IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i3p1322-d1585004.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Pressures Unveiled: Navigating the Role of Organizational Sustainable Culture in Promoting Sustainability Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Farman Ullah Khan

    (Department of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University City College, Xi’an 710018, China)

  • Daniel Badulescu

    (Department of Economics and Business, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania)

Abstract

In today’s dynamic world, environmental issues are increasing alarmingly. Consequently, improving sustainability performance has become a critical priority. This study fills a significant research gap by examining the relationships between external environmental factors, organizational sustainable culture, and sustainable performance. Importantly, this study investigates the mediating role of organizational culture between external environmental factors (customer pressure, regulatory pressure, government support, environmental uncertainty) and green performance. Questionnaire data from 214 personnel from manufacturing organizations in China were collected, and Smart PLS 4.0 was used for analysis. The results reveal that all external environmental factors significantly influence organizational culture. In addition, the organizational culture significantly mediates the relationships between external environmental factors and green performance. This study contributes to understanding how external factors shape organizational culture, subsequently influencing sustainable performance. This study offers a new perspective on the indirect role corporate culture plays in environmental outcomes. Policymakers and managers should foster a sustainable work culture to address external demands for green performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Farman Ullah Khan & Daniel Badulescu, 2025. "Sustainability Pressures Unveiled: Navigating the Role of Organizational Sustainable Culture in Promoting Sustainability Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-18, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:3:p:1322-:d:1585004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/3/1322/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/3/1322/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ji, Qiang & Zhang, Dayong, 2019. "How much does financial development contribute to renewable energy growth and upgrading of energy structure in China?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 114-124.
    2. Chieh-Yu Lin & Yi-Hui Ho, 2011. "Determinants of Green Practice Adoption for Logistics Companies in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 98(1), pages 67-83, January.
    3. Hardcopf, Rick & Liu, Gensheng (Jason) & Shah, Rachna, 2021. "Lean production and operational performance: The influence of organizational culture," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    4. Amir Gholami & Peter A. Murray & John Sands, 2022. "Environmental, Social, Governance & Financial Performance Disclosure for Large Firms: Is This Different for SME Firms?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-21, May.
    5. Fernandes, Maria F. & Randall, Donna M., 1992. "The Nature of Social Desirability Response Effects in Ethics Research," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 183-205, April.
    6. José Moleiro Martins & Hira Aftab & Mário Nuno Mata & Muhammad Ussama Majeed & Sumaira Aslam & Anabela Batista Correia & Pedro Neves Mata, 2021. "Assessing the Impact of Green Hiring on Sustainable Performance: Mediating Role of Green Performance Management and Compensation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Reginald Masocha, 2018. "Does Environmental Sustainability Impact Innovation, Ecological and Social Measures of Firm Performance of SMEs? Evidence from South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-11, October.
    8. Suhong Li & Thomas Ngniatedema & Fang Chen, 2017. "Understanding the Impact of Green Initiatives and Green Performance on Financial Performance in the US," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 776-790, September.
    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. Sayedeh Parastoo Saeidi & Parvaneh Saeidi & Sayyedeh Parisa Saeidi, 2024. "The Mediating Role of Total Quality Management between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Environmental Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-30, August.
    2. Muhammad Khuram Khalil & Umaporn Muneenam, 2021. "Total Quality Management Practices and Corporate Green Performance: Does Organizational Culture Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-27, October.
    3. Weihua He & Naveed Mushtaq & Laraeb Jan, 2024. "Unlocking the dual black box of GHRMP & EGOC for sustainable environmental performance in developing economies: can green workplace behavior and green passion transmit the real change?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 16025-16055, June.
    4. Chin‐jung Luan & Chengli Tien & Pei‐hua Wu, 2013. "Strategizing Environmental Policy and Compliance for Firm Economic Sustainability: Evidence from Taiwanese Electronics Firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(8), pages 517-546, December.
    5. Hendrik Hilpert & Johann Kranz & Matthias Schumann, 2013. "Leveraging Green IS in Logistics," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 5(5), pages 315-325, October.
    6. Xingwei Li & Jingru Li & Yicheng Huang & Jinrong He & Xiang Liu & Jiachi Dai & Qiong Shen, 2022. "Construction enterprises’ adoption of green development behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Jin Sheng & Avik Sinha & Sadia Mansoor & Muhammad Wasif Zafar, 2025. "Greening the energy future: Role of energy innovation as policy driver," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(2), pages 1424-1444, May.
    8. Skare, Marinko & Gavurova, Beata & Sinkovic, Dean, 2023. "Regional aspects of financial development and renewable energy: A cross-sectional study in 214 countries," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1142-1157.
    9. Shen, Yiran & Liu, Chang & Sun, Xiaolei & Guo, Kun, 2023. "Investor sentiment and the Chinese new energy stock market: A risk–return perspective," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 395-408.
    10. Zheng, Mingbo & Zhang, Xinyu, 2025. "Digitalization and renewable energy development: Analysis based on cross-country panel data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 319(C).
    11. Yan Li & Kailu Zhang & Bojiao Mu & Xinran Mo, 2024. "The long-term effects of transformation and upgrading policies on the market performance of China's coal-fire power generation industry," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 29(7), pages 1-38, October.
    12. Ding, Yuanyi, 2023. "Does natural resources cause sustainable financial development or resources curse? Evidence from group of seven economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    13. Sun, Xiaoqi & Liu, Xiaojia, 2020. "Decomposition analysis of debt’s impact on China’s energy consumption," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    14. Wang, Yu & Gu, Jibao & Wu, Jianlin, 2020. "Explaining local residents’ acceptance of rebuilding nuclear power plants: The roles of perceived general benefit and perceived local benefit," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    15. Kung, Chih-Chun & Wu, Tao, 2021. "Influence of water allocation on bioenergy production under climate change: A stochastic mathematical programming approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    16. Yunpeng Sun & Ruoya Jia & Asif Razzaq & Qun Bao, 2023. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Drivers of China’s geographical renewable energy development: evidence from spatial association network structure approaches," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 4115-4163, December.
    17. Wu, Shu & Han, Hongyun, 2022. "Energy transition, intensity growth, and policy evolution: Evidence from rural China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    18. Yang, Tianjian & Qian, Peng & Lei, Tianyi, 2025. "Does ease of doing business promote renewable energy development? Evidence from 162 economies," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    19. Phillips, Duygu & Edwards, Bryan D. & Rutherford, Matthew W., 2025. "Conformity or Differentiation: Optimal distinctiveness through mediating channels," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    20. Liu, Chang & Liu, Linlin & Zhang, Dayong & Fu, Jiasha, 2021. "How does the capital market respond to policy shocks? Evidence from listed solar photovoltaic companies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:17:y:2025:i:3:p:1322-:d:1585004. 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.