Customer pressure and environmental stewardship: The moderator role of perceived benefit by managers

Abstract

Nowadays, environmental issues and cleaner products are interest to many customers, considering whether to buy or continue using a product. This will affect the perception, attitude of upper managers in the process of strategic choices and operational management behavior. This study is based on the Upper Echelon Theory, research under the influence of customer pressure to attitude toward the environmental, decision choices for cleaner production strategies, implementation of environmental management accounting towards achieving green competitive advantage of Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises. In addition, the role of two moderator variables: (1) perceived benefit of cleaner production strategies and (2) perceived benefit of environmental management accounting in the research model is also considered. This study surveyed 234 CEOs of Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises. This study employed PLS-SEM, version 3 for data analysis. Results have shown that all relationships are statistically significant. Moderator variables have a statistically significant and positive impact in relationships in which they play a moderator role. This study helps CEOs realize the importance of producing products that are customer-oriented, environmentally friendly, and the implementation of environmental management accounting will have a strong impact on achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.