The Theoretical Lineage and Evolutionary Logic of Research on the Environmental Behavior of Family Firms: A Literature Review

Abstract

Family firms research is becoming one of the most important and promising areas for theoretical innovation in management practice. Corporate environmental behavior has attracted widespread academic attention, but the research on the environmental behavior of family firms is obviously insufficient, and the relevant research results are still in a fragmented state. In this paper, we review and summarize the existing research on the environmental behavior of family firms from three aspects: the research dimensions, the influencing factors, and the influencing effects, and try to sort out the theoretical lineage and evolutionary logic of the environmental behavior of family firms. From the existing research results, the research on the influencing factors and effects of family firms’ environmental behavior is at the stage of strife, and there is a lack of in-depth and systematic research on the mechanisms affecting the environmental behavior of family firms and the changes of their effects. In the future, we can explore how to apply or integrate multiple theories simultaneously for complementary explanations, so as to provide a reference for the government to formulate targeted policies to stimulate and regulate the environmental behaviors of family firms.

The effect of board diversity and tenure on environmental performance. Evidence from family and non-family firms

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“…Improving employee health is one of the critical concerns of firms (Hilsdorf et al, 2017). Moreover, firms seek to minimise the risks that are associated with employees by identifying environmental issues that present a challenge to the health and safety of employees (Chen et al, 2022;Geng et al, 2023;Han & Huo, 2020;Suharti & Sugiarto, 2020) and mitigate them to create a healthy working environment for them (Gouda & Saranga, 2020). Further, Li et al (2023) and Gu (2023) found that EP reduces health benefit costs by improving the employees' health.…”

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