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Global sustainability pressures and strategic choice: The role of firms’ structures and non-market capabilities in selection and implementation of sustainability initiatives

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  • Poisson-de Haro, Serge
  • Bitektine, Alex

Abstract

Through the comparative analysis of sustainable development (SD) strategies of three Spanish electric utilities, we explore how differences in electricity production technologies and non-market capabilities of these companies resulted in substantial differences in the degree and nature of their SD involvement over time. This longitudinal study of SD strategies highlights the pluralism of SD commitment interpretations and reveals the non-deterministic nature of SD strategy evolution. While some differences in companies’ strategic choices could be explained by their existing production capacity constraints, the evolution of SD commitment interpretations and SD actions reflect strategic choices grounded in non-market capabilities of the firms.

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  • Poisson-de Haro, Serge & Bitektine, Alex, 2015. "Global sustainability pressures and strategic choice: The role of firms’ structures and non-market capabilities in selection and implementation of sustainability initiatives," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 326-341.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:50:y:2015:i:2:p:326-341
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2014.10.009
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    7. Huixiang Zeng & Tao Zhang & Zhifang Zhou & Yang Zhao & Xiaohong Chen, 2020. "Water disclosure and firm risk: Empirical evidence from highly water‐sensitive industries in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 17-38, January.
    8. Adrielle Soares Alves & Naisy Silva Soares & Eliane Pinheiro de Sousa & Sócrates Moquete Guzmán, 2017. "Technical efficiency and the scale of sisal production in the state of Bahia (Brazil)," Apuntes. Revista de ciencias sociales, Fondo Editorial, Universidad del Pacífico, vol. 44(81), pages 37-61.
    9. Rendani Mavis Matakanye & Huibrecht Margaretha van der Poll & Binganidzo Muchara, 2021. "Do Companies in Different Industries Respond Differently to Stakeholders’ Pressures When Prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance Sustainability Performance?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, October.
    10. Hoorani, Bareerah Hafeez & Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella & Gibbert, Michael, 2023. "Understanding time in qualitative international business research: Towards four styles of temporal theorizing," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(1).
    11. Binh Do & Uyen Nguyen & Ninh Nguyen & Lester W. Johnson, 2019. "Exploring the Proactivity Levels and Drivers of Environmental Strategies Adopted by Vietnamese Seafood Export Processing Firms: A Qualitative Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-22, July.
    12. Shubo Liu & Min-Ren Yan, 2018. "Corporate Sustainability and Green Innovation in an Emerging Economy—An Empirical Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-29, November.
    13. Castaneda, Monica & Jimenez, Maritza & Zapata, Sebastian & Franco, Carlos J. & Dyner, Isaac, 2017. "Myths and facts of the utility death spiral," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 105-116.
    14. Rodrigo Alcântara Betiati & Armando Dalla Costa & Rodolfo Coelho Prates, 2017. "La innovación y las multinacionales extranjeras instaladas en el estado de Paraná (Brasil) entre 1960 y 2015," Apuntes. Revista de ciencias sociales, Fondo Editorial, Universidad del Pacífico, vol. 44(81), pages 5-38.
    15. Vigneau, Laurence, 2020. "A micro-level perspective on the implementation of corporate social responsibility practices in multinational corporations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(4).

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