Publication Type
PhD Dissertation
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
3-2025
Abstract
This study investigates the multidimensional motivations driving corporate voluntary environmental transformation and its subsequent impacts, with a focus on political contexts, industry characteristics, and leadership traits. Situated within the framework of additional transformation requirements proposed by environmental non-profit organizations (e.g., WWF), the research examines how environmental transformation serves as a strategic vehicle for corporations to demonstrate social responsibility practices and enhance market competitiveness through philanthropic engagements. By integrating theoretical construction and empirical analysis, this study advances the explanatory frameworks of corporate social responsibility (CSR) theory, stakeholder theory, and resource dependence theory.
This research first identifies intrinsic motivations for corporations to voluntarily adopt additional environmental transformation requirements. The literature review reveals insufficient attention to the influence of political and market factors in driving voluntary environmental initiatives. Leveraging data from U.S.-based corporations, the study constructs a theoretical model encompassing political environments, industry traits, and CEO characteristics, proposing three key hypotheses: (1) Republican-leaning political environments reduce corporate willingness for voluntary environmental transformation; (2) Consumer-oriented industries exhibit stronger pro-environmental inclinations; and (3) Female CEOs are more likely to prioritize ethical decision-making, thereby fostering environmental transformation.
The regression results indicate that Republican-dominated policy environments diminish regulatory pressures, leading to reduced proactive environmental actions. Conversely, consumer-oriented industries demonstrate heightened environmental responsiveness. Leadership analysis further reveals that female CEOs significantly correlate with morally driven strategies, accelerating voluntary transformation.
In assessing the impacts of adopting additional environmental requirements, this study observes statistically significant changes in corporate donation patterns. Post-transformation, corporations demonstrate increased donation amounts and enhanced donation cycle stability. These findings suggest that environmental non-profits’ additional requirements not only incentivize CSR practices but also reinforce public trust and market reputation, thereby consolidating brand value and competitive advantages.
Theoretical contributions of this study include expanding CSR theory’s market-oriented logic, enriching stakeholder theory’s interpretation of consumer and governmental influences, and refining resource dependence theory through the lens of market-resource substitution effects. Practically, the research offers strategic recommendations for corporate managers pursuing green transformations, actionable insights for environmental organizations to optimize transformation requirements, and policy frameworks for designing market-policy synergies in environmental governance.
Keywords
environmental transformation, political environments, consumer-oriented industries, CEO gender
Degree Awarded
Doctor of Bus Admin (CKGSB)
Discipline
Organizational Behavior and Theory | Organization Development
Supervisor(s)
WANG, Heli
First Page
1
Last Page
123
Publisher
Singapore Management University
City or Country
Singapore
Citation
LU, Lunyan.
Research on motivations for corporate voluntary environmental transformation: An analysis based on WWF. (2025). 1-123.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/731
Copyright Owner and License
Author
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.