Towards sustainability: An environmental strategy choice, environmental performance, and the moderating role of stakeholder pressure

Abstract

AbstractNowadays, many companies face to adopt environmental strategies (ESs) that improve performance and fulfill the requirements of stakeholders. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the choice of ES and environmental performance (EP) and also to examine the moderating effect of stakeholder pressure (SP) on this relationship. Additionally, it tests the direct impact of SP on EP. The linear regression model is used to analyze these tested interactions. Although the effect of the environmental strategic choice on EP has been investigated by scholars, the moderating impact of SP on this relation has scarcely been explored. Furthermore, the previous research studies on the linkage between SP and EP has provided mix results. The results of the study show that there is a significant and positive influence of the choice of ES on EP. The empirical examination indicates that enterprises, which adopt proactive ESs, obtain increased EP than companies with reactive ESs. The research also confirms the direct and positive influence of SP on EP. However, the results from Hayes' PROCESS technique do not confirm a statistically significant effect of SP moderation on the relationship between the choice of ES and EP.