Societal practices as predictors of sustainable outcomes: Evidence across 57 countries

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present evidence that cultural factors account for sustainability-based outcomes at the national level. Instead of subjective and perception-based measure of sustainable propensity of individuals as used in previous research, this paper uses the directly and objectively captured sustainability scores from the Environmental Performance Index report. The test sample is comprised of 57 countries. Bayesian regression modelling is adopted. One important theoretical contribution is that sustainable competitiveness may be conceptualised as a higher-order concept consisting of two first-order constructs, namely primary resources and derivative capabilities. Cultural determinants vary substantially in the way they are related to these two components. Four cultural characteristics are related to derivative capabilities, while none have any predictive relationship with respect to primary resources. Researchers may use the findings of this study to similarly model the normative or soft factors embedded in hard environmental performance metrics, in the future. Country clusters may exhibit variations and nuances which warrant further investigation.

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“…There are urgent scholarly issues that also shape sustainability, such as energy, food security, agricultural production, aquaculture, fisheries, water infrastructures, land and natural resources inequalities, vulnerability, resilience building strategies, challenges posed in poverty alleviation and adaptation processes as well as the definition and measurement of complex associated concepts, such as transition, ecological security and social innovation. Recent publications by the ISSJ (Das, 2022; Mohammed, 2022; Udemba & Yalçıntaş, 2023) have sought to draw attention to the critical challenges of sustainability and food insecurity. These thought‐provoking works illuminated the need for long‐term perspectives on these issues as well as the worrisome lack of access to basic necessities such as food in many societies around the world.…”