The nexus between cultural values and perceptions of corporate sustainable development

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of cultural values on perceptions of corporate sustainable development (CSD). In recent years, the intensity of the connection between cultural values and SD has been a heavily debated topic. Subsequently, this issue has gained considerable attention from management academics. Design/methodology/approach To shed light on this phenomenon, this study uses econometric techniques (linear regression) and conducts a survey of business executives in medium and large firms to search for evidence that cultural values significantly affect perceptions of CSD. Findings The findings indicate that forward-looking executives who envision themselves as individuals rather than members of a group exhibit more positive perceptions of CSD practices than the rest. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical assessment of cultural values on the perceptions of the three aspects (economic, social and environmental) of CSD.

Cultural Values as Catalysts of Technological Innovation for a Sustainable Future

“…Innovations are more likely to be introduced by managers who are characterized as possessing high individualism and low uncertainty avoidance. As shown in previous research, cultural values and innovation have a significant impact on corporate sustainable development [12,30]; thus, managers should consider cultural values in terms of where and with whom they work in order to develop innovation which eventually will lead organizations to a better sustainability performance.…”

“…These individuals are more likely to feel autonomous and independent, resulting in a creative mindset that can lead to innovative initiatives in an organization. Research indicates that managers with low levels of collectivism tend to have positive perceptions of sustainability initiatives [30]. Therefore, they are more likely to innovate in order to improve organizational performance in terms of sustainability.…”

“…Shane [28] underlines that countries need to promote those cultural values that encourage innovation while stating that investing in research and development is a required but not sufficient condition for improvements in innovation performance. On the same strand, Deirmentzoglou et al [29,30] investigate the influence of culture on sustainable development.…”

Sustainability Reporting: Examining the Community Impact of the S&P500 Companies

“…Companies should play an active and supportive role in the communities in which they operate [11] and disclose their contribution to society. In addition, large companies not only have the capacity and the resources to implement sustainability practices [12,13] and significantly impact communities, but they can also serve as reference points for other companies. Given the above, the main questions are: (i) what are the current trends in sustainability reporting and (ii) what kind of support do large companies provide to communities?…”

“…Figure 2. Diagnostic values by the number of topics (testing 32 to 38 topics).Following, there areTopics 16,5,29,32,12,2,10,22,23,30,and 14. Topic 16 refers to actions regarding women's empowerment, Topic 5 discusses energy issues related to communities, Topic 29 focuses on financial support, Topic 32 refers to medicine provision and Topic 12 is related to practices regarding clean water.…”