Title: Configurations of environmental management strategy: evidence from the container shipping service industry

Authors: Ching-Chiao Yang; Christina W.Y. Wong

Addresses: Department of Shipping and Transportation Management, National Kaohsiung Marine University, No. 142, Haijhuan Road, Kaohsiung City 811, Taiwan ' Business Division, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract: This study applies the theory of strategic groups to segment environmental management practices orientation, and assess the performance outcomes of different environmental strategy oriented groups in container shipping sector in Taiwan. Based on data collected from 152 shipping firms, four environmental management dimensions were identified based on factor analysis: 1) environmental auditing; 2) environmental collaboration; 3) environmental purchasing; 4) environmental commitment. Cluster analysis was subsequently used to assign respondents' firms to three environmental strategy oriented groups, namely: environmental commitment oriented firms, environmental collaboration oriented firms, and environmental auditing and environmental purchasing oriented firms, based on their factor scores in the four environmental management dimensions. Finally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicate that environmental auditing and purchasing oriented firms exhibited the best environmental performance among the groups, whereas environmental commitment oriented firms possessed the best non-financial performance, and environmental collaboration oriented firms had the best financial performance.

Keywords: environmental management strategy; service industry; organisational performance; container shipping services; cluster analysis; Taiwan; environmental auditing; environmental collaboration; environmental purchasing; environmental commitment; analysis of variance; ANOVA; non-financial performance; financial performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2016.076262

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2016 Vol.8 No.3, pp.334 - 356

Received: 11 Jul 2014
Accepted: 10 Feb 2015
Published online: 30 Apr 2016 *

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