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Improving sustainability: An international evolutionary framework

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  • Chen, Dong
  • Newburry, William
  • Park, Seung Ho

Abstract

As emerging markets develop, foreign firms are being viewed less and less as providers of capital and/or technology, and more as integral parts of society in general, with much greater responsibilities that stem largely from their multinational roles. Recognizing these pressures and the increasing interaction between multinationals and societal institutions, we first briefly review the literature on role, stakeholder, and institutional theories, to develop a framework to improve our understanding of multinational sustainability. We next develop a three-stage model of the stages of societal development in general, and subsequently apply these stages to the development of China from 1978 to the present. We suggest that these changes have resulted in changing expectations of multinationals regarding their appropriate roles within China. We conclude by discussing lessons from our model for researchers, educators and practitioners.

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  • Chen, Dong & Newburry, William & Park, Seung Ho, 2009. "Improving sustainability: An international evolutionary framework," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 317-327, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intman:v:15:y:2009:i:3:p:317-327
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    3. Riikkinen, Rilana & Kauppi, Katri & Salmi, Asta, 2017. "Learning Sustainability? Absorptive capacities as drivers of sustainability in MNCs’ purchasing," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1075-1087.
    4. Reimann, Felix & Ehrgott, Matthias & Kaufmann, Lutz & Carter, Craig R., 2012. "Local stakeholders and local legitimacy: MNEs' social strategies in emerging economies," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 1-17.
    5. Deephouse, David L. & Newburry, William & Soleimani, Abrahim, 2016. "The effects of institutional development and national culture on cross-national differences in corporate reputation," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 463-473.
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    9. Meng Zhao & Xufei Ma & Seung Ho Park & Lingli Luo, 2023. "Attention-Based Constraint to MNC Coevolution in China's Changing Stakeholder Environment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(4), pages 797-814, September.
    10. Zhu, Qinghua & Sarkis, Joseph & Lai, Kee-hung, 2012. "Internationalization and environmentally-related organizational learning among Chinese manufacturers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 142-154.
    11. Holtbrügge, Dirk & Dögl, Corinna, 2012. "How international is corporate environmental responsibility? A literature review," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 180-195.
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