, 214-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.029