IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jomega/v33y2005i1p1-15.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental proactivity and business performance: an empirical analysis

Author

Listed:
  • González-Benito, Javier
  • González-Benito, Óscar

Abstract

This paper analyses the relationship between environmental proactivity and business performance on a sample of 186 industrial companies. This relationship is approached by studying a bundle of relationships between different dimensions or manifestations of environmental proactivity and different measures of business performance. The analysis in part supports the idea that environmental management can bring about competitive opportunities for companies, although it also reveals that some environmental practices produce negative effects. It is thus concluded that there is no one single response for the question of whether environmental proactivity has positive effects on business performance and that this relationship must be disaggregated into more specific and concrete relationships.

Suggested Citation

  • González-Benito, Javier & González-Benito, Óscar, 2005. "Environmental proactivity and business performance: an empirical analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:33:y:2005:i:1:p:1-15
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305-0483(04)00034-9
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kristel Buysse & Alain Verbeke, 2003. "Proactive environmental strategies: a stakeholder management perspective," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 453-470, May.
    2. James J. Cordeiro & Joseph Sarkis, 1997. "Environmental proactivism and firm performance: evidence from security analyst earnings forecasts," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(2), pages 104-114, May.
    3. Stuart L. Hart & Gautam Ahuja, 1996. "Does It Pay To Be Green? An Empirical Examination Of The Relationship Between Emission Reduction And Firm Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 30-37, March.
    4. Paul Shrivastava, 1995. "Environmental technologies and competitive advantage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(S1), pages 183-200.
    5. Christainsen, Gregory B. & Haveman, Robert H., 1981. "The contribution of environmental regulations to the slowdown in productivity growth," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 381-390, December.
    6. Jeffrey H. Dyer, 1997. "Effective interim collaboration: how firms minimize transaction costs and maximise transaction value," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 535-556, August.
    7. Karen Palmer & Wallace E. Oates & Paul R. Portney & Karen Palmer & Wallace E. Oates & Paul R. Portney, 2004. "Tightening Environmental Standards: The Benefit-Cost or the No-Cost Paradigm?," Chapters, in: Environmental Policy and Fiscal Federalism, chapter 3, pages 53-66, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Sarkis, Joseph, 1998. "Evaluating environmentally conscious business practices," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(1), pages 159-174, May.
    9. O'Brien, Christopher, 1999. "Sustainable production - a new paradigm for a new millennium," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 1-7, April.
    10. Adam B. Jaffe et al., 1995. "Environmental Regulation and the Competitiveness of U.S. Manufacturing: What Does the Evidence Tell Us?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(1), pages 132-163, March.
    11. Hamilton James T., 1995. "Pollution as News: Media and Stock Market Reactions to the Toxics Release Inventory Data," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 98-113, January.
    12. Bullinger, H. -J. & Steinaecker, J. von & Weller, A., 1999. "Concepts and methods for a production integrated environmental protection," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 35-42, April.
    13. de Ron, Ad J., 1998. "Sustainable production: The ultimate result of a continuous improvement," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 99-110, September.
    14. J. R. Norsworthy & Michael J. Harper & Kent Kunze, 1979. "The Slowdown in Productivity Growth: Analysis of Some Contributing factors," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 10(2), pages 387-422.
    15. Steven C. Wheelwright, 1984. "Strategy, Management, and Strategic Planning Approaches," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 19-33, February.
    16. Tim Newton & George Harte, 1997. "Green Business: Technicist Kitsch?," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 75-98, January.
    17. Michael E. Porter & Claas van der Linde, 1995. "Toward a New Conception of the Environment-Competitiveness Relationship," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 97-118, Fall.
    18. Vastag, Gyula & Kerekes, Sandor & Rondinelli, Dennis A., 1996. "Evaluation of corporate environmental management approaches: A framework and application," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2-3), pages 193-211, June.
    19. Robert D. Klassen & Curtis P. McLaughlin, 1996. "The Impact of Environmental Management on Firm Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(8), pages 1199-1214, August.
    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. Stefan Ambec & Paul Lanoie, 2007. "When and Why Does It Pay To Be Green?," CIRANO Working Papers 2007s-20, CIRANO.
    2. Elsayed, Khaled & Paton, David, 2005. "The impact of environmental performance on firm performance: static and dynamic panel data evidence," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 395-412, September.
    3. Nahyun Kim & Jon J. Moon & Haitao Yin, 2016. "Environmental Pressure and the Performance of Foreign Firms in an Emerging Economy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 475-490, September.
    4. Cañón de Francia, Joaquín & Garcés Ayerbe, Concepción, 2006. "Repercusión económica de la certificación medioambiental ISO 14001," Cuadernos de Gestión, Universidad del País Vasco - Instituto de Economía Aplicada a la Empresa (IEAE).
    5. Hidemichi Fujii & Kimbara Tatsuo, 2012. "Environmental Management Mechanisms in U.S. and Japanese Manufacturing Firms," International Journal of Business Administration, International Journal of Business Administration, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(6), pages 13-24, November.
    6. 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.
    7. José Céspedes‐Lorente & Emilio Galdeano‐Gómez, 2004. "Environmental practices and the value added of horticultural firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(6), pages 403-414, November.
    8. Robert Kudłak, 2010. "Wpływ ochrony środowiska na konkurencyjność," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1-2, pages 109-125.
    9. Javier González‐Benito & Óscar González‐Benito, 2006. "A review of determinant factors of environmental proactivity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(2), pages 87-102, March.
    10. Yalabik, Baris & Fairchild, Richard J., 2011. "Customer, regulatory, and competitive pressure as drivers of environmental innovation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(2), pages 519-527, June.
    11. Hitchens, David M. W. N., 1999. "The implications for competitiveness of environmental regulations for peripheral regions in the E.U," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 101-114, February.
    12. Björkdahl, Joakim & Linder, Marcus, 2015. "Formulating problems for commercializing new technologies: The case of environmental innovation," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 14-24.
    13. Horváthová, Eva, 2012. "The impact of environmental performance on firm performance: Short-term costs and long-term benefits?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 91-97.
    14. Javier González‐Benito & Óscar González‐Benito, 2010. "A study of determinant factors of stakeholder environmental pressure perceived by industrial companies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(3), pages 164-181, March.
    15. Kassinis, George & Vafeas, Nikos, 2009. "Environmental performance and plant closure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 484-494, April.
    16. Gustavo Lannelongue & Javier Gonzalez‐Benito & Oscar Gonzalez‐Benito, 2015. "Input, Output, and Environmental Management Productivity: Effects on Firm Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 145-158, March.
    17. Curkovic, Sime & Sroufe, Robert, 2007. "Total Quality Environmental Management and Total Cost Assessment: An exploratory study," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(2), pages 560-579, February.
    18. Stefan Ambec & Paul Lanoie, 2009. "Performance environnementale et économique de l'entreprise," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(4), pages 71-94.
    19. Gun Jea Yu & Seung-Yoon Rhee, 2015. "Effect of R&D Collaboration with Research Organizations on Innovation: The Mediation Effect of Environmental Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-19, August.
    20. Palmer, Mark & Truong, Yann, 2017. "The Impact of Technological Green New Product Introductions on Firm Profitability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 86-93.

    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:eee:jomega:v:33:y:2005:i:1:p:1-15. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/375/description#description .

    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.