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Improving corporate biodiversity management through employee involvement

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  • Olivier Boiral
  • Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria
  • Marie‐Christine Brotherton

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical examination of the role of employee involvement in the internalization of corporate biodiversity management. A qualitative study in natural resource companies was conducted, based on semi‐directive interviews with managers, consultants, and experts in this area. The findings show that employee involvement is essential to improve biodiversity practices in natural resource companies, which largely rely on organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment. The role of tacit knowledge, voluntary initiatives, and prevention of harmful behaviors in the workplace are highlighted. The main obstacles to the internalization of biodiversity issues include their complexity, the lack of corporate commitment, the externalization of initiatives, and the lack of training for employees. The contributions to the literature on corporate environmental management, internalization of new practices, and organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment are explained. Managerial implications and avenues for future research are also provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Boiral & Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria & Marie‐Christine Brotherton, 2019. "Improving corporate biodiversity management through employee involvement," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 688-698, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:28:y:2019:i:5:p:688-698
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2273
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Upekha Atupola & Paola Vola & Nuwan Gunarathne & Elisa Truant & Lorenzo Gelmini, 2023. "Corporate biodiversity management and organisational change mechanisms: The case of a tea producer in Sri Lanka," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 791-801, March.
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    5. Eun-Jung Woo & Eungoo Kang, 2021. "Employee Environmental Capability and Its Relationship with Corporate Culture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    6. Li‐Heng Chen & Peiying Hung & Hwong‐wen Ma, 2020. "Integrating circular business models and development tools in the circular economy transition process: A firm‐level framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1887-1898, July.
    7. Angela Small & Alice Owen & Jouni Paavola, 2022. "Organizational use of ecosystem service approaches: A critique from a systems theory perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 284-296, January.
    8. Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova, 2022. "Pro-environmental behavior prescribed by top companies of the world," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 7918-7935, June.
    9. Sarah Birrell Ivory & R. Bradley MacKay, 2020. "Scaling sustainability from the organizational periphery to the strategic core: Towards a practice‐based framework of what practitioners “do”," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 2058-2077, July.
    10. Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria & Olivier Boiral & Erlantz Allur & María García, 2020. "Communicating environmental management certification: Signaling without signals?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 422-431, February.

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