title: Exploring the link between institutional pressures and environmental management systems effectiveness: An empirical study.
abstract: Institutional theory has been widely debated by scholars. A part of literature examines how institutional pressures act on company choices regarding proactive environmental strategies. However, the institutional perspective has still not completely clarified the influence of these pressures on the effectiveness of environmental management systems (EMSs) in achieving goals in terms of eco-innovation, competitiveness and corporate reputation. This paper analyses the role played by coercive, mimetic and normative forces in stimulating innovative and competitive responses by firms with an environmental certification. Using the results of a survey on 242 European EMAS-registered organisations, the paper highlights the more positive influence of mimetic and normative pressures than coercive ones. The paper contributes to the literature debate on EMSs analysed through the lens of institutional theory.
authors.affiliation: Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Institute of Management, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: tiberio.daddi@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Tiberio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daddi
authors.affiliation: Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Institute of Management, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.testa@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.affiliation: Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Institute of Management, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: frey@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Institute of Management, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy; IEFE e Institute for Environmental and Energy Policy and Economics, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.iraldo@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iraldo
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D004777:Environment; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Business performance; EMAS; Environmental management systems; Institutional theory; Survey