Business Strategy and Development最新文献

Environmental strategy research has often used organizational interpretation as a key lens for understanding how firms engage in sensemaking around natural environmental issues and environmental performance. This work has rarely empirically tested the proposed relationships of organizational interpretation in firms' sensemaking around environmental issues nor the relationship between firms' environmental sensemaking and environmental performance. We empirically test this relationship, capturing environmental sensemaking through computer-aided text analysis (CATA) of published sustainability reports, and environmental performance with the Trucost environmental dataset. Mixed-effects general linear modeling on a bespoke longitudinal dataset of 117 publicly traded companies from 2005 to 2018 reveals the three stages of the organization interpretation model of sensemaking—scanning, interpreting, and responding—align as expected. We also find firms' environmental scanning relates with year-over-year improvement in environmental performance, yet environmental interpreting correlates with worsening environmental performance. Additionally, larger firms and firms in industries with high carbon emissions gather more environmental data and exhibit more extensive environmental interpreting. This research provides insight for scholars by testing environmental sensemaking and exploring the boundary conditions of sensemaking and performance, and for practitioners and policymakers by offering a new framework for analyzing and interpreting sustainability reports and corporate environmental performance.

This paper investigates the relationship between internal audit effectiveness, corporate governance attributes, and sustainable financial reporting quality within Tanzanian commercial banks. Grounded by agency cost theory to provide new insights into the determinants of financial reporting quality in a developing country context. A cross-sectional and correlational research design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire distributed to 150 respondents across a representative sample of Tanzanian commercial banks. Data analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression techniques, with comprehensive diagnostic tests to ensure the robustness of the findings. The results indicate that larger board sizes and proactive board role performance significantly enhance financial reporting quality, reflecting the importance of strong governance structures. Board independence showed a significant impact on financial reporting quality, suggesting that board independence with active engagement contributes to financial reporting quality. Internal audit quality also emerged as a critical predictor of reliable financial reporting, underscoring the role of internal audit in promoting transparency and accountability. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate in corporate governance literature by providing evidence from a developing country perspective, highlighting the nuanced roles of governance and audit in shaping financial reporting quality. This study fills a key gap in the literature by focusing on the Tanzanian banking sector, offering practical recommendations for policymakers and practitioners aimed at enhancing the integrity of financial reporting. Policymakers should emphasize board independence and the active involvement of board members and strengthen internal audit functions to improve reporting transparency and accountability.

Rural areas have low levels of advancement and access to resources compared to urban regions, and elevating these regions is fundamental for accomplishing balanced and sustainable development. Rural uplifting typically includes a range of interventions, and by drawing in local stakeholders, rural uplifting projects can make sustainable arrangements that are custom-made for each community's unique difficulties and opportunities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can contribute to and aid the government's efforts in rural development. CybageAsha's (CSR department of Cybage Software) flagship programs seek to improve rural communities through sustainable solutions. These encompass income-generating interventions using contemporary agricultural methods as well as infrastructure development. This article analyses the impact of agricultural interventions on the farmers' livelihoods carried out by CybageAsha in 19 villages across the Pune district (India) by using the t-test and difference-in-difference approach. Findings reveal that the shift from traditional farming methods to adopting new farming methods among beneficiaries has added value in improving the beneficiaries' yields, incomes, skills, and livelihood. CybageAsha's interventions positively impacted the beneficiaries, contributing to agricultural development, livelihood improvement, income generation, and a decline in migration. However, there is a need for continuous support and improvement to sustain the benefits for farmers. The article provides a new understanding for researchers and practitioners about the CSR approaches towards agricultural development. Addressing the challenges and concerns identified in the data analysis will further enhance the effectiveness of rural uplifting initiatives.

The dynamic interaction between supply chain resilience (SCR) and sustainability has become a crucial area of study in the evolving business landscape. While research has made strides in connecting information technology (IT) and SCR, a gap remains in understanding how sustainability dimensions integrate into these aspects, particularly in socio-economically and environmentally challenged countries. This study aims to address this gap by investigating how IT and SCR contribute to enhancing overall supply chain performance, with a specific focus on the role of social (SS), environmental (ENS), and economic (ECS) sustainability dimensions. To achieve this, we formulated hypotheses that were tested using structural equation modeling, based on data from a sample of 321 apparel enterprises in Bangladesh. The findings reveal that IT significantly enhances resilience, while SCR does not directly improve supply chain performance when sustainability dimensions are considered. However, SCR positively influences all dimensions of sustainability, underscoring the importance of the combined strength of IT and SCR for achieving enduring sustainability in an uncertain world. Moreover, the results show that the triad of sustainability (SS, ENS, and ECS) fully mediates the relationship between resilience and supply chain performance, serving as the linchpin that binds and strengthens these elements. This research advances the understanding of the interplay between IT, resilience, and sustainability, providing valuable guidance for policymakers and sustainability professionals. Moreover, by integrating sustainability into IT and resilience strategies, organizations can enhance their supply chain performance and ensure long-term success.

Tao, Z. (2024). Do not walk intodarkness in greenhushing: A cross-cultural study on whyChinese and South Korean corporations engage ingreenhushing behavior. Business Strategy & Development, 7(2),e401. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.401

In this paper, the reference of “Branding, A. (2012). Strategically leveraging corporate social responsibility. California Management Review, 54(3).” was incorrect.

This reference should be revised to the following: “Vallaster, C., Lindgreen, A., & Maon, F. (2012). Strategically leveraging corporate social responsibility: A corporate branding perspective. California Management Review, 54(3), 34-60.”

A total of 3 citations of this error are cited in this paper, and they should read as shown below:

In paragraph 2 of the “INTRODUCTION” section, the text “According to Branding (2012), greenhushing organizations are “unrecognized ethical businesses” that fail to integrate sustainability into their brand image.” was incorrect. This should have read: “According to Vallaster, Lindgreen, and Maon (2012), greenhushing organizations are “unrecognized ethical businesses” that fail to integrate sustainability into their brand image.”

In paragraph 3 of the “INTRODUCTION” section, the text “Studies have shown that this phenomenon often occurs when corporations are worried that their environmental initiatives might trigger negative responses or be misunderstood (Branding, 2012; Lindsey, 2016)” was incorrect. This should have read: “Studies have shown that this phenomenon often occurs when corporations are worried that their environmental initiatives might trigger negative responses or be misunderstood (Vallaster, Lindgreen, & Maon, 2012; Lindsey, 2016).”

In paragraph 3 of the “INTRODUCTION” section, the text “Additionally, research indicates that the reasons behind corporations' greenhushing strategies can be classified into motives for cost-saving (Falchi et al., 2022; Koh et al., 2018), motives for risk aversion (Branding, 2012; Cheng et al., 2024; Coles et al., 2017),” was incorrect. This should have read: “Additionally, research indicates that the reasons behind corporations' greenhushing strategies can be classified into motives for cost-saving (Falchi et al., 2022; Koh et al., 2018), motives for risk aversion (Vallaster, Lindgreen, & Maon, 2012; Cheng et al., 2024; Coles et al., 2017),”

We apologize for these errors.

Since the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, ISO 14001 has become an internationally recognized environmental management system that has spread all over the world. The existing literature has examined in detail the motivations, benefits, and challenges of ISO 14001 adoption in developed countries. However, there is a relative lack of studies on the adoption of ISO 14001 by the subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs) in developing countries, and in Thailand in particular. This paper investigates the motivations, benefits, and challenges of ISO 14001 adoption at Japanese subsidiaries in Thailand based on the results of a questionnaire survey of 100 subsidiaries and a semi-structured interview survey of 11 subsidiaries. We find that the main motivations are pressures by the national and local governments, as well as by the customers. In addition to the tax incentives, the main benefits are gaining competitiveness, enhancing the corporate image, and maintaining efficient management. We also identify the following challenges: the costs of ISO 14001 adoption, and the training and awareness of the employees. Compared with the existing literature, we find some new motivations, benefits, and challenges related to the local context of ISO 14001 adoption. Although our results are valid only for the Japanese subsidiaries in Thailand, the in-depth understanding of the motivations, benefits, and challenges of ISO 14001 adoption may contribute to the expanding literature about corporate environmental behavior toward sustainable development.

This study analyzes circular entrepreneurship trends across global regions using the 2014–2018 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor dataset. Content analysis of business descriptors from 79,663 unique entrepreneurs was used to position each startup within the 9R's framework. The results show that startups are mainly associated with “repurpose” and “recover”, which are less desirable for circularity. We further define circular entrepreneurs as those with the top 10% highest weighted score in circular strategies according to the type of business they run. The BERTopic approach is applied to identify specific business topics for these entrepreneurs. Similarities (North America and Latin America & the Caribbean) and differences (Europe) in popular topics are found across regions. Lastly, regression analysis reveals that entrepreneurial perception and the presence of role models are key factors driving circular entrepreneurship.

Understanding the key factors that drive entrepreneurial success is vital in our quest to achieve sustainable development goals and cultivate inclusive business models in emerging markets. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative expert interviews (n = 25) with content analysis of secondary data sources (76 journal articles, 17 reports, 20 newspaper articles, 15 blogs, 24 video clips, and 7 book chapters). Data were investigated utilizing grounded theory techniques, including open, axial, and selective coding. The study focuses on successful startups in Bangladesh, selected based on criteria, such as financial performance, growth potential, and innovation. The findings reveal that 92% of successful startup leaders possess resilience, 88% demonstrate effective communication skills, 84% exhibit a growth mindset, and 80% employ a strategic mindset. Furthermore, 76% of these leaders foster a culture of innovation by embracing failure, 72% adopt a vision-oriented approach, and 68% decentralize authority. The study highlights that 64% of successful startups leverage market analysis techniques, 60% optimize their supply chains, 56% employ effective risk management strategies, 52% focus on customer segmentation, and 48% utilize crowdsourcing methods to enhance their strategic decision-making and operational efficiency. Conversely, 40% of unsuccessful startups lack salesmanship skills, 36% lack humility, and 32% have limited coachability. This research contributes to the understanding of entrepreneurial strategies and the private sector's role in achieving sustainable business development in emerging markets, providing valuable insights for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Inclusive businesses (IBs) are promoted to alleviate poverty and contribute to sustainable development at the base of the pyramid (BOP). In the agri-food sector, there is limited evidence regarding what types of partnerships enhance IBs' value creation potential for low-income producers. This prevents policymakers from providing effective support to IBs and leveraging their full potential for sustainable development. To understand what types of partnerships are more effective for social value creation, this paper conducts a mixed-method analysis of 46 cases from Tanzania and Ghana. It finds that transactional partnerships create efficient IB networks that require limited external support. Such IBs, however, generally undertake business-as-usual activities. In contrast, IBs adopt more innovative business models when their partners are integrated in decision-making and strategic planning. Such IBs, however, often require tailored support to resolve their inter- and intra-organizational challenges. This paper suggests practical considerations for designing IB partnerships to maximize impact potential.

The uncertainty surrounding the possibility of generating sufficient funds from international donors and other public financial resources to support climate action calls for the identification of alternative sources of climate finance options. Ensuring a reliable stream of funds to drive climate action requires the identification of diverse funding channels that can supplement existing ones. Also, in light of the proactive approach required to combat climate change, overreliance on a singular funding source could hinder the achievement of climate-related goals. This is because the existing sources of funding from the central government, local governments, and international agencies remain insufficient to meet the perceived cost of climate change in Ghana. Through a qualitative in-depth interview, empirical data was drawn from religious institutions to identify their contribution toward climate finance. The study revealed that religious institutions play a significant role in climate finance due to their advocacy capacity, financial resources, and extensive networks. Funding from religious institutions has also been channeled into stock adaptation projects and public education, and this is evident in the areas of agriculture, waste, energy, water, and the support rendered to SMEs in general. Besides, their engagement in climate finance is also motivated by ethical, theological, and moral considerations. The study, therefore, argues that funding from religious institutions toward climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives should be seen as a complementary source of funding to climate finance.