Assessing the nexus between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance: A way forward towards sustainable development

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessing the nexus between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance

T2 - A way forward towards sustainable development

AU - Xin, Yongrong

AU - Dilanchiev, Azer

AU - Esmira, Guluzada

AU - Ai, Fengyi

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

PY - 2025/2

Y1 - 2025/2

N2 - Although the Chinese government has effectively enacted green policies to address climate challenges, the country's heavy reliance on fossil fuels has made these problems serious barriers to China's sustainable growth. This study analyzes data from 653 Chinese manufacturing companies and examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance. The suggested hypotheses have been investigated by employing structural equation modeling. The results showed that there is no direct association between corporate social responsibility and the environmental performance of manufacturing firms. In comparison, it is linked to green transformational leadership and green innovation that improves environmental performance. Furthermore, the results showed that the link between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance is mediated by green innovation and green transformational leadership. The study's results provide managers and decision-makers in manufacturing businesses with critical knowledge on managing corporate social responsibility, green innovation, and green transformational leadership. Increasing internal resources to improve environmental performance may be advantageous to general managers of big manufacturing enterprises.

AB - Although the Chinese government has effectively enacted green policies to address climate challenges, the country's heavy reliance on fossil fuels has made these problems serious barriers to China's sustainable growth. This study analyzes data from 653 Chinese manufacturing companies and examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance. The suggested hypotheses have been investigated by employing structural equation modeling. The results showed that there is no direct association between corporate social responsibility and the environmental performance of manufacturing firms. In comparison, it is linked to green transformational leadership and green innovation that improves environmental performance. Furthermore, the results showed that the link between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance is mediated by green innovation and green transformational leadership. The study's results provide managers and decision-makers in manufacturing businesses with critical knowledge on managing corporate social responsibility, green innovation, and green transformational leadership. Increasing internal resources to improve environmental performance may be advantageous to general managers of big manufacturing enterprises.

KW - Corporate social responsibility

KW - environmental performance

KW - green innovation

KW - green transformational leadership

KW - natural resource-based view theory

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002011464

U2 - 10.1177/0958305X231164691

DO - 10.1177/0958305X231164691

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105002011464

SN - 0958-305X

VL - 36

SP - 32

EP - 53

JO - Energy and Environment

JF - Energy and Environment

IS - 1

ER -