An International Approach of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management in Multinational Enterprises

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, both academics and managers have become very interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Organizations have been increasingly subjected to tremendous pressure to maximize productivity and profitability while experiencing constant demand from consumers, suppliers, employees, investors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and public powers to invest in the development and implementation of CSR practices. Firms are thus concerned not only with economic issues but also with the social and environmental impacts of their activities. Indeed, a firm can achieve success through the implementation of good corporate governance practices and by maintaining strong relationships with society and the environment.

Corporate environmental management has been considered one of the most important transformations in the business field over the past few decades (Hartmann & Vachon, 2018). During the last years, the world has been experiencing the consequences of severe pollution and climate change, increasing organizations' environmental awareness of the importance of transforming production activities into environmentally friendly and profitable businesses. As companies seek to improve their environmental performance to develop competitive advantages, environmental management becomes a strategic issue. Thus, proactive environmental strategies are not just a strategy of risk management in response to corporate scandals or pressures from stakeholders. It is also a valuable competency that can bring firms various business benefits.

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have become important players in the fields of CSR and environmental management (Duque Grisales, Aguilera-Caracuel, Guerrero-Villegas & García-Sánchez, 2019). Because of the characteristics of MNEs, these corporations are considered capable of driving environmental changes as they conduct operations in more than one market, a situation that lets them have an impact on more than one society. Some international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) or International Labor Organization (ILO), hold that MNEs have a privileged position in helping improve these aspects, often in collaboration with institutions, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Taking into account the high social and environmental impacts of MNEs in society both at the local and international levels, the purpose of this Special Issue is to provide an integrative overview of current knowledge on the drivers and consequences of MNE CSR and environmental strategies. Studies from different theoretical perspectives and business areas, such as strategy, human resource management, and corporate governance can help to better understand MNEs’ approaches towards CSR and environmental management.

This Special Issue will accept original/review research that addresses the following topics (all  directly related to environmental management and CSR on MNEs):

• Internationalization (developed and developing regions)
• Emerging market multinationals
• National and international regulations
• Local and global stakeholders
• Environmental performance
• Green innovation
• Workforce
• Gender equality
• Social welfare within and outside the MNE
• CSR and Environmental policies
• Corporate governance
• International strategic alliances
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

References:

Duque-Grisales, E., Aguilera-Caracuel, J., Guerrero-Villegas, J. & García-Sánchez, E. (2019). Can a proactive environmental strategy improve Multilatinas' level of internationalization? The moderating role of board independence. Business Strategy and the Environment. DOI: 10.1002/bse.2377

Hartmann, J., & Vachon, S. (2018). Linking environmental management to environmental performance: The interactive role of industry context. Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(3), 359–374.

Dr. Javier Aguilera-Caracuel
Dr. Jaime Guerrero-Villegas
Guest Editors

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• environmental management
• corporate social responsibility
• MNEs
• green innovation
• internationalization
• developed and developing regions
• regulations
• stakeholders
• CSR and environmental policies