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Public Water Concern, Managerial Green Cognition, and Corporate Water Responsibility: Evidence from High-Water-Consuming Enterprises in China

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  • Liyuan Zheng

    (School of Supply Chain Management, Ningbo Polytechnic University, Ningbo 315800, China
    School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

  • Wei Wang

    (School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
    Horgos Business School, Yili Normal University, Yining 835000, China)

  • Bo Shang

    (School of Management, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213159, China)

  • Mengjiao Wang

    (School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

Abstract

To address water sustainability challenges, this study investigates how public water concern influences corporate water responsibility (CWR) and how managerial green cognition moderates this relationship. Drawing on institutional theory and cognitive theory, we analyze a panel of 1292 publicly listed high-water-consuming firms in China from 2015 to 2024. The results show that public water concern significantly improves CWR by increasing legitimacy pressure, while its effect through government water governance attention is not statistically significant. Furthermore, managerial green cognition—including both economic and moral dimensions—positively moderates this relationship. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the moderating effect is stronger in firms with more female directors, older executives, and internationally experienced teams. These findings contribute to refining institutional theory in the context of environmental responsibility and highlight the critical role of executive cognition and demographic structure in corporate sustainability behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Liyuan Zheng & Wei Wang & Bo Shang & Mengjiao Wang, 2025. "Public Water Concern, Managerial Green Cognition, and Corporate Water Responsibility: Evidence from High-Water-Consuming Enterprises in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-39, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7150-:d:1719344
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