Business Strategy and Development最新文献

Digital transformation plays a central role in the balance between technology and sustainability, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Romania. This study examines the impact of the adoption of digital technologies on the competitiveness, development of digital corporate culture, digital management and ESG (environmental, social, governance) performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector. Based on 463 valid questionnaires, a model was developed and empirically tested using fsQCA (qualitative comparative fuzzy set analysis) and PLS-SEM (partial least squares structural equation modeling) methods. The results show that the implementation of digital technologies contributes significantly to improving the competitiveness, performance and ESG practices of SMEs. Companies with a clear digital strategy and an innovative digital culture not only have greater operational efficiency, but also greater social and environmental responsibility. The study makes it clear that digital transformation is not only a strategic driver for sustainability and innovation for SMEs, but also contributes to adaptability and long-term success. Policy and practice are recommended to expand targeted measures and funding programs to support the digitalization of SMEs to promote the balance between technological advances and sustainable business.

Rural household energy consumption is critical for advancing sustainable development and achieving low-carbon energy systems. Despite various policy efforts to promote clean energy adoption, traditional energy sources remain prevalent in rural areas. This study investigates how household resource endowments and energy accessibility influence the adoption and consumption of clean energy in rural households. Using data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey, a Tobit model is employed to analyze how social, economic, and human assets, along with proximity to clean energy supply points, impact both the level and structure of clean energy consumption. The findings indicate that high levels of human and economic assets significantly promote clean energy adoption, with educated households and those engaged in non-agricultural employment more likely to adopt clean energy and incur lower associated costs. Furthermore, proximity to clean energy supply points is positively correlated with both clean energy consumption level and its share in total energy expenditure. A notable “low-cost high-quality” phenomenon emerges, where households using advanced clean energy sources experience lower costs compared to those relying on traditional energy. The results highlight the importance of improving energy accessibility, promoting education, and leveraging social assets to support clean energy adoption. Policy recommendations include enhancing rural energy infrastructure, increasing awareness, and addressing technical and financial barriers to facilitate the clean energy transition. These measures will contribute to sustainable rural development and environmental preservation.

This study investigates the impact of board gender diversity on corporate engagement in the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Drawing from stakeholder and resource dependence theories, we hypothesize that increased female representation on boards strengthens a firm's adherence to scientifically validated climate targets. Our research encompasses all capital market–oriented firms actively engaged in the SBTi from 2015 to 2023 in Europe and North America, complemented by a control group of firms with similar characteristics. We apply coarsened exact matching and instrumental variable probit models to control for potential endogeneity and ensure the robustness of our analysis. The results indicate a positive relationship between board gender diversity and SBTi engagement. This research enriches the growing body of literature on SBTi, underscoring the role of board gender diversity in enhancing corporate environmental responsibility and offering practical insights into how improved governance can advance sustainability strategies.

This study explores the growing concern over greenwashing and its impact on the financial performance of European-listed banks from 2005 to 2021. Financial performance is evaluated using three key indicators: Return on Assets (ROA), reflecting operational efficiency; Return on Equity (ROE), indicating returns to shareholders; and Tobin's Q, representing market-based valuation relative to assets. The study is novel in linking greenwashing with authentic environmental practices and evaluating the influence of genuine sustainability initiatives on financial outcomes. Results indicate that greenwashing negatively affects financial performance by reducing market valuation and shareholder returns, as shown by declines in Tobin's Q and ROE, whereas being associated with short-term operational gains, evidenced by higher ROA. Moreover, genuine environmental initiatives mitigate the adverse effects of greenwashing on Tobin's Q and ROE and enhance its positive influence on ROA. These findings highlight the critical role of credible environmental strategies in managing reputational risks and supporting sustainable financial outcomes, offering practical insights for banks, regulators, and investors seeking to align corporate sustainability with financial performance.

This study investigates the influence of board composition on the quantity and quality of non-financial information (NFI) reports in firms listed on the Ibex35 index. Utilizing a longitudinal panel data analysis spanning 2015, 2017, and 2019, the research evaluates the roles of independent, proprietary, and female directors. Results indicate that independent and proprietary directors significantly enhance the quantity of NFI disclosed but exhibit no impact on quality. Conversely, female directors positively affect the quality of NFI reporting without influencing quantity. These findings underline the distinct contributions of director types to NFI transparency, emphasizing the need for tailored board composition strategies to align with organizational objectives. The study further highlights the importance of considering both NFI quantity and quality as separate constructs, offering valuable insights for corporate governance practices, legislative reforms, and future research on sustainable business reporting.

Inconsistent findings on the relationship between board diversity attributes and environmental performance in the extant literature warrant a comprehensive meta-analytical assessment. Therefore, this research is targeted to examine the relationship between board diversity attributes—such as age, gender, education, nationality, and ethnicity—and corporate environmental performance through meta-analysis. Additionally, it sheds light on the moderating influences of cultural dimensions—individualism, masculinity, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence—on these relationships as national-level cultural factors were rarely examined in the extant literature on corporate environmental performance. This research relied on 182 effect sizes from 91 studies published in Chartered Association of Business Schools (ABS) ranked journals in the last two decades. Mean correlation coefficients and random-effect meta-regressions were used to test the hypothesized relationships. All the board diversity attributes have a significant positive relationship with environmental performance. Concerning moderating effects, cultural dimensions of high power distance and uncertainty avoidance strengthen the positive relationship between board diversity attributes and environmental performance, whereas high individualism and indulgence dimensions weaken them. Masculinity and long-term orientations yielded mixed results. In general, the results suggest that policies aimed at promoting board diversity can improve corporate environmental performance. However, the effectiveness of board diversity attributes in promoting corporate environmental performance is influenced by cultural factors. Since this research exclusively relies on articles published in English-language ABS-ranked journals, it may limit the generalizability of the findings by excluding potentially relevant studies published in other languages in other institutional and cultural contexts.

This study investigates how environmental concern translates into green banking behavior by distinguishing three behavioral mechanisms: cost-sensitive (instrumental—via perceived benefits and adoption intention), loyalty-based, and sacrifice-based (affective—via trust). Grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and self-determination theory (SDT), we employ structural equation modelling (SEM) and a conditional moderated mediation model (PROCESS Model 11), with perceived benefits, adoption intention, and trust serving as mediators, and personal responsibility and social norms acting as moderators. Findings indicated that different psychological paths trigger different outcomes of pro-environmental financial behavior. Artificial neural networks (ANN) complement the analysis by detecting nonlinear patterns, supporting the multidimensional nature of environmental behavior. The study challenges one-dimensional measurement of green behavior and underscores the need for tailored policy approaches in sustainable finance. By aligning motivation types with targeted behavioral outcomes, this work advances applications of behavioral economics in green banking.