Imitation is the sincerest form of institutionalization: Understanding the effects of imitation and competitive pressures on the reporting of sustainable development goals in an international context

Zampone, Giovanni; García‐Sánchez, Isabel‐María; Sannino, Giuseppe

doi:10.1002/bse.3357

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Second, we control for the impact of competitive pressures on corporate green innovation. Referring to Zampone et al (2023), we take the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (

italicHHI true)

to measure the competitive pressure that firms face. Third, we control for the impact of advances in digital technology on corporate green innovation (Guo et al, 2023).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

ESG rating divergence and corporate green innovation

Zhou,

Lei,

2023

Bus Strat Env

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This study empirically examines whether and how ESG rating divergence affects corporate green innovation. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies, we find that ESG rating divergence has a positive impact on corporate green innovation. The results still hold after several robustness checks. Furthermore, we find that the positive impact of ESG rating divergence on green innovation is more pronounced in companies with higher resource advantages of independent directors and more media attention. We then discuss the economic consequences of corporate green innovation as a response to ESG rating divergence. The results suggest that this responsiveness generates an insurance‐like effect, where companies leverage green innovation as a buffer against risks related to ESG rating divergence. Overall, our study provides novel evidence that ESG rating divergence can stimulate corporate green innovation, which sheds light on the substantial impact of ESG ratings on corporate sustainability.

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“…Second, we control for the impact of competitive pressures on corporate green innovation. Referring to Zampone et al (2023), we take the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (

italicHHI true)

to measure the competitive pressure that firms face. Third, we control for the impact of advances in digital technology on corporate green innovation (Guo et al, 2023).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

ESG rating divergence and corporate green innovation

Zhou,

Lei,

2023

Bus Strat Env

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“…The initiatives have also been active from a similar time (2014 in Scotland and 2015 in Madrid). As imitation is the sincerest form of institutionalization (Zampone et al, 2023), they can be considered successful cases, which justifies the comparative analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The success of e‐participation. Learning lessons from Decide Madrid and We asked, You said, We did in Scotland

et al. 2023

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Electronic participation (e‐participation) has grown across the world in recent decades and many governments offer a range of opportunities for e‐participation. However, there is a lack of comparative analyses of successful initiatives, which can be useful in supporting subsequent adopters. This paper identifies the best practices and areas for improvement of Decide Madrid and We asked, You said, We did in Scotland, whose software has been widely adopted by hundreds of institutions worldwide. Key common enablers include political leadership and senior management support, top‐down approach, high levels of internal and external collaboration, embeddedness in the formal policy‐making processes and careful consideration of design features. Most of these factors are related to processes, organizational or managerial dimensions, rather than being linked to the institutional context or ICT. Areas for improvement relate to the way the initiatives provide feedback, allow discussion and flexibility on policy options, incorporate possibilities for offline participation, and involve a wider range of stakeholders. An important contribution is the identification of factors contributing to the robustness and continuity of e‐participation initiatives, combining the flexibility of collaborative network governance and the stability of public bureaucracy.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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“…mitigating uncertainty (Oliver, 1991;Yang and Hyland, 2012;Dubey et al, 2019;Zampone et al, 2023). Accordingly, review papers call for a greater integration of micro and macro theory (Andrews et al, 2022;White and Borgholthaus, 2022;Bezemer et al, 2023) to examine the interaction between industry-level factors and the individual director's contribution to strategy.…”

Section: Recycling Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there needs to be more research on whether a board-chair member of the sustainability committee regulates the relationship between industry-peer pressure and recycled water targets. Meanwhile, the neo-institutional theory (macro theory) does not focus much on a firm's proactive role in mitigating uncertainty (Oliver, 1991; Yang and Hyland, 2012; Dubey et al ., 2019; Zampone et al ., 2023). Accordingly, review papers call for a greater integration of micro and macro theory (Andrews et al ., 2022; White and Borgholthaus, 2022; Bezemer et al ., 2023) to examine the interaction between industry-level factors and the individual director’s contribution to strategy.…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recycling water: board membership and industry-peer pressures

Chen,

Huang

2024

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PurposeDespite the well-recognized importance of recycled water, the study of industry-peer pressure on recycled water is relatively new. This study investigates how organizations experience and react to industry-peer pressure to set recycled water targets. Additionally, this study investigates the role of board chairs involved in sustainability committees in contributing to responses to industry-peer pressure.Design/methodology/approachUsing Eviews 12, this study employed a pooled logistic regression model to analyze data from 1,346 firms on Taiwan and Taipei exchanges (2017–2020).FindingsThe findings revealed that frequency-based imitation drives recycled water target-setting diffusion. However, there is no direct relationship between outcome-based imitation and recycled water target-setting. Notably, outcome-based imitation drives the adoption of recycled water target-setting of firms with board-chair membership in sustainability committees.Research limitations/implicationsThis study faces certain data limitations. First, this study primarily focuses on water recycling. Future research could explore other ways to reduce water usage, such as using water-efficient equipment. Second, this study gathered information solely on the presence or absence of a board chairperson on the sustainability committee. Future researchers could explore the impact of the composition of sustainability committee on recycled water target-setting. Lastly, the sample used in this study is restricted to Taiwan's corporations that existed during 2017–2020. Future researchers may consider adopting a longitudinal design in other economies to address this limitation.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study offer several guidelines and implications for recycled water target-setting and the composition of sustainability committees. It responds to an urgent call for solutions to water shortages when pressure from governments and nongovernmental organizations is relatively absent. The number of industry peers that have already set recycled water targets is indispensable for motivating firms to set their own recycled water targets. In terms of insufficient water-related regulatory pressure and normative pressure, this study found evidence suggesting that the direct motivation for setting recycled water targets stems from mimetic pressures via frequency-based imitation. The evidence in this study suggests that policymakers should require companies to disclose their peers’ recycled water target information, as doing so serves as an alternative means to achieving SDG 6.3.Social implicationsRecycled water target-setting might be challenging. Water recycling practices may face strong resistance and require substantial additional resources (Zhang and Tang, 2019; Gao et al., 2019; Gu et al., 2023). Therefore, this study suggests that firms should ensure the mindfulness of board members in promoting the welfare of the natural environment when making recycled water target-setting decisions. To reap the second-mover advantage, firms must consider the conditions in which board members can more effectively play their role. Corporations may help their chairpersons in setting recycled water targets by recruiting them as members of sustainability committees. Meanwhile, chairpersons tend to activate accurate mental models when the water conservation performance of pioneering industry peers is strong enough to indicate the potential benefits of adopting recycled water target-setting. Investors’ and stakeholders’ understanding of how the composition of sustainability committees is related to recycled water target-setting may help to identify the potential drivers of firms’ water responsibility. Investors and stakeholders should distinguish firms in terms of the board chair’s membership of their sustainability committee and focus on water-use reduction outcomes in the industry. This study provides insights into circumstances whereby chairpersons help to restore the water ecosystem.Originality/valueThis study explains how frequency-based and outcome-based imitation are two prominent mechanisms underlying the industry-peer pressure concerning recycled water target-setting. Moreover, this study fills literature gaps related to the moderating roles of board-chair membership in sustainability committees concerning industry-peer pressure on recycled water target-setting.

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Imitation is the sincerest form of institutionalization: Understanding the effects of imitation and competitive pressures on the reporting of sustainable development goals in an international context

Cited by 13 publications

References 65 publications

ESG rating divergence and corporate green innovation

ESG rating divergence and corporate green innovation

The success of e‐participation. Learning lessons from Decide Madrid and We asked, You said, We did in Scotland

Recycling water: board membership and industry-peer pressures

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