IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i20p15062-d1263237.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Executives with Environmental Experience and Corporate Environmental Performance: Evidence from China’s A-Share Listed Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Chunfeng Dong

    (School of Urban and Regional Sciences, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Jun He

    (School of Urban and Regional Sciences, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Longzheng Du

    (School of Business Administration, Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics, Hohhot 010070, China
    Institute of Digital Economy and Green Development, Zhejiang International Studies University, Hangzhou 310023, China)

  • Jing Yang

    (School of Accountancy, Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics, Hohhot 010070, China)

Abstract

Based on the data of China’s A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2021, this article explores the impact and mechanism of executives with environmental experience on corporate environmental performance (CEP) and finds that executives with environmental experience significantly improve CEP. The heterogeneous analysis shows that the improvement effect of executives with environmental experience on CEP is more significant in non-state-owned enterprises, non-heavy-polluting enterprises, and enterprises in regions with higher levels of marketization. The mechanism test shows that important channels for executives with environmental experience to improve CEP include attracting green investors, promoting green innovation, and obtaining government environmental subsidies. Further analysis shows that under the governance of executives with environmental experience, the improvement of CEP is conducive to strengthening corporate social responsibility and enhancing enterprise value. The research conclusions provide direct evidence for improving CEP and achieving sustainable development for enterprises and society.

Suggested Citation

  • Chunfeng Dong & Jun He & Longzheng Du & Jing Yang, 2023. "Executives with Environmental Experience and Corporate Environmental Performance: Evidence from China’s A-Share Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-22, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:20:p:15062-:d:1263237
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/15062/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/15062/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Yufeng & Ma, Yanbai, 2021. "Does green investment improve energy firm performance?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    2. Singh, Sanjay Kumar & Giudice, Manlio Del & Chierici, Roberto & Graziano, Domenico, 2020. "Green innovation and environmental performance: The role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Joseph S. Shapiro & Reed Walker, 2018. "Why Is Pollution from US Manufacturing Declining? The Roles of Environmental Regulation, Productivity, and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(12), pages 3814-3854, December.
    4. Oriana Bandiera & Andrea Prat & Stephen Hansen & Raffaella Sadun, 2020. "CEO Behavior and Firm Performance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(4), pages 1325-1369.
    5. Yasir Shahab & Collins G. Ntim & Yugang Chen & Farid Ullah & Hai‐Xia Li & Zhiwei Ye, 2020. "Chief executive officer attributes, sustainable performance, environmental performance, and environmental reporting: New insights from upper echelons perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Zhang, Bingbing & Wang, Yuan & Sun, Chuanwang, 2023. "Urban environmental legislation and corporate environmental performance: End governance or process control?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    7. El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Kwok, Chuck C.Y. & Mishra, Dev R., 2011. "Does corporate social responsibility affect the cost of capital?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 2388-2406, September.
    8. Nai-Chun Wang & Deng-Kui Si & Chun-Feng Dong, 2022. "Social Insurance Burden and Corporate Environmental Performance: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, September.
    9. Baghdadi, Ghasan & Podolski, Edward J. & Veeraraghavan, Madhu, 2022. "CEO risk-seeking and corporate tax avoidance: Evidence from pilot CEOs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Arménio Rego & Miguel Pina e Cunha & Daniel Polónia, 2017. "Corporate Sustainability: A View From the Top," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 133-157, June.
    11. Li Chang & Wenjing Li & Xiaoyan Lu, 2015. "Government Engagement, Environmental Policy, and Environmental Performance: Evidence from the Most Polluting Chinese Listed Firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-19, January.
    12. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    13. Earnhart, Dietrich & Lizal, Lubomir, 2006. "Effects of ownership and financial performance on corporate environmental performance," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 111-129, March.
    14. Gutiérrez, Emilio & Teshima, Kensuke, 2018. "Abatement expenditures, technology choice, and environmental performance: Evidence from firm responses to import competition in Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 264-274.
    15. Judith L. Walls & Pascual Berrone, 2017. "The Power of One to Make a Difference: How Informal and Formal CEO Power Affect Environmental Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 293-308, October.
    16. Chen, Zhao & Kahn, Matthew E. & Liu, Yu & Wang, Zhi, 2018. "The consequences of spatially differentiated water pollution regulation in China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 468-485.
    17. Simona Cosma & Paola Schwizer & Lorenzo Nobile & Rossella Leopizzi, 2021. "Environmental attitude in the board. Who are the “green directors”? Evidences from Italy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3360-3375, November.
    18. Barnea, Amir & Heinkel, Robert & Kraus, Alan, 2005. "Green investors and corporate investment," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 332-346, September.
    19. Samuel Adomako & Joseph Amankwah‐Amoah & Albert Danso & George Obeng Dankwah, 2021. "Chief executive officers' sustainability orientation and firm environmental performance: Networking and resource contingencies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2184-2193, May.
    20. Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J., 2017. "Assessing environmental performance in the European Union: Eco-innovation versus catching-up," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 240-252.
    21. Judith L. Walls & Pascual Berrone & Phillip H. Phan, 2012. "Corporate governance and environmental performance: is there really a link?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 885-913, August.
    22. Ye, Fei & Ouyang, You & Li, Yina, 2023. "Digital investment and environmental performance: The mediating roles of production efficiency and green innovation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    23. Zhang, Weike & Luo, Qian & Liu, Shiyuan, 2022. "Is government regulation a push for corporate environmental performance? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 105-121.
    24. Erin M. Reid & Michael W. Toffel, 2009. "Responding to public and private politics: corporate disclosure of climate change strategies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(11), pages 1157-1178, November.
    25. Longzheng Du & Zhenglin Zhang & Taiwen Feng, 2018. "Linking green customer and supplier integration with green innovation performance: The role of internal integration," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1583-1595, December.
    26. Yan, Huahong & Li, Xiaoyan & Huang, Ying & Li, Yuanhao, 2020. "The impact of the consistency of carbon performance and carbon information disclosure on enterprise value," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    27. Erin Marie Reid & Michael W. Toffel, 2008. "Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies," Harvard Business School Working Papers 09-019, Harvard Business School, revised Jun 2009.
    28. Benlemlih, Mohammed & Li, Yiwei & Assaf, Cynthia, 2022. "Executive compensation and environmental performance: Evidence from CEO inside debt," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    29. Shenggang Ren & Duojun He & Tao Zhang & Xiaohong Chen, 2019. "Symbolic reactions or substantive pro‐environmental behaviour? An empirical study of corporate environmental performance under the government's environmental subsidy scheme," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 1148-1165, September.
    30. John A. List & Fatemeh Momeni, 2021. "When Corporate Social Responsibility Backfires: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(1), pages 8-21, January.
    31. Yingjie Hao & Congcong Fan & Yunguang Long & Jieyi Pan, 2019. "The role of returnee executives in improving green innovation performance of Chinese manufacturing enterprises: Implications for sustainable development strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 804-818, July.
    32. Li, Zhengda & Zheng, Chengxin & Liu, Aimin & Yang, Yang & Yuan, Xiaoling, 2022. "Environmental taxes, green subsidies, and cleaner production willingness: Evidence from China's publicly traded companies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Nai-Chun Wang & Deng-Kui Si & Chun-Feng Dong, 2022. "Social Insurance Burden and Corporate Environmental Performance: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, September.
    2. Yousaf, Umair Bin & Ullah, Irfan & Jiang, Junchen & Wang, Man, 2022. "The role of board capital in driving green innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    3. Hsu, Bo-Xiang & Chen, Yi-Min & Chen, Li-An (Leann), 2022. "Corporate social responsibility and value added in the supply chain: Model and mechanism," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    4. Li, Wanfu & Jiang, Mengmeng & Zhang, Xuejiao & Wang, Yu & Qu, Xiaoyi, 2023. "Does foreign experience of top management affect corporate environmental responsibility? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    5. Choi, Bobae & Luo, Le, 2021. "Does the market value greenhouse gas emissions? Evidence from multi-country firm data," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    6. Lijuan Tao & Xiaoju Wei & Wenjing Wang, 2023. "Does Enterprise Internal Control Improve Environmental Performance—Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-20, June.
    7. Gary F. Peters & Andrea M. Romi & Juan Manuel Sanchez, 2019. "The Influence of Corporate Sustainability Officers on Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 1065-1087, November.
    8. Francesco Gangi & Antonio Meles & Eugenio D'Angelo & Lucia Michela Daniele, 2019. "Sustainable development and corporate governance in the financial system: Are environmentally friendly banks less risky?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 529-547, May.
    9. Shon R. Hiatt & Jake B. Grandy & Brandon H. Lee, 2015. "Organizational Responses to Public and Private Politics: An Analysis of Climate Change Activists and U.S. Oil and Gas Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(6), pages 1769-1786, December.
    10. Yu Wang & Yetaotao Qiu & Yi Luo, 2022. "CEO foreign experience and corporate sustainable development: Evidence from China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2036-2051, July.
    11. Antonio J. Mateo-Márquez & José M. González-González & Constancio Zamora-Ramírez, 2021. "Components of Countries’ Regulative Dimensions and Voluntary Carbon Disclosures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, February.
    12. Yuping Deng & Yanrui Wu & Helian Xu, 2022. "Emission Reduction and Value-added Export Nexus at Firm Level," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 22-19, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    13. Pete Tashman & Jorge Rivera, 2016. "Ecological uncertainty, adaptation, and mitigation in the U.S. ski resort industry: Managing resource dependence and institutional pressures," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1507-1525, July.
    14. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    15. Isabel‐Maria García‐Sánchez & Nazim Hussain & Sana Akbar Khan & Jennifer Martínez‐Ferrero, 2020. "Managerial entrenchment, corporate social responsibility, and earnings management," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1818-1833, July.
    16. Khwaja Naveed & Fahad Khalid & Cosmina L. Voinea & Nadine Roijakkers & Cosmin Fratostiteanu, 2023. "Board gender diversity and corporate environmental commitment: A subnational perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4970-4990, November.
    17. Fisher-Vanden, Karen & Thorburn, Karin S., 2011. "Voluntary corporate environmental initiatives and shareholder wealth," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 430-445.
    18. Yu, Zhen & Shen, Yiran & Jiang, Shengjun, 2022. "The effects of corporate governance uncertainty on state-owned enterprises' green innovation in China: Perspective from the participation of non-state-owned shareholders," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Fawad Rauf & Cosmina Lelia Voinea & Hammad Bin Azam Hashmi & Cosmin Fratostiteanu, 2020. "Moderating Effect of Political Embeddedness on the Relationship between Resources Base and Quality of CSR Disclosure in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    20. Jianjun Zhang & Xiaowei Rose Luo, 2013. "Dared to Care: Organizational Vulnerability, Institutional Logics, and MNCs’ Social Responsiveness in Emerging Markets," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(6), pages 1742-1764, December.

    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:15:y:2023:i:20:p:15062-:d:1263237. 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.