Heterogeneity in corporate green supply chain practice adoption: Insights from institutional fields

Abstract

Firms adopt different green supply chain management (GSCM) practices at varying levels. Drawing on institutional field theory, this study aims to explore the heterogeneity in GSCM practice adoption considering different firm characteristics, including firm size, industry, and ownership. Secondary data from 394 firms operating in China show that four organizational groupings—brown, light brown, light green, and green—firms exist. Multinomial logistic regression results show that larger firms and firms in the electronics industry are more likely to be greener, indicating that firm size and industry play a strong role in discriminating GSCM practice adoption. Interestingly, no differences between domestic and foreign‐owned firms exist, implying that the gaps in institutional perspectives between Chinese domestic and non‐domestic ownership may be disappearing. This study provides practical implications for strategic benchmarking of GSCM practices. The results also have broader implications for firm operations within China and Chinese firms competing elsewhere.

The influence of state ownership on environmental proactivity: An institutional perspective of international firms

“…However, if such an expansion was carried out in more environmentally distant countries, SOEs might identify the green improvements as a priority due to the increased cultural distance, having a more different background from those distant host countries, and thus intensify their actions precisely because of a greater increase in the complexity of environmental management in international business. This phenomenon is explained by institutional theory, which states that by implementing the required environmental actions, firms attenuate their legitimacy deficit in foreign markets (Chen et al, 2023), and reduce the adverse effects of liability of origin in other institutionally differentiated markets (Marano et al, 2017). Moreover, our findings are in line with some arguments in the literature which suggest that efforts to change existing institutional practices may be further activated when differences between firms and corporate agents are higher (Drogendijk & Holm, 2012;Lee et al, 2021;Schwens et al, 2011;Siegel et al, 2013); that is to say, corporate agents abroad will intensify their efforts when they identify institutionalized practices as very different from their own.…”

Impact of green human resource management and internal green supply chain management practices on operational performance: An empirical investigation of manufacturing sector

“…Green supply chain management (GSCM) plays a pivotal role in sustainable development by focusing on minimising environmental impacts and enhancing overall performance (Chen et al, 2024). GSCM encompasses various processes, including green design, manufacturing, logistics, and reconditioning, which collectively contribute to increased productivity, improved environmental performance, and trend identification (Lai et al, 2023).…”