IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i22p6299-d285244.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Beyond Gathering the ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ of Green Technology for Improved Environmental Performance: an Empirical Examination of the Moderating Effects of Proactive Environmental Management and Business Strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Beatriz Forés

    (Business Management Department, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain)

Abstract

This study draws on the natural resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities theory to analyse the effects of green technology, proactive environmental management and business strategy on environmental performance. This paper offers a novel analysis of the direct effect of the integrated use of green technology on environmental performance, considering a non-linear relationship between them, and how this impact can be leveraged through a formal proactive environmental planning, coordination and control system, and a defined business strategy. In order to test the research hypotheses, multiple linear regression was used on a sample of 446 Spanish tourism firms. The results confirm a non-linear relationship between green technology and environmental performance. They also indicate the importance of defining a clear, proactive environmental management and prospector strategy to achieve more efficient products/services, processes and technologies, with minimal environmental impact. This research also provides some insights into the moderating effect exerted by proactive environmental management in terms of strengthening the relationship between green technology and environmental performance. In addition, the analysis confirms that whereas defender strategies reduce the impact of green technology on environmental performance, analyser and prospector strategies enhance its influence. These results can be used to offer a series of guidelines for both private and public agents in the tourism sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Beatriz Forés, 2019. "Beyond Gathering the ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ of Green Technology for Improved Environmental Performance: an Empirical Examination of the Moderating Effects of Proactive Environmental Management and Busine," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-34, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:22:p:6299-:d:285244
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/22/6299/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/22/6299/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Menguc, Bulent & Ozanne, Lucie K., 2005. "Challenges of the "green imperative": a natural resource-based approach to the environmental orientation-business performance relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(4), pages 430-438, April.
    2. David J. TEECE, 2008. "Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 5, pages 67-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Manfred Lenzen & Ya-Yen Sun & Futu Faturay & Yuan-Peng Ting & Arne Geschke & Arunima Malik, 2018. "The carbon footprint of global tourism," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(6), pages 522-528, June.
    4. Rosa Maria Dangelico & Devashish Pujari & Pierpaolo Pontrandolfo, 2017. "Green Product Innovation in Manufacturing Firms: A Sustainability‐Oriented Dynamic Capability Perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 490-506, May.
    5. Nicholas Bloom & Christos Genakos & Ralf Martin & Raffaella Sadun, 2010. "Modern Management: Good for the Environment or Just Hot Air?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(544), pages 551-572, May.
    6. Hussain Bakhsh Magsi & Tze San Ong & Jo Ann Ho & Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh Hassan, 2018. "Organizational Culture and Environmental Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    7. Ting Kong & Taiwen Feng & Chunming Ye, 2016. "Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Green Innovation: The Role of Internal Environmental Collaboration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Paul Shrivastava, 1995. "Environmental technologies and competitive advantage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(S1), pages 183-200.
    9. Hottenrott, Hanna & Rexhäuser, Sascha & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2016. "Organisational change and the productivity effects of green technology adoption," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 172-194.
    10. Kunapatarawong, Rasi & Martínez-Ros, Ester, 2016. "Towards green growth: How does green innovation affect employment?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1218-1232.
    11. Kevin Zheng Zhou & Fang Wu, 2010. "Technological capability, strategic flexibility, and product innovation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 547-561, May.
    12. Andrew King & Michael Lenox, 2002. "Exploring the Locus of Profitable Pollution Reduction," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(2), pages 289-299, February.
    13. Molina-Azorín, Jose F. & Tarí, Juan José & Pereira-Moliner, Jorge & López-Gamero, María D. & Pertusa-Ortega, Eva M., 2015. "The effects of quality and environmental management on competitive advantage: A mixed methods study in the hotel industry," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 41-54.
    14. Stucki, Tobias, 2019. "Which firms benefit from investments in green energy technologies? – The effect of energy costs," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 546-555.
    15. Eva Carmona-Moreno & José Céspedes-Lorente & Jerónimo De Burgos-Jiménez, 2004. "Environmental strategies in spanish hotels: contextual factors and performance," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 101-130, May.
    16. Fraj, Elena & Matute, Jorge & Melero, Iguácel, 2015. "Environmental strategies and organizational competitiveness in the hotel industry: The role of learning and innovation as determinants of environmental success," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 30-42.
    17. Schrettle, Stefan & Hinz, Andreas & Scherrer -Rathje, Maike & Friedli, Thomas, 2014. "Turning sustainability into action: Explaining firms' sustainability efforts and their impact on firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PA), pages 73-84.
    18. Camisón, César, 2010. "Effects of coercive regulation versus voluntary and cooperative auto-regulation on environmental adaptation and performance: Empirical evidence in Spain," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 346-361, October.
    19. Marcus Wagner, 2005. "How to reconcile environmental and economic performance to improve corporate sustainability: corporate environmental strategies in the European paper industry," Post-Print hal-00279158, HAL.
    20. Rosa Maria Dangelico, 2016. "Green Product Innovation: Where we are and Where we are Going," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(8), pages 560-576, December.
    21. Rondinelli, Dennis & Vastag, Gyula, 2000. "Panacea, common sense, or just a label?: The value of ISO 14001 environmental management systems," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 499-510, October.
    22. Adam Ryszko, 2016. "Proactive Environmental Strategy, Technological Eco-Innovation and Firm Performance—Case of Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-20, February.
    23. Silvia Ayuso, 2006. "Adoption of voluntary environmental tools for sustainable tourism: analysing the experience of Spanish hotels," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(4), pages 207-220, September.
    24. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    25. Nath, Prithwiraj & Ramanathan, Ramakrishnan, 2016. "Environmental management practices, environmental technology portfolio, and environmental commitment: A content analytic approach for UK manufacturing firms," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(P3), pages 427-437.
    26. Zhi Tang & Jintong Tang, 2012. "Entrepreneurial orientation and SME performance in China’s changing environment: The moderating effects of strategies," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 409-431, June.
    27. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    28. Nick Bloom & Christos Genakos & Ralf Martin & Raffaella Sadun, 2010. "In brief: Modern Management: Good for the environment or just hot air?," CentrePiece - The magazine for economic performance 303, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    29. Camisón, César & Monfort-Mir, Vicente M., 2012. "Measuring innovation in tourism from the Schumpeterian and the dynamic-capabilities perspectives," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 776-789.
    30. DonHee Lee, 2019. "Implementation of Collaborative Activities for Sustainable Supply Chain Innovation: An Analysis of the Firm Size Effect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, May.
    31. Michael V. Russo, 2009. "Explaining the impact of ISO 14001 on emission performance: a dynamic capabilities perspective on process and learning," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(5), pages 307-319, July.
    32. Thomas C. Powell & Anne Dent‐Micallef, 1997. "Information technology as competitive advantage: the role of human, business, and technology resources," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(5), pages 375-405, May.
    33. Ozusaglam, Serdal & Kesidou, Effie & Wong, Chee Yew, 2018. "Performance effects of complementarity between environmental management systems and environmental technologies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 112-122.
    34. Ines Suarez-Perales & Concepción Garces-Ayerbe & Pilar Rivera-Torres & Cristina Suarez-Galvez, 2017. "Is Strategic Proactivity a Driver of an Environmental Strategy? Effects of Innovation and Internationalization Leadership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-13, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zakaria Elkhwesky, 2022. "A systematic and major review of proactive environmental strategies in hospitality and tourism: Looking back for moving forward," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3274-3301, November.
    2. Beatriz Forés & José María Fernández-Yáñez & Alba Puig-Denia & Montserrat Boronat-Navarro, 2022. "Unveiling the Direct Effects of Family Firm Heterogeneity on Environmental Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Ronaldo, Reza & Suryanto, Tulus, 2022. "Green finance and sustainability development goals in Indonesian Fund Village," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Akintunde Olayeni & Anastasia Ogbo & Henry Okwo & Benjamin Chukwu & Chuka Ifediora & Charity Ezenwakwelu, 2021. "Green Strategy Effect on Financial and Environmental Performance: A Mediation Analysis of Product Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tariq, Adeel & Badir, Yuosre F. & Tariq, Waqas & Bhutta, Umair Saeed, 2017. "Drivers and consequences of green product and process innovation: A systematic review, conceptual framework, and future outlook," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 8-23.
    2. Ozusaglam, Serdal & Kesidou, Effie & Wong, Chee Yew, 2018. "Performance effects of complementarity between environmental management systems and environmental technologies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 112-122.
    3. Lu Qiu & Xiaowen Jie & Yanan Wang & Minjuan Zhao, 2020. "Green product innovation, green dynamic capability, and competitive advantage: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 146-165, January.
    4. Joan Torrent‐Sellens & Pilar Ficapal‐Cusí & Mihaela Enache‐Zegheru, 2023. "Boosting environmental management: The mediating role of Industry 4.0 between environmental assets and economic and social firm performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 753-768, January.
    5. Yali Zhang & Jun Sun & Zhaojun Yang & Shurong Li, 2018. "Organizational Learning and Green Innovation: Does Environmental Proactivity Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Mert Gürlek & Muharrem Tuna, 2018. "Reinforcing competitive advantage through green organizational culture and green innovation," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(7-8), pages 467-491, June.
    7. Chulin Pan & Yufeng Jiang & Mingliang Wang & Shuang Xu & Ming Xu & Yixin Dong, 2021. "How Can Agricultural Corporate Build Sustainable Competitive Advantage through Green Intellectual Capital? A New Environmental Management Approach to Green Agriculture," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-26, July.
    8. Ying Guo, 2023. "External Knowledge Acquisition and Green Innovation in Chinese Firms: Unveiling the Impact of Green Dynamic Capabilities," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, July.
    9. Luca Marrucci & Tiberio Daddi & Fabio Iraldo, 2022. "Do dynamic capabilities matter? A study on environmental performance and the circular economy in European certified organisations," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 2641-2657, September.
    10. Achi, Awele & Adeola, Ogechi & Achi, Francis Chukwuedo, 2022. "CSR and green process innovation as antecedents of micro, small, and medium enterprise performance: Moderating role of perceived environmental volatility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 771-781.
    11. Alessandro Da Giau & Nicolai J. Foss & Andrea Furlan & Andrea Vinelli, 2020. "Sustainable development and dynamic capabilities in the fashion industry: A multi‐case study," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1509-1520, May.
    12. Pelin Demirel & Effie Kesidou, 2019. "Sustainability‐oriented capabilities for eco‐innovation: Meeting the regulatory, technology, and market demands," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 847-857, July.
    13. Sebastian Ion Ceptureanu & Eduard Gabriel Ceptureanu & Doina Popescu & Olguta Anca Orzan, 2020. "Eco-innovation Capability and Sustainability Driven Innovation Practices in Romanian SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, August.
    14. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Leonidou, Constantinos N. & Fotiadis, Thomas A. & Aykol, Bilge, 2015. "Dynamic capabilities driving an eco-based advantage and performance in global hotel chains: The moderating effect of international strategy," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 268-280.
    15. Henry He Huang & Joseph Kerstein & Chong Wang & Feng (Harry) Wu, 2022. "Firm climate risk, risk management, and bank loan financing," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(13), pages 2849-2880, December.
    16. Valero-Gil, Jesus & Surroca, Jordi A. & Tribo, Josep A. & Gutierrez, Leopoldo & Montiel, Ivan, 2023. "Innovation vs. standardization: The conjoint effects of eco-innovation and environmental management systems on environmental performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(4).
    17. Magdalena Pichlak, 2021. "The Drivers of Technological Eco-Innovation—Dynamic Capabilities and Leadership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-17, May.
    18. Wu, Kuo-Jui & Liao, Ching-Jong & Chen, Chih-Cheng & Lin, Yuanhsu & Tsai, Chuck F.M., 2016. "Exploring eco-innovation in dynamic organizational capability under incomplete information in the Taiwanese lighting industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(PB), pages 419-440.
    19. Zorica Duric & Jasna Potočnik Topler, 2021. "The Role of Performance and Environmental Sustainability Indicators in Hotel Competitiveness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, June.
    20. Thomas Bassetti & Silvia Blasi & Silvia Rita Sedita, 2021. "The management of sustainable development: A longitudinal analysis of the effects of environmental performance on economic performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 21-37, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:22:p:6299-:d:285244. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.