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Article
Publication date: 15 August 2023

Caleb Kwong, Charan Raj Bhattarai, Min Prasad Bhandari and Cherry W. M. Cheung

Literature on the relationship between social performance and economic performance of social enterprises has long been inconclusive. This paper aims to investigate whether and, if…

Abstract

Purpose

Literature on the relationship between social performance and economic performance of social enterprises has long been inconclusive. This paper aims to investigate whether and, if so, how social performance contributes to economic performance of social enterprises. Specifically, drawing from the resource-based view and signalling theory, the study examines how the development of reputation, which enables social enterprises to signal the enterprises' stakeholders' commitment towards social causes, mediates the relationship between the two.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected from a sample of 164 social enterprises in the UK and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The results illustrate that whilst the direct relationship between social and economic performance is inconclusive, social performance contributes indirectly to improve economic performance through improving social enterprise reputation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first of this kind in the context of social enterprises which sheds light on the long-standing conflicting literature on the relationship between the dual objectives (i.e. social and economic) by providing reputation as the mediating variable.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 29 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 December 2022

Misagh Tasavori and Charan Raj Bhattarai

Social enterprises (SEs) offer a unique context as they have the challenge of finding solutions that not only improve their economic performance but also their social performance

Abstract

Purpose

Social enterprises (SEs) offer a unique context as they have the challenge of finding solutions that not only improve their economic performance but also their social performance, simultaneously. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether learning orientation and new product development capability can support SEs to enhance both their economic and social performances.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design has been employed and data have been collected from a sample of 164 SEs in the UK.

Findings

The findings of this study illustrate that if SEs want to enhance their economic performance, they should ensure that learning orientation leads to new product development capability. Otherwise, learning orientation cannot improve their economic performance. However, surprisingly, learning orientation can impact SEs' performance not only by developing new product development capability but also by having a direct impact on their social performance.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the social entrepreneurship literature by illustrating the role of learning orientation and new product development capability in enhancing the economic as well as the social performance of SEs.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2023

Stuart Orr and Akshay Jadhav

Construction sustainability (CS) is a strategic reaction to the sustainability expectations of the construction industry's external stakeholders. The extant literature has viewed…

Abstract

Purpose

Construction sustainability (CS) is a strategic reaction to the sustainability expectations of the construction industry's external stakeholders. The extant literature has viewed the environmental, social and economic dimensions of CS as having independent effects on financial performance. Due to the influence of common stakeholders, however, interactions in these dimensions will be present in their effect on financial performance. Accordingly, this study identifies the mechanisms of the interactions between the three CS dimensions and how they jointly affect financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis of GRI reports of 60 large construction organisations, followed by a hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify the interactions between environmental, social and economic CS in their effect on financial performance.

Findings

Economic CS was found to indirectly, and not directly, affect financial performance, the effect being mediated by both environmental and social CS. Environmental CS was found to have a strong negative effect on financial performance, whilst social CS was found to have a strongly significant positive effect on financial performance.

Practical implications

The motivation for engaging in CS is that investment in economic CS will have a positive effect on both environmental and social CS outcomes, which, in turn can have a combined effect on financial performance.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies investigating the effect of interactions between the environmental, social and economic CS dimensions on the financial performance of construction organisations. It is also one of the first studies that applies a sociotechnical framework to this relationship.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2018

Sheila Namagembe, S. Ryan and Ramaswami Sridharan

The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between five green practices and firm performance. In addition, this paper investigates the influence of each green…

2010

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between five green practices and firm performance. In addition, this paper investigates the influence of each green practice on environmental performance, economic benefits, and economic costs.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected based on a cross-sectional survey of owner/managers of 200 manufacturing SME firms in Uganda, Africa. SPSS was used to find descriptive means and test relationships between green practices and performance outcomes. Structural equation modelling was used to test for the influence of each practice on performance outcomes. The structural equation modelling results were obtained using the Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling software. Results were compared with similar studies conducted in developing countries.

Findings

Different green practices affect different performance dimensions in different ways across different industries. For example, eco-design and internal environmental management practices significantly influence environmental performance; green purchasing and internal environmental management practices significantly influence economic benefits; and internal environmental management practices affect economic costs. Overall internal environmental management is the key to positive outcomes across the three performance criteria. The authors show how the results obtained vary from similar studies conducted in developing countries and explain possible reasons for the difference.

Research limitations/implications

Africa is a rapidly industrialising nation faced with difficult choices between economic growth and increased pollution. Because SMEs represent the majority of manufacturing firms, they are the main polluters. Hence, better understanding of the costs and benefits, both environmental and economic, is important to encourage green practice adoption for the betterment of community health and prosperity.

Originality/value

Despite numerous studies on the relationships between green practice adoption and performance outcomes, only a few studies include both economic costs and benefits in addition to environmental performance. The study covers five green supply chain practices, whereas most similar studies are limited in the number of practices examined. The African context is unique and important because industrial development and environmental protection goals are in conflict. Similar studies are predominant in an Asian context which is more developed than Africa. The findings and comparisons raise important questions for further research in relation to the roles of national regulations, geographical markets and industry types in furthering green practices in manufacturing.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Rashmi Ranjan and Niladri Das

The purpose of this paper is to integrate drivers of economic performance with environmental management aspects and core managerial functions of the Indian coal mining industry.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to integrate drivers of economic performance with environmental management aspects and core managerial functions of the Indian coal mining industry.

Design/methodology/approach

For this research paper, primary and secondary data have been used. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey which was distributed in the four subsidiaries of Coal India Limited. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested by appropriate statistical techniques. Further, one-sample t-test and multiple linear regression analysis have been used for data analysis.

Findings

Testing of hypotheses reveals that there is a high level of integration of environmental management aspects with the seven core managerial functions, namely, production process, distribution process, beneficiation process, quality issues, stakeholders’ interest, health and safety and corporate strategy. Further, the paper identified that there is a positive association between integration of environmental aspects with core functions and the four drivers of economic performance and it is strongly associated with societal-related and risk-related drivers of economic performance. But it is less strongly associated with image-related and efficiency-related drivers of economic performance.

Research limitations/implications

This paper focuses on integrating the environmental management and core functions with key drivers of economic performance in coal mining industry which is one of the most polluting industries of the world. The limitation of the paper is that it is very specific and limited to the coal mining industry.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the existing work by designing a framework which identifies the key drivers of economic performance and integrating it with the environmental management system of the organisation.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 July 2012

Mohammed Abdulai Mahmoud and Baba Yusif

Nonprofit organisations (NPOs) are challenged with continuous change, which provides the impetus for adopting organisational change models. The purpose of this paper is to examine…

3929

Abstract

Purpose

Nonprofit organisations (NPOs) are challenged with continuous change, which provides the impetus for adopting organisational change models. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the adoption of market and learning orientations on NPO performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on extant management literature to theorise the interrelationship between market orientation, learning orientation, and economic and non‐economic NPO performance. Using a survey design, the authors draw a convenience sample of 118 NPOs in Ghana to test their theoretisation.

Findings

Evidence is found that although the relationship between market orientation and NPO performance is significant (on both economic and non‐economic indicators), what best accounts for enhanced performance is learning orientation. Additionally, non‐economic performance mediates the relationship between learning orientation and economic performance.

Research limitations/implications

Replicating the study with larger samples, using objective performance data, and applying more rigorous approach to data analysis, among other things, could significantly improve the generalisability of the results.

Practical implications

NPO managers are reminded that non‐economic performance (e.g. service or program effectiveness) represents part of the underlying mechanism through which the financial assurances of market and learning orientations can be exploited.

Originality/value

The paper builds on the market orientation literature by theorising and demonstrating empirically a route through which market orientation is related to the firm's financial performance.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 61 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 August 2018

Gawon Yun, Mehmet G. Yalcin, Douglas N. Hales and Hee Yoon Kwon

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the research conducted among the interim, dyadic interactions that bridge the stand-alone measures of economic, environmental and social…

2249

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the research conducted among the interim, dyadic interactions that bridge the stand-alone measures of economic, environmental and social performance and the level of sustainability, as suggested in the Carter and Rogers (2008) framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducts a systematic literature review based on the Tranfield et al. (2003) method of the articles published in 13 major journals in the area of supply chain management between the years 2010 and 2016. Results were analyzed using an expert panel.

Findings

The area of research between environmental and social performance is sparse and relegated to empirical investigation. As an important area of interaction, this area needs more research to answer the how and why questions. The economic activity seems to be the persistent theme among the interactions.

Research limitations/implications

The literature on the “environmental performance and social performance (ES)” interactions is lacking in both theoretical and analytical content. Studies explaining the motivations, optimal levels and context that drive these interactions are needed. The extant research portrays economic performance as if it cannot be sacrificed for social welfare. This approach is not in line with the progressive view of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) but instead the binary view with an economic emphasis.

Practical implications

To improve sustainability, organizations need the triple bottom line (TBL) framework that defines sustainability in isolation. However, they also need to understand how and why these interactions take place that drive sustainability in organizations.

Originality/value

By examining the literature specifically dedicated to the essential, interim, dyadic interactions, this study contributes to bridging the gap between stand-alone performance and the TBL that creates true sustainability. It also shows how the literature views the existence of sustainability is progressive, but many describe sustainability as binary. It is possible that economic sustainability is binary, and progressive characterizations of SSCM could be the reason behind the results favoring economic performance over environmental and social.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 June 2014

Yi-Chun Huang and Min-Li Yang

The purpose of this study is to draw on several perspectives rarely used in reverse logistics (RL) research – such as sustainable development, the natural resource-based view and…

2681

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to draw on several perspectives rarely used in reverse logistics (RL) research – such as sustainable development, the natural resource-based view and green innovation – to examine the relationship between RL innovation and environmental and economic performance while incorporating institutional theory to verify how institutional pressures moderate these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey is used to investigate Taiwan's electrical, electronic and information industries, as well as maintenance and retail stores selling computers, communications and consumer electronics. First, a hierarchical regression analysis is used. Next, moderating relationships are examined along with the related regulatory, competitor and customer pressures.

Findings

The results indicate that RL innovation is positively associated with environmental and economic performance. Moreover, three institutional pressures positively moderated the relationships between RL innovation and environmental performance. However, investment in greater RL innovation under higher-level institutional pressures did not always enhance economic performance.

Research limitations/implications

Reverse logistics innovation comprises five components, one of which is cross-functional integration, the process of obtaining information from marketing, production and logistics managers about how their firms created the marketing-operations interface to better handle RL. However, we obtained RL innovation information only from individual respondents. In addition, this study focuses on the economic and environmental aspects of RL activities. Future studies should apply the RL perspective on social sustainability to probe RL issues from sustainability's environmental, social and economic points of views.

Practical implications

Contrary to the conventional wisdom that RL imposes costs, reduces productivity and curbs competitiveness, this study finds that RL innovation can enrich environmental and economic performances, indicating that firms with more innovative RL capabilities yield more sustainable outcomes for environmental protection, social responsibility and economic performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the RL literature by applying multiple perspectives – including sustainable development, the natural resource-based view and green innovation – to explore the relationship between RL innovation and performance while using institutional theory to probe the moderating effects of institutional pressures on RL innovation and performance.

Details

Management Research Review, vol. 37 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8269

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 February 2015

Mina Behyan, Osman Mohamad and Azizah Omar

The purpose of this paper is to investigate several concepts of inward and outward internationalization and their impact on export performance in the context of Malaysian…

2009

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate several concepts of inward and outward internationalization and their impact on export performance in the context of Malaysian manufacturing exporting firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Mail survey was administered to gather data from the Malaysian manufacturing firms that have been identified to have business export trading to the major oil and gas producer countries in the Middle East. A total of 120 respondents were received and further analysis was tabulated.

Findings

Findings revealed that the outward internationalization is positively related to economic and non-economic measures of export performance. It indicates that an outward internationalization related to organizational capability has a major contribution to the export performance of Malaysian manufacturing and exporting firms. On the other hand, top management international orientation as an inward internationalization is negatively and significantly associated with economic measures, but not in the non-economic measures of the export performance.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional nature of this study may have limitations with respect to examining the direction and causality of some of the variables. The findings are limited to Malaysian manufacturing firms exporting to targeted markets. The significant of this study emanates from its expected theoretical implications to knowledge and practical implications to business and public organization. It lends support to the internationalization theory and contributes to a firm’s performance and enhances their export marketing knowledge with useful implications for international and relationship marketing.

Originality/value

The results support the proposition that internationalization of firms from emerging nations are dependent on learning, acquiring and applying the knowledge from other firms particularly from firms originating from advanced developed nations.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 March 2022

Babajide Oyewo, Vincent Tawiah and Abdulrasheed Zakari

This chapter investigates the relevance of sustainability accounting practice (SAP) in the actualisation of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030…

Abstract

This chapter investigates the relevance of sustainability accounting practice (SAP) in the actualisation of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030. Whilst the SDGs appear general, broad and far-reaching, the sustainable development agenda (SDA) impliedly places responsibilities on member nations to evolve strategies that will ensure the achievement of the SDGs in their respective countries in accordance with national circumstances and peculiar challenges. This brings to bear the need to consider measures to translate the SDGs to realities, especially in developing countries. We use a structured questionnaire to collect data on the application of SAP from publicly listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria. Secondary data on economic performance were obtained from the annual reports of companies for 5 years (2014–2018). Structural Equation Modelling and Mann-Whitney test were applied to analyse data. Result suggests that whilst the implementation level of SAP by companies is generally moderate, internalities/‘pull factors’ such as market orientation and deliberate strategy formulation significantly determine the sophistication level of SAP. The insignificant effect of the externalities/‘push factors’ (i.e. environmental uncertainty, structure of ownership and control, and intensity of competition) on SAP suggests that external pressure on companies to implement sustainability initiatives is weak. We also find that extensive usage of SAP can sustain economic performance in the long run. The chapter provides empirical evidence that manufacturing companies extensively implementing SATs can sustain economic performance and would likely have enough economic resources to implement some initiatives that are fundamental to the actualisation of the SDGs 2030. The chapter contributes to the sparse literature on sustainability practice in developing countries, and incrementally adds to knowledge on the factors driving SAP in a jurisdiction characterised by lax regulatory framework and weak institutional apparatus on sustainability. As evident in our findings, SAP engenders sustainable economic performance.

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