TY - JOUR
T1 - Diffusion of ISO 14001 environmental management systems in China
T2 - Rethinking on stakeholders' roles
AU - Qi, G. Y.
AU - Zeng, S. X.
AU - Tam, C. M.
AU - Yin, H. T.
AU - Wu, J. F.
AU - Dai, Z. H.
PY - 2011/7
Y1 - 2011/7
N2 - Since the release of ISO 14001 in 1996, China has witnessed a surge in the number of ISO 14001 certification. As an international environmental standard, ISO 14001 has two basic functions: one is playing as an environmental management instrument, while the other as a signal of firms' better environmental performance to stakeholders. Based on the stakeholder theory, we have examined the effects of community, regulatory and some organizational stakeholders on the diffusion of ISO 14001 certification at Chinese provincial levels. Using a panel data of ISO 14001 certification from each province for the period of 2004-2008 in China, empirical evidence of such relations is found. The finding reveals that signaling to foreign customers and community stakeholders plays a dominant role in encouraging diffusion of ISO 14001 certification. However, as an important organizational stakeholder, foreign investors have shown no significant effect on the diffusion of ISO 14001 in China. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - Since the release of ISO 14001 in 1996, China has witnessed a surge in the number of ISO 14001 certification. As an international environmental standard, ISO 14001 has two basic functions: one is playing as an environmental management instrument, while the other as a signal of firms' better environmental performance to stakeholders. Based on the stakeholder theory, we have examined the effects of community, regulatory and some organizational stakeholders on the diffusion of ISO 14001 certification at Chinese provincial levels. Using a panel data of ISO 14001 certification from each province for the period of 2004-2008 in China, empirical evidence of such relations is found. The finding reveals that signaling to foreign customers and community stakeholders plays a dominant role in encouraging diffusion of ISO 14001 certification. However, as an important organizational stakeholder, foreign investors have shown no significant effect on the diffusion of ISO 14001 in China. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KW - China
KW - Diffusion of ISO 14001 certification
KW - Environmental management system
KW - Stakeholders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955710890&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79955710890&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.03.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.03.006
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
SN - 0959-6526
VL - 19
SP - 1250
EP - 1256
JO - Journal of Cleaner Production
JF - Journal of Cleaner Production
IS - 11
ER -
