Title: Role of eco-management practices in determining corporate sustainable development in China: a resource-based perspective

Authors: Fahad Khalid; Mohit Srivastava; Khwaja Naveed; Xinhui Sun

Addresses: School of Business, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China ' EM Normandie Business School, Métis Lab, 20 Quai Frissard, 76600 Le Havre, France ' Faculty of Management, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, Netherlands ' Business School, University of International Business and Economics, China

Abstract: This study examines the impact of eco-management practices (EMPs) on corporate sustainable development (Wbcsd) within the Chinese A-share-listed companies from 2010 to 2019, based on a dataset comprising 7,948 firm-year observations. The findings reveal compelling insights regarding three specific EMPs: environmental innovation (EI), eco-management certification (EMC), and eco-management training (EMT). Notably, EI demonstrates a significant positive influence on CSD within environmentally sensitive industries while negatively impacting non-sensitive sectors. In contrast, EMC consistently positively and significantly affects CSD, regardless of sectoral environmental sensitivity. Intriguingly, EMT shows a pronounced influence on CSD in non-sensitive sector firms. These results emphasise the integral role of EMPs in driving CSD and highlight the importance of environmental sensitivity in determining the effectiveness of EMPs. Consequently, firms with a greater environmental focus benefit significantly from implementing EMPs, particularly EI, while EMC emerges as a universal driver of CSD across sectors. These findings underscore the significance of proactive EMPs, such as EI, EMC, and EMT, in fostering corporate sustainability and suggest avenues for further research to explore additional strategies that enhance sustainable business practices.

Keywords: eco-management; environmental innovation; EI; eco-management certification; EMC; eco-management training; EMT; corporate sustainable development; Wbcsd; resources.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBGE.2025.149823

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 2025 Vol.19 No.6, pp.704 - 732

Received: 31 Mar 2023
Accepted: 15 Jun 2023
Published online: 14 Nov 2025 *

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